I have discovered something during my revision which may actually be of use in a wider sense.
The "precordial catch syndrome" is a common yet under-recognized cause of benign chest pain in adolescents. The syndrome has a remarkably consistent, characteristic presentation and is therefore easily diagnosed. Nonetheless, it frequently leads to elaborate testing and/or referral to a paediatric cardiologist and can be a source of considerable anxiety.
The syndrome was first termed "precordial catch" by Miller and Texidor in 1955. They characterized the condition as presenting with sudden onset, with sharp, stabbing, well-localized precordial pain, and reported its occurrence in 10 patients, 1 of whom was Miller himself. Later authors coined the phrase "Texidor’s twinge".
I think I may have this. If so, I'm sure that at least one of you has too. Otherwise I'm just going mad.
Characteristics of precordial catch syndrome:
- Sudden onset
- Occurs most frequently at rest
- Very well localized
- Sharp, stabbing, needlelike pain
- Exacerbated by deep breathing
- Each episode lasts for 30 seconds to 3 minutes
- Sudden, complete resolution
- No associated symptoms
- No abnormal physical findings
Let me know if I'm not alone....
* Please note that this posting does not constitute medical advice. If you are feeling unwell when you read this it would be unwise to seek such advice in a blog. Call an ambulance and get sorted out properly. *
74 comments:
No, I used to get it when I was a kid too. Haven't had it since Med School.
i get it too,it can sometimes be overcome by a very deep breath which can overcome the catch.
I get this too - v sudden onset sharp stabbing pain on the L side which is made worse by breathing - if I hold my breath it goes within ~10 secs
Hmmmm, me too and like nhs human resource I find a very deep breathe gets rid.
(Strangely I'd come up with some elaborate theory that it was due to a little part of my lung collapsing that I could reinflate with a deep breathe. in reterospect, this seems slightly ridiculous.)
I get that same pain everytime I open my pharmacology review book.
This is great info. Sometimes I see teens who doctors feel are having panic attacks....I wonder is what is really operating.
Me too. ?Variant on tietze's syndrome? I can feel a distinct click if I have it and happen to sneeze or cough at the same time.
I get this from time to time. Always assumed it was to do with my congenital heart condition but it would appear not. How interesting!
I also get precordial catch. It
happens in exactly the same place every time, just over the cardiac apex. It goes away if I take a really deep breath but with that it hurts like hell. A psychiatrist explained it was a normal phenomenon just like hiccoughing or itching but some people misconstrue it as serious disease and he sees it a lot. I think it happens when the two surfaces of the pleura or pericardium get stuck and don't glide over each other??
So Texidor's twinge does exist! I am not simply a neurotic hypochondriac! Thank you all!
The overall opinion seems to be that it is related to both psychological and pleural friction.
The funny thing is, since posting about it on the blog I have hardly had any attacks! Weird...
my brother gets it, we didn't know what it was but now we do. Last time he got it was two days ago when he was in the gym, bench pressing for the first time in ages. Then it happened and we stopped.
I'd like to thank you for helping me to identify this problem. I've had this for some time, but I'm 28 years old. I did a general google search using terms like 'localized chest pain' and it brought me here.
After I learned the term 'precordial catch syndrome' here, I looked it up on wikipedia and it says that it can occur in adults as well. The description it gives is very much along the lines of what I've been experiencing. I'm very relieved to learn that this isn't anything serious at all.
It comes in on my RIGHT side, actually, but goes away very quickly. It can happen several times in a day, but sometimes never in a day.
It's not that painful for me, it was just worrisome.
Thanks again! Good luck to all of you.
Maybe it's the doctor in me, but this is one of the most satisfying posts I have written! It sounds like lots of people have Texidor's Twinge / precordial catch syndrome, and I hope that by getting a few of them together here it has been reassuring. Strangely I get it much less often than I used to, so maybe there is a large psychological / functional overlay component too.
I'm a 22 year old female who has been troubled by this mysterious chest pain for quite some time now. I am desperate to find out what it is. I thought i may have PCS, all of the symptoms fit me, with the exception of two key things: my pain lasts much longer than 3 minutes, and it has gotten more frequent as I grow up instead of getting less frequent. Any thoughts??
Jessica - it sounds like you might have Texidor's twinge but of course if there is any doubt or concern you should seek medical advice - there is only so much I can do on the internet!
The reading I've done (and my own experience) suggests that Texidor's twinge / Precordial catch syndrome increases during adolescence and peaks in the late teens/early twenties before subsiding. I reckon you will notice it diminishing within a year or two and the attacks will be of shorter duration. The best advice I have for an attack is to lie absolutely still and take very shallow breaths until it subsides. Some people advocate taking a sudden sharp breath to get rid of the pain but personally I find that excrutiatingly impossible.
Hope that helps.
Vegas
I started having the symptoms of it during puberty which is a common onset time. Mine occurs on the left side about 2 inches above the nipple. Not the regular "common" spot but it's still the same exact symptoms and relief techniques. I'm 34 and still have the occasional attack. Had one this morning actually....hurts like hell until a sudden breath makes the old popping sensation and then it immediately eases off and disappears......but yes, the breath almost brings a tear to the eye with the pain it causes....i believe some have it more severe than others.....and the pain although similar in location is more intense.....
I'm a 16 year-old and i too had been experiencing sharp pains on the left side of my chest. I googled the symptoms and it lead me to this site. I was very relieved to find out that it isn't serious and seems to be a common occurance. I experience a lot of anxiety for a teenager, and i read on another site that bad posture can also have a lot to do with P.O.S. which i could probably also work on.
I also agree with vegas, my attacks last for about a minute or two and taking shallow breaths is probably the safest way to go about it allow i haven't tried holding my breath like another post said. I tried to take a deep breath during an attack and it didn't subside any quicker, it only put me in more pain.
anyways thanks alot for all of your posts i am relieved that it wasn't something real serious.
Dear God, and here I was thinking I'd had a minor heart attack when I was a kid. Thanks mate.
Daisy said,
Thankyou all for posting on here about Dexidors Twinge..
My son who is 13 has just over the last few months started with these sharp stabbing pains and his doctor thinks maybeit is this syndrone.We still have a few more tests to finalize ,,but it sure does sound like this..
My son is a very active athlete who is worried about his sporting career, which is just taking off. So I will be watching this site and read all about you all and this Twinge!!! regards D.
I'm 25 years old, and I have been getting the "twitch" for years!! I remember calling them mini heart attacks from the time I was a kid. I had one just the other day, and thought I'd finally do some research to figure it out. My husband was a little alarmed. I'll let him know that I'll still be around for many years to come! :-)
I'm 15 years old and I get this quite often. It's not so bad to the point were I scream in pain or have to lie down, but it still hurts like hell. I got it yesterday, worst then it has ever been and it stayed there all day. It got alot less throughout the day, but it's been over 24 hours and it keeps coming and leaving. I'm also had a bit of a cough but I think that's only because I'm catching a cold or something. Also, my chest hurts when I touch it (feels like a bad bruise) Can this still be PCS or do you think it's more serious? Thanks!
thx for the support guyz but i was wondering if i culd get an opinion on this. my pains are longer than 3 mins. they usually last about 5 but just then lasted 10 mins. i'm slightly worried and it affects my mobility. i keep having episodes during the day up to 15 but onli 2 of them are usually serious the others just a quick twang on my lung.
and also. how am i supposed to take a deep breath? its so painful to even breath further than a shallow breath. any thoughts ther?
i started having this since i was 8 years old , i get it in the middle of the left side of my chest and it lasts for about 5 seconds though ? i cant breath until it subsides and then ill be in agony cause i feel as if ive just had my heart stabed 500 times . im 13 now and have researched this crap for a week but i think i dont have it ? i get the same pains but only for about 5 seconds and i hardly ever have it , about 6 times a year , the last few months ive constantly felt really weak and coughed up loads of crap and weirdly i get bruises all over my body for no reason (mainly in my neck and arms) and theres nothing thats caused them . ive got outa breath much easier in P.E and have got really crap at football cause i just cant run any more . any idea what might be up with me ?
I've had this intermittently since I was a child - I'm now 51. Sometimes it's really painful and altering my breathing doesn't help. On occasions I find that leaning one way or another relieves it instantly. Yes, the pain can be sharp, but I'd also describe it as 'crinkly' - if that makes any sense to anyone else!
I too have PCS! Unbelievable ongoing test never found anything. My doctyor doesn't believe me that ANYTHING is wrong :p she thought I made PCS up for 2 months until I printed some stuff on it. I think I'm switching doctors :p
I am guessing my condition isn't PCS. It occurs about 5 times a year, lasts around 30 minutes and I come out feeling and looking like I've done 30 intense minutes at the gym. The pain feels like a house brick inside my chest, with a team of footballers lying on top of me. It sure feels good each time it suddenly stops!
I am a 46 year old female and have had these pains which seem to fit with PCS for a long time. I find it a bit embarassing when it happens in public because I can't move and try not to breathe until it subsides. Is there a way to keep them to a minimum or prevent them?
I've had like 3 today alone. I've had it for like 10 years at least. It used to be only like once a month, recently like a couple times a week, and for the past few days, its' like popping up a few times a day. They call it a mild inconvenience. I think NOT!
Im a 23 year old, female. I have had this for about 8 years, but it has progressivly got worse, with it occurring every other day. It lasts a lot longer then the usual couple of minutes, generally 30mins - 1 hour, my longest being 3 hours! For the first time, I got woken up by it today, a few hours after I had got to sleep. It is incredibly painful, i cant speak, breathe or move! I get really anxious with even the slightest twinge, and Im terrified of it. Ive tried taking a deep breath, but it makes it worse! Does anyone else get it for so long?
i'm 27 and i'm having a sharp stabbing chest pain right now. i'm hoping it's what you're all talking about, but it lasts much longer than what seems to be normal for pcs; over an hour (deep breaths/holding breath/deep exhales dont alleviate it, just make it worse and make me sweat and feel horrible). plus i'm not a teenager. very glad to read that i'm not alone; there are some other adults out there who get this. but do you think we do have pcs or is it something else?
I'm 57 and have been having this same pain for most of my life. It seems to be getting more frequent. I was sure it was a hernia but now I think its PCS. I do think it comes on from food and what position I'm in after eating. What do you think?
What's up with the number after each comment. Is it supposed to be the time posted? My post was at 8:20PM but it said 1:30AM
im glad to have found this blog. im having the same pain as i type and i do encounter patients who have experienced it. it's weird that something common like this is hardly given emphasis or not even mentioned (in my case) in med school.
Hi! I'm nine years old and I had an episode 2 days ago. While I was running around at school I had pains that felt like sharp knives stabbing in my chest. Sometimes it happens when I'm just sitting. I found out that it has nothing to do with another condition I have (Tuberous Sclerosis). 2 days ago when it happened I went to the hospital. We were afraid it was my heart that has tumors/rhabdomyomas. The heart medicine I am on does not help it. The good news is that my heart isn't worse but the bad news for me is that I was just diagosed with this new condition (Texidor's Twinge/Procardial Catch Syndrome). I want to find out more about it. I was told that it will not affect my life expectancy. Can you please write me back with any information you think may be helpful for me. Thank you, Megan
I have a feeling that reading this information has saved me tons of prescription medication in the future... it's so nice to know Im not crazy but scary to know that something so painful could be worry free. Only one question for everyone... After finding this PCS diag, i researched all I could just to make sure (25 years with no diagnosis will do that to you) and all symptoms are me to a "T" however one site says it NEVER happens during sleep. I've had one long excruciating night before and woke up with the pain all night... went to ER and everything checked out fine and of course pain stopped completely prior to arrival at ER? can it happen at night,during sleep?
I found a cure, when I was a young man app 16 years of age. It has worked ever since whenever the twinge strikes: I had PCS a lot, though I was an athlete at the time, tall and skinny. One day when I was waiting for my morning train to highscool here in denmark, I got a severe attack. I was desperate, because I could hardly walk for the chestpain. Somehow I got up with this trick: I bend down, rounded my back as much as I could and emtyed my lungs as much as I could. Then, holding this bendtogether position, I filled my lungs slowly to the point, where they were bursting. And in this position I could fill my lungs to the point were this strange thing popped without any pain. Then I could stretch out to my full hight again and go on with the pain gone. I'm in my 40s now and seldom experience this fenomenen anymore, but thats the trick that worked for me everytime. And I know exactly how painfull it can be. I agree with the lady, that wrote, it can take hours, not just minutes. My girlfriend is experiencing this right now. thats how I found this site. Because unfortunately my cure does not work for her. Hope somebody else can use the advice, though.
Yes it can happen at night and during sleep , I have been woken by it before!
Both my fiance and I have this, and it's good to finally find some correlation. I hope the resolution one of the other commenters posted will work.
I am a 30 year old female and I had one of these today. It freaked me out--the first thought that runs through our heads is heart attack or something to do with my heart! (Which, in my head, I know that is not true since I already had an EKG awhile ago and my heart is fine) Still, I came on here to find out what it is. While I was searching, without thinking, I took a deep breath and felt a pop and now the pain is gone. I still have a lingering sensation there, but I don't think it's related. I have frequent panic attacks and I think that the pain is from the panic attack I got while the other pain was there. It's so nice to know that the phantom, excruciating pain was nothing serious!
I have this too, it goes away instantly if you take a deep breath. You feel a "pop", and the pain just completely goes away..
Little late (two years late), but I did a google search and found this. I had this checked out by a cardiologist, she said that it could be perhaps a mild form of asthma that's not being treated, as breathing should not be associated with the heart. Just to let you know!
I have had recurring PCS or Texidor's twinge, as you refer to it, for around three years now. Mine started shortly after dislocating three ribs playing rugby in high school. My pain is textbook, right below my left nipple and straight through my back. The only difference that I have noticed is that when my pain hits I can't move at all and sometimes the pain is so intense (and I can stand quite a bit of pain) that I nearly collapse. The only way I can stop the episode is to pop my back by putting both sets of fingers on my sternum and pushing inward and popping my back. This leads me to believe that the cause of MY catch is most definitely nerves caused by misplaced ribs...but I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, so what do I know right?
I'm 27 now, and I've got this nice "feature" since I was 12. Had it very unfrequently, even had a 3 year period without, until about 3 months ago, I'm sure to get at least one a day now.
I've had it on and off since I was about 14. Sometimes it's just mildly annoying, sometimes it happens a couple dozen times a day. Just when I thought it had gone away for good, it comes back with a vengeance. 18 hours so far and counting. It kept me awake most of the night and hurt so bad I thought of going to the ER...then remembered how helpful they are and Googled it instead.
Wow - I am so glad I found this. Im 24 and recently started having chest pain that seems to be exactly the symptoms of PCS. The intense pain and wanting to breathe shallow, but if I bite the bullet and take a deep breath there is a popping sensation and it's over. To the person who wrote that you thought it was a tiny part of your lung collapsing and you were able to re-inflate it by breathing in deep...that's exactly what I concocted myself!
It first happened in class a couple weeks ago and freaked the hell out of me but I didn't think much of it cause it went away right away. Last weekend I woke my partner up in the middle of the night cause I thought I was having a heart attack...but then the pain went away...and I took my pulse and it was completely normal.
Im really glad I discovered this. When I started researching chest pain online I was about ready to rush myself to emergency after reading everything about angina, strokes etc. *Breathes sigh of relief* !!!
I think I have the same, and although my doctor already said it was harmless, I didn't know it was a common syndrome. I've had it since I was a kid, but recenly it got more frequent. I'm 29 now, and a month ago I had a really bad one: where normally these stings last for a few minutes or an hour max, I had it for 3 days. I went to see a doctor, who said it's not my heart as the pain is on the left and not the middle (thank god!). The paid was annoying, but as long as I took it really easy (walking slowly, try not to laugh, breathing slowly) it was managable. The most annoying part was at night I could not lay down on my right side (while the pain is always at the left). Then when I was walking down the street on the 3rd day and anxiously tried to breath in deeply again, it was gone (such a relief).
Forced deep breathing never helped me, it's simply impossible when in pain, just breathing slowly and trying to ignore it mostly works fine, but where possible I always try to lie down.
I do think I will go for chest x-rays soon, just to be sure, the 3 days in a row 'attack' felt more than a 'catch'.
i have it to..its for sure the our nerves. and just getting a seizure from it??
I have the same thing! I am a 35 year old female. I get it randomly maybe 6 times a year. It is the most painful thing i have ever experienced (and I have 2 kids!). it feels like someone is taking a knife shoving it into my chest right to the left of the center of my breast bone. The pain covers an area of a finger tip or two and is exactly the same every time. It is terrifying to take more than a shallow breath as the pain is through the roof. Mine usually last 4 or 5 minutes and finally ease up, although the fear of the deep breath lasts a little longer. I had it in a cardio class this week and even though I am so familiar with it, each time I think this must be what it feels like to have a heart attack. Next time I am trying the deep deep breath and waiting for the "pop" as I have never experienced that before.
I believe I just experienced a couple of brief episodes of Texidor's Twinge for the first time in my life. I'm a 39 year old male in good physical condition. Symptoms are as others have described: sharp, shooting pain just at left breast. Froze me in my tracks, I clutched my chest, and held my breath. Thought it was going to drop me to my knees.
I was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2001 and the pain I felt then was NOTHING compared to the few seconds of pain tonight during each episode.
I'm a 31 year old male, and I've suffered from this for as long as I can remember. I use to joke, "im having a heart attack", but was never too worried about it as it always went away fairly quickly. I've asked friends and family if they experience the same thing, and nobody has ever seemed to get it. I've even asked doctors before. I can't say I've ever experienced the "pop", I agree with some of the other responses that it's physically impossible due to the pain. Short shallow breathes until it passes has always worked for me. I'm athletic, and it's never bothered me playing sports (yes, just when I'm inactive). However, I'll agree with the usual episode lasting 30 seconds to 3 minutes, but today I had one that lasted for about 3 hours. This caused me to google it, and I came across a few sites, including this one. No doubt, this is what I have, glad to hear I'm not the only one. I wonder (becuase I just had a son), DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF THIS IS HEREDITARY?
wow me and my sister have always had this!! I can tell her I know what it is now. Wonder what the prevalence is, I thought me and my sis were just weird...
I'm a 48 year old healthy female. I've experienced this temporary condition from time to time in my life and always thought it was heartburn. But recently, it is happening several times an hour during my waking hours. That prompted me to do this research. My condition sounds exactly like what you've described except for the frequency and my age. I'm hoping that it is still nothing to worry about and would love to understand what exactly is happening to cause this pain. Thank you.
i have this also, excpet breathing inward deeply tends to make it worse instead of making it go away...but i did feel the "pop" which caused me to let out a huge sigh of relief when i read that others have experienced it as well. im just so glad...i been experiencing this for about two months now and i was so suck that i was having a heart attack, the pain is crazy, but the londest it's lasted for me was about maybe seven seconds....
I'm Tara and I was diagnosed with PCS 4 years ago when i was 15.
At first the doctors thought it was a gall bladder problem and followed through with removing it.. which obviously did not solve the problem.
I have researched alot about PCS and have noted that my symptoms are alike, yet different all the same.
I can get an 'attack' that lasts for around 30 minutes or more - 4 years ago I was getting the pain daily, now it can be as less as a few times a month.
I find the pain coming on when i get overheated and also when I am overly stressed or excited.
Not only do I get pain in my chest, but the also radiate through to my back.. afterwards my muscles are so sore, i have to sleep, as after 30 minutes of pain, my body struggles to take it.
Anybody else get this aswell???
I'm 18 and when I was three I went to my mother, pointed at my heart and said this hurts. My brother had died of heart disease before I was born so my parents had every single cardiac specialist work me up from an early age but no one could find anything wrong with my heart. Still, I had these mini heart attacks as everyone has described two fingers from my nipple on the left side and smaller pain opposite on my right at times. Every time I do excersize I get these pains but even when I was motionless I got them. Every other year the pain would keep disappearing and appearing until I started to get it pretty regularly about 4 times a week, pain like a sharp stabbing at first deep into the chest but then turning into a duller pain that lasted for a minute or two and with deep breathing it would sometimes subside.
I went through 14 different cardiologists until we were sure that it wasn't cardiac related. So this year I started to go to a physiatrist and they were just as unhelpful getting ultrasounds of intercostal muscle looking for built up fluid in the junctions between sternum and ribs and searching for nerve damage like a needle in a haystack of nerves in the chest wall. A week ago I had found texidor's twinge on wikipedia and brought it to my doctor, who dismissed it as just a name for something that people still know nothing about. I understood because after searching all texidor's twinge pages I had identified myself to the T with the symptoms that people describe so I felt that at least I knew what it was and from other pages I had heard that it goes away in many cases as the body fully grows.
Yesterday I went in for my "last" physiatry appointment and as my doctor started prodding my ribs like every appointment looking for "raw" feeling areas (none had been found before), but when he had me inhale deeply completely filling my lungs, my third or so ribs felt so tender when he pressed on them. He checked my ribs from my back and when completely full lungs, he said that he felt something barely out of place on the left side and traced the rib around front to find that it was the same one. So my doctor had me lay down he put a pillow on my stomach, crossed my arms in front of my body as pitchers stretch their arms (as if hugging myself), put all of his weight on my stomach and curled my head forward like I was doing a crunch and the biggest crack errupted from the left side of my back. He said that if that did anything we would continue doing treatments getting that done once a month.
So I went home and pulled on running shoes that I hadn't touched in years because I could never go farther than 30 feet running without having to stop and I just started slow then worked my way into a full sprint to certainly bring the pain. I started to feel the pressure building in my left side right above my heart as it usually does, but it never turned into pain. I could feel as if it wanted to turn into something but it was being blocked and remained as a pressure. Unfortunately I started to get the small pain in my right side that I had gotten a few times before but it was muted. I smiled for the entire run because it was 100 times better than the rest of my life. So I'm scheduling another appointment to get the other side of my ribs "cracked".
I have thought of myself as having Texidor's Twinge all of my life so if this can help any of you guys too, go to a physiatrist and see if this result is the same with any of you. Good luck to all of us!
-John
I'm also 16 years old and i've had these pains for just over 3 years. I thought they'd just go away so I left it alone but recently I told my boyfriend about it as they hadn't subsided. I checked the internet and found exact symptoms of what I experienced and searched it further and wound up here. Thank you for letting me realise there's more of us out there! :) x
THANK YOU for these posts. I am 34 years old and have stressed about this daily for 20 years. I was awakened last night by this and could not go back to bed thinking i was having a heart attack AGAIN. i guess i don't have to double my life insurance policy after all.
Again thank you for all of the posts.
Dear all,
I am overwhelmed by the number of comments to this post - Texidor's twinge (precordial catch syndrome) is clearly a huge problem for lots of people!
As always, I must stress that I can't give individual medical advice over the internet as I'm sure that would leave me medico-leagally liable somehow, so I would advise speaking to your own physician directly.
I hope everyone who has commented on this blog has outgrown their symptoms, as I seem to only get this pain very rarely now.
Best wishes
Dr Vegas
I'm glad I found this site. My son has been having these episodes for a little over a month now. I took him to the doctor once who said he was just stressed. When he called me today as I was entering work crying because of the pain he was in, I panicked and rushed him to the hospital. Of course, they found nothing.
I started researching online and found this site. It is sad to know that so many people are affected by the same thing, but also a relief to know that it is not dangerous. Like many others, he can't take the deep breath because he is in too much pain so I sit and wait making sure he will be ok. While I wish I could do more for him, I feel so relieved to know that it will not do any lasting harm to him. Good luck to everyone.
I am 30 and I also have PCS. Usually a deep breath fixes it with a pop, but sometimes it does not and I am just left in pain as a result of the attempt. I have had it as long as I can remember.
I also belive I have this. It started four days ago after working out. I have been having episodes very frequently. Once I kept waking up at night and had at least four episodes. I have noticed when I eat I had been having those pains. Can eating have anything to do with it?
Yea I'm only 14 and I have it too, I thought it could have been a good excuse for not having to participate in school swimming but it seems that its not serious enough.. but then again the teachers don't know that
Excellent post. Knowing what this is lets me breathe a sigh of relief. Not too deeply of course :)
I'm in my 30s and experienced this as far back as I can remember. It happens once every two months or so, always when I'm awake, but never when I'm exercising. A sudden, knife-like, clenching pain in the left chest, not quite painful enough to knock me down. Hurts like hell to move or breathe for about 30 seconds, so I "freeze" motionless for a couple of minutes until I'm sure it's gone. I too called them "mini heart attacks". I saw two doctors about it over the years; both ran heart tests, which produced no results (other than large bills).
just brought my 15 year old son to ER yesterday with chest pains that started when he woke up (they got progressively worst) his lasted a couple of hours. All tests were normal, chest x-ray, ekg, etc. He complained of not being able to "breathe" so they gave him oxygen which seemed to relieve it some but they also gave him toradol iv which resolved it completely. Dr. Vegas, Could this also be associated with Texidors-twinge??
I know this post is about 4 years old now but I wanted to thank you for it still! I'm a 28 year old female, and I've had these symptoms since I was around 10. I ignored it as a kid because for me the pain only lasts a few seconds, and all I had to do was hold still and breath shallowly. I never got them very often either--once every few months perhaps--but this has continued into adulthood for me. As I get older I've started thinking maybe I had some congenital heart defect that has been missed all these years and I was a ticking time bomb or something. This post really helped put my mind at ease. I will still mention it to my Dr. when I go in for my annual, but this does really explain my situation perfectly and I'm glad to hear it's not serious!
I just turned 37 and have had this type of pain for as long as I can remember. Mine did not ever occur frequently, but when it did it always hurt really bad in my chest and in my back to take a deep breath but as soon as I would the pain would go away. 4 days ago I had another episode (I hadn't had one in a really long time), only this time the pain lasted all day. It hurt to laugh, cough, yawn, everything. It would relieve when in certain positions but I couldn't sleep on my left side. It really concerned me since it never lasted that long in the past. So I went to my doctor the next day and he suggested that I pulled or strained a muscle. I explained to him that I was in the shower when the pain started, not doing anything strenuous, and that I've always gotten these types of pains but it never lasted that long. He said he'd never heard of such a thing and said he was 99% sure that it isn't my heart; but he didn't do any kind of test or anything. Each day the pain has been less, but I'm still a little concerned that it has not gone away completely (only slight pain when I really breathe deep). I have no other symptoms and feel fine otherwise. My mom, sister, brother and two of my mom's sisters also experience this to this day; all are adults so I don't agree that you grow out of it and it does seem to be hereditary. I'm glad to know that others experience the same thing and that it's not all in my head -- like the doctors make you feel sometimes.
I've had this in the past, but I believe the real cause (for the original twinge, on the left) is a hiatal hernia. The bit of stomach entering the opening in the diaphragm is caught, and until it slips back down, it is nearly impossible to breathe without yanking on it.
Nobody diagnosed my twinge during adolescence. Recently, in a completely different context, my old doctor identified the hiatal hernia, which I had already figured out.
This is a pretty good description from WebMD:
"The paraesophageal hernia is less common, but is more cause for concern. The esophagus and stomach stay in their normal locations, but part of the stomach squeezes through the hiatus, landing it next to the esophagus. Although you can have this type of hernia without any symptoms, the danger is that the stomach can become "strangled," or have its blood supply shut off."
I'm so glad im not the only one with this! i am 16 and just last week i started getting this. the pain is too much,so i cant breath in deeply for the "popping" feeling,ive tried it before a few times and it never works! since i started getting it the time of it keeps getting longer,FAST! i'm up to 6 hours now! im going to the docter tomorrow,or would that be a waste of time? i tried to lay down but i got stuck in a half slouch,my back is hurting but i cant move cause i still have the "catch". i'm sending this out via DS,pppllleeeaaasseee sombody find a medicine for this! it's scary,i dont want to have this the rest of my life! OW!
3-12-11 it's 12:32 A.m and i cant sleep cause of this!
---Wensday
I remember getting this in high school and having an EKG done and being told it was heartburn and I was exaggerating. I'm 26 and I still experience this more than I'd like to. I looked it up this morning because while running I thought I might be having a heart attack...nice to see it's just this :) Thanks for the post !
I'm 59, and still get this pain quite often, tho I only learned about this diagnosis today. Also, for me, it tends to last 30 minutes or more. However, all the rest of the descriptors fit.
I used to get this frequently as a child and still get it occassionally as an adult. I googled and found out Texicor's twinge describes what I have, only my episodes last about 30 minutes or longer. The pain is too intense to breath deeply. I just tried lying on my belly and pushing up on my arms into the "seal" position and THAT MADE IT GO AWAY!!
I'm glad to see this post and all the comments. I'm a 27 year old woman and I've experienced the symptoms of Precordial Catch Syndrome irregularly for as long as I can remember, at least since adolescence. Usually in short 3 minute spells. I actually remember describing it as a 'catch' when I was in high school because I didn't know what it was. Indeed, it does feel like a bubble of air is caught between my ribs until a deep breath pops the bubble. I began feeling the intense pain yesterday (almost 24 hours ago) and I'm still feeling it. I can inhale deeply now, but its pretty painful when I do, and it hurts to stretch my torso. Also, I can't seem to inhale deeply enough to overcome the catch. Pretty annoying, but its not as intense as I've felt in the past. I've also had some indigestion for a couple days and I'm wondering if that is related.
Wow, I'm 36 and have experienced this since I was a kid, but until now I've never known what it was called. Yay for information sharing! :) I always referred to it as "air around my lungs". I got this on my drive back home. I had kind of a long day of driving, taking my mom to hospital for a procedure and visiting my home, which usually stresses me out. Today I have eaten, a banana, 3 cups of coffee, two or so glasses of water, a turkey, lettuce, mayo, mustard, american cheese sandwhich on white bread with a side of ruffle chips and a small iced tea with lemon and one nut bar. I wasn't that active today and spent about 4 hours of driving and sitting in hospital when I ate my sandwhich. On my drive back home (at the start of my 2.5 hour drive home) I started getting super painful stabbing pain in my left side, under breast area, rib cage and felt it through my back. Basically the same sharp pain everyone here is describing and the same pain I have felt from time to time my entire life. It's been a super long while since I've had this happen. It's been 3 or 4 hours and I still have it. I don't recal it lasting this long. :( Before finding this sight, I thought I had gas and that's what caused my pain so I took a Gas X...that was 30 minutes ago and still in pain. But only when I get in a certain hunched position or breath deeply. I tried the "seal" position, bending over with my back arched, warm compress (which I am still trying) and all kinds of stretching and backward arm swing stretches/circles. Maybe the warm compress will help...maybe this is a nerve pinch thing? Sooooo relieved to see that it has a name and that others know what I'm talking about. I too have tried to describe this to people and they look at me with an unfamiliar look. I just talked to my Dad and he said that he used to get it too, but it's been years since he's experienced it. I wish this thing would pop. Thanks for sharing everyone!!
Uhhh feels relieved to know you all have it as well. Sorry but I too was worried.
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