i am 19 and I have had problems with chest pain for the past 2-3 years. i've gone to the doctor about it and the hospital, but the pain is not there when i go to get it checked out. the pain i feel is a really sharp pain right inside/under the sternum area, and what throws me off is that it's not really where my heart is, but more to the right side of my chest. i can feel it all the way through to my back, but it doesn't usually radiate outwards. sometimes it does, but usually it's just a sharp pain that covers about a 4 inch radius. antiacid medicines do Not help, so it is not heart burn (which is what everyone thinks). it happens at the most random times, and has nothing to do with my stress level from what i can tell. i'm also narcoleptic and have been taking provigil to help manage that for several years, and i know that that is a stimulant; however, i stopped taking my medication for about 4 months and the pain actually got much worse. sometimes i have heart palpitations just before the pain starts sometimes after. the pain usually lasts for about 30 seconds to a minute and then dies down, but there have been several instances in which the pain stayed for 10-15 minutes. the pain is so severe that i usually have to stop what i am doing and just sit/stand there until it stops. i always put my hand over it because the cold of my hands feels good on it but putting pressure on it makes it worse, but i've tried icing and it didn't help any either. do you know what could be causing my pain. =/ it just really hurts.
thanks a bunch,
michelle