I am a 58 year old female, nonsmoker, nondrinker, overweight, sedentary (due to injuries from auto accident) and have been experiencing this type of chest pain off and on for years; however, I have one symptom that no one else has mentioned - extreme amounts of trapped gas. When I have an attack, I can take only shallow breaths. The pain extends from my center right chest all the way through to my back, and feels like I'm being stabbed by a knife blade. Forcing burps helps slightly; taking large and frequent doses of anti-gas meds helps somewhat. ER diagnosed "non-specific chest pain." Cardiac tests revealed no heart problems. Endoscopy revealed nothing new as I've had reflux problems most of my life. I also have fibromyalgia, arthritis, and several herniated disks from the wreck. My gall bladder was removed approximately 7 years ago. I've been unable to identify triggers for the flare-ups. Any insight will be most appreciated!

I have reactive arthritis, anskylosing spondylitis, and this. Probably related to the RA. I'm 25. I was diagnosed with RA at 20 and had to take a year off of school. I now have on and off days. Never can know when it is sore. However, it's moved into my chest. It's annoying to breathe. Best to take anti-inflammation drugs - naproxen is best for me. Best thing I did for RA - Lifting and building mass at the gym. I got serious with it. I wanted to build up and I did. At the same time the RA went away. However, Costochondritis has been aggravated by benching. Can't win at everything I guess.

I've had costochondritis since I was about 8 years old but I had no clue what it was. All I knew was when it hit I was immobilized. I couldn't move and had to take very shallow breaths. Crying made it hurt worse. I'm 29 now so it's apparently not going away anytime soon. Fortunately, the bouts are far and few between and don't last for more than 10 minutes. I was maybe 25 when I finally found out what it was. This one in particular was a real nasty one. I thought I might have been having a mild heart attack. My mother took me to the ER where I got my diagnosis, but they treated it like it was nothing and sent me on my way. No suggestions of relief were given. What I've learned is that mine flares up when I overexert myself (almost always at the gym). I could get a heating pad or take an anti-inflammatory but it hurts too much to move so I just wait it out in one position and concentrate on very shallow breathing. Hope this helps anyone out there with this. I know how horrible it feels.

To RAman: please get a Lyme disease test. In 1990, I was misdiagnosed as having early onset RA and suffered for months before I asked for a Lyme test, which was positive. I was given a 28-day round of IV antibiotics and only have minor joint stiffness as a result.

I was diagnosed with Tietze's four days ago. Mine is thought to be as a result of radiation therapy for breast cancer. My main symptom was severe chest pain. It felt like a thick stake through the middle of my chest and sharp pain in my lower right ribs. I felt waves of nausea, too. I was checked for a heart attack during three visits over a four-week period, along with angina, and gall bladder and liver conditions. I had loads of blood tests. My oncologist felt sorry for me having pain for so long without knowing the reason. I am at work, but know I would be better off resting. But no work; no food! Heat packs, anti-inflammatories, and analgesics take off the edge for me. Good Luck to all.

I was diagnosed after I had my three children. The physical therapist said it was because my ribs moved, making room for babies in the belly. I had kids too close together and the ribs didn't have time to go back. I spent all my time on our couch; I slept on it for a month and could never get up. My left arm had no range of motion at all; I held it as if in a splint. One day I got seriously sick – I was coughing a lot from a sinus infection. I thought I was having a heart attack, and every time I breathed, I thought I was going to die from chest pain. My doctor ran an EKG right in his office, sent me for X-rays, an MRI and a stress test with a cardiologist – all of which were good. After all that torture, I got to do PT, where I was diagnosed.