shirlawn, my first thought is costochondritis. it can make you feel as
though you're having a heart attack.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costochondritis/DS00626

do these symptoms fit what you're experiencing?

diane

Hi Shirlawn,,,  I have had that twice.   A steroid shot fixed it up and then
a couple of years later,, three small well placed shots made it go away.  RA
attacks our rib connections.
Harv

S-
It sure sounds like costo and it is terribly painful.  Jano

I don't take Bonita or fosamax.  My stomach is screwed up enough as it is.

I take miacalcin nasal spray instead.

What you are feeling could be a lot of things, first things that come to my
mind are costeocondritis (inflammation of the connection between the ribs
and the sternum) or gerd.  I don't get heartburn from GERD like a normal
person, but more of a ache in the center of my chest.

The GERD in particular doesn't respond well to pain killers, but a lot of
times costeo doesn't either.

Hope you are able to get it figured out and can get comfortable.

Jo

Hi Shirlawn.  I just read a report this week in the Fibromyalgia Network
that chest, sternum, rib, stomach and pelvic pain can be due to trigger
points.  Although it may feel you have broken ribs, or a heart attack, it's
probably not the organs themselves, but pain from Myofascial trigger points
in the muscles surrounding the major organs.  Everywhere I touch in those
places hurt.  Nanny

Probably costochrondritis, Honey. You'd swear you're having a heart attack,
it hurts so badly. It's inflammation of the cartiledge of the rib cage and
sternum. Ask your doctor about it.

Feel better soon - DeeTee

i have been to the doctor and to the ra doc. about this pain in my ribs and
mostly in my sternum. i mean really severe pain. it hurts to breath, cough,
turn over in bed, or move at all. the doc thought i might have a fracture,
xrays were taken and no fractures.  so what is it? i go back in a week and
have tramadol for pain.  it doesn't touch it. i have a feeling the doctor
has had it with my complaining about being afraid to take boniva or
fosamax due to a reaction to fosamax. i finally got brave and took another
boniva last week. i am thinking this pain is a reaction to boniva. last
night i didn't sleep at all. they have ruled out a heart acting up, a
fracture so what could it be? an ulcer, somr sort of lung thing, something
mtx is doing to my body?  i am too old to have any sort of invasive tests.
your coments will be greatly appreciated.

shirlawn

hi shirl,

i have this sternum pain thing happen a lot and have had for a great many
years.  (i don't know what your spinal situation is like.  so, i don't know
if this would apply to you or not.)  for me, it seems to be related to the
ddd, oa and muscle spasms in my neck and back.  mostly, i think it's muscle
spasms that causes it.  everything, tissue/bone/cartilage, is connected and
once muscle spasms start, anything connected to the area of the spasms seems
to be painfully irritated/aggravated.  a severe back spasm makes my entire
upper torso just about feel like roadkill (or in otherwords, feel severely
battered and bruised, badly strained and sprained) and that can last for
from 3 days to 2 weeks, depending upon exactly where the severe spasm was
and what was affected.  milder, "almost" unnoticeable spasms are less
general in the areas affected, but those effects only last 3 days.  and
tramadol/ultracet doesn't help me, either.  if this sounds like it's a
possibility, what helps me most are heat (heating pads, hot soaks,
jacuzzi/hot tub/whirlpool, thermacare wraps) and gentle massages (not the
deep massages that i generally love).

kate