The good news is that (other than the pain) it is completely harmless.
The way it always felt to me is like someone wrapped a small wire around something tender in my chest, and if I tried to breathe or straighten my posture, they would yank on it. I’d get it anywhere from a couple times a week to once a month. Then one day in my mid-30s it just stopped.
From what I understand this is relatively common. I was so grateful for the person on reddit who dropped this nugget of wisdom several years ago. It was nice to know I wasn’t dying or whatever.
Ahh, this is fun. Every time I’m like “Is this it? Is this the one?”
But no, it never is.
until it is
That’s the spirit! Got to stay positive.
Gotta have something to look forward to!
And your body has been crying wolf for so long that you just ignore it
It was painless though. Speaking from experience.
OK wait on second thought I can’t remember. So maybe it was. Damn!
But no, it never is.
Yet
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Oh nice post. I totally have this.
Treatment: Reasurance
Its okay. You’re not dying. Calm down.
The pain is agitated by expansion and contraction of the chest. Taking a deep breath and allowing the rib cage to fully expand can relieve the pain, however it will feel unpleasant initially. At the point of full expansion, it can feel like a rubber band snap in the chest, after which the initial pain subsides.
Oh I gotta try this.
Make sure to keep going until you feel and hear the snap.
I’m gonna need the tire inflator
Yeah, this is how I used to deal with it. You just eat that stabbing pain for a few seconds and then it’s gone.
I haven’t had this in probably 15 or more years at this point, which seems to be consistent with the syndrome itself being most common in young adults, teens, and children.
The trick is doing it quickly, like gasping for air after jumping into cold water.
Holy fuck it has a name.
Of course it has a name … Of course I’m not the only one this happens to.
Ive had it since a teen when I got pneumonia, always assumed it was related to that, however it’s actually this and it’s a perfect description. It a bit of a mind blown moment
I see legs and a dick in that drawing, not lungs.
Yeah that’s what I saw at first as well lol
My god it has a name… and so many people here seem to have it? I thought i was a freak for having this. Nobody else ever said anything about having similar pains.
Well thanks for sharing this. I’ve been getting this since forever. Now that I think about it though I don’t think it’s happened in a while.
Anyway, much appreciated!
Oh yeah that happens to me since I’m a kid. I was told it was harmless but never had source.
See, I am unfortunate in that I know exactly where my chest pain comes from and it is from 6 of my ribs being broken and fused together from falling off a cruise ship and breaking them on a railing on the way down.
The interesting part is I didnt know I broke them until years later when I was hit by a car and the hospital doctor was just like “oh yeah you just hurt your broken ribs again, put some frozen peas on it and wait for the pain to go down”
Anyways, dont break your ribs unless you want to know when the weather is changing by pain.
Okay, you can’t start a story like that and then not tell us the cruiseship story in full glory.
Ok, the quick version:
I am small waisted and was especially so when I was an underfed child of early teen years. My mother was going through her
4th?3rd Husband and decided to get married on a cruise ship this time.
Well on the pool deck there was a water slide and a leak underneath said slide, I slipped on it and slid across the deck under the railing and over the side.I didnt hit the water by the way. I hit the balcony railing of the first deck of cabins a couple floors below and bounced into the ship. I then not wanting to get in trouble bolted through the cabin saying something about a hat to the confused people, and told no one.
I ended up swimming to far on those broken ribs out at the beach in mexico and had to get saved by the coast guard who did not bring me onboard but drug me behind their boat via life preserver I was barely holding onto face down, so assumed the agonizing pain was that and I just sucked at swimming.
Also brought back Swine Flu on that trip and got my school shut down for handing out some shirts as souvenirs.
how the fuck do you fall off a cruise ship, break six ribs, have them fuse together, and never even realize it?
Do you just actively avoid going to speak to ANY medical professional unless forced by ambulance?
They posted the story here: https://lemmy.world/comment/23157488
must be American.
And also yes
I’m american, with no insurance, and with a penchant for avoiding doctors/ERs when I should probably go.
if I fell off a fucking building equivalent, landed on a guard rail ribs first, and broke multiple ribs… I’d be hopping in the back of that 10,000 dollar ambulance as fast as my shallow breathing, possibly punctured lungs could take me.
Yes
I’ve had this since before I was a teenager…decades ago. Still happens from time to time. I’ve always considered it somewhat like a cramp in my diaphragm and so always breathe just deeply enough that it starts to hurt then relax and next breath try a bit deeper and keep that up until I “work through it.”
So it’s not a tiny London man coming to check if I got my stabbing license in order?
That would be the stabee license there guvna. Foine for you for nawt undahstandin ya roights.
I’d take this over proctalgia.
It’s a spasm of the anal sphincter and it feels like someone jamming a hot knife into your asshole without warning.
lol, I told my wife about this post and she said “You might consider doing ones about Proctalgia Fugax and Exploding Head Syndrome too.”
Yeah it’s not fun. Also I’d heard about exploding head syndrome a few years back and then recently started experiencing it. I’m just glad they haven’t both hit at the same time cause I’m pretty sure my body would take a screenshot then drop dead lmao
Exploding Head Syndrome doesn’t hurt, at least.
Holy shiit that has a name?! Every once in a blue moon, I’ll be just sitting minding my own business then BAM! Ass lightning like Thor stabbed me in the ass with a blade that has lightning wrapped around it. Then just as suddenly as it came, it’s gone…
I’ve called it ass lightning for the past few years. At least I know I’m not alone!
That has a name? When did they give that a name.
I have experienced this many times in my life. Was always terrifying and painful til someone posted something just like this years ago. Now it’s just painful. Still scares the crap out of my wife every time she sees it happen to me to though.
Oh good so it’s not just been me dealing with this random pain for the last 20 years…
back in the day everyone told me it was in my head
Thanks ! Didn’t know that was harmless. And people call me mad…
