What is this sharp pain above my left breast when breathing in?

Sharp stabbing pain under left side breast?

• I'm 21 years old. Earlier this morning I was coughing very hard & sneezing violently. It's been about 10 hours now, & I was resting on the couch while my fiancé did homework. I suddenly had a horrible sharp pain under my left side breast that made me freeze. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, I just sat there until the pain dulled. When I reached over to grab something a few minutes later, the sharp stabbing pain came back. Right now its kind of dulled but I can feel my heart beat (I'm not scared). I've been having anxiety problems lately, with sudden rapid heartbeat for no reason & I'm not sure if these are related. My fiance is worrying though because the pain was bad enough for me to yell out & hold my breath for a little bit. Should I be worried? Should I go to the doctor? Or is it more than likely just an odd pain? Thanks for any advice.

• Answer:

  It is most likely precordial catch syndrome (google that phrase for lots of info on it). It's harmless and usually goes away on it's own, but I can't say for sure that's what it is. It just sounds exactly like that. I've read articles that say it usually goes away within a half hour, but I once had it for about 5 hours.