Could this pain be heart related?

Very bad on off left chest pain? Heart or arm related problem?

• Im female and 33 years old. For a week or 2 I've been having horrible pains in my left breast. They are sharp and stinging and come from top of breast down to inner by centre of chest area. ( I had a mammo couple of months ago and it was clear had that for other reason. Anyway when it comes on it terrifys me that it's my heart so I went to my go. She listened with her stethescope and said apart from palpitations my heart was fine. ( I suffer from benign ectopic beats had echo and stress test done by cardiologist last year) my doctor reckons the pain is coming from the arm. I have a small area of fat necrosis in biscep area and do suffer from pain there but it has never spread before I'm actually waiting on an appointment for physio. What I want to know is wether this type of pain in left breast is common with a alight left arm problem,??? Or does it sound heart related??

• Answer:

  If you have heart related chest pain you would not be able to localize the pain to one spot. If the pain starts suddenly and you feel that it is just a heavy feeling on your chest going down your left arm then you have to go to the emergency room as it may be a heart attack. Stinging and sharp pains do not sound like heart related pains. These kinds of pains sound more muscular. Also, do these pains tend to come during your menstruation? Are there tiny lumps? If so, they could be fibrocystic changes in the breast. These are completely benign and they are nothing to worry about.