Dr Hive - dd9 complaining of chest pain

[snickerplum]

My 9 year old has been telling me about a pain she's had over the last few days on the left side of her chest. The first time was while she was working on an assignment. Since then it seems to be random. She said, "It feels like someone shot me." She's a bit dramatic in most areas of life, but I took that to mean it was a shooting/stabbing like pain. Then I felt over her heart and it seemed a little fast. She told me today that it happened again when she went to sit down and that when it happens it makes her feel shaky and want to lie down. Should I be concerned? She's not in pain throughout the whole day, just when this "thing" happens. She's had a growth spurt in her shoulders/rib cage (dresses too narrow now) so I wondered if it's part of that? I have no idea. Do you?

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

My 9 year old has been telling me about a pain she's had over the last few days on the left side of her chest. The first time was while she was working on an assignment. Since then it seems to be random. She said, "It feels like someone shot me." She's a bit dramatic in most areas of life, but I took that to mean it was a shooting/stabbing like pain. Then I felt over her heart and it seemed a little fast. She told me today that it happened again when she went to sit down and that when it happens it makes her feel shaky and want to lie down. Should I be concerned? She's not in pain throughout the whole day, just when this "thing" happens. She's had a growth spurt in her shoulders/rib cage (dresses too narrow now) so I wondered if it's part of that? I have no idea. Do you?

 

It most likely is growing pains, but it wouldn't hurt to have the pediatrician check her out just to be sure.

[Junie]

I think that it is probably nothing to worry about.  However, I would definitely get it checked with a pediatrician and/or cardiologist so that you will know if is is something to worry about.

 

Lots of cardiac problems in my family.  I would get it checked.

[catz]

I would get it checked, but it could also be a stomach upset thing.  I have similar pains and I have IBS.  Pain can cause heart racing too - I definitely have had that.   I had testing on everything at one point when it was at it's worst. 

[fraidycat]

It could be indigestion or gallbladder (my gallbladder feels like stabbing on left side when it acts up). Or anything really. I'd get her checked out.

[imagine.more]

Could definitely be heartburn or growing pains but it could also be heart palpitations or something, which are no big deal a lot of the time but good to know if you have them. I'd have the ped. do a basic check-up and maybe next time she complains of it check her pulse and see if she has a racing heart or is skipping beats. I felt breathless and dizzy and wrote it off as another pregnancy symptom. Then I happened to have an endocrinologist appt during a breathless time and my doctor noticed my heart was skipping beats a good bit so it seems it was just a little arrhythmia, which totally explains my symptoms. 

[SumSum]

My dd(6) had similar complaints so we took her to see the ped. She was referred to the cardiologist who did a bunch of tests and confirmed that everything was ok with her heart. He said it was a type of joint pain and said that the pain would persist until her teenage years due to growth. He described the pain as being similiar to the sensation of hitting your funny bone. The vibrating pain can actually be quite painful and he suggested a pain reliever for easing the discomfort.