Is the sharp pain that I experienced on my left armpit, a sign of heart attack?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 27 year old female. My weight is 195 lbs and height is 5'8". I have hypothyroidism and I am on Synthroid. I am taking Amoxicillin for a lingering cold. Yesterday, I experienced a sharp pain on my left side, under my armpit, equal with my left breast. I had this episode of pain twice yesterday. On both the occasions, the pain lasted for about 5 to 10 minutes. When I put my hand on the area it felt as though something was passing through my ribs and once it passed the pain subsided and I was fine. There was a bit of tenderness in the region of pain. I am wondering whether this is due to gas from all the holiday food and carbonated drinks. Or is this something serious that I should get looked at? I wanted to wait and see if it happened again, but was looking for a second opinion on that. Both my grandparents passed away because of heart attack and so, I am worried. I am a mother of two kids and do not want there to be an issue.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern as your grandparents passed of a heart attack, the fear you have is genuine. But, just pain in your chest is not an indication of a heart attack. Since you gave a history of carbonated food and tablet Amoxicillin along with thyroid medication. Both valve replacement surgery and medications have the potential to trigger acid reflux, which in turn can result in heartburn and contribute to non-specific pain. However, if the pain was associated with sweating and stabbing character or constricting type with radiation to the left arm, then it is always better to get an ECG done to see if it is related to your heart.