chest spasm/twitch/cramp?

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Kristina1

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PALS
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03/2017
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Grafton
Has anyone had a chest muscle spasm, twitching, or cramping that felt kind of like heart palpitations?

I have had episodes that feel like something bumping in the center of my chest and simultaneously feel like weight or constriction on my lungs. The episodes are very short (15-20 seconds) and repeat randomly. At first I thought I was having heart palpitations. My neuro sent me for a full workup at the hospital. My ekg was clear, clear chest xray and CT. They observed me on a heart monitor for 12 hours and everything was fine. So I'm wondering if what I'm feeling is some type of chest muscle fasiculations or spasm/cramp??

I do get a lot of muscle cramps in the parts of my body that are currently affected. Chest would be a new one though, ive never had anything there so far.
 
I should add that when it happens I can feel it under my hand when I lay my hand over the center of my chest. I can feel the bumping against my hand.
 
Hi Kristina,

I have had spasms or cramps in upper abdominal muscles (under the ribs), generally when I bend forward. The first time this happened, I wondered if I was having a heart attack because it was so severe. However I figured it was chest wall muscles as I could reproduce the pain immediately after by pushing on those same muscles.

I have also had fasiculations in my rib muscles (including over my chest) that felt like palpitations. However, I could feel the twitching with my hands. If there is any doubt whether or not it truly is heart palpitations, it doesn’t hurt to have it checked out.
 
My DH had twitching in his chest early on. Bad enough that it sent us to the ER more than once, since there is a history of heart disease in his family. Every time his heart checked out OK. This all happened during the time when the Drs were trying to pin down a diagnosis. We know now they were fasciculations.
 
Yep, if it’s skeletal muscle, it can twitch.
 
Update- it started up again yesterday, and I could feel it under my hand. I went to the bathroom mirror and looked and saw the muscle moving under my skin the same way as all my other fasiculations. So it appears it is simply fasiculations. I have just never had them over my chest before and I feel a bit embarrassed for misconstruing it as heart palpitations. I believe the pressure on my chest is when those same muscles cramp.

Karen I have had the abdominal core muscles cramp under my ribcage before that you mention, usually happens when I try to bend to far, and this was different- much higher up set of muscles.

Anyway, good to know it's nothing heart related.
 
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