Daughter's Chest Feeling 'Weird' Inside.

Updated on June 07, 2009
M.L. asks from Spring Lake, MI
18 answers

Hi moms! Maybe someone out there can shed some light on this for me-
Yesterday, my daughter (who is almost 6) suddenly was feeling 'weird' in her chest. She said it didn't hurt, but that it just "felt weird." She acted quite uncomfortable, but I don't know if that was due to being scared of it, or just annoyed with the feeling. I asked a bunch of questions to her, and my guess is that it may have been her heart rather than her lungs, but I really don't know. She said it made her "feel exhausted." It didn't last long, maybe just a few minutes, or 5 at the most. I called the Dr.'s office, and they said it's hard to say, and that it's my call if I want to bring her in or not, and if it happens again to make sure to call. I decided to wait and see if it happens again. It is just really bothering me; but I would hate to bring her in and they find nothing. (Our insurance isn't great; we would end up paying a good chunk of the medical bill, and we are struggling financially, but of course my daughter's health is much more important!!) Please let me know your thoughts!! Thank-you : o )

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

I am a parent that would rather take her in and have it be nothing than to not take her in and end up in the ER with horrible issues. That is my personal opinion, but I would go with my gut, if you were coincerned enough to call the dr than I think you are very worried about it and I would take her in. I totally understand the financial struggle and you my be able to apply for MICHILD for her that would help alleviate the medical bills that you would have to pay.

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M.G.

answers from Detroit on

My first thought was asthma and then my second thought was indigestion or reflux. Indigestion can make one feel very strange in that area. Had she had anything particularly aggravating to eat?

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M.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hi,

What you described is something I experienced after a few months after my daughter was born. I felt something werid in my chest and it made me a bit uncomfortable for a few minutes. To me it felt like my heart moved. I later went for testing and it turned out that I have a heart murmur that I did not know I had.. It could have been something I got from birth or when I was a child and was sick with a high fever. We don't know for sure how I got it or when I got it, but what I do know is that I can now feel it from time to time. I have also felt a weird feeling inside my chest that ended up being a gas bubble stuck.. It might be good to have them take a look at her heart or listen to it to see if they can detect a murmur. Some people don't even feel theirs, but it can be heard when listening to their heart. Mine can not be heard, but seen on the ultra sound of my heart. Good Luck!!! Its probably nothing, but since its a child and they don't always know how to describe things to us it might be a good idea to have it checked out.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.W.

answers from Jackson on

If it happens again I would ask about wearing a Halter Monitor for a few days to see if her heart is acting funny.

If you can't afford that (and i certainly understand that...we are self pay UGH!) You might be able to borrow a stethescope from somewhere (Or someone...I know my sister who is in nursing school has 2 stethescopes) so you can listen to her chest when she feels weird. That will give you an idea on wether her heart is beating oddly, or if her breathing is weird.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Detroit on

I feel like I was meant to read this post! My son has an appt today at Children's with his Cardiologist...no kidding. My son is 6 (will be 7 in July) and started complaining of the same "funny feeling" and "feeling weird" in his chest about a year ago. At first (and I am a NURSE) I just thought is was a side effect of the allergy medicine he was on since he would say it about 1/2 hour after he took his medicine. It was not every night, just every once in a while and since I read that fast or irregular heartbeat can be a side effect of Zyrtec I didn't think much of it. Then one night he complained of it for a lot longer then usual, AND he said he didn't feel well. After a little while he fell asleep and I slept with him that night. The next morning I called my ped and took him right in. She didn't hear anything wrong when she listened (neither had I)but thought since my son wasn't a "complainer" we would get an EKG. It was NOT normal and we were sitting in a cardiologist office the next day at Children's. He has a syndrome called "Long QT Syndrome" and it sounds really scary! There are a couple different kinds of it, and thank goodness my son doesn't have the really bad one. He just can't take ANY medications that are stimulants or drink caffeine as these can aggravate his condition and cause his heart to beat irregularly. I would be happy to talk more with you, and there is a possibility she just has heartburn or a muscle pull in her chest but it really does need to be followed up on...especially if it happens again.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions or want to email more!
J.

1 mom found this helpful

K.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My general instinct would be to take her to the doctor because you just never know. I understand money being an issue and although nothing may be really wrong, it's worth having the peace of mind to know that everything is ok. I suppose you could ask yourself what you would regret more, not checking it out now and finding out later that something is wrong, or finding out now and having a bill that just basically calmed your nerves? It's a tough call, I know - trust your instinct! Hope this helps and hope everything with your daughter is fine :)

1 mom found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Lansing on

Hello,

Have you thought of Heart burn? My daughter started getting hear burn around the age of 6 and had to go on meds for it. There is also a long list of heart burn related problems on her fathers side and it can be passed on. She alwasy said it hurt in her heart area, but would also move her hand up and down. Once she started the meds she didn't have that problem much.

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C.C.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hi!
I know I have had heart palpitations before and they do make you feel weird, I think mostly because it's not normal, not b/c it's painful. Mine are from anxiety attacks, which I can get out of the blue when I'm not even in a stressful situation, but have been stressed in general.
Has she been stressed lately?
If it were me (my insurance isn't the best, either) I would bring her in just to see if they can hear a murmur or any palpitations. I was a teenager and they did do an EKG on me. It's painless and you just have to lie down for a little while, so it's not scary. No idea how much something like that would cost, though, but it might be enough to rule out anything potentially serious.
best of luck!

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M.A.

answers from Detroit on

Dear ML,
Please don't ignore this. She could have some heart problem, such as irregular heart beats, like my dad, which really makes him feel 'weird'. She could have a hole in her heart that never closed after birth, or a valve problem-- it really could be any number of things. I hope the doctors can do a simple EKG or Echo without charging you too much. Please explain your financial situation and most doctors will do what they can to keep costs down.
Best Wishes to you and your daughter,
M.

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

I often suggest keeping a food log for a month then you have more info to help. I found most of the health problems myself, husband and daughter experience are mostly related to food sensitivities. Making a log can help you find the tomatoes don't always bother me. Turns out to be a combination where one makes me more sensitive to the other. Amazing what food can do with the body. Log when the symptoms happens w/ info on activities & weather, like running at the park on a hot day.
Good luck, A. H

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

What did she eat before her chest felt like that? Something that could have given her like acid reflux? I am curious to know her symptoms because it could be acid reflux. If her chest feels like its closed up and painful than realeases or if she has burning up and down from her belly. She could have acid relux. Or her chest could just hurt like an axiety thing but hat could be acid reflux too. Good Luck

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M.B.

answers from Detroit on

My first thought was palpitations. It could be a murmur, but palpitations feel like fluttering in your chest, are usually not painful, and can take your breath away. This is when your heart kind of skips a beat and is irregular for a few minutes. I would definitely take her in if it happens again for an EKG, etc. Did she have any caffeine? Palpitations are often caused by caffeine, medications, etc.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

heartburn??? try a tums to see if tah helps..

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M.D.

answers from Saginaw on

I'm a Certified Medical Assistant, and I believe if it's something you called your Doctor for advice on then she should be seen!! No amount of money is worth the piece of mind you'll have when you find out what the answer is.

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H.B.

answers from Detroit on

It could be a lot of things! Does she have a history of asthma, reflux, heart/lung problems, anxiety?
If it happens again, or if you are still concerned, take her in to her Dr. My son has reflux, and it makes him very uncomfortable, he would tell me that 'his heart hurt' but it was moving up and down- the acid. He is now on prilosec, and doing fine.

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

Have her checked out. Of course. Better that everyones' minds are at peace than fretting over something you can't diagnose. The insurances aren't covering much of anything these days, so what's new, right? We still get sick, we still have issues. If all it takes is an office visit, and it's nothing more than suspected pneumonia, you have what? a copay and Rx to cover. And your daughter's health to REcover.
Don't guess, find out

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H.S.

answers from Detroit on

I haven't had issues with that with my kids; they're too little to tell me what hurts really ... but I know that some of the ways that I have moved, I've cracked something; you know like cracking your back, only in my sternum area ... it's uncomfortable for awhile, but it fades away, give her a child's Tylenol.

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K.R.

answers from Detroit on

might be, as someone else suggested, a murmur. I've had one my entire life, but it only started to really effect me the last couple years since I had my son. And honestly, I can't describe it anyway other than weird. It's not painful, it's almost like butterflies in the stomach, only, higher, I suppose. Makes it a little hard to breath for a second or two for me, but other than that, it passes. I would get her checked to be sure, some people can have problems with it (causing other problems) but for the most part it's pretty benign from what I've been told.

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