Chest tightness

Here is my situation.
About a year ago, I woke up, went to get out of bed, and felt this strange tightness—almost like a pinching sensation—on the right side of my chest.
That discomfort hasn't actually gone away to this day. It isn't exactly an agonizing pain, just a rather dull ache, but it definitely bothers me.
During those first few months, I noticed that if I performed any neck exercises, like rotating my head, the pain would flare up in that exact same spot.
Interestingly, if I used my other hand to hold that area steady while rotating my head, the pain wouldn't happen at all.
That specific part eventually stopped happening after a while.
What really confuses me, though, is that the pain seemed to intensify if I had smoked a few cigarettes; I suppose I'm not sure if it's just in my head or something more tangible.
Basically, if I smoked a couple of cigarettes the night before, I’d find the pain was much stronger the following morning.
I've had chest X-rays done, and everything looks perfectly fine.
My sinuses are also completely clear.
Even my blood work came back normal.
I did deal with H. pylori previously, but I managed to clear that up with antibiotics.
In the meantime, I've been dealing with constant mucus buildup in my throat, which seems to get worse whenever I have a beer or some wine.
A few times in the morning, it felt as though there was a literal lump in my chest, especially if I had enjoyed some wine or beer the evening prior.
If I don't drink, I don't seem to have these issues.
While I was taking Pepcid, which my doctor prescribed, the mucus in my throat would vanish after just a few days. I stayed on the Pepcid for three months and the mucus stayed away, but as soon as I stopped for about two weeks, it all came right back.
I'm honestly at a bit of a loss regarding what to do about this lingering chest pain; sometimes I'll even feel it while I'm out for a walk.
If I use my hand to press down on the area and "pull" it away from my chest, the pain disappears...
Could this possibly be something related to the chest wall, maybe a muscle issue?
Perhaps something involving tendons or ligaments?
Does anyone have any sensible advice on what my next steps should be?
I suspect my doctor might already think I'm just being a hypochondriac...

Based on your description, and considering your age, these symptoms don't really align with typical heart pain. What you're describing isn't how standard indigestion usually presents, either. It’s more likely a musculoskeletal issue.

Andrew Jones12 said:Based on how you’ve described things, and considering your age, those symptoms don't really sound like typical heart pain to me. Even the specific issues you mentioned don't quite align with what we usually see with indigestion, so I suspect the pain might actually be musculoskeletal in nature.

I really appreciate you getting back to me. I guess I was wondering, what would be the most effective way to check on the condition of the muscles in that area?
Maybe an ultrasound?

So, I was dealing with this intense pain right in my chest, and honestly, it got so bad I actually thought my heart was seizing up. I ended up bouncing between cardiologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, physiatrists, even rheumatologists...

Turns out, after all that, it was just my Vitamin D levels tanking down to 27. That was the root of everything. It basically triggers inflammation in your sternum.

My doctor actually told me about a patient who had a level of 45 and ended up scaring a high-end cardiologist because of those exact chest pains. Luckily, they caught it immediately by checking their Vit D. The person was perfectly healthy from a cardiac standpoint; it was just the deficiency.

Meanwhile, I spent years wandering around from specialist to specialist and ended up in various ERs over the years. Late fall through spring was absolute hell for me. Everything finally cleared up once I started treatment, though it took a full year of therapy to get right.

.

Particulate matter in PM2.5...

I really ought to start a dedicated thread about this whole "silent pandemic."

To keep it simple: just grab the AirNow app on your phone so you can keep tabs on the air quality in your neck of the woods. If you see that the concentration of particulate matter in PM2.5 hits anything over 10 micrograms per cubic meter, it’s probably best to stay indoors. When that happens, I usually just shut all the windows tight and take it easy for a bit. Once the app shows "green"—or ideally blue—that's my cue to head outside and get back to my usual routine.

And honestly, this isn't just something for one person to worry about; everyone should be cautious. You really want to avoid hanging out near industrial sites pumping out fumes or thick clouds of particles, and obviously, staying clear of heavy traffic or idling engines. It’s also smart to steer clear of any kind of smoke, whether it's a brush fire, someone burning yard waste, or even just construction sites where they're drilling, breaking concrete, or digging up dirt and kicking up dust clouds. Historically, those kinds of particles have caused so much trouble, like what we see in coal mines and similar environments.
The issue with particulate matter in PM2.5 and general air pollution is that it's now being tied to a huge number of deaths in areas where the air is most heavily polluted. Until we move away from fossil fuels entirely, we really have to realize that clean air is a fundamental requirement for our bodies to work properly. Even a tiny amount of contamination can start triggering complications.

Right now, things are looking pretty good here in Washington, D.C., with levels sitting at about 7 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter in PM2.5. https://www.iqair.com/usa/washington-dc

How can PM2.5 affect my health?

Particles in the PM2.5 size range are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. Exposure to fine particles can also affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. Scientific studies have linked increases in daily PM2.5 exposure with increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, emergency department visits and deaths. Studies also suggest that long term exposure to fine particulate matter may be associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease. People with breathing and heart problems, children, and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM2.5.

When pollution levels are high and air quality alerts are in place, many people may experience an irritation of their respiratory system. This can result in coughing, sore throat, tightness of the chest, irritation of the airways, and even chest pain.

Look, you really can't be smoking—period. Cigarette smoke is just loaded with particulate matter in PM2.5. As for alcohol? Zero. Drugs? Zero. Even secondhand smoke from any kind... that’s a big zero for me.

You also need to make sure your posture is on point, among other things.

Once you've sorted all that out, check back in with me in a month or two. We can see if those pains and other symptoms are still hanging around in your system.