The good news is that (other than the pain) it is completely harmless.
The way it always felt to me is like someone wrapped a small wire around something tender in my chest, and if I tried to breathe or straighten my posture, they would yank on it. I’d get it anywhere from a couple times a week to once a month. Then one day in my mid-30s it just stopped.
From what I understand this is relatively common. I was so grateful for the person on reddit who dropped this nugget of wisdom several years ago. It was nice to know I wasn’t dying or whatever.
I’m not sure if it’s the same thing or not, but I have a condition where sometimes my chest hurts because of a bone in a strange place. I’ve been to the hospital a few times thinking I might have heart problems. Then I get prescribed painkillers.
Samesies. I popped a rib out a while back and now I seem to have recurring bouts of costochondritis right over my heart where that rib attaches to my sternum. Definitely thought I was dying for a bit.