Tighness in chest/sternum--spasm, maybe?

I'm almost 8 months post-op.  Haven't had any complications, pretty routine go of things.  I have noticed that once every 6 weeks or month I'll get this sensation in my chest.  It's always been as I'm falling asleep at night, and is painful enough that it wakes me up.  Each time it is a sharp, steady pain in my chest (not shooting pain, like nerves), not near my heart, but the center of my sternum, like where the upper rib cage ends.  It comes in waves, and it's making me wonder if it's some sort of muscle spasm.   It seems to get better if I sit upright/stand and put steady pressure on my sternum as the pain gets more intense.  Last night that pressure technique wasn't helping, so I sat upright holding a heating pad against my chest and that made it subside right away.

I have always been susceptable to musle cramps, especially in my legs.  Has anyone else experienced this? I'm still a little irked with my surgeon, so I just wanted to get an opinion here before I call his office.  Thanks in advance!

Yeah, I've got no clue. I think a call to your surgeon is your best bet.

I had something similar about 6 months out and went to ER...it ended up being esophageal spasms and I was given gastrointestinal muscle relaxors. You should call your surgeon and see what they think.

Sounds VERY familiar to me....spent 1 week in the hospital with esophageal spasms.  I had more issues when I drank and was beginning to think I was crazy until the upper GI showed the esophagus constrict for 1 1/2 minutes (ouch!!)  Call your surgeon or PCP.  I take diltiazem 30 minutes before I eat to relax the esophagus.  I feel ya on the the pain.....my spasms were no joke!!!!

P.S. -- mine started at 5 months out

Thanks for the info, everyone!
Interesting that others have had this happen farther out.

Wow, I am pre-op and I have experienced this twice....a couple weeks ago I was put in the hospital overnight and had an ekg every 8 hours and my heart was monitored but they found nothing....told me it was anxiety.   It happened again this morning...so call my husband and he rushes on the phone and calls 911 but by the time he gets here it's better....and I tell him not to send the ambulance.....mine felt like a big muscle cramp.   I have been having cramps in my feet but I wear flip flops alot and feel like it's cause they are so flat.  Does nothing in the way of support for this body.  Got to the ER and they took vitals and they were fine.  Had taken a nerve pill they gave me upon discharge and have slept the whole day away.    I hope yours gets better!!!  Just wanted to share my experience.    Take care,  Sherry

Sounds like you had something very similar.  To be honest I'm kind of surprised that I didn't get more freaked out about it.  I've never had anxiety/heart/BP issues, so maybe since the pain definitely wasn't where my heart was I wasn't making the same connection.

I will say that once the pain stopped it was gone, and my whole body just felt much more relaxed.  I fell asleep immediately.  I've had this habit of having a glass of milk at bedtime, then eating a half a protein bar in bed.  Maybe that's got something to do with it.