Question: Intense sharp stabbing pains under left breast. Generally last for at most one hour. Had 4 episodes in three days. None for last 5-6 days. Also had the same issues Feb 2010. Occassional dizziness, feeling that I may collapse. Induced by stress/upset. Age 45. female. 170cm high. weight 72.6kg. failed ecg when in pain, not when not in pain. Echocardiogram at 6 weeks ok. Treadmill and tilt test ok.

Is it possible that I have stress-induced cardiomyopathy?

WWW.WWWW.WW I had been trying to research stress-induced cardiomyopathy on the above site, amongst others. Difficult to take in if you are not a Doctor, however I took it to mean that your abnormalities would clear within days as they were caused by stress enzymes and not any long term damage. I didn't have my echo until 6 weeks after the event (I wasn't sure whether you appreciated this in your last response). -----Could it be possible that as a result of the delay the symptoms had cleared? The image was the brightest the operator had ever seen but pressures etc were within tolerance. She said that she didn't have a previous result to compare it with and so she couldn't tell whether it was enlarged or not as it was within tolerance now. If it is possible, then I will get my doctor to do blood tests during my next attack.
Until then they were concentrating on a possible blood clot.
I also omitted, and have just realised, that they believed my initial attack was Pericarditis as I was very ill for many months. Although the results were inconclusive, it was not ruled out.
The reason that I believe that something must be physically wrong is that I have had stress prior to my illness last year and had no more than a headache with it. Since my illness last year, I now get severe stabbing chest pains, dizziness, a feeling that I will collapse, occasional loss of balance and tiredness during attacks. A stressful situation triggers it, but I am a happy, fun person. I am not a worrier by any means. Even now, I would like to get to the bottom of this as I am fed up of being ill, but I don't overly worry about it. At work, I am laughing and smiling all the while.
My recent attack, I had had some stress for a few days which triggered the attack. However, I kept having attacks for several days after even though the upset had been totally resolved and I was going around laughing and joking with my work colleagues. I had one attack while I was chatting and laughing with my boss. It just came without warning. He thought that I was having a heart attack, the pains were that immense.
Sorry, to keep asking but I really need to understand what's happening, why it's happening now when I have always been alright before and how I can stop it.

Thank you so much for the above information relating to my current illness. I think you have answered, pretty much, as much as you probably can.
You mentioned heart rate, BP and respiration. I can confirm my heart rate was increased to 114bpm and even after rest and an ecg it was still high at 98bpm. Normally this would be around 70. My systolic BP was ok, at 123, but my Diastolic BP had fallen to 65. Not a major drop but normally my BP is around 75. My respiration during and after an attack is impaired. I am in the Army and can normally run 1.5miles in 13mins56secs. When I try to breathe after an attack it feels like I am struggling and very unfit. When I try to walk I am breathing heavily. By a week or so after the attack it seems to have improved a fair amount.
I am not sure whether this helps you any further, but I thought that it was worth mentioning as you have been so helpful so far.