As of a few months ago my daughter has been complaining of a tight feeling in her chest ... it would come and go. We did take her to get a chest x-ray and nothing was found. The doctor thought it might be a small allergic type reaction to her eating too much tomato based foods (i.e. spaghetti sauce etc..). I recently came across an article about the dangerous side effects of Gardasil (papillomavirus vaccine) and tightness in chest is a rare symptom that was listed. I am greatly concerned now that it could be what is happening. Her first shot was given on 5/5/2010 and the second shot on 9/14/2011. Should I be concerned at this point 3yrs later? Is it related?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your concern. The reaction mentioned for the vaccine are only acute, so vaccine is unlikely the cause for her symptoms after 3 years. Chest tightness as described by you is commonly seen in asthma. Since her chest x-ray is normal, no need to worry about lung infection. Possibility of asthma is more in her case. So better to consult pulmonologist and get done clinical examination of respiratory system and PFT (Pulmonary Function Test). PFT is needed for the diagnosis of asthma. It will also tell you about severity of the disease and treatment of asthma is based on severity only. She will be better with inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). Don't worry, she will be alright. Hope I have solved your query. Thanks.