Ever have some sort of pain in the left side of your neck where people check for pulse?

I have this pain! I would describe it as a pulled muscle – almost a cramp. It doesn’t usually happen during exercise for me, but when I am watching tv or on the laptop at home, after work. I always worry that it’s a clot or some other obstruction in the artery. The pain, to me, actually feels like it is coming from the artery, not the muscle.

Im 25 years old how about yourself @gabby101?

Yes i even rub the area with my fingers to stimulate it, how long have you had your pain or how often do you feel this? Ive felt this in the past maybe after a hard sneeze but on the right side

I wonder if the pain matters whether its right or left?

Also when is it time to go to doctors?

I think its from when i rest my whole body on the left elbow on thr carpet while i lounge with the laptop

I’m 48, so my carotid artery is much older than yours! I’ve had it for the last six months or so. Apart from my blood clot theory, I think it is due to stress.

I had a friend who had pain in his leg and he thought it was a blood clot. At the time, I thought he was being over-dramatic and it was probably just a pulled muscle, but he went to the doctor and the doctor confirmed that it was a blood clot. I guess that is what sticks in my head. I’m going to bring it up the next time I have my annual physical. While it feels like a blood clot to me, I should have other symptoms if I am not getting enough blood to my brain – like dizziness, etc., which I do not. I am not a doctor, so maybe I’ll drop dead tomorrow, but that’s my logic.

It’s probably not a clot, but Atherosclerosis of the Carotid artery can easily result in a stroke. It’s probably a pulled/strained muscle as you said, but if you have reason to suspect it could be a vascular issue (How’s your cholesterol? Blood pressure? Family history of heart disease? Are you overweight?), you should get it checked out immediately.

The only concerning thing I could think it would be, especially since it happened during sex, would be a carotid dissection, but muscle strains are far more common than that.