Not sure of this will help but...I have tight chest muscles...they will loosen up sometimes then go into spasms and when I go for a massage or even for a PT appt just the pressure applied to these muscles will cause enough pain to leave me short or breath or nauseous. I also get pains in my side, like a stitch in my side...hurts like mad. Like you I have been able to distinguish these pain flares from an asthma attack (the thing is not panicking about them enough to cause an asthma attack!) but it definitely is not comfortable! A trip to the ER is definitely warranted to put your mind at ease though!