Angina? Heart Problems? No Pins and Needles!

Hi All,

I have been suffering from health anxiety for 3-4 months now having started with a panic attack (racing heart and sweats). To cut a really long story short, I have been to the doctor (seen 3) and A+E (bringing the doctor count to 4) and paramedics. I have had 2 ECGs both of which were fine and have had blood pressure taken - also normal (145/83).

On and off during the last few months I have been struck by chest pain and left arm pain, nausea and difficulty in breathing (although not breathlessness). It can last for hours at a time.

The last couple of weeks I've felt a lot better, but certainly not perfect or great - but not as debiliated as I had been. But I've just become concerned that I could be suffering from angina - as the symptoms seem to match and I read that ECGs at rest do not always show signs of it. My ECGs were always when I started feeling better after an attack.

Also, I though pins and needles were a sign of anxiety... but I rarely get them. When I do get them its usually both hands and feet equally in the morning after I get up - and not usually at a time with any other symptoms. Plus I've suffered like that for years - happens maybe once a month.

Can anyone offer any help, please? I'm slowly going mad!

By the way, I'm 30 yrs old - young I know, but still.

Drew.

Not quite sure what to say about angina as i'm not overally sure of the signs and what have you, however clear ECG's say theres nothing majorily wrong, so if you are concerned see your GP as ask them, they'll do the tests and what have you.

Hi Drew, the feelings in your chest and arm etc are all common anxiety symptoms, i myself (im 28) have had exactly the same sypmtoms, and i know what your thinking and worrying about, is that its your left arm and thats the usual side for problems with the heart, i dont know alot about ecg's but im thinking that if there was any irregular action with your heart it would in my opinion show up. Its hard to get out of thinking this way when you are concerned about a particular part of your body, every little blip, ache, pain to us HA suffers always means the worse!! Ive been there my friend and its horrible with a capital H.
As for not experiancing pins and needles, thats a good thing one less symptom of anxiety u dont have to put up with!!! Not everybody has all the typical symptoms of anxiety thats why we stress when we do get things that are unusal for us. Hope you feel abit less worried soon, relax and smile. Take care, Debs xxx

Does everyone get pins and needles? I just get very confused... one minute I'm fine (in that I KNOW I have anxiety)... next minute I am convinced there is something wrong. All my symptoms are physical.

thanks Debs... think we crossed over there!

I'm worried about doing exercise, in case I get worse and in fact I sometimes don't feel great if I go for a walk even.

hey Drew, i personally dont get pins and needles due to my anxiety, so please dont worry about that!!! I only ever get pins and needles due to things like sitting on my legs too long or if ive slept funny and they are all tingley in the morning, so im like you i dont suffer them with my anxiety.
When you say sometimes you dont feel great after going for a walk even, is that cuz you are worrying about your heart?? Debs x

i know it seems strange but I often can't remember properly! I can remember feeling bad - and that I had aches and pains - but not necessarily the exact details. Having said that - I am worrying about my heart and pains are usually left arm and chest. Today my chest had been feeling tight (like its difficult to breath in but not really)... and right now, my left chest aches and shoulders are bad.

Sorry that sounds really vague!

not at all, ive been suffering HA and GAD along with depression for about a year now, im slowly coming to terms with it. Like you it all started with what the docs thought was a 1 off panic attack, came out of nowhere and knocked me for 6, but then panic set in id have another 1 and surely enough i did. then i started worrying it was my heart because of all the sensations that go with panic, but then other problems started to develop, eg, headaches so i thought god ive got a brain tumor, then tummy issues, thought bowel, stomach cancer and the list goes on........ i now suffer IBS which was brought on thru stress, anxiety and worring. But it is all a vicious circle, the more you worry the more sypmtoms you get and so forth. Its amazing really what anxiety does to us mentally as well as physically, and i think the key is accepting that its anxiety, but thats easier said than done!!!