Squeezing of heart sensation

Hi,

Has anyone else had this sensation: that their heart is being tightly squeezed and pushed into their chest? it is normally accompanied by a rush that goes through the whole of my upper body and into my head, making me really dizzy (a couple of times so bad that I felt that I was going to pass out). When it happens, sometimes it is a slight squeezing, sometimes stronger.... it tends to last a few seconds...it can come and go over a few minutes.

I get it sometimes (day and night) and it terrifies me... each time I get it I am convinced that I am about to have a heart attack and that my heart will either stop or rupture.

I've been to A&E several times as a results, and ECG, bloods tests and x-rays come back as normal. I've been diagnose with multiple arrythmia (irregular heart beat) for which I am taking medication. I just get so freaked out by the squeezing of the heart feeling, and just hope that it is the anxiety that is causing i and not a heart condition.

I've had MRIs, CT scan and ultrasound of my heart, and the results were normal. I've got more cardiology tests coming up: stress test, another 24hr ECG and maybe and EPS (electrophysiological study).

I think that this sqeezing / pushing into the chest of my heart is by far the most scary symptom that I experience as it convinces me more than anything that I am about to die!!

Sometimes, it is also accompanied by tingling in left arm / numbess and palpitations.

I'd like to know other people's experience of this horrific symptom.

Many thanks people.

Darren

I'm sure if what i get is the same, I get heart palpitation, sometimes my chest feels really tight n my heart Skipp's so i get a fluttery feeling, now and again my heart seems to stop then it makes one or two hard pounding beats .

Did these symptoms occur before you were put on medications for your arrythmia? How's your blood pressure?

Most of these meds can produce a whole battery of symptoms like this, ans so could low blooodpressure, but you should see your doctor about this if you get dizzy alongside with uncomfortable heart activity.

It's most likely nothing to worry about though.
Chestpains and/or shortness of breath and/or fainting or near-fainting are normally the omens of a heart in big trouble.

Hi Mikke,

Yes these symptoms happened before I was on the medication. Most of the time when the doctors check my bood pressure it's totally normal.

your message about a heart in big trouble has made me even more scared now.

I'm going to the hospital on Monday for some tests (stress ECG and 24hour ECG)....I'm just praying that everything will be ok....but I'm so terrified that I am going to have a heart attack at any moment.

Hi Dazza

I too get that symptom of feeling like my heart is being squeezed with left arm sensations too, exactly as you've described, it is similar to my post. You had mentioned that you have had test such as MRIs, CT scan and ultrasound of your heart along with a 24 monitor, honestly had there been any problem with your heart it would of been picked up, im sure it is is down to anxiety and the tests on monday at the hospital will just confirm it and help to ease your mind.

all the best mate.

Dazza,

You should not be concerned.
If you were fainting, that's another story. Discomfort like you are expriencing is most likely caused by stress and anxiety.

Hello everyone :)
I have been experiencing palpitations and tachycardia for almost 3 months i have been visiting my cardiologist quite regulary...I havE had done a cauple Ekg about 7, 1 holter, 1 X-ray several blood work ( even for tyroid gland) and like 3 ecocardiograms.... Everything i have come back normal thanks god execpt for the holter results that showed a tachycardia of 150 but just for a few moments to which he cardiologist said it wasnt something to worry about because it came down normally i mean i recovered the normal rate quickly....for this condition I was put on metoprolol succinate 25 mg once a day... The medicine worked quite good the first days....however, now about a month later im starting to feel this "strong squeezing sensations around my heart" at the begining i had some shortness of breath just occationally now the only thing i have is this squeezing feeling....i just wonder if i should be worry??? The eco showed my heart is structurally fine i just have a little prolase on my mitral valve but no regulgitation.....i dont feel any lightnesshead or disziness while this happen but it is a very scary feeling.....it mustly happen when im lying down and very few times when i stand up.....plus there is something else i want to as...every morning when i wake up i experience tachycardia nothing severe but bothersome then i take the medicine and it calm down...now im feeling the medicine is doing less effect and im having more palpitation and these squeezing feelings....what do you think should i be worry since my heart is structurally normal plus could an catheter ablation solve palpitations i dont care about the tachycardia since the medicine prevent them from happening unless i try to climb very long stairs but the palpitations and the squeezing are driving me crazy....thanks in advance and hope you can help me out....:)

Hi Dazza
I too have been experiencing the same squeezing sensation on my chest followed by the rush feeling from my chest all the way to my head...it is a very scary feeling. Been having this every now and then for 2 months. Just this week it happened again and I ended up in the emergency room thinking it was my heart. All kinds of tests were done...ekg, blood work and chest xrays and it all came back perfectly normal. Cardiologist told me it wasn't my heart and that is most likely esophageal spasms...he said the esophagus can do things to make you think its your heart...plus I have digestive problems like acid reflux and a hiatal hernia. Try not to worry about the squeezing feeling so much...maybe get it checked out again by a cardiologist just to be on the safe side.

Mikke, the comment you made was really concerning. When you say that someones heart is in "big trouble" because of the symptom described, that is not accurate. It is much more likely that the symptoms are merely a panic attack, as that's what lots of people experience. I just think you should be a bit more careful what you post on here as it can really worry people who are already dealing with anxiety and are just going to feel worse.

I get that too sometimes, and it's really scary while it's going on. There's a really good article here on "palpitations" that reassured me immensely. I still got it checked out, but it turned out to be nothing serious at all, and knocking off drinking caffeine helped immensely.

hi i also get that feeling my heart will go funny sending a sensation upto my throat and head not funny its scary. not helped reading heart in big trouble by mikk.

I started having similar sensation about a month ago, at the same time when I started having nightly problems with pain in chest.

with excersise, no pain and no shortness of breath.

tests at doctor (ECG and blood tests) show no problem with heart or lungs.

Doctor said most likely it is due to acid reflux from stomach. I started medication on this yesterday, and also need to adjust my eating (stop alcohol and greasy food and late night large meals.)

I read that reflux problems can lead to spasms in the esophagus, and this can feel exactly like a squeezing feeling of chest. I get this squeezing chest feeling still (not painful, but weird).

It seems the treatment for reflux takes a few weeks to take effect, so I am expecting the medication and adjusted lifestyle to reduce the symptoms gradually over coming weeks. I have scheduled more tests with doctor for 1 week from now though ( full blood analysis)