Anxiety for just over 4 years. Started out as a very specific HA xmas 2012 in elation to a medical condition I had at the time. I lost the plot a bit and was rather unwell for roughly 2 years. Had therapy.
Was all good for a year and a half.
Anxiety peaked again last march (2016) Im no stranger to panic attacks but they came back with a vengeance around this time. my anxiety has been pretty terrible ever since mainly because of horrendous chest pain. My chest pain starts BEFORE a panic attack and causes panic attacks.
drs have blamed my chest pain on anxiety for about 8 months and I agree with this to some extent. in the summer I had numerous ecgs a chest x-ray and 1 lot of bloods over 3 separate hospital visits. All good. 1 dr mentioned costochondritis but never diagnosed it.
I had been doing very well with my anxiety and panic attacks for a few months last year. This all started again 28th december 2016. I was sitting at the PC hunched over and when I tried to straighten up I could nt. I was stuck. The pain in my centre chest was the worst I have ever felt and lasted a good 5 mins. Felt like my ribs/sternum area was being snapped in half. However I now get chest pain occasionally when walking and after eating which is new. I get random pains in my teeth and tingling in my jaw which is also new. I saw my GP the nest day whom said muscle pain.
I have been to A&E twice already this year because of the pain mainly because of how severe it has become and due to the new symptoms above and because I have had also had some breathlessness during bouts of pain. Again a new symptom. 2 ecgs have been clear and costochondritis been blamed.
I have pain everywhere and it feels different in different places. I have a permanent ache but also pain that comes and goes and changes in severity. It hurts to press anywhere where there are ribs and muscles in the chest area. My main pain is central, but also just to the left of the sternum, and also to the right where the breast begin. I also hurt over my breasts and into my armpits.
Because I now sometimes get pain when I am physically active and after I eat Im now terrified I have angina.
My therapist has started me with CBT and has said I DONT have health anxiety as my pain is caused by a physical diagnosis of a legit medical condition which frightens me. But my dr just wants me to take anti depressents and still blames pain on anxiety. If I call now I cant even get an appt. Its the hospital whom have twice diagnosed costochondritis and as lovely as they are I cant keep relying on them to reassure me every time it hurts.
my pain is triggering my anxiety and my anxiety makes pain worse as I then get anxiety pain on top of this pain. Its just a nightmare.
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