Not sure if I'm getting worse

[Orange Lightning]

So I was just at the GP today, panicking because my symptoms have changed yet again; I now have the following;

- Dull chest ache all over
- Brief chest pain (5-60 seconds) on left of ribs and directly in centre
- Tight throat and trouble swallowing
- Belching or inability to belch
- Funny feeling when swallowing food, and generally a loss of appetite
- Uncontrollable shivering

Those 3rd and 4th ones are particularly worrying; I read somewhere that they symbolise "blockages" in the heart. I have had 3 clear ECGs and blood tests, and Diazapem - which I have started taking tonight - calms down some of my other symptoms to a degree, but the ache and tight throat continues, which means I get worked up all over again.

Have I got anything to worry about? I can't see a GP again until early January so I could really use some reassurance and experience. :( I constantly threat about my heart and I'm having trouble believing a month's worth of chest aches e.t.c. could only be due to anxiety.

[Colin44]

So I was just at the GP today, panicking because my symptoms have changed yet again; I now have the following;

- Dull chest ache all over
- Brief chest pain (5-60 seconds) on left of ribs and directly in centre
- Tight throat and trouble swallowing
- Belching or inability to belch
- Funny feeling when swallowing food, and generally a loss of appetite
- Uncontrollable shivering

Those 3rd and 4th ones are particularly worrying; I read somewhere that they symbolise "blockages" in the heart. I have had 3 clear ECGs and blood tests, and Diazapem - which I have started taking tonight - calms down some of my other symptoms to a degree, but the ache and tight throat continues, which means I get worked up all over again.

Have I got anything to worry about? I can't see a GP again until early January so I could really use some reassurance and experience. :( I constantly threat about my heart and I'm having trouble believing a month's worth of chest aches e.t.c. could only be due to anxiety.


All of the above sounds very familiar to me! You are not alone, these things happen to all of us that suffer from health anx.

The fact that you have had 3 clear ECGs and clear blood tests really should be enough to calm you down, I know you are still thinking otherwise but thats the joys of suffering from anxiety. Your mind wants to fight against you.


Dull aches can be muscle tension (for the worry) you might not even know you are tense

Sharp pains could be just under your diaphragm, and more likey will be nerves and not your heart. If you get palpitations (which are normal) you might feel like your heart has suddenly THUMPED which most people get

Tight throat and swallowing sounds like you being uptight and panicing a little

Loss of appeitite, well when you are suffering your general get up and go will be gone.


If you can learn to notice the symptoms, evaluate and rationalise what they are and control your fear you will be able to deal with them alot better.