chest tightness

[**whenwillthisend**]

I cant cope anymore...i have had chest tightness since january, on and off...when "on" it lasts weeks and doesnt go...it is worrying , annoying and upsets me.I have had heart tests etc all ok...but i just cant believe its nothing....it scares me and i hate it....why wont it go...
i get tightness in the upper chest and lower over the ribs , it makes me think i will stop breathing so i worry even more
Has any one else had this chest tightness that doesnt seem to shift??
what are asthma symptpoms,im thinking i have that now
i cant cope with this hell everyday:(
any replies would be nice...thanx

[polly daydream]

Hi, I get the same thing and am having heart tests, I am also going to be tested for asthma, how are you when exercising? I have to stop as chest gets so tight I end up having a panick attack.

Take care,

Polly

[**whenwillthisend**]

well i find my tightness sometimes comes on towards end of exercise..but also at rest..sometimes all day..doing physical things or sitting watching tv..very confusing!
im not sure if its me worrying and expecting it to come..that the tightness comes..or if its something else like asthma..im going to mention possibility of having asthma when i see my doc on thursday
thanx for your replyx

[juju]

hi
my sis and dad have asthma, i have asked them bout this and the tightness is more in the lungs than if i am correct like a band tightening around your chest like mine? also do you wheeze? this is one of the first signs of asthma.
julie

we are all stronger people after having this

[jackie]

i promise you this is my most frequent symptom and my most scariest , although the left arm pain is a very close second at the minute

i promise you you are not alone

jackie

[bizzytom]

Hello all. I am new to the forum. I have an incredibly terrible case of hypochondria, but the one symptom I am literally losing sleep over is chest tightness and congestion that feels like I am suffocating. I wake up with it and can have it all day alot of times. I have been to er, initially told after bloodwork (perfect) peak flow (good) blood gases (perfect) lung xray (abnormal) diagnosed with acute pneumonia. Hmmm
Missed 3 weeks work. Had a low grade temp that went away. One Sun morning had a tough time breathing, wife went with me to er. PERFECT results!! This really puzzled me. I am suffering with what I gues is allergies that affect me differently than most, whereas most get itchy watery eyes, nose running, etc. I get very tight in the chest. I GET TERRIFIED of this andc am told just relax, breathe deep, you're fine, etc. It scares the living HELL out of me. HOWEVER, I AM still alive and kicking, even though I was absolutely convinced I would die, esp after 4 nights ago. MAJOR MAJOR panic attack that had me so worked up I could not stand sit lay or anything. I could not breathe because my heart was beating so very fast, and it took 3 hours of suffering to get it under control. I find it interesting that all these folks suffer with what they call "hypochondria" but yet, it's all in our heads??? I have a high IQ and consider myself to be normal. I am happily married to a gorgeous 33 year old. We have 3 absolutely beautiful daughters, 6,7 and 14. I have it made, except for this, and I drive my wife crazy over my complaining about one thing or another, usually always health related.

[langlim]

hi ya,

I've had tight chest for about month now, its kinda of developed into a fake cough, i feel like my airways are tight, like I'm allergic to something? - its really annoying!!!
I feel i have to regularly cough even though there is nothing there to cough up!

Had a good week last week, on downer again due to this, and thinking i have lymph node cancer.

L
x

[Edward Couzens-Lake]

Just checking to see if I can get in...

[Edward Couzens-Lake]

OK good, sorry about that...

I have been having Chemo for a non-cancerous lump in my mouth for a couple of months or so. As the treatment has progresed, I have noted that I have had symptoms identical to those described here-a tight chest, wheeziness, a very irritable (some would say "nervous") cough and a tendancy to keep myself awake at night, as, every time I drop off to sleep, I hold my breath (or something) and wake up, making a snorting noise.

This really started to worry me, so I went to see a GP-she did all the tests, oxygen levels and peak flow, "blow in this" etc, checked my airway, NOTHING WRONG!! Infact, she said "...if you have asthma, then I'm a Dutchman..." She said that, because I was tense and worried about my treatment, I was having panic attacks, the problem with them being that they are self perpetuating (ie) when one develops, you worry and fret about it, and so it gets worse.

The answer is, as people have been told her, to sit back, relax, and breathe easily and regularly-easier said than done at times! Sometimes this can go on for ages and if I'm tired and try to "nap" it off, I can't get to sleep anyway, as it keeps me awake.

Would be interested to hear from anyone who is experiencing this pretty nasty symptom so we can exchange experiences (isn't it alwats reassuring when people say that what is happening to you is also happening to them?) and support each other. Do E mail.

[wendy28]

i have exactly the same thing have suffered for years with panic.just has im going to sleep i wake up gasping for air and heart racing.so your not alone

wendy