Left chest and arm pain

[Dazza]

I've been managing pretty much until recently... had a stressful time recently which brought on chest pains....

Was tested and have gastritis again.. been taking meds for it for a month... went back two weeks ago as i was getting really odd numbness and pains (felt like electricity) in arms... tested... all normal ECG.

I've still been getting chest pains that sometimes go down into left arm.... the pain is around left breastbone, and can last for a few minutes... accompanied with discomfort down left side.... it's freaking me out... thinking it is really just my gastritis or do I have a rare form or angina that didn't show up in ECG. IT's now driving me to the point where I'm taking lots of time off work with anxiety again, and am even thinking of going back on Dogmatil (anti anxiety) pills, which I don't like doing....

Anyone else has these symptoms with gastritis?

Thanks for reading. love and peace to all. xx

[CharlieM]

Dazza,

I don't have gastritis, but I do have your chest and arm symptoms. Everyone who has examined me has said it is anxiety. I just have to trust they are correct.

Can you describe the pain?

Charlie

[Dazza]

Dazza,

I don't have gastritis, but I do have your chest and arm symptoms. Everyone who has examined me has said it is anxiety. I just have to trust they are correct.

Can you describe the pain?

Charlie

It starts like a pinching I guess... quite isolate in left breast area, near centre of chest... sometimes pain goes into arm, but not at same time... then get discomfort and sometimes pain just after in my stomach / left side.. the pain can a bit like numbness too.. i can only describe it as a 'tingling, electrical numbness''...

[CharlieM]

'Pinching' is a good description.

Mine feels very deep though, not on the surface. It makes me feel a bit sick too, but I never actually throw up!!

[LongingForSunrise]

It may be heartburn (like an electric "sparkly" line across the left side of the chest and into the arm) as well as muscles and skeleton.

Can you touch the pain? Does it get better when you lie down?

I have pain in my chestbone, and I often make experiments to make sure. If I lie down on the floor with me legs up on a chair I neutralize my back. If it's the back, the pain stops. But I have to relax 100%. It may hurt when you breathe, as well.. Because you're chest is expanding. Does it come and go? Do you feel dizzy? Very tired? Disoriented? Are you sweating? These are the questions a nurse asked me when I called.

It's most likely heartburn or some light shoulder/neck/high-mid back injury around the spinal cord. It may hurt in the direct opposite spot (chestbone) of the back pain if it's back problem.

If you can touch the pain it is absolutely not the heart. If you have issues with your stomach it may be heartburn or some irritation from the throat. It's very common to ache in the left side and out through the arm. It's probably "referred pain". Similar to "brain freeze" from eating Ice Cream, the pain is from the throat but it feels in the head.

[Dazza]

THanks for your reply ... It's made me feel more at ease.... I've had all sorts of symptoms recently..... i guess most are from tension / problems in neck.... gotta chill more.

[LongingForSunrise]

Good that it made you feel more at ease. :)

Yes, chill more! Anxiety is a real troublemaker for muscles and ligaments. I workout a lot right now, to expose myself to the fear. And muscle soreness from anxiety is the worst. If you think about it your shoulders and neck muscles, legs, arms and chest will be tightened. The deltoid muscles (shoulders) take a lot of hits because of the sensitivity of these muscles. Anxiety makes us pull our shoulders up and forward. I also tighten my fists during anxiety, so my forearms hurt like hell sometimes. And shoulder/back injury often cause pain to go through chest and arm as well.

Chill and don't let your brain fool you. :) One step at a time.