Please help! Am I actually having a heart attack?

[kris1079]

I posted a couple of days ago, and now I'm back. I thought it was getting better but tonight has been the worse so far.

I have had pain in my left arm for 8 days now. It started in my shoulder as a sharp pain and now it aches in different places on my left arm off and on also. I started getting panicky about heart issues. It's one of my biggest worries. I get the palpitations whenever I'm stressed so that has always worried me.

I started to get better over the last couple of days, realizing that if it was heart related, it probably wouldn't last this long, or at least it would be getting worse, which it wasnt.

I take a Xanax every night to help me to sleep because that's when my anxiety is the worse. But my arm never hurts in the night. I do get relief while I'm sleeping.

Last night I kinda felt like I was getting heartburn but I couldn't tell. It wasnt bad, but it made me a little nervous. It's a pretty big symptom of heart disease I think.

Well, here I am awake at 4am. I had a little bit of shortness of breath when I was falling asleep, which happens every time I have an anxiety episode, but of course it scares me more this time, because once again, it's a sign of a heart attack. I woke up at 2am with arm pain, which never happens in the night, and feeling like I was on the verge of a panic attack. I still kinda feel like I have a little heartburn maybe. I took a bath to try to relax and of course my arm never hurt once. I come back to bed and the pain is back.


I'm also having a little neausea but I noticed the Xanax causes that sometimes.

Anyway, could this really all be anxiety related? I felt like I was doing a little better. Why would it all get worse right now?

I'm a 33 year old female, 15 lbs overweight, exercise all the time, pretty healthy overall. Could this be a heart issue? I hate going to the doctor. It causes more panic attacks so I try to avoid if at all possible, but when I have gone they tell me my heart sounds perfect. Can they tell by just listening to it? I haven't had an EKG since 8 years ago.

[CharlieM]

Hi kris,

Firstly, I will say I have a lot of similar symptoms. My last heart check was 6 months ago and everything was normal. But because I get left arm pain every day which sometimes radiates into my chest, neck, shoulder and jaw, my GP has now referred me to a neurologist.

She has diagnosed me with GAD and prescribed me Amitriptyline. She thinks my pain is neuropathic and wants the neurologist to look for trapped nerves possibly in my neck, armpit or back.

There is no harm in getting new ECG done if it bothering you so much. I tell you my story to demonstrate that all your symptoms could be anxiety related, posture related or just muscular/nerve related.

Hope you feel better today.

Charlie

[Freaked]

Hi; been through this all, the heartburn, the constant left arm ache, things that felt a lot worse. My cardiologist, after a bunch of tests, has discharged me, though my gp has kindly agreed to get me an event monitor just to be sure. My symptoms are normally more serious than yours, but still the docs think the most likely thing is a form of autonomic dysfunction (nervous system issue), which effects the heart rate, causes aches and pains and gastro problems and a bunch of other stuff.

But if you're still able to get up and around and do things without much problem, then it sounds a lot more like anxiety. I've noticed that my left arm and shoulder are actually sore as hell when I massage them, and I can often find neuralgia points, like just above my elbow on the upper side of my arm, that are sore to push. Don't ask me why this happens mainly on the left side, but so does costochondritis (chest cartilage soreness). Anxiety can of course cause neuralgia too.

Still, no harm in getting an ekg and cholesterol done if you haven't, for reassurance at least.