ridiculously stupid heart attack question ...

[roxy90]

Ok I know even for me this sounds stupid and I'm not really worrying just wondering ...

I've been having back and chest pain since yesterday afternoon. Back pain has been right side at the top and the chest discomfort is near the left rib and breastbone. They both hurt to touch but have for months and months so anyway.

Someone says to me oh you could be having a heart attack trying to wind my hypochondriac self. Now I'm not worrying just annoying voice in my head going oh it could be...

So basically if it had been going on since yesterday afternoon would something bad have happened by now? I know it sounds obvious but you hear of all these stories that heart attacks can be silent have mild symptoms etc.

Thankyou :-)

[LunaLiuna]

From what I know heart attacks are fairly sudden and do not build up over a couple of days, I know when my nan explained to me what her heart attack felt like it definitely is not this.

If you want to know, she said it felt like her blood got lit on fire and was pulsing through everywhere, she said she could even feel it through her teeth and gums it caused that much pain.


Your going to be fine :)

[roxy90]

Thankyou :)

This wasn't worrying me but has been playing on ny mind all day and now its massively worrying me.

I have indigestion type pain, struggling to eat, back pain, dizziness/jelly legs. The more I think the more I realise these are symptoms that they say women suffer. I am starting to panic more and more and more :(

[mummyanxious]

All of those symptoms are also anxiety symptoms?

[Serenity1990]

I know it sounds obvious but you hear of all these stories that heart attacks can be silent have mild symptoms etc.

To use a bit of hyperbole, this is similar to feeling fine, reading about silent heart attacks on google, realising your symptoms match exactly those of a silent heart attack (i.e. none) and freaking out convinced you're having one. There is a wonderful One Foot in the Grave sketch in which exactly this happens, albeit using a medical encyclopaedia as opposed to google.

What you have is mild chest and back pain, which until this awful anxiety thing struck me at the onset of this year, I probably had every week without even noticing, and I suspect this is true for you too. If you've got anxiety you probably do a lot of shallow breathing through your chest, which can cause stress on the ribcage over a prolonged period, which in turn causes chest and back pain exactly as you describe.

You really will be absolutely fine, just try and get rid of the anxiety not its symptoms!

[roxy90]

I was diagnosed with costo in the summer so it is likely that its that playing up. However its the tiny doubts that creep in and take over, base of my neck and head hurt now as well as arms, trying to calm down but have visions of cardiac arrest. Gosh been doing so well , feeling rubbish :(

[roxy90]

I'm on my third day today. I still have discomfort in my arms, chest and head/neck. The more I try to reassure myself the more I am failing.

I am fearful of my heart. I'm only 22 so they think I'm too young but I've read loads of stories about people my AGR having heart attacks. I feel very sick with fear and have nobody to turn to as nobody believes me. I don't want or my unborn baby to die, I've had so many good weeks yet I always ruin them!