Chest Pain related to Anxiety?

[Jamie_mc]

Hi There Im Jamie.

Recently i have been experiencing heart palpitations (Ventricular Ectopics my Doctor says) and they have been really worrying me. I have been living in thr US for the past few months and i went to the hospital for them to do an EKG and xray my heart and lungs. They also took bloods. They said everything was absolutley fine.

So, when i got back to the UK I started getting them again, but worse. And then a couple of days ago a pain that radiated from my left chest to my neck and jaw started to appear. I went to A&E last night and they took another ECG, bloods and xray and said i was fine.

I still have the pain in my chest but my palpitations have subsided slighty. Is there anyway that anxiety can give you such a physical pain sympton in my chest?

Thanks guys,

Jamie.

[tommythomson]

Hi Jamie

As long as the docs say your okay and the people at A&E say your okay then don't worry as much. Ask your doc if you can speak to a therapist or CPN. They will explain anxiety and the related symptoms and get you started on recovery.

I had the symptoms you have and I'm now "getting better". I'm on meds and going to CBT.

There is plenty of material on this site to read. I would also recommend Self Help For Your Nerves by Claire Weekes. This book suggests that you don't fight it you accept it. It sounds daft but it kinda works for me.

I hope this helps and reassures you.

Take care

T

[Jamie_mc]

Thank you very much for the quick reply.

I forgot to add, the pain always subsides with sleep. I wake up the morning and i feel absolutley fine. And becasue i feel fine when i get out of bed i think about it and the pain comes. It is also on the right side of my chest today.

Is there any way a pulled muscle or nerve problem can cause.

I did not have it Monday night and then it was there on Tuesday morning. it suddenly came.

Sorry for posting but i am worried about it. It's as if i keep convicing myself something is wrong rather than that nothing is wrong.

:(

[Ma Larkin]

Hi jamie,

These are exactly the symptoms that I get and I've been to A&E more times than I care to remember.

The palpitations and breathlessness cause the pains because we are using more energy to try and control our breathing. All the related pains in the jaw, neck, chest, back etc., are all tension because of the extra work our body has to do to cope with the anxiety and panic. I sometimes feel like I've run a marathon because all my muscles ache, but it really is anxiety and nothing more sinister.

Learning to cope with all these pains is hard because we all think the worst. I thought I was having a heart attack when I had my first few panic attacks, and it was a good 12 months before I actually believe that's all it was because the symptoms are so severe.

Hope you get some good advice and reassuring comments to make you feel better.

Take care.

Les, xx

[dlou84]

yeh its anxiety i conviced myself for 2 yrs that it was something serious.. but it is just anxiety!! theres a known link there.. they normally come and go in the left side of the chest.. and if it was anything to do with your heart the pain would be in the center. Dan

[tommythomson]

Jamie

I get chest pains all over my chest from time to time. It is very worrying, I KNOW, but the more you are anxious the more the pains will continue. Try to worry less.

The pains are caused by excess adrenaline in your system due to the flight or flight response to anxiety. Your body is anxious because it perceives a threat that isn't there.

Honestly, i've had you symptoms and it is hell to begin with. Read the website for an explanation of the symptoms and their causes.

If your still not sure call Stresswatch - 01563 574144.

They will ask you to call a counsellor directly and they will explain everything to you as well as listen to your concerns. The cousellor I got was Tom and he was a very reassuring man who explained the whole anxiety thing to me and how it tricks your body.

Best to keep as calm as you can and relax as much as possible.

Take Care

T

[Jamie_mc]

Thanks a lot guys. I appreicate all of the kind replys this thread has recieved.

I find it hard to convince myself that the pains are anxiety becasue they feel so real.

I've had them since Tuesday morning, after a VERY drunk night out. I mean, is there anything that alcohol can do to creat pains in the chest for days after? Im wondering if i slept awkwardly and strained/pulled a muscle but then i think that would have gone by now, its been 5 days.

Like i said, its hard convincing myself it's anxiety.

Jamie

<3

[colm_mcfadden]

I've been having this problem for years now. In fact I quit drinking because my hangovers and associated chest pains got so bad I was scared to drink and that's almost 5 years ago.

I've only recently joined this forum and I thought I was okay, but now I realise how much my panic disorder has ruined/shaped my lifestyle.

The chest pains are muscular tension. Either between your rib muscles, chest muscles, arm and back. It is a fight or flight response and any other dizzyness, listlessness, feelings of impending death are all part of this response.

So how do you recover? Go through it - let it get as bad as it can get and go through to the other side. Don't fight - accept it. Easier said than done, but believe me I'm trying every day to do the same and it definitely helps. Just think how amazing your life will be if you accept it, listen to the advice and get through this? Now that's something work working for!

[TomSK]

Hi i'm 16

Anxiety can be difficult to deal with, and in my case it is a vicous circle that i find incredibly difficult to snap out of without a flow of constant reassurance from doctors and family.

What makes recovery worse is when you say to yourself 'just relax' and finally manage to semi-convince yourself that your fine, and then you get a sharp twinge in your chest, neck, head, back or stomach, and then the worry begins again, consequently leading to prolonged physical deterioration as your mind really can affect your body in ways you can't imagine.

Like many other sufferers, i had convinced myself that the chest pains were because of heart failure or something similarly sinister, and that the pressure i had in my head was a brain tumour, when in fact it was sinusitus. The sinusitus had given me lumps on my forehead and on the side of my head which as you can imagine worried me sick, as did the nervous twitch i developed in my right eye. All my glands were swollen and sensitive due to infection and i had aches and twinges all over. My anxiety developed whilst on holiday when my sinusitus started after a bad cold (although i did not realise it was sinusitus at the time), and as i knew i couldn't really see a doctor i worried myself for two weeks straight until my heart was pounding so hard and so fast that i became light headed, and the pulsing in the temples on each side of my head was actually painful.

After being quickly dismissed by my doctor the first time, i returned and discussed my anxiety as opposed to my symptoms and found she was more sympathetic. I learned that chest pains and aches are symptoms of anxiety, as is a racing and pounding heart. This somewhat comforted me, and it also made sense because whenever i did something that took my mind of myself, i didn't really notice any pains, which made me believe what she was saying.. at least, until the next day.. as by morning i had managed to twist her words in my head until i was seriously ill again and consequently the pains returned.

After taking tablets with natural ingredients to calm me down and trying some meditation, i am slowly making progress. I consider myself lucky as i am now pretty much reassured that all the symptoms that developed after my sinusitus such as stabbing chest pains all over (mainly in the left side) are caused by anxiety, as they seem to come when i spend hours worrying, and magically diminish when i am occupied. It has taken me about five weeks to realise this, however for some it can even take years before they convince themselves that anxiety is the cause, but the sooner you believe this the better it is for your health, and the quicker your recovery is.

To help put others minds at rest, symptoms can be:
-Tension in forehead

-Aches/Twinges in:
Neck
Back of head
Shoulders
Chest
Stomach
Jaw

-Pounding/racing heart (Palpatations)
Lightheadedness

Sweating
Going to toilet frequently
Nervous twitches (Anywhere but commonly on face)
Tapping foot etc

I baught a C.D called 'Ultimate Relaxation' by Dr Hilary Jones and it helps me to relax and it explains the effects too much anxiety and stress can have on our bodies as well as teaching methods of meditation which calmed me down. It is 37 minutes long but it is worth it! The dudes voice would relax you even if he was swearing.

Hope i've helped someone.

Take Care.

[fugitive333]

Hi all

This has been an enlightening read for me. So much of it rings true.

Me personally I have been having pains to a lesser or greater extent for 18 years since I was 16 or thereabouts. I tried LSD and as the effects were wearing off got these pains in my stomach and chest. Since then they have come and gone but always been there. As I have got older they have got worse, and like another poster the alcohol factor really makes it worse. I love a good drink but have to make sure I am not doing anything the next day as it can get so bad. More recently it has got to the stage I get all faint if I leave the house and ultimately don't bother.

I have had constant nagging now for around 4 weeks and it's getting me down big time now. I also suffer from sleeplessness and am on sleeping pills. I have convinced myself the sleeping pills were making it worse so have not bothered with them for the past 2 nights, not slept more than 2 hours but feel no worse the next day (pills make me feel really lethargic next day).

Now I have started making excuses and won't go out with friends drinking, the hell the next day is not worth it. Mind you the hell at the moment is pretty tough to deal with. I had my first counselling session 3 days ago, having had an ECG and a blood test, which have both come back fine. The doctor says it can only be anxiety and is not related in any way to the drugs. I am not so sure.

Good luck all

[mandyclare]

Anxiety can most definately give you chest pains and all sorts of weird chest sensations. I hope you feel better soon