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View Full Version : The joys of anxiety - sharp pains!!!



Harrycraig
19-01-16, 15:31
Hi,

I have had anxiety for several years. Following the usual trend for many. Starts with Panic, into health scares and several years worrying about PVC's and then everything seems OK for 3-4 weeks and a new beauty of a symptom rocks you to the core.

I have been having sharp chest pain, vertically across three ribs next to the sternum and it has knocked me for six. Certainly not Cardiac, although I was certainly dying at least 3 times, which is nice. But i just cannot seem to move on from the anxiety of it. It lasts anywhere between 1 minute and 2 hours. It doesn't hurt when i poke around (naughty) but is eased when lying down.

Has anyone found a way to alleviate these pains? It is a strong 9 on the pain scale and around 43 out of 10 for anxiety inducement.

As a note, I have been on Citalopram for 7 years, had almost every cardiac test done, which I pass every time with flying colours and see a counsellor. This goes well to talk but i find it difficult to put in practice. "Just don't worry about it" nature of CBT hasn't quite worked out for me so far. But i will strive on.

thanks and hello.

Harry

cerridwen
19-01-16, 17:12
I've had this, last summer. Ribs were very tender to the touch, sharp shooting pains across the ribs too. I saw my GP and he said he didn't think it was costochondritis (a painful inflammation of the rib cartilage, easy to treat, stress related/unknown origin). He deduced it was posture related. I saw a physio, who gave me exercises and stretching to correct my posture and it disappeared. I still get it occasionally when I sit at a computer, hunched up, for hours on end or when I am worrying about what type of cancer I've got today and I physically draw into myself and hunch up like a tortoise in its shell.

John_Daryl
20-01-16, 01:23
At least you can see the humour in it all!

Just speaking about it is great help, it allows you to vent your problems and puts your mind into context when you read over the messages.

Sometimes I worry that because were health anxiety sufferers we will be told to just 'know it's your anxiety' and will end up overlooking a real problem