Chest pain and blood pressure

[Ceri78]

Hi all,
I've been having pretty constant upper mid chest pain now for around 4 weeks I've been to gp twice and had full blood count Crp levels all normal and an ecg also normal.MY gp doesn't think it's heart related but stomach related but my stupid mind is hung up on a heart issue:weep: my blood pressure isn't great either,I do it at home and due to anxiety the first 4 readings are 160/94,then gradually I steady at around 125/84....... Is this too high still as stupid me googled and said anything over 120/80 is type 1 hypertension :scared15: I just can't seem to lower this number even doing it in my own surroundings I'd understand if I was in the doctors office! I'm so frightened something is wrong with my heart with the chest pain and blood pressure...very scared right now.thankyou for listening xx

[Gary A]

Hi all,
I've been having pretty constant upper mid chest pain now for around 4 weeks I've been to gp twice and had full blood count Crp levels all normal and an ecg also normal.MY gp doesn't think it's heart related but stomach related but my stupid mind is hung up on a heart issue:weep: my blood pressure isn't great either,I do it at home and due to anxiety the first 4 readings are 160/94,then gradually I steady at around 125/84....... Is this too high still as stupid me googled and said anything over 120/80 is type 1 hypertension :scared15: I just can't seem to lower this number even doing it in my own surroundings I'd understand if I was in the doctors office! I'm so frightened something is wrong with my heart with the chest pain and blood pressure...very scared right now.thankyou for listening xx

It doesn't matter if you're in a doctors surgery or not, the fact is that you're anxious about reading your BP results and that will generally always increase BP and heart rate. Your readings aren't in a range that would be considered high, especially with your anxiety.

[Ceri78]

Thanks Gary x

[Benisfked123]

I've had the same thing my bp in the ambulance was through the roof and kept having dropping sensations and chest pains. I've haven't had it for ages but been having other symptoms instead. I remember how I got over it though. You just got to control the flight or fight response when it Happends I did this by making sure I'm not anxious during the symptoms. Just think that you're okay and it's just anxiety. This worked for me! All the best bud

[Ceri78]

Thanks Ben x it's this chest pain is pretty constant mid chest and has been for weeks the level part of my head is telling me if it was heart related something would've happened by now yet the worried anxious side is saying chest pain = heart problems!(stupid I know)

[Benisfked123]

I completely understand, when your in the moment is as real as anything. I've been hospital many times. Anxiety can do many many things I know this as I'm going through an anxiety disorder. Just remember that pains and aches are normal anxiety symptoms. My therapist said that heart problems wouldn't just be chest pains. You would have other scary symptoms like a swollen ankle or blue lips for example. Just keep it in your mind it's anxiety :)

[Ceri78]

Thankyou x

[Ceri78]

Sorry,back again! Quick question I'm still having upper middle chest pain through to my back and I'm coming into the fourth week of it! Would this be heart related going on this long? My blood pressure is averaging 140/90 which is making me even more petrified so I've stopped taking it .part of me is saying heart disease the other stomach related (hoping it's the latter) I just think mid chest = heart attack and I'm petrified about this and leaving my husband and daughters I just want to wake up and not have this pain all day long . My gp doesn't think it's heart related but stupid NHS Google says otherwise,why can't I trust my doctor I don't know. Thankyou so much for listening , scared mum here .... I'm 38 ex smoker don't drink though need to lose few pounds!

[bin tenn]

"Googled and said anything over 120/80 is type 1 hypertension" - Google also says coughing is lung cancer, a headache is a brain tumor, etc. 120/80 is optimal, but in recent years the acceptable blood pressure has changed. I've asked my cardiologist about having readings sometimes of 140+/90+. He said it's not optimal, but not awful/dangerous, especially since it's intermittent and I otherwise get normal readings. But 140/90 is not awful. Anxiety WILL increase BP temporarily.

EDIT: Also, the pain you describe could possibly be due to GERD. Have you had issues with GERD in the past? The esophagus and heart share many of the same nerve pathways, and pain from the esophagus is most often indistinguishable from heart related pain.

[Ceri78]

Thankyou for your kind reply I feel so stupid but the chest pain is so real and is making me a nervous wreck! Gerd has crossed my mind though I don't burp very often and only get heartburn if I eat fatty foods - can you have gerd with just pain ? Thank you x

[bin tenn]

I know. I've worried about heart problems before. Before I got my GERD under control with a PPI, I had all sorts of symptoms. The chest pain is in fact real, but the source is not the heart in the case of GERD.

GERD does not always present with classic symptoms (e.g. belching and heartburn). It most definitely can be present with other less common/less known symptoms, including pain. I imagine it depends at least in part on the exact cause of the GERD and the extent of it. Hope you feel well soon.