Chest pains, scared I'm having a heart attack! [Archive]

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scaredpt

25-07-17, 22:45

bin tenn

25-07-17, 23:12

Could be a panic attack. We were on vacay this weekend, got home yesterday. Sunday evening, I spent a good two straight hours in the pool, including swimming with the kids. I sure felt it afterward! I haven't been that active in a long time, for that amount of time. All is well though. What you describe doesn't sound at all like a cardiac issue, IMO.

scaredpt

25-07-17, 23:27

But it's pretty severe chest pain so it seems like it could be a heart attack. Maybe just a pulled muscle from swimming? I did a new stroke

Fishmanpa

25-07-17, 23:29

My experience with heart attack pain was that it was constant, got worse and worse and position or movement didn't change it. I wasn't asking a forum of anxiety sufferers or Dr. Google, it was a no brainer that something was seriously wrong.

Positive thoughts

scaredpt

26-07-17, 00:11

It is constant but with the movement

bin tenn

26-07-17, 00:53

See a doc if you're genuinely concerned. We can't dx a heart attack. But I believe you're fine and overreacting.

Fishmanpa

26-07-17, 01:07

You're still here a couple hours later. Again, if you were in that much distress, as I referred to with my personal experience, you'd be in the hospital IMO.

Positive thoughts

sdoxo

26-07-17, 02:18

I agree with Fish, if it was an actual heart attack you definitely wouldn't be questioning it. Sounds like a panic attack/anxiety, or it could be trapped wind or even something muscular. If it persists have your GP check you out..

scaredpt

26-07-17, 13:32

Thanks all. I woke up this morning so I'm hoping death isn't imminent. Chest pain is still there but only with specific movements, my mom swims a lot and said I probably pulled something swimming

poppadr3w

26-07-17, 14:18

For a few hours I've have this weird pain in my chest, mainly whenever I hunch over or pull my shoulders forward, that is a bad pain at the top of my chest. I'm terrified it's a heart attack but I'm staying with friends now and they all say it's anxiety. I'm on holiday with a bunch of friends and no way to see a doctor. I was swimming today and got extenemely out of breath which is when this all started. My friends say I might be having a panic attack

From what I've read, if you're having a heart attack, you'd know.

With that said, if you can manipulate your musculature and it causes pain, it can be something muscle related. I've had an injury called Costochondritis where if I say in certain ways and I'd otherwise chronically have chest pains and pains all throughout my ribs. No fun, and it still resonates within my to this day, but at like 2% it was before.

Keep in mind that during times of high anxiety/panic attacks, it can be hard to catch your breath. Couple that with activities that are cardiovascular in nature such as swimming, and of course you'll be a bit short on breath. Then it snowballs because further anxiety creeps in because you cannot breathe well, etc.

As per Google, symptoms of a heart attack generally are: "Symptoms include tightness or pain in the chest, neck, back, or arms, as well as fatigue, lightheadedness, abnormal heartbeat, and anxiety." From what I've seen personally in people, they usually have pain in the left arm. And it's supposedly very, very painful.

I am not a doctor, so maybe seeing a doctor once you get home may behoove you. For now try taking anti-anxiety meds if you have any (Xanax, Klonopin), sipping some tea (contains L-Theanine, an amino acid that helps combat anxiety), take an Epsom Salt bath, sniff lavender, try out some static stretching of your chest, etc.