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JR
09-11-03, 18:45
I was wondering where people get chest pains? I mean is it in the middle? Left or right part of the chest? I think the chest pains are the worst part and cause me to worry the most? My chest pains kinda float all over but are usually on the left side(around the heart which causes me to panic)Anyways, just wondering about other people's expieriences?

nomorepanic
09-11-03, 21:18
Hi JR

Mine were around the heart area too and I like you thought it was my heart that was giving up! I think this could be because the heart is basically just another muscle so it gets stressed too!

Exercise definitely will help.

here is some info from my site ....

One of the most worrying symptoms is chest pains or a tight feeling in your chest. The immediate thought is "heart attack" or "stroke" and this only worries you more. You may also notice that your heartbeat is incredibly fast and again this leads to the worry that you will have a heart attack. There is no evidence that Panic and anxiety has any adverse effect on the heart and the pains are easily explained. When you start panicking the whole of you body becomes tense and your muscles tense up also. This is also true of the heart as after all it is just another (albeit very important) muscle.

The chest pains are due to the constricting of the heart muscles and apparently the best cure is to start exercising and stretching these muscles to relieve the pain. Although you may not feel like doing any exercise whilst getting these pains, try stretching your arms above and behind your head and bending over gently to relieve the pain. If you are worried that it may be a heart problem, then make an appointment to see your G.P. who will be able to rule out any heart problems.

If your G.P. has given you the all clear then do not be alarmed if the chest pains come back and last for more than a day and you think it is related to panic, although it is painful and worrying, the pains will go away if you try gentle exercise and not think about them.



Nicola

JR
09-11-03, 21:42
Thanks, makes me feel better. The chest pains are one of the only symptoms that actually scare me. I hope that doing some excersise will help. Thanks for the reply

nomorepanic
09-11-03, 22:25
No probs JR - see if it helps you next time you get them :-)

Nicola

benoo5
10-11-03, 00:22
hya jr,
the chest pains you mention,are really just twinges,caused by stress,anxiety,indigestion,the list goes on...if the twinge was elsewhere on the body,you wouldnt give it a second thought,and just to let you know,your heart is not in that area your worrying about...but if its affecting your well being,then by all means ask your gp to refer you for an ecg.
best wishes...bryan

KEEP YOUR FACE TO THE SUNSHINE,AND YOU WILL NOT SEE THE SHADOWS.

JR
10-11-03, 00:32
I have had quite a few ecg's, I'm just in that stage where you still want answers. I used to hope the Doc would find something, but it always comes back clear. I'm the type of person who has a hard time accepting that such pains can be brought on my anxiety. I'm learning to overcome it mentally, but it takes alot of patience and time. I'm sure you all know what i'm talking about. thanks for the reply and thanks too everybody for the help they have given me. This board is great because the people on it are great!!!!

Laurie28
11-11-03, 14:48
JR,

I'm the same i'm still trying to find a 'medical' reason for my anxiety. I was praying it was my thyoid but it wasn't (I know that is daft but I was!) Then i thought it could be my hormones.

Everyone has always told me I am a strong person but feel particularly weak. i think the sooner i learn to accept this is in my head the better

Lucky

Mich
11-11-03, 20:01
Hya
Just lookin for some advice! sorry if I sound dumb!!!

The pains I get are all on my left side, they usually only last for a few minutes, but have been known to last longer - sometimes 20-30 mins. They are either around my heart, but mainly directly under my left breast, not knowing the human body very well I am unsure where the chest starts and ends, and was wondering if anyone knows whether my pains are actually chest pains or something else! I do get these pains even when Im not having a panic attack.

I have had ECG's and tests - all with clear results.

Thank you
Michelle

twister
11-11-03, 21:14
I got pains like this a few years ago and duly took myself down to casualty:D

After an ECG they said there was nothing wrong and in the end they explained to me that I had just pulled a muscle in my chest or my muscles were tight which was causing the pain. After I was convinced that I wasn't dying the pains miraculously disappeared

sadie
11-11-03, 23:31
hi everyone, i have suffered panic attacks for 3 years now and its the chest pains, heart shakes and funny feelings in my throat that scare me the most. I truly believe that my heart will stop at any time or i will die of a heart attack. I too have now had 3 ECG's which have been all clear but yet i still find it hard to believe that the next time my heart will give up. Does anyone else have funny feelings in their throats which feel feel like tickling sensations but yet you feel it comes from your heart area?

LMCN

Meg
12-11-03, 00:03
Hi Sadie

Is it like a bubbling up sensation that then catches you momentarily ?

Your heart is capable of beating at 150 beats / min non stop for at least 4 days before showing signs of compromise.... People who get SVT/ Fast AF like Tony Blair can often not get it reversed for a few days until a few other things have been put in order. His wa svery quick !
My Mum - 75 yrs- sits at that rate for a couple of days every so often and although she's not at her best .. no damage is done and the heart doesn't stop..

Contrary to Hollywood and 'Casualty et al' hearts don't just stop. They have their own electrical output system which is not controlled by any other part of the body. It even has a back up generator !!

A heart attack at your age is extremely rare even if you had abused your body horrifically all your life.






Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

sadie
12-11-03, 22:38
Hi Meg

thanks for your advice, its much appreciated.

Sadie

leigh mcnally

Minnieminx
24-11-03, 16:38
My chest pains usually occur on the left hand side and are really vicious pains, they feel like my insides are being ripped open. I have had quite afew attacks which were all very frightening. However I have experienced them in the middle of the chest. My Dr for 2 years told me they were one of my anxiety symptoms, however just after I got married I got another attack except instead of lasting 1hr it lasted all day, although the pain wasn't as sharp. I saw my Dr who now diagnoses Reflux/Acid and says its probably due to wine because I often have a glass at night and wine is full of acid. I have also read that anxiety can cause acid problems??

Debbie Theakstone

Rache
24-11-03, 19:23
I am so glad that im not the only one who has been suffering with chest pain.Sometimes my heart feels like its aching and i want to rub it better and other times its feels like a tight cramping pain.The longest time was that it lasted all day.That worried me abit but i took to my bed and woke up fine.Hey presto.I find pain killers dont really help my body sorts of get rid of it by itself.I know after feeling panicky esp with chest pain i feel so exhasted and wrung out afterwards.Its hard to describe really.

trina
25-11-03, 03:41
I have just came back from the doctors because of chest pain. this
too is my number one worry. I am unable to exercise because I am petrified of being out of breath and having the chest pains at the same time. Today mine were off and on. They were above my right breast and shot down a little. I get one and instantly I worry. I have my muscles in my neck and back so notty that it hurts to bend my head. I would like to share this as well as knowing I am no alone is
great and hopefully we can help each other.

Trina[

Trina

trina
25-11-03, 03:46
quote:Originally posted by sadie

hi everyone, i have suffered panic attacks for 3 years now and its the chest pains, heart shakes and funny feelings in my throat that scare me the most. I truly believe that my heart will stop at any time or i will die of a heart attack. I too have now had 3 ECG's which have been all clear but yet i still find it hard to believe that the next time my heart will give up. Does anyone else have funny feelings in their throats which feel feel like tickling sensations but yet you feel it comes from your heart area?

LMCN


Trina

Scaredtoolong
29-11-03, 21:32
Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted. I have been doing really well getting over this condition. It really is mind over matter. When you stop being afraid of the symptoms they go away one by one. HOWEVER.......These darn chest pains are really getting to me. I keep having the pains in usually the center of my chest just below my rib cage and it feels tight and "burny" sort of like indigestion (which I know it isn't). I have had ecg's and an echocaridogram, blood work is all fine, all came back good except for tachycardia 118n bpm (racing heart/pulse) but that of course was due to anxeity. HELP!!!!!!!! Does anyone else get these? Everyone seems to get them on the left side, which I do get occassionaly. MEG (Radar) could this be something else? What other tests can I get? If it weren't for these darn chest pains I would be over this panic. I am now going places, going to stores, driving alone. I was doing so well. But.....ughhhhhhh....these darn chest pains. Now I am scared to go anywhere alone for fear I will drop dead of a heart attack. Could they have missed something on the echo? Oh this darn disorder is so frustrating (crying now). Just when you think you can beat it, it slaps you again with something else to be afraid of. I am so scared I will die of a heart attack and leave my young kids. Meg, do the chest pains ever go away???? Thanks, to all.....Susan

sadie
29-11-03, 23:50
Hi Susan

I wont be able to give you the same reassurance as Meg will as she has a lot more knowledge on this topic than myself. However, I have suffered the same type of pains in my chest area for 3 years now and as a result have the same fears of dying of heart attack. I too have had 3 ECG's which were all fine and blood tests etc. I have grown to accept my chest pains to an extent as being part of my anxiety and i try my best not to think negatively about them too prevent a full blown panic attack. This doesnt always work but it does help most of the time.

The best advice I have came across to deal with these type of pains is do some stretches as the pains are the result of tight muscles and not in fact your heart. People with anxiety tend to have strong hearts (I read this in one of my many books) and throughout their anxiety/panic there hearts have coped well under the pressure. It is thought that by doing some sort of exercise while your heart is beating fast will in fact help regulate it.

The fact that you have had lots of different tests which have all came back fine and not life threatening in any way, should help you feel some sort of relief. I am no way a medical expert, but I think the doctors would have definetly found something wrong with your heart by now after the tests you have had. I know its really difficult to believe what the doctors are saying to you that your health is fine and it is just anxiety you are suffering because I too have struggled with this over the last few years but I know that to move on I need to do just that. I guess so do you despite being scared to do so.

I know its really tough to cope with all these symptoms and these health worries but you have coped great in the past and therefore you can definetly do it again. Have faith in yourself and with the help from all of us you will do it again.

Take care.



sadie

Meg
30-11-03, 02:35
Dear Susan,

I'm soooo pleased that you're sounding and doing so much better these days. Well done on all those fantastic achievements.

About the chest pains - accept these are not heart angina pains from your doctors. They do not sound like heart pains either.
Exactly as Sadie said do some stretching and exercise and release any tense muscles in the chest area.
If you really want to prove for once and for all whether they are cardiac - go to a gym and do a vigourous exercise session and if it's cardiac it will get much worse very quickly but I'm sure that in your case it will either improve or you won't know as you'll be concentrating on something else by then.

From the location and type of pain you're describing, it's more likley to be digestive tract in origin. Like simple heart burn or oesophageal reflux. Try talking to your pharmacist and getting something like Aludrox - different name probably in the US- and giving that a good go. May just relieve it totally.

Keep a food/pain diary and see if it comes before after food- what food, whether it's worse at day or night, when you're calm or anxious for a week or so then review.

If it is just anxiety and it's churny feelings that you're feeling then as you learn to relax and let go , it does get better.

We look forward to your success update in the new success topic threads please !!
Keep letting us know how you're doing please....







Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

Scaredtoolong
30-11-03, 03:29
Hi ALL,

Thanks for the rapid replies. It really is reassuring to have this site to come to. It helps to know that just about all of us suffer most of the same symptoms. I will post in the success area soon. I have alot to share. Really and truly....once you stop being afraid of panic....it starts to go away. Funny thing about those darn chest pains though.....just thinking about it now and my chest is starting to hurt......mind over matter.....the mind is so powerful....it can make you ill or well! Thanks again everyone. I know that if I can beat this ANYONE can. I have dealt with this for so long now...almost forgot what it was like to feel normal. BUT.......you can beat this! Never give up! Hugs to all, Susan

JR
04-12-03, 00:52
Good to see that I'm not alone on this. I started goin to the gym again. After lifting alot on the bench press, my chesyt pains have stopped. I think the gym is going to be a key to me getting over this. Anyways, i hope everyone is feeling well and having some progress. I think everyone here can beat this, I believe in you all!!!!

benoo5
04-12-03, 01:05
hi jr,

its great to see you being so positive,i agree with you,the gym is a great way to..de stress..keep it up,i can see another success story on the horizon....best wishes..bryan.

nomorepanic
04-12-03, 21:56
JR - great news - good on you for just getting back out there. thanks for updating us :-)

Nicola

Meg
05-12-03, 18:48
Fantastic JR. Well done for getting out there and doing it.

Meg

JR
06-12-03, 07:37
Thanks guys, without your support it wouldn't be possible. You guys are great!!!!

paul
29-12-03, 16:50
hello everyone, ive just joined this site.ive suffered with anxiety and ocd for a while now,but a couples of days ago i got bad chest pains,which i dont usually get,maybe sometimes.anyway i ended up going to a&e and an ecg test meant my heart was ok.i totally sympathise with you lot as it is traumatic.just by reading these messages makes me realise how common a symptom it can be.all the best , paul

sadie
29-12-03, 23:04
Hi Paul

I have suffered chest pains for 3 yrs and Im still here to tell the tale. They can be scary if we let them scare us..but the way to look at it is that there only musular pains, nothing more. You did the right thing by getting your heart checked out..now you know its ok. Concentrate on believing this now and the next time you feel a pain, do some stretches or run on the spot and the pains will diappear. Promise!

I too have been suffering some pains recently...but mine have been at a different place than usual. They seem to have moved to the sides of my chest rather than in the middle or underneath my chest. They seem to ache or throb (sorry about spelling) rather than sharp pains. What does this mean? Can anyone shed some light?

sadie

Meg
29-12-03, 23:25
Dear Paul,

As Sadie says When you get chest pains do some active stretching.

Sadie , you also have muscles in the sides of your chest, oh and no important organs there either that could be malfunctioning...



Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

sadie
29-12-03, 23:37
Thanks Meg..

Just checking...thanks for clearing that one up too.



sadie

paul
30-12-03, 12:26
thanks for the tip sadie and radar.i suppose just like any other muscle in the body stretching will help with tension.i forget that the human body has loads of different muscle groups.take care, paul

Rennie1989
03-01-04, 11:11
When ever I'm having a panic attack my chest pains are in the heart area and the diaphram (bottom of your lungs). It is very painful. It aches after an attack.

Jade[:p]

bananarbabe
06-01-04, 11:31
I have started getting them off an on recently. The stretching helps me but most importantly not thinking about it is helpful.

Chris

Hears The Water
06-01-04, 21:30
I cannot tell y'all how very very glad I am to see this topic. I have been having chest pains for about two years now. Even though I know they are muscular they scare the piddile out of me. I am having one right now (arguing with my teenager is not conducive to relaxing). I am obese, and there is this mindset that fat people all die of heart attacks. So that is where my thoughts take me. I have the pains in the same place for the most part. Right in the middle, and under my left breast. I also do not breathe properly and when I am having a pain, I make myself concentrate on breathing deeply, which in turn helps me to relax. Sometimes when a pain hits, I react to it with a panic feeling, it is almost automatic and then I have a bunch of adrynelin (sp?) to deal with too. I have been wanting to exercise better, walking and even some light aeorbic, but I am just terrified of colapsing. I recently looked up Mitral Valve Prolapse,(big mistake!) and that freaked me out too, as I have so many of the symptoms. But of cource, they are symptoms of anxiety too. It is rather confusing. And scary. I usted to wonder if it was because I have a fatty tumor (benign) right between my breasts and it was putting pressure on some nerves. But for me to see that so many of y'all have the same thing and it is caused by stress, it makes it better. Thanks!
God bless you and yours
Hears The Water

bananarbabe
09-01-04, 00:24
I cannot tell you guys how glad I am to find this site. This has been quite a hectic day for me. I was suppose to fly to Chicago to return to school but I missed my flight after discovering at the airport that my dad and I forget to grab my bag with my wallet and id at home. I now have to fly to Chicago tomorrow. (I should also mention that I have a fear of flying). I had not gotten any sleep for at least 24 hours because I was feeling really anxious and I have had chest pains on and off. Now I have a pain under my right breast. I started getting all of these really scary thoughts in my head but I remembered reading the posts on this site and that helped calm me down. I'm still really anxious about flying to Chicago tomorrow still and it's really hard for me to keep "sane"

chris

Chris

tony1
17-01-04, 03:46
This is my first time to post. I just came across the site doing some searches. My panic attacks and anxiety are recently beginning again after a 3 to 4 year break. They began then with headaches. I had never had headaches before and ended up with a 6 month long constant headache and lots of panic attacks. That was a tough period of my life. Tofranil pm, xanax and lots of determination helped me through. I don't really use xanax much if at all and have almost stopped the tofranil. I think this is why I may be relapsing. That brings me to this point in time. I remember having chest discomfort from the panic attacks in the past but just recently I had a sharp twinge that resulted in a tight heavy feeling in the center of my chest. The description of discomfort fits perfectly with that on every website dealing with having a heart attack. After a full day of this I went to the ER just to be sure. I was really getting worried. I had cardiac triage blood work done(negative), ekg, and chest x-rays. Nothing found. A follow up with an internal medicine dr. who performed a stress test turned up fine as well. Infact he said it looked great. The dr. didn't see any reason to do further testing of my heart. I do have high cholesterol and am little over weight. I am 35. I have had this chest tightness and discomfort for 2 weeks and a couple days now. It seems worse when I get upset. It was better the other day and my mood changed for the better and then it was back the following day. The only comforting thing is I can amplify the feeling in my chest if I take a deep breath and hold it. I figured this isn't heart related then. I am also getting sharp pains in my back that really hurt when pressed. With anxiety like this every little weird feeling you get can set you off. If I get a sharp pain in my hand for a second it worries me. My jaw and teeth even have a senstion of discomfort now and then but I have read other people complain of this too. The chest pain is the worse. If I start to think about the chest pain it intensifies. It's a viscous cycle. I have been getting that uncomfortable feeling in my throat and neck sometimes too. Anxiety then chest pain and then the chest pain now causes anxiety. I keep thinking that there really is something wrong with my heart and they need to do more testing. I am about to start my tofranil again but I'm scared to death because it says you should not use it if you have heart problme, heart attack or cardiovascular disease. The tofranil or imipramine may be what I need to get the anxiety under control again too. I even posted what was going on at a site where dr.'s answer your questions and they said if my ekg and ekg stress test are fine I could start the tofranil again. My internal medicine dr. said I could too. Sorry to go on and on but I hope by sharing my experiences and symptoms it might help someone else.

Meg
18-01-04, 11:18
Hi Tony,

Welcome to the site .

So I guess you've arrived at he conclusion that this chest pain of yours is all anxiety. You can address the overweight and cholesterol issues if you choose to with lifestyle changes.

One of the key messages is not to ' go off on one' every time you get a wierd pain. Our bodys are constantly shifting about internally leading to a variety of twinges, clicks and pains. It's normal.

I hope you're managing to feel better now..


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

tony1
20-01-04, 08:29
Well I am still having chest tightness. I went to see my internest for a follow up. He didn't have any absolute answers but believes at this point it could be anxiety, etc. I told him my main concern was that it was heart related. He suggested a thallium stress test and a cat scan of my lungs to rule out blood clots. Now the hard part, I have a tremendous phobia of needles, cathetars (sp) and medical stuff. I can handle a having blood drawn for a short period but anything longer than a minute or two and I lose it. The thallium test requires a catheter be inserted and in place to inject thallium or sestamibi for x-rays. Having a cath in me makes me dizzy, sick (nauseated) and causes me to freak out because of the feeling associated with the needle left in me. It would have to be in place for hours. Not to mention them injecting a radioactive tracer to accumulate in my heart. I guess I pushed the envelope on this one because I was afraid the first stress test missed something. Is it possible for someone with extreme anxiety (I have been obsessing about this chest tightness and discomfort) and panic disorders to have chest tightness lasting up to three week straight? The doctor told me he didn't think this was cardiac in nature but I think he wants to reassure me. I just don't think I can handle the test. If I knew extreme anxiety and panic could make it possible for chest tightness and discomfort to last this long I would gladly skip the test and wait a while. Not to mention my insurance isn't the best and I have already spent a lot on the er and testing with my dr.

Meg
21-01-04, 10:28
Yes it is possible for this to be anxiety.

You've already had a stress test that ' looked great' a thallium one doesn't show anything more on a healthy heart.
A CT of your lungs ? why. If you really had clots you'd know about it from other symptoms that woulds be manifesting.
Also if it were cardiac in origin something would have happened by now by more symptoms developing to support the cardiac theory.

Your choice but I would recommend you do some stretching with exercise followed by some relaxation.



Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...