health anxiety, chest pains, difficulty breathing, are you the only one?

[peter6_edwards]

do you suffer from pains in your chest for no apparant reason? Find it hard to breath at times? Been to A&E (emergency room) to be told that your perfectly healthy? Does it seem you're the only one and that you're a little bit crazy? This is exactley how I feel at times although I'm getting better, however I thought I would share a quick story with you all who feel like me. At work today a colleague told me had spent all night in A&E with sharp chest pains only to be told there was nothing wrong and was probably just muscular tension, like when it happened to me he was confused, he thought he was having a Heart attack. I explained that I had had exactley the same experience about 3 months ago. Then another colleague said that her husband had exactley the same thing happen to him in twice in the last two months, same prognosis, nothing wrong. As I had never spoken at work about my HA as too embaressed I never knew this actually happened to other people. I wonder how many other people we know have had the same episodes but never talk about it? You're not alone!

[chalky]

Hi Peter,

Very,very true!!!

:yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes:
Best wishes,
Chalky

[Lucky07]

So true! I find that the more I open up about it, the more people tell me they suffer the same things. I was picking my child up from school the other day and I mentioned I had to get to a dr appointment when one of the other mothers kept asking me why I was going to the dr. I told her honestly that I had anxiety and was having chest pains, etc and she gave me a big hug and told me she's going through the same thing and having tests, etc. I have many, many friends with anxiety and they all have the "heart attack" symptoms.

[cattttt]

I'd go along with this, I work in a hospital, we regularly see people who come in with chest pain and turn out to have nothing wrong.

[cassi23]

I have to completely agree with you.

One day at work I had this huge headache and I told my friend next to me, she said after having her son she suffers really badly with headaches but is always scared she's going to die from brain tumor/clot etc,

We got chatting and i explained i had health anxiety - turned out she did too but we'd never before mentioned it to eachother.

About the chest pain though - i get it alot, like a sharp stabbing, usually on the right, it comes and goes, doc said its muscles under ribs, strained/stretched/pulled/whatever and nothing to worry about! xxx

[peter6_edwards]

there we go guys, it's difficult to keep this all in perspective when we're having a 'wobble' but I just try and be strong, ignore it and remember I'm not alone! I also wanted to add/ask, how many of you find your anxiety is linked with alcohol consumption, particularly the next day and the 'dreaded' hang over? This is definately my worst time, I can be fine for days, weeks and then have a heavy night and then bang the next day HA is back! Does anyone know if there is a link between HA and hang overs/alcohol? Cheers!

[mynameis]

Oh, I know where you're coming from all right ! Since my dad died from heart disease, I've been convinced the old ticker is going to conk out. Strangely enough, the one comforting thing that happened, was the same old aching pain in the chest, but on the right hand side. It just made me realise what the doctor's said was true. It could hardly be my heart when the pain is on the opposite side. It hasn't helped my anxiety as such, tonight was truly awful, but as you all know by now probably, we have our good days & we have our bad days. As you have found, we find comfort in the strangest places, but the most reassuring thing is we are not alone, & we are all still here ! Hope you're back on top form soon !

[mynameis]

I forgot to add, if you're on medication, don't drink alcohol ! Not good, and can make matters a lot worse !

[kath]

I was admited to hospital last friday with chest pains and pains in my right arm which i get quite often. as some of you may have read my first post last year i was in tears writing it and didn't know where to turn i felt like giving up. I don't have medication but now think i need it as it is taking over my life.
Kath

[BFG]

Yep, same here Peter.
Two trips to A&E for me....both times (as with all my pa's) it was just as I was sitting down to relax and watch a film. The pains in my arm, tight chest, shallow breathing, very tight band across my upper stomach....sounds just like a heart attack right?

I have to say I found it really embarassing to have to wake my kdis up in the middle of the night to be rushed down to hospital, only to find out there is nothing wrong with me.

Because they were my first experiences, I had no idea what was going on but after that I did some research. Just the very fact that so many people are going through the same thing made me feel better. Normal......ish lol

It seems a very common problem. I have to say that both times I had been drinking red bull (something that I advise everyone to avoid) which I am sure didnt help.

[buzzing bees]

yes ive been to a,e, two times about same thing i told em, its pain down arm, that was worrying me they ran test, only to tell me o, your ok, take care friend