Hard to explain pain

[Stefan P]

Hi all,

I have a hard to explain one that refuses to go away. I noticed it a couple of years ago, and I think I would be right in saying it hasn't got worse really, just something that causes a few concerns. The pain is in the left side of my chest (where the heart beat is pretty strong), and only occurs in specific circumstances ... when I have my stomach squeezed. I know this sounds odd! Because of anxiety I find that I am tense an awful lot of the time, and have to visibly relax my stomach outwards and lower my shoulders. This is bringing upper chest pains around the shoulders and upper arms, but I can control that by forcing myself to relax. If I get jumped on my stomach (I have kids!) then the pain in my left chest comes, but when I ask them to get off it goes away.

If I find the pain is there and I notice it, then I can relieve it by standing up straight and relaxing my stomach (imagine someone breathing in their stomach all the time to look thinner - thats what I find myself doing a lot. Breathing out to where the stomach should be - I should say lower abdomen really - the pain is relieved.)

I also get it when I am laid flat on my back, again, if I sit up and allow my stomach to relax out to its normal size, the pain goes away. It feels as if squeezing something lower "pushes" something up against something else in my left chest which causes pressure and pain. It's not excruciating, its just a dull ache, that I can easily relieve, but causes me concerns.

Sorry for long post - trying to explain what I mean!

[jill]

Hi hun,

I know what you mean about symptoms they can be hard to explain, but you have done well.

Hun, have you talked to your gp about this? I know that anxiety can cause many, many symptoms but I am no expert, this could be anxiety related, but what I do feel if you have concerns and have never talked to your gp about this, then your gp is your first port of call. peace of mind goes a long way.

I have had many, many anx symptoms and they ALL gobsmack me, blimey, neve new I had such a strong mind.

I am NOT saying you have anything wrong with you apart from anxiety, but you posting on hear says your concerns are stronger than you are letting on so this NEEDS to be addressed.

I do know that the mind is a very powerfull thing, we can foucs sooo much on one place this place gets sooo tense and being tense for soo long it can cause pain and YES, an anxiety symptom can last for a long time, if we programme our minds to do so.

All my life I have been a tierd person, you know, it starts as a child, your parents saying, ohhh she can sleep on a washing line LOL your mum takes you the gp, the gp says, ohhh shes just one of those people who needs more sleep than others. The wrong programming starts

I hit full blown panic, then found out that tierdness is an anxiety symptom, yes, you got it, been having anx symptoms all my life. NEVER new, but hay, this site has been a godsend to me. I am now panic high anx free and maege my anxity well, my tiredness is not as bad anymore.

Thats why I am saying, pop along to your gp, we cannot have positive pathways forward till we know what we are dealing with. When he does not find anything, then you know what you are dealing with, your mind is at peace, mmm, well maybe not, cos it bl**dy hard working learning about panic, anxity and yourself, but you have read all the success stories on here and YOU know its possible to recover.

Please hun, pop along to your gp, if you can't give yourself reasureance, let him give you it, then and only then, you can work on your positive pathways forwad. Don't let Mrs anxity play with you, take control of the situation, this help us move forward.

Please let us know how you get on hun,

You take care

LOVE JILLXX

[Stefan P]

Thanks for your response :D

Your advice is spot on, and I really should go and talk to the doctor, but (and I am sure you know whats coming next!) I am afraid that it will be something serious ... a large part of me just wants to hide and doesn't want to know. I've seen the GP for anxiety and depression before, he sticks me on Citalopram and everything gets much better after a couple of weeks. Tried to get myself off citalopram recently (just stopped taking it - against advice), but starting to think that in order to be able to cope it might be best to go back to the docs and try again

Thanks again for you post Jill, it was real positive and something that has given me a bit of a lift (as once again I'm sat at the desk for a days work!)

Stef

[jill]

Hi Stef :D :hugs:

How are you feeling today?

Yes, I did know you would say, ***I am afraid that it will be something serious*** Ohhh hun, you have to try and understand how are minds work, if you don't know what you are dealing with, how can you find positive pathways forward? Mrs Anxiety is going to play her silly games with you, she will help you put 2 and 2 togeather AND come up with 5. You CANNOT beging to move forward with this untill you know what you are dealing with, don't you think?

The fact that you have had it for sooo long, suggest to me its anxiety realted, you are sooo right, if it was something serious it would have gotton worse, Mrs anxiety is loving you at the mo, she playing the negative game and you are playing the game with her, DON'T do this to yourself, Please hun, YOU NEED to address this.

We are all different in the way anxiety effects us, some people go the gps all the time, some are afraid to do so, there is nooo shame at all in your fear, ANYONE and I mean, ANYONE, would have fear, ITS FEAR of the unkown, the NOT KNOWING, this is what fueling your fear MORE than anything. You can hide if you like, BUT, its not going to help things go away, is it? When you find out what you are dealing with your mind WILL find positive pathways forwad.

I had nooo probs going to my gp when I was acute, after having lots of bloods, chest exray, heart check, yes you quest it, pa's, anxiety. The mind is a funny thing, do you know what I thought when I came out of the gp, I wished she had told me I had thyriod probs or something like that, I wished on myself, what YOU are thinking, NOW, how strange is that? I do no why I did this, will not go into that now, just showing you how are minds can think strange things when we are acute.

It is know that if you are on meds, NOT to just stop taking it, ths can cause more problems. How where you when you came off the meds?

I noticed you used to work, **cope, in order to cope**, I know its dame hard for you right now, to understand this emotional illness, (don't like to call in mental illness) but it helped me to change the way I thought about this illness. I remember talking to someone who said, I cope with it, I looked at her and said, I don't just cope with mine I manage it, YOU DON'T learn to cope, you learn to manege. To me, this was a more positive way of putting it, I know, little changes help in the long run.

So, hun, manage your problem, look for positive steps forward to resolve this problem, you have courage to do this, you need courage to face your fear and you face your fear everday, YOU HAVE lots of couage to do this.

I do hope things are not to bad for you at the mo.

YOU TAKE CARE

WISHING YOU WELL

LOVE JILLXXXX