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Magster
05-12-03, 22:26
Ok...so I mentioned the chest pains before. I've had them now off and on for the past three days. It seems to be getting better, however I need some advice that might help me get past this stuff. I don't want to be scared anymore. Words of encouragement, if you will. Can anyone out there spare any?? Thanks.

sadie
05-12-03, 22:56
HI Magster

The good news is the chest pains you have been experiencing havent got worse..they have in fact as you said gotten better!!! Realise that they will NOT HARM YOU and are NOT DANGEROUS!!!

The best thing for chest pains is some stretches.. (roll your shoulders back and forth)this will definetly help to some degree. Dont lie scared on your bed or on the couch..scared and wishing them to go away as this just makes them worse. Get up and keep yourself active, do anything to get your mind of them e.g phone a friend, house work. I bet if your attention is taken away for 5 minutes then your concentration would be focused on something else and you would have forgoten about your pains!! Try it and I bet it works.

The only way you will overcome your fear of these chest pains is if you loose your fear of them. How you interpret these pains is important to the continuation of your symtoms. If you believe that they are dangerous and that you are having a heart attack (which you are definetly not) then this will make the symptoms worse. You need to change your beliefs of these symptoms to eventually stop them. The best way to do this is through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. There are books on this technique in most book shops which you can start putting the procedures into practice straight away.

i also have put some information somewhere on the message board about a technique called the Emotional Freedom Technique. This involves a lot of tapping of different parts of the body, which may sound weird but I have found that it helps. When I feel really tense and my chest feels really tight and sore, I always do this technique to relieve the tension and it ALWAYS works!! give it a go, you have nothing too loose.

Hope I have helped..Stay calm!



sadie

Magster
05-12-03, 23:12
Hi Sadie,

It's amazing how someone from the total opposite side of the globe can help so much. Thank You. I will look into your suggestions. Thanks again for taking time out to help a stranger. It helps to know that people know what you're talking about.

sadie
05-12-03, 23:19
Magster

We are all here to help..no matter what, always keep in touch and never be frightened to tell us all how you are feeling. We all are here to help each other along the way. Take care and let me know if you have any success with any of the advice I have given.

sadie

Magster
05-12-03, 23:21
I will definitely do that. I tried getting into the chat room with no luck. Is there a certain way of getting in there?

sadie
05-12-03, 23:29
I'm not the best person to ask, as I too cant seem to get into the chat room either. If you go into MISC i think there is some advice there to help you. Give it go. If still no luck, leave a message for Nicola and she will help you.Speak to you soon..keep smiling.

sadie

benoo5
05-12-03, 23:31
hi magster,

you have received excellent advice from sadie,and can i also suggest you read her topic,entitled..EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE..it gets its basics from the old chinese remedies,going back thousands of years,balancing ying and yang ,by tapping the meridians..it really does work..and if it doesnt,then it still takes your mind off your present worries for a while..best wishes..bryan.

Magster
05-12-03, 23:46
You guys are all soooooo GREAT!!! I wish I can give each of you a hug. I've been on other message boards but not one like this where the response is so immediate. :)

nomorepanic
05-12-03, 23:53
Hi all

To get in the chat room then click on the link from the main website. This brings up a new window and you need to enter a login name.

i think you need to have Java enabled on your internet connection.


Nicola

benoo5
06-12-03, 00:11
just to let you know,my pc is held together by elastic bands,and i manage to get into chat.

as nic says..go into the home page,on the left hand side,you will see some links,in grean..click on chat room,and then just wait,it does everything for you ,once a box appears,enter a user name,and your in..takes me about 15mins,but as ive said,my pc is old..hope this helps....bryan.

diana
06-12-03, 06:01
Hiya Magster,

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Do as Sadie suggested, these are good techniques. We will all beat this thing "TOGETHER" I know we will!!!! Stay calm, and think positive. You will do just fine.

Take care,

Diana xxx

Scaredtoolong
06-12-03, 18:15
HI all,

Just wanted to comment on the chest pains. This was a reallllly hard symptom for me too. In fact is has been one of the last ones to hang on. After my echocardiogram came back "normal" I was still convinced they must have missed something. So, I decided the only thing to do was face the chest pains head on as I did with the rest of the symptoms and say "okay if it is my heart then let it do it's best and I will have the heartiest heart attack ever seen by a doctor" so come on then heart --- attack, go ahead give it your best shot" guess what nothing happened. I do this each time I get the pains. Now they are less and less cause I THINK about them less and less. In fact now I only get "twinges". I noticed if I give it my attention when I get a twinge, I have more twinges or they last longer.

Also, just wanted to spread some encouragement here....in the last week I have attended the annual Christmas Parade (my daughter performed dances in it) gone to several stores (Walmart's is a big grocery/dept store here)so that was a major accomplishment, visited with some family members in their homes and I'm driving all over town!!! I have a little bit of anticipatory anxiety, but once I get going I am okay. I am really pleased with my progess, since some of you know I had reached a point where I couldn't leave my house and was in a constant panic state.

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!!! Hugs, Susan

Magster
06-12-03, 18:35
Hi Everyone.

Today I had a meeting early this morning so I woke up thinking about chest pains. Although I haven't gotten one, I did feel like my stomach was so sore from all this stressing. Later tonight I have a dinner date with my boyfriend and some of our friends. Being the panicker that I am, I can't stop thinking about all the "what ifs". I should just start telling myself, " what if you have a GREAT time?" I still haven't looked up those techniques. I will do that today. Thanks guys for all your input. It has been a BIG help. I hate to keep dwelling on this, but can anyone out there tell me a little bit more on how their chest pains feel or felt. Sometimes it helps to hear this from someone else. Talk to ya soon.

Magster.:)

diana
06-12-03, 19:03
Hiya Magster,

Like I mentioned before, I too have had chest pains, and have had every "HEART" test available I think!!!! Just to learn that I "DO NOT" have anything serious. My chest would get very tight, like if I were having a heart attack or so "I THOUGHT" anyway. Then the pain seemed to run down my left arm, to my hand where then my left hand would get very weak feeling, like I could`nt make a strong fist. All of the things we tend to hear about when people actually do have heart attacks. However, I have never had one, thankfully!!!! I do not think hearing about everyone else`s experiences with chest pain is going to "HELP" you any, but maybe just knowing that others have experienced them and have survived will be of some comfort. Just think very positive thoughts when you feel them coming on, and know you are not alone in this. We here are all proof of that, and just think of the thousands out there who never find this forum. There are alot of sufferers out there, rather they want to admit they are or not, for fear someone will think they are "MAD"!!! Just keep posting to let us know how you are doing, and you will find soooo much information and self help advice here that once you start putting it to work for yourself. You will see that alot of the symptoms will subside for you. Just keep coming back. this too shall pass!!!!!

Take care dear,

Diana xxx

Scaredtoolong
06-12-03, 19:04
HI!

I don't know if this will help or not...but....my chest pains were first in the center of my chest right where the rib cage ends. Then I got them on the left side under my ribs (breast area). Sometimes on the right side same as the left. Most often they don't last long but seemed to come very often. One time I felt the one in the center of my chest and it wasn't going away, which prompted a trip to the emergency room. Ekg's, blood work, the whole works. Doctor concluded I was NOT having a heart attack and that the pain was not cardiac. It told me it was anxiety. Haven't we all heard that a million times, lol. But, just to be sure...I had an echocardiogram done. And, sure enough my heart is fine.

I know how scary the pain and tightness is but if you could just relax even a little bit and not let yourself be TOO concerned with the chest pains eventually they will stop. It is only when you add additional concern about them that the symptoms recur and continue.

I hope this helps a little.

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!
Hugs, Susan