When can you trust that you're not having heart problems?

[Lucky07]

I'm 30 and have been having pains in my chest for a couple of years now. They come on and off, but usually they are clustered (have them for a few weeks, then dont' for a few weeks). Right now I have it in my upper chest, almost to my throat. It's a mild burning and pressure that makes me want to rub the area. I've been to a cardiologist who did an echocardiogram (the ultrasound of the heart) and an EKG and said my heart is fine, it's not my heart. I also recently went to my GP while I was having the pain and she did another EKG and it was normal. She said something would have showed up if the pain was from my heart. I've also had other tests to investigate such as lung function test, chest xray, gallblader scan, endoscopy. Normal normal normal. So what do I have? I asked this question the other day on a mother's message board and two people there told me their pain is exactly like mine and they have had heart attacks and that I need to get checked again ASAP! That sent me into an instant panick attack, ruined my day and I was up all night with (worse) chest pain and sweating. I finally took an lorazepam and it took it almost away and I got some sleep this morning. Do I really need to get checked again?? What else could they do?

[Welsh.Baz]

I'd say if you've been checked, had the echo, had two EKG's and all is fine, it would rule out any heart problems methinks.

I get mild chest pains that come and go with my anxiety, and i'm sure others have the same, and i'm a bit more wary because I have asthma aswell.

From my point of view, i'd say its anxiety or muscle related, but it is your if you want to get checked out again just for piece of mind.

Out of curiosity, do you have a family history of heart disease? Also are you in the 'at risk' groups? If not that should ease your mind too.

[valleybear]

If you have had all these tests then there really is nothing wrong with your heart. I went through this whole scenario years ago and could not get it out of my head that they had missed something (they rarely do) and even after many years I still get chest pains from anxiety and muscle related fibromyalgia. Twenty five years on I am still here and although I still have the odd bad panic if I feel the pains at night ( I am widowed and live alone) I now realise that I have spent many years worrying about something that did not happen. Believe the Doctors and know that this is just anxiety, I know it is difficult, but you will become less anxious in time, and you can always speak to the people on here who understand.XX

[nomorepanic]

It sounds more like acid indigestion to me if you have the burning sensation in your throat.

Have they considered that?

[Jamie_]

That's exactly what i get, some weeks I'm fine, other weeks my chest can get really sore, then after a week it's fine again

Sometimes i get small annoying pains for a few days then they vanish

[worrywort1977]

Hi There - i dont know if it helps at all but i get the chest pains too and like you go through periods where its more or less constant for what feels like weeks and then ill get nothing for ages and ill then worry about some other weird bodily sensation - my doctor said to me that as we all know people with anxiety tend to overbreath and what happens is that you take in to much carbon dioxide which creates a cramping pain within your chest muscles, and also as you have to much air in your lungs this can also cause the sharp pains etc as the build upp of air causes wind.

Keep Smiling Everyone:)

[den68]

i used to really think my heart was gonna give up on me and even got my husband to dial 999 once. Stayed in hospital for 24 hours and they said my ticker was ok but because my bp was high my gp referred me for 24 hour bp monitor and to see cardiologist. he did another ecg and said it was fine and bp fine so now when i get the pain i keep telling myself its anxiety that has caused take some acid take some gaviscon for the acid and it goes. I get it when im stressed about something but i know its not my heart because cardiologists are the specialists. Sometimes i still have to battle my mind when its telling me its my heart but when i calm myself down the pain goes

[Lucky07]

Thank you all so much. I'd like to give you a big hug! :hugs: I can't tell you how nice it is to just hear some reassurance. All the suggestions are great too. I'd also kinda like to slap the person who told me I'm probably going to have a heart attack.

[justbananas]

yeah dude seriously.. slap that person. and stay off of other message boards apart from NMP, at least when it comes to bodily sensations. once you get something checked out by the doc, you have to just chill here and obsess with us normal people.

[Thumbelina]

thanks mmac43

your statements sound very reasuring to all those who worry about pains and chest pains specifically

You must be very brave and went through all these years and you actually sound very positive

thanks