Chest pain.

[pd]

This is really starting to bug me now. There isn't anything wrong with my heart, even if I sometimes think there is, so why does my chest hurt? I mean I can feel it, it hurts. It's real. It's not in my head. What's causing it??:weep::weep:

[Mondie]

I get pains in my chest and it is because of the cartildge on my ribs getting inflamed; first time I got it I ended up in A&E as I thought it was my heart, but like you I tested OK.

Have you tried taking some ibruprofen?

[distorted reality]

I think most of us get it.. Eventually I noticed and kept catching myself all tensed up. I was completely unaware until I actually stopped one day and let my muscles go floppy as possible!

I still catch myself tensed up and I dont feel anxiety. I do know that my anxiety level has been reset and I'm so used to being anxious, I don't feel it. I do feel extreme episodes though and panic!

[pd]

Thanks for the replies, it's just starting to drive me up the wall. I'll think it's gone, or I won't be thinking about it and then I'll just feel a little twinge, or an ache, or something, and it's frightening even if I know it's not my heart.

[JohnLuke300]

Hi pd, I have been asked this question before, below is the response I posted.

'Don't worry it's part of the freeze response when your flight, fight or freeze response is triggered by panic. Panic is a state we are supposed to enter when in danger (unfortunately some of us get even when there is no sign of it :doh:). Our body responds in several different ways to panic, one way is the freeze response. Because panic causes us to breathe more heavily and more rapidly the chest muscle contract in the freeze response. This is to counter the movement of the chest and to reduce it. This is to help us freeze if being pursued by a predator (No one said the freeze response was intelligent).
So tightness of the chest and difficulty breathing in times of stress is usually a pretty normal and perfectly safe reaction (I've suffered from it for 30 years and it hasn't killed me yet. :biggrin:)'

This tightness can become very uncomfortable and painful but I can assure you it is a perfectly normal and safe reaction to panic. It is one of the most common of the extreme anxiety symptoms that I have but it as never caused any lasting damage.

[pd]

I'm thinking that it's something physical rather than anxiety as I feel it at completely random times rather than just when I'm panicking... But it can't be anything serious because I'd be dead by now and I'm not :D

I will see if painkillers take it away.

[distorted reality]

I was trying to say that even though we don't feel anxious, we most certainly are. We've just become used to it and our body and mind accept it as being normal. The less we fear the chest pains, the less we get them.

I've suffered with them for a while an I can tell you that fearing them makes them much more frequent.

[cricketjar]

This is my main symptom and it bugs me like hell. I have had ECGs and all fine but it still does not stop me thinking about my heart as pain in the chest causes a natural reaction to think its your heart. (this is what mostly brings my panic on)

Anyway i have an appointment next week with a rheumatologist to see if it is inflamation of the muscles between the ribs. Anxiety is an evil thing and i totally agree with you distorted reality in what you said in your last post.

Do you mind me asking how you combated it or do you still get them? im thinking CBT might help me.

[pd]

I think I know what you mean... We're anxious so much of the time that after a while it becomes normal to feel this way.

Last year I was diagnosed with chostochondritis, inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs, but it was always the one place, the pain I've had over the last few months is in a new place but I suppose it could be the same thing.

The logical part of me knows that nothing can be seriously wrong, but when the anxiety kicks in I can't stop the negative thought cycle of "oh my god I'm going to die".

Life is fun, isn't it? :shrug:

[cricketjar]

Hi PD

This is why i am going to the rhuematologist because they think i might have costochondritis. It still doesnt help even if i have this because my anxiety doesn't seem to ever go away!! And the negative thought cycle is exactly like me

James

[distorted reality]

CBT really helped with combatting my chest pains. Learning to rationalise was half the battle. I would have a pain and really panic. I then had to write down exactly what I believed was going on and what I was doing at the time. I'd also have to write the percentage that i believed it. In about 15 minutes after the panic subsided I'd write down what I now believed was actually going on, give the percentage again to the initial fear and compare it to the initial feeling.

So, for example, it would look something like this:

Washing up, skipped beats & short of breath with painful dull ache in centre of chest.
= Heart Attack 95%

Pain and panic subsided after 15 minutes. Feel shaky now but still a bit worried. Must be anxiety. Heart failure wouldn't subside and would be more intense.
= Heart Attack 20%

Eventually I learned to recognise them and I could compare older experiences and subsequently became much less scared. I still get them now and again but nowhere near as often and they don't scare me anything like they did. I'm still in the recovery process and I expect they'll eventually leave altogether. It's the same for ectopic heart beats, dizziness, vertigo and all the other symptoms.

CBT isn't as straight forward as that though. If you've not been I'd definitely recommend it. It's not easy though. You really have to be open minded and work at it. There were so many times I thought it was useless but looking back, it's helped me a great deal!

CBT helped me deal with my symptoms
Psychotherapy is helping me understand why i get them

[cricketjar]

Thank you for that distorted reality you sound exactly like me. I think i will definately sign up for CBT it sounds like it could work and believe me i really want to change the way i am so i have the ambition to stick at it!

[cricketjar]

Did you pay for your CBT?

[distorted reality]

No, I got it on NHS. I had to wait aaaages! Turns out there's very high demand.

I pay for my psychotherapy though. I get the psychological benefit of knowing I better make it work because it's costing me!

[cricketjar]

I dont think i can wait ages for the NHS so i think i will pay for for it. What is the Psychotherapy you are doing all about like what does it do? if you dont mind me asking?

[distorted reality]

It's the whole, "let's talk about your childhood" etc. She's exploring the way I think about and interpret things which I was very skeptical of at first but it's really opened my eyes to loads of new ideas.

It's impossible for me to explain how it helps and I think everyone is different.

I think you should try CBT if your GP thinks it might help. Be warned though, it's nothing like you expect. I thought it was a bit of a joke at first. You'll get your panic cycle drawn on a bit of paper and think - "err? are you serious? This is obvious!" lol - Just give it a chance. :) Good luck!

[cricketjar]

Thanks distorted reality im going to give the therapy centre a call now. Im open to anything at the moment just anything that will sort me out.

[distorted reality]

I hope it helps you! By the way, I bet you don't have any chest pain right now... Take it into consideration that you're mind is occupied with finding a fix right now and hasn't thought about any chest pain. :)

Let us know how you get on

[cricketjar]

I dont actually just wish it could last forever. just rang them and i have a free consultation tomorrow, benefits of not going on the NHS hey!! I will let you know how it goes.