Pulmonary Edema or heart problem?

[skippy66]

Hi. I'm a 28 yr old male. I've just been swimming and for the second time in a week I've come home feeling short of breath and with a tightness in my lower chest (central) that feels almost muscular. I didn't do much - only around 15 lengths of slow breatstroke and back crawl.

Last time the feeling was gone by the next morning.

What is it???????? PLEASE HELP ME SOMEBODY.

Here are my other daily symptoms:

PVCs - 20-30 a day, some in runs giving me a head rush. Cardio has checked me over and over and said that it's all benign. I beg to differ.

Chest pains - some stabbing, lots of tightness, constricting, mainly seem to come from lower central chest where the diaphragm? is I think, and sometimes seems muscular. Doc thinks its just one of those things but I think its either:

- hiatal hernia that could strangulate any moment
- pulmonary edema or some other lung nasty
- huge tumour in my chest/upper stomach (never been xrayed to check)
- impending heart attack
- cardiomyopathy
- cancer of the esophagus (sometimes i also get a feeling of food stuck in throat)

High blood pressure - I've had a 24 hr thing which said high ish at times but normal for you, I beg to differ. My wrist monitor when I feel stressed gives readings of 150/120 sometimes and NEVER below 130/90 except once when I took it because I was feeling really dizzy. Cousin nearly died from stroke at 24 and im convinced im next because of my high bp and pvcs.

Nosebleeds - come in waves, away for a month then bam one every day for a few days. Sinus scan said all clear but that wouldn't tell me if they were related to my sky high blood pressure.

Panic attacks - first started back in 2003 and now having them in places i can't escape from eg airport queue, barber, supermarket queue. Now every time I go into a supermarket I automatically start feeling dizzy. I know this is harmless but I can't stop it unless I've had a few drinks beforehand. But I don't want to be an alcoholic and anyway, alcohol aggravates my dodgy heart.

Sleep paralysis - happens once in a blue moon but happened last night. Woke up mentally but not physically, unable to move or scream no matter how hard I tried. It's one of the most terrifying things I've had.


I'm sitting here feeling short of breath and with lower chest tightness thinking that I'm just going to die. How can this not be serious? What do I do? It's happened before and gone away. Do I have a chlorine allergy or something? because I also sat in a hot tub for like 10 minutes.

I catastrophize every little symptom, but I've forgotten what 'normal' is for me. I was never like this in my teens. This whole health anxiety thing started because of the PVCs, and its got beyond serious. It's affecting my relationships and daily life. I don't want to do anything fun any more. I'm grumpy 90% of the time because I'm feeling ill 90% of the time.


Docs all think I'm a hypochondriac and they're right. Problem is, how to f***ing cure it????? And will that cure the symptoms - I don't f***ing think so?

PLEASE HELP - some reassurance is desperately needed.

[SleeplessFog]

Have you had any blood tests? X-rays?

As far as esophageal cancer and stomach cancer worry...I have known two people with both and they could not eat for weeks...and had black stools and were vomiting constantly. They had predisposition for these illnesses and were not healthy before they were diagnosed.

PVCs are harmless...I have had them for years. If they saw anything on an EKG that they didn't think was harmless they would have told you.

The chlorine thing is interesting...I get bothered by heavily chlorinated pools...especially if its one of those thats in an enclosed glass area in say, like a hotel...because its so steamy, it just reeks of chlorine...thats enough to make anyone be bothered IMO.

[skippy66]

Have you had any blood tests? X-rays?


All the blood tests under the sun, all more or less normal, but no x rays yet.

[SleeplessFog]

So were they concerned about your BP at all?

The blood tests would have come back abnormal if you had tumor/cancer. Have you talked to your doc about the panic episodes?

I hope you feel better.

[janni]

I suffer from heart pains that differ and occur in different places from sharp pains to crushing chest pain but ecg shows nothing. Like you i am not convinced but chest pain im aware can come from anything from musculoskeletal pain or acid reflux. I have pains every day and I know the doubts that arise in the mind. I am sure that as you have seen a cardiologist that you are fine. That's what i want but gp wont refer me and puts it down to somatization, which frustrates me and doesnt help my anxiety. You have listed the worst possibilities suggesting you have googled :( googling really is evil for us and i hope you can stop looking into possibilities that increase your anxiety but dont explain what the problem is. Go back to your doctor and tell him/her what you are experiencing. They are more qualified than what we read on google. Hope you feel better soon tc

[janni]

and im with you i wish i knew how to cure it 110% :hugs:

[Welsh.Baz]

You could have something about the chlorine, does this only happen after swimming? That's something you'll need to look at.

As for the rest of it, if you've had the blood work etc done and it's fine, then it's fine :)

[poppy1]

if you have had cardio imput you will have ruled out most of those things! i too worry about similar things and ive had ecg and echos but worried something has developed, seems weird to think anxiety can cause all these things.

[skippy66]

So were they concerned about your BP at all?

The blood tests would have come back abnormal if you had tumor/cancer. Have you talked to your doc about the panic episodes?

I hope you feel better.

Not really, because the 24hr monitor was normal.

Yes to q2, tried diazepam which helps but it's not solving the long term problem is it.

Feeling much better now, but this is what i'm like at the moment, highs and lows all depending on how i feel at the time.

[valleybear]

I have had PVCs and High Blood Pressure for years. I have suffered panic attacks too numerous to mention and two instances of Sleep Paralysis. If the Dr tells you you PVCs are benign they will do no harm...just d***d annoying. The sleep paralysis was horrible but brought on by high anxiety and exhaustion when my husband died.
Blood Pressure can be controlled by meds if necessary. I also have a variety of chest pains...caused by costochondritis, I cannot swim using the breaststroke as it aggravates it. The breathlessness and tightness could very well be anxiety. Believe me almost all you mention I had for many years but am much better now and will not see 60 again..so please do not despair!!