Chest Pains

[Wolfie]

Hi guys,

Unforunately because I am relatively aware of my health, the past few days have been absolute worry for me!!

The past 3/4 days, I've been getting chest pains, which can be quite bad, its almost as if I can feel pain in both lungs and it feels sort of like the pain you get when you breathe in tons of cold air like in winter (I hope other people get that too) and it makes no sense because it's summer and I haven't gotten it much in winter. It almost feels as if it's a hunger/growing pain type thingy. That's as best as I could describe it!!
When I get it, I also feel as if it can be hard to get a full breathe (been feeling like that for a few weeks but I have been anxious, therefore have put it down to anxiety) and it could purely be because I am really worried about it but I don't know, I guess my anxiety is just making me question it.
I guess, if it was really serious it would've been pretty serious by now, or could this be whatever it is, beginning to get serious??????

Just hoping I can get some advice and reassurance from people who have had similar symptoms/worries.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post

[Going home]

Hi Wolfie

I really think that bad breathing is the most common physical symptom of anxiety, and the most uncomfortable feeling ever. Its all to do with the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance, and we can't have one without the other and too much of one can make us feel like we can't breathe properly. Once we tune into our breathing we're done for....because then we count every breath! The feeling of not being able to take a deep breath is not pleasant and we find it hard to believe that we're doing this to ourselves...but we are. Our lungs go on without our help when we're asleep, in fact they probably welcome the break from us worrying about them and making their job worse :ohmy: Conscious breathing...as in breathing deliberately, is stressful to anxious people in my view...I don't do yoga for the same reason so sorry to all the yoga buffs :lac: The pain you feel is more likely to be in the chest wall muscles and this is really normal with anxious breathing believe me. Claire Weekes talks about this alot in her books.

Please try not to worry.

Take care
GH xxx

Ps...I get that feeling in my lungs when I breathe in the winter too by the way, I think that's normal for a very cold day

[sammie23]

Hi. This is something i get quiet alot. Horrible int it! Completley takes over your life. I get chest pains that bad that im convinced im having a heart attack even though iv had like 5 ecgs.. I get this thing in my heart where it will pound very hard, its as if my heart is bruised or something if this makes sense. I can actually say that today is probably the first time that in weeks that actually feel ok but it was long over due because iv felt like crap constantly for like 3 weeks none stop. Are you on medication? Do you take them properly? x

[sue.b]

Hi Wolfie

Hopefully my recent events may help to put your mind at rest, (Sorry if the post is a bit long) :blush:

I went for a routine check up which included an ecg. The Thursday before Good Friday my results came through, I didn't really expect there to be anything wrong really except maybe lose a stone in weight but...I had an abnormal ecg suggestive of ischemic heart disease, didn't know what this was so I stupidly Googled!!! :lac:

Now, I had had no pains or breathlessness, I excercised aerobically without problems prior to opening the letter, but the 4 days over Easter, while waiting to see my GP, I had intermittant pains in my back, chest, jaw and arms, kept wondering.."am I feeling breathless" and then of course I was. :ohmy:

I went to see my GP on Tuesday, I had convinced myself by then that there was nothing wrong, the GP gave me another ECG to reassure me but this ecg was also abnormal...at this point my anxiety went sky high...what I had experienced intermitantly over the weekend became constant, I was convinced I was having a heart attack or a stroke and was either going to be an invalid or die. I felt in a dreadful state. :scared15:

Thursday I got to see a Cardiologist who pointed out that this could be nothing at all...just a varient of normal...but totally normal for me, he has booked me in for some additional tests which will show definate results one way or the other. Got home from there and guess what...no pains and no breathlessness since. I have had a stress test on the treadmill and everything looked and seemed ok, I have 2 further tests to undergo but I am sure there is nothing wrong and I feel absolutely fine now. I get my results on the 27th by the way, but I am not overly concerned. :)

So, I guess my point is from feeling healthy and fine, to opening a letter and feeling dreadful and loads of symtoms, to being reassured and feeling health again....anxiety has got one hell of a lot to answer for.

Hope this has helped, and your symptoms will die down.

Take care

Sue :bighug1:

[Vanilla Sky]

Sounds like classic anxiety symptoms to me , that's what freaks me out , something i've not had before. I thought i had had them all but something unfamiliar scares me. And of course any breathing one is the scariest. It's true what Sue says < anxiety has got a lot to answer for ... grrrr....
Hope you feel better soon hun :hugs:
Paige x