Am I on my Own?

[leodaly123]

Hi my name is Liam and I'm 26 years old.

I have been getting constant Chest tightness, Pains in Lower arms and Hands and I feel I really can't get my breath when walking or doing any sort of exercise. My upper back seems to be linked and I get numbness and Tingling as well (Especially when I'm seating or ached). I don't have the best of Postures. My breathing and tight chest seem to feel slightly better when sitting for a long period of time. This has been going on for 6 weeks and its gradually got worse.

Medical Problems - (Hiatus Hernia, Asthma)

I went to A&E a couple of days ago and had Blood tests, Chest X-Ray, ECG and nothing was found. The Doctors said that it was very unlikely I had Angina at my age and that they could not explain it. They have requested me to have a 72 Hour ECG and a Echocardiogram.

I'm really worried that I have something really wrong with me and its taken over my life. I feel like I'm losing everything. All my family believe its anxiety but I can't understand why it is only happening when I walk around or do exercise.

Can anyone Help? :weep:

[pinkpiglet]

I would hold off until you get your Echocardiogram and 72 hour ECG. Medical experts know better than your family.............and better than us here at NMP.

My friend had these sypmtoms when she had sprained a muscle in her chest/back, i dont quite remember where exactly but she was very fit and active and had sustained this injury during exercise.
I dont think you need to be getting it into your head that you have anxiety, as this can sometimes trigger anxiety when it isnt (if that makes sense)
It could be your breathing thats not right when you exercise as i know that I have this, I swim regularly but I cannot regulate my breathing and also my posture is very poor.

I honestly believe that this will be something very trivial in terms of seriousness but I would wait until the results come back and let your doctor decide whats wrong. Also you have athsma so it could just be that your meds need changing to suit your exercise regime. Try not to worry, take it easy and see what happens!!

[leodaly123]

Thanks for your reply.

Do you think its a possibility it could be a type of anxiety? I really hope it is.

I worry because the Doctors let me go home but then mentioned that it may take a month for the tests to be done? I pray nothing happens to me in the meantime.

I do worry about dying and being on my own.

[pinkpiglet]

You may have a little anxiety! (although god knows why you would want it to be!!)
I certainly dont think it is anything serious as you would be experiencing this problem all the time (not just when you exercise) thats what sways me to think it could be something a like a trapped nerve or sprain. I bet you a million quid its nothing serious.
Go back to your GP, insist you need this problem looking at sooner rather than later & try not to worry.

keep me informed

[leodaly123]

What I didn't tell you is that in the last 2 months I have Sold my Flat and bought a House, changed Job to an area miles from home.

I also use to be on Citalopram for 4 years which I stopped 8 months ago as I use to get off balance and lightheaded a lot and had many panic attacks.

The Tight chest and Shortness of breath have Caused so many panic attacks recently. My breathing really speeds up and my hands and feet start to tingle and I go really light/heavy headed and feel like i'm going to pass out (Hypoventerlating)

I just want to know if anyone out has suffered with the symptoms i'm going through and it has come to pure anxiety.

How did you get to become a member on this website?? Depression, Anxiety??

[martin1976]

Hi Leodaly123, I had very similar symptoms in my early 20s.. And was always convinced there was problems with my heart and lungs. Now I agree with Pinkpiglet about having the Ecg and echogram thing, just to be 100% sure there is no underlying cause.. But I found at the time I was suffering these symptoms I was obbsessing on them and magnifying them out of all proportion, I would sometimes realise I weren't thinking about them and then BAM they were back again. The most uncomfortable for me was the tight chest and the feeling I couldn't take a big enough breath. I admire the way you "hope it is anxiety", because that already takes away the frightening sting of anxiety if it is. The hardest thing to do is to accept it is anxious feelings of stress in a sensitized body and then allow them to be present without fighting them..
Anyway all the best mate..
Martin

[leodaly123]

Thanks for your post Martin.

How did you get past these symptoms and get better? and was the tight chest and Shortness of breath when you did any level of exercise like what i'm going through?

[martin1976]

Once I truly believed it was the anxiety (its one thing to be told and another to believe) and slowly began to realize in all probability if something bad was going to happen it more than likely have done so already.. I mean I was having numerous panic attacks daily each of which result in a pounding heart which I could almost hear, so i started to think my heart can't be damaged as it felt as strong as an ox and was having this "WORKOUT" daily. And at times I used to get that upset and frustrated I used to exert myself to near collapse to see if something bad would happen, it never did..
I still struggle with anxiety, like now I'm having a nightmare but I'm still trying to tell myself "its just anxiety, its just anxiety", its not easy but the more we look in at ourselves the worse we feel..
Good luck mate
Martin

[blueangel]

What I didn't tell you is that in the last 2 months I have Sold my Flat and bought a House, changed Job to an area miles from home.

I also use to be on Citalopram for 4 years which I stopped 8 months ago as I use to get off balance and lightheaded a lot and had many panic attacks.

The Tight chest and Shortness of breath have Caused so many panic attacks recently. My breathing really speeds up and my hands and feet start to tingle and I go really light/heavy headed and feel like i'm going to pass out (Hypoventerlating)

I just want to know if anyone out has suffered with the symptoms i'm going through and it has come to pure anxiety.

How did you get to become a member on this website?? Depression, Anxiety??

Hi Liam

It seems to me that you've just been through some of the most stressful things that we can subject ourselves to -

* you've sold (and bought) properties
* you've changed jobs
* you've come off long-term medication

Any one of these can be quite difficult to deal with, but three at once can send us into overload. I know well how this feels as a couple of years ago, I had shedloads of stuff like this (I managed relationship change, job change, moving to a new place and dealing with loads of financial crap caused by my ex-husband - it's a long story!) and at times I felt so stressed that I thought I was going to keel over and die.

So, all things considered, I think you're doing pretty well at the moment! Like some of the others have said, it's probably worth getting the tests done just for the peace of mind, but I'd be really surprised if they uncovered anything nasty.

[BubbleBonce]

I would recommend a visit to a Chiropractor. They have helped me more than words can say with regard to physical anxiety symptoms. A chiropractor will also advise you on posture which doesn't help this.

Bubble