Chest pains...

[punkprincess19]

Hi, I'm 23 and I've been having a lot of strange chest pains the past couple of days. I've been having chest pains for a couple months but it's always on my left just under my breast and after a few panicked trips to the doctors I finally tried to accept that it's the anxiety causing it. But yesterday I started having strange fluttery feelings in my chest and my heart was thumping. I was also getting pains in my chest which started on the left but has moved into the middle now. It feels like the centre of my chest is really tight. It lasts for a couple of minutes or so and then calms down. I'm really worried it's my heart. I did see the doctor last night and she said my heart seems fine but it's since I saw her that the pain had moved to the middle. I'm really scared!

[Going home]

Don't be scared. Have you ever considered that it could be connected to your stomach? Do you tend to eat big meals, or even if you eat normally do you eat quickly? Ive had a heart phobia for some years now and have had ectopics and flutters like alot of people here, but a couple of years ago my doctor suggested it could be a problem with my stomach and told me to buy antacids. I was really sceptical about this but have to say that they do seem to work. If our stomachs are irritated then so can our hearts be too and this connection has been proven. Just a thought.

Anna xx

[Anxious_gal]

if you have not had an ECG ask for one and also ask for the 24 hour halter monitor test.
sounds like heart palpitations, they are just the normal tests to rule out any other cause.
i really better since having all the tests, i don't get so worried about chest pain or my heart feeling funny

[punkprincess19]

Hi Anna, thanks for your reply. I've never really thought of that. I've been struggling to eat lately as the pains and the anxiety have messed with my appetite. I've not been eating much when I do eat and I'm probably only eating the equilivant of 2 meals in a day. I do try to eat more but I end up forcing it down then feeling sick. I have been burping a lot more though...
The pains have just been so intense and different and I can't help but think it's my heart. I've been tryin my best to relax in case it's something to do with me being tensed but I've still been getting them. It's driving me crazy and when I'm on my own (which is all day until around 6.30pm) I'm a mess with panic.
In response to Mishel, my doctor is sending me for a 24 hour ECG monitor which will be in a couple of weeks time which for me feels like a lifetime away! :(

[dreena]

hi, ive suffered for many years from health anxiety, and iv had a realy bad time with my it the last couple of weeks. its starting to get better but because ive been so anxious it takes ages to get back to normal. anxiety can totaly mess with ur digestive system. i have been in agony with my chest, but deep down i know its indegestion and am taking gaviscon by the bottle. lol. i find it impossible to believe anxiety can do this to u....... but it can and it does!. and now every time i eat it feels like ive swallowed glass and im in agony! i know it will go soon. honestly if it were something serious ud know by now. just drink plenty of water.... or milk and some good foods (not bananas tho) and relax x
as for the palpitations, they are now like a part of my life and have had to welcome them into my life and accept them lol. some times they even wake me up wen im asleep! put it all together and you have heart attack symptoms! its so awful and as ur anxiety lessens they will gradualy go! ur doctor wouldnt make u wait a couple of weeks if it were serious! i had a 24hr monitor, but i had to wait a month! and the date they gave me was my birthday! gutted!
please dont waste the next 2 weeks away in a world of anxiety! cos even when the heart monitor results come back normal u will only find something else to worry about! x

[punkprincess19]

Thank you so much for your reply dreena, it's made me feel a little bit more reassured. I think that because the pains are so intense and different that it's just really scared me! I've never thought that any of symptoms had been related to my heart until now and now I'm worried sick that all the anxiety has been too much for my heart. It's been a real struggle for me to cope with the anxiety and there's been times where I thought about ending my life. It's good to hear that other people are going through the same thing and are still goin strong! it gives me hope :)

[dreena]

i hope that the 24 hr test gives u all the reasurance that u need, and dont worry cos anxiety cant damage ur heart in any way at all! if it did id be long gone! lol.
anyway once u get this heart monitor thing out the way try getting some help like CBT or something. u dont wana waste anymore of ur life on anxiety. iv always bin a bit OCD with things even as a kid. but my real anxiety kicked in when i lost my best mate in an accident. i totally lost control as i realised that i couldnt control everything and was totaly helpless. luckily i had my daughter at the time to keep me going. i was bout 22 then and im 28 now and the last 6 years have been an anxious blur at times and ive hit rock bottom once..... wont ever get that low again! x

[punkprincess19]

Thanks dreena, that's a massive help :)
I'm currently waiting for one-on-one CBT but god knows how long I'll have to wait for it! I tried meds but had awful side effects. I've also read 4 self helps books and tried the self hypnosis tapes! fingers crossed that the CBT will be of great help!
I'm sorry about your friend, I can't imagine how hard that must have been. I'm not sure what started my anxiety but my goal now is to get rid of it and start living again!

[eloelo]

hi
i too get very bad chest pains, in fact im sitting here now experiencing them, they are horrible, but i am trying to tell my self that there normal anxiety feelings, i do wonder how my anxiety got so bad to cause such disruption in my body, it really did creep up on me out of nowhere and then before i knew it BANG major panic attacks and anxiety that i have been fighting for weeks now.
I get pains over my heart area and down my left arm and under my arm pit, i am also suffering really bady with indigestion and the doc has given me Lansoprazole as Gaviscon isnt touching it. Saying that i think the tablets are making it worse as the burning pain is just awful spesh at night .....
Anyway, i was sent to the hospital the other day and after sitting there for 6 hours in the emergency assessment unit they discharged me and said everything looked fine, prob with that is, they have given me no information on what to do next regards to these horribkle attacks, docs these days are too quick to hand out unhelpful medication, i dont want to mask these problems anymore i want to deal with them and rid them for good ......