Can chest pain lasting for weeks be muscular?

[ZMan]

Basically for a few weeks I've had chest paid and at first put if off to sore tight muscle pain. Also it's been spreading to my arm during that period but I've also had a tight neck and back, helping me put it down to muscular pain - as I work in an office and sometimes sit uncomfortably, as well as the fact while my laptop is away for repair, I've been using the computer while sitting on a chair with no back, and leaning forward in a bad posture repeatedly.

However, it's been here for weeks, and comes and goes big time.

The only other thing which has been annoying me is I'm tired all the time, even when getting hours and hours of sleep. Two nights this week I woke up in the morning with agonising pain in that area, one morning I was convinced I must of slept on the cord of my headphones or something..

I've been reading up on sleep apnea, which without trying to self diagnose I think is a possibility. But something which worried me is I read a lot of people with sleep apnea, it can cause/lead to heart failure, which is now worrying me. But other than that, I'm 19, don't smoke and don't drink.

I thought the tiredness all the time was associated with the anxiety but I'd say I've been 'anxiety-free' (but not worry free) for about two months or so now - I've also stopped taking Omeprazole, but in regards to it being heartburn related I was fine with no acid reflux symptoms for the first month or so off those tablets.

Am I right to associate the sleeping problem to my chest/heart pain?

[macc noodle]

Hey ZMan,

I would think that it would be highly unusual for you to be suffering from heart failure at 19 and I would think that if you are anxoius about these symptoms you are making them worse by being so tense.

With regard to sleep apnoea - what makes you think that you have it? I have a brother in law who suffers and trust me the symptoms are quite marked and, even if you were showing symptoms, you would need to have it for many many years undiagnosed for it to lead to possible heart failure.

If I were you and still worried about it all, I would make an appointment at my GP for a general check up and chat about your concerns. I am sure that they can put your mind at rest.

Good luck:)

[ZMan]

Hey ZMan,

I would think that it would be highly unusual for you to be suffering from heart failure at 19 and I would think that if you are anxoius about these symptoms you are making them worse by being so tense.

With regard to sleep apnoea - what makes you think that you have it? I have a brother in law who suffers and trust me the symptoms are quite marked and, even if you were showing symptoms, you would need to have it for many many years undiagnosed for it to lead to possible heart failure.

If I were you and still worried about it all, I would make an appointment at my GP for a general check up and chat about your concerns. I am sure that they can put your mind at rest.

Good luck:)

Thanks for your reply.

I do agree with the heart failure thing and that's what I'm trying to say to myself, a healthy 19 year old who doesn't smoke/drink would not get heart-failure. However, in the past few days it was the anniversary of someone I knows brothers death - he was young and died of unknown heart failure in his sleep. He was a healthy lad and it was sudden. I guess that's instilled the heart failure thoughts in my head.

In regards to the sleep apnea, everytime I awake, I always feel like I did not get a deep sleep, every single day I get tired during the day, I grind my teeth badly at night (had to get a guard for it the other day) which is a symptom of it, and some nights I can remember waking in the middle of the night with a jolt and a feeling of needing air before going back to sleep...

I think I will make an appointment with my GP about it, and discuss it with her, it may indeed just be a wee bit of anxiety in relation to it..

[Greenman50]

I get chest pain ....i,m not sure if its anxiety (i worry but don,t feel anxious anymore ) ....i,m also on acid meds (lansoprazole) and i wonder sometimes if my chest pain is acid related , silent reflux ...where a small amount of acid irritates you but not enough to give you proper heartburn .

Theres a theory you get acid rebound from ppi meds , as in it comes back for a short period of time when you stop the meds , my money would be on that , but i,m not a doctor !

[macc noodle]

What you have to remember is that although this guy's death was very sad and sudden, it is extremely rare for it to happen.

Oh and yes I do think that your chest pain is muscular - forgot to mention that last post - and it is aggravated by you tensing yourself when you get anxious (it then travels to your arm etc).

Grinding your teeth in your sleep - anxiety?
Tired all the time - anxiety?
Waking up suddenly in the night - anxiety?

Sorry to sound like a broken down old record player !!!! I am sure you will be fine and that you are just having a tough time with anxiety at the moment that is causing the symptoms you describe.

:)

[scaredstiff695]

hi
i would have to say its all more than likely. i can relate to nearly everything your saying more so the muscle tension. x

[Em.ma]

I have chest pain sometimes and all sorts of muscular pains. I put it down to tension or reflux

[tinycritter]

Hey ZMan,

Muscular pain is very easily made worse by stress, tension and anxiety. I often have muscular shoulder, left chest and arm pain from sitting at a desk with a graphic tablet which, like sitting in an office, is not a natural position for the human body! Mine sometimes lasts a week, sometimes months. I once had it for an entire year.

Serious heart problems and heart failure are incredibly rare in anyone as young as you are - please don't worry. If it will make you feel better you could always see your GP just to put your mind at rest.

I hope you feel better soon. x