Unexplained heart/chest pains for months ruining my life

[heavyweightworrier]

I’m writing here since I don’t know what else to do anymore. I started experiencing chest pains (usually on the left side of my chest) along with health anxiety early this year. They’ll appear mostly while lying down (and sometimes after eating) and I’m not usually particularly anxious at the moment they show up, they just appear. I’ve had my electrocardiogram and blood pressure taken twice within these few/couple months, they both came out clear both times.

However I’m still experiencing these pains, I live alone so I often stay up as far as until 8am to 10am as I’m too afraid to go to sleep in fear of dying in my sleep (and no one noticing or helping). For the past two nights I’ve only been able to sleep on my right side as the left side of my chest hurt and putting any weight on that side of my chest made it hurt even more. This along with the rest of my health anxiety is sucking up almost all the joy in my life. I don’t know what to do next. I want an mri or an x-ray done as my chest keeps hurting but I feel no one takes me seriously because of my anxiety. I’m scared nearly every minute of the day and I feel so hopeless. I’ve stayed over at my friend’s house a bunch of times so I wouldn’t be so afraid to sleep, but I’m moving in the fall so I can’t keep doing it forever. I’m finally about to study the thing I’m most passionate about, which is why I’m moving, but now even that brings me so much worry and fear as I won’t be able to count on my friends and family as easily because of the distance. I just don’t know what to do.

Ps. I already have a psychotherapist, which isn’t working out that great so far (I’ve seen them for a year now).

[.Poppy.]

Since it hurts when you lay on that side, I'm wondering if it's costochondritis? Try pushing on the area between your ribs and sternum, where your cartilage is - does it hurt?

Costochondritis is incredibly annoying and for some reason seems to affect anxiety sufferers a lot (or maybe we just notice it more!) but it's harmless. It's just an inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum, and since we have nerves that wrap around the ribs, it can cause pain all they way around to the back. It's also more prevalent on the left side - go figure!

Your doc can give you a steroid shot if it's terrible, but really Aleve (naproxen) and wet heat are good things to start with.

[ToasterOvens]

Sounds like the doctors think you have a healthy heart though!

I second what Poppy said. I had experience with both costochondritis and a pulled muscle in the chest. The costo stayed around for a while. Both were very painful at times. Both were one sided.

Anti inflammatories really seemed to help. The pain wasn't gone, but it was reassurance that my issue was muscular or skeletal in nature.

[jray23]

Sounds like costo to me too. I have had costochondritis often (I guess). It triggered severe HA in me before I ever knew what HA was, and I had a few of those sleepless nights to ward off dying like you describe. Even to this day about 12 years from the first episode, if I lay on my left side it (costo) will flame up again. It is scary until you know what it is and can recognize it. I still get HA a lot from other stuff but not from the costo pains at least!

NSAIDs help at least lessen the pain, and avoiding "triggers" like sleeping on the left side or stretching overhead awkwardly. The doc will probably press on your sternum to see if that causes pain (you can do this yourself too as the other poster said - just don't do it too much as it will hurt more!)

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[Bluetoffee1878]

I’ve also experienced similar pains, chest, ribs, arm, shoulder blade! I have been told I have a chronic rotator cuff injury, I’ve also had ecg’s blood pressure test etc, all ok! But this is what kicked off my HA about a month ago. I also don’t sleep on my left hand side. Since being told my hearts good and I’m otherwise healthy I’ve just tried to remember that conversation, I don’t know if I’ve had Costo but what I’ve noticed is as I’ve thought hard to become more positive and tell myself I’m not going to drop dead of a cardiac issue I’ve started to become less tense which helps relax the muscles and also helps to ease the HA!! HA is so tough though! And I can still get that feeling of impending doom out of know were but I try to distract myself and rationalise the thought/feeling! I’ve never had a cardiac issue but I have non cardiac chest pain! Certainly don’t use google! Just be honest with your doctor and tell them exactly how you are feeling.

Take care