the heart fear is back with a vengeance

[kitty_boom]

Sorry I need to have a little tiny moan

It has been one of my worst days in a long while, feel so sad as I have been trying to be so positive lately.

I keep getting horrible stabbing pains in my chest and the terror that goes through my mind when I get it is just awful, I can feel the waves of adrenalin washing over me! I know its just my costochondritis playing up (I;ve had this horrible thing for about two years now) but I am so obsessed I am going to have a heart attack. You'd think I would get used it to by now, but every time it seems as though my mind just goes into complete over drive. One twinge and that is it, I am up all night.

I also laughed a bit and it hurt sooo much I nearly had a panic attack. Havent had a full blown one in a while, but I can literally feel the tension building up inside and it hurts my back and chest quite a lot. Trying really hard to not go to the doc's as I know what they will say (I have seen about 10 different doctors and had loads of tests)

Sorry just needed a little moan, if anyone with or without costo can relate I'd love to hear from you!

If not hope everyone is doing a lot better than me!

xx

[Shaky]

I've had a pain in my chest for the last couple of hours and im freaking out, trying to calm down but im shaking so much

[kitty_boom]

me too! Its such a horrid out of control feeling, no sleep for fear of not waking up and also got work in a few hours

We must try to not get scared, but its so hard, it is just our muscles being so overly tense, I've also had eye twitch all day today so I know I am over-tiring myself by not sleeping!! But the pains and tension have me on a state of super high alert!

I really hope you manage to relax a little, I might watch a Disney dvd or something realllly happy.

Take care

[Shaky]

my eye has been twitching like crazy today too, im shaking and twitching all over. Its so funny you mentioned not wanting to go to sleep in case you dont wake up cos thats how im feeling right now

[EdwardP]

I get like this too when I'm about to have a panic attack. When I get chest pains and a numb arm I am terrified. It makes me so tired, but in the moment I don't think that I am tired because I usually think that I'm in the middle of dying and that's why I feel so sleepy. It's a horrible feeling to have and I know what ye guys are going through.

[pedropanic]

My heart is my panic trigger too; every little pang, palpitation or twinge I extrapolate into the signs of a heart attack and I get that horrible wave of fear and adrenaline, shaking, tingling, the works!

Read the Symptoms section of this website (from the left-hand menu) relating to the heart, I found it very comforting.

Also if you haven't had a panic attack for a while it means you've had progress, we all have set backs. If you don't look back every once in a while you can't see how far you've come! I had an ALMIGHTY panic attack in the middle of the night last week, heart rate was 160s, felt feint, dizzy, tingling. It's scary when they come back out of nowhere but it made me realise what a great month I had enjoyed up until then.

I wish you a lifetime of anxiety-free living!

[kitty_boom]

Thanks so much for your answers, made me feel bit better, had a terrible morning as my chest stabs woke me up and they have never really done so before, I managed to get to work somehow crying all the way (embarrrasing much??) and now I;m sitting here praying I won't have another mammoth (my first major panic attack was at work, ambulances were called ect) panic attack, ah well here's to hoping!
Hope everyone is ok and thanks again for your answers!
x

[danna]

OMG!!!!!!

I thought I was the only one... I've had anxiety for a long time.. and I am used to feeling pain all over my chest.. so I recognize them and I can manage ok the fear of having a heart attack...
Therefore.. one day I felt this weird pain... it was awful .... it was something I had never felt before... I freaked out.. and I asked my husband to take me to the ER ... Sure enough .. they did everything to check for heart attack...
eqg.. rx...
diagnose : costochondrites. ... I was really ashamed of myself... but better safe than sorry right???
I went home with medication for pain..

[House fan]

Hello Kitty, I'm sorry to hear that you are going through such a hard time, and hope I can reassure you a wee bit.

I can give you a cast iron guarantee that what you are experiencing has absolutely nothing to do with your heart. Your heart is not diseased in any way, it will not stop, and you will not have a heart attack. In fact, it is impossible to have a 'sore' heart. True heart pain is not felt in the heart area.

What you are experiencing is spasms caused by tense muscles in your chest, nothing more and nothing less. I realise just how frightening it is when it happens, but I can assure you that it is completely harmless, and cannot harm you or your heart in any way. Constant tension alone brings on these horrible sensations, and I can imagine you panicking afterwards, thinking you are going to have a heart attack or at least, that you have a 'weak' heart, and that you will need to be careful not to overdo things incase you injure it further! Sound familiar babe?

Your heart is a fantastic organ, which hasn't so much as missed a single beat since you were born. Please relax in the knowledge that what you are experiencing has absolutely nothing to do with your beautiful, healthy heart.

I hope this reassures you, please feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat.

House.

[neil1975]

Hi Kitty,

I to have costochondritis although I believe it may be tietze (sp?) syndrome because I believe costo is not as chronic as what I have. I stretch and my sternum pops which relieves some of the build up of pressure.
I too get the shooting pains in the chest which is very worrying. I also have asthma which the costo certainly doesn’t help.
I am just curious, do you work in a job that has you sitting at a desk most of the day because that’s what I do. I am certain that has something to do with the symptoms I get. Bad posture causing the costo and also if you slouch at all which I know I do will cause your stomach to compress causing all your other organs to become restricted whilst it is not harmful can cause unpleasant symptoms.
I read somewhere about posture being related to anxiety and I tend to believe some of it.
I hope you’re feeling better soon.
Take Care
Neil