Anxiety chest pains that won't go away?
Posted , 42 users are following.
Last week I woke up with really bad chest pains in the left side of my chest. I was alarmed, but I ignored it and went back to sleep, hoping that it would go away when I woke back up. I woke up again and it didn't go away. The pain was still present. I continued feeling that way throughout the day until it became night time and I just couldn't take it anymore. I was frightened. I was so scared that something was wrong with my heart. I became so anxious that I started crying because of the pain and how scared I was. I went to the ER and they gave me an EKG. Fortunately, it came back normal and the doctor said my vitals were also fine. I also had a chest x-ray done and that was fine too. They said I may have pulled a muscle by lifting something heavy, but I can't remember doing that. I was told to take ibueprofen for the pain and the pain was supposed to go away in about a week. Even though they told me I was fine, I wasn't convinced. The pains started to go away but would come back every now and then. About three days later, I felt like I couldn't breathe well. I kept having to take deep breaths and I became even more scared. My father called 911 and an ambulance came to our house. They said my vitals were fine and my blood pressure was a little high but that was just because of how nervous I was. They asked if I wanted to go to the hosptial and I said yes, because I was truly scared. They gave me an EKG and it was normal, my oxygen levels were fine too. Everything was okay. But I was still scared.
When arriving to the hospital, I was given another EKG and had bloodwork done, along with a urine test. They asked me if I had a history with anxiety and I do. But at the time, I didn't understand how anxiety could affect me in this way. So, I didn't believe that my anxiety was the reason for it either, because it has never been this bad. They montiored my heart and oxygen, and blood pressure. Then the doctor told me my heart was fine, and my bloodwork was fine. Everything was fine, my EKG, everything. She said she thinks it may have been some anxiety creeping up on me, that's how she worded it. But at the moment, nothing in my life is causing me to feel anxious. The most that has been bothering me is my worries about my future, but I think that's normal. So, I was confused because the last time I was told it was a pulled muscle, and now I was told that it was my anxiety. But I wanted to believe what the professionals were saying, so I tried to accept it.
About two days later, I didn't really have bad chest pains. But I had this feeling that there was like, a lump in my throat. I googled different things and I became anxious because the feeling wasn't going away. I initially thought it might have been strep throat but my symptoms didn't match up. My throat wasn't sore, it just felt like something was in it? I felt at times like i was going to choke, or smother, the feeling just wouldn't go away. So I googled, "lump in throat feeling" and found, Globus Sensation. When I saw that it's something that people with anxiety disorders commonly feel, I felt like that had to have been it. I read through people's posts and they were describing exactly what I was feeling. I watched a video of some exercises to do for it, and I did them for myself. Just to give it a try, because if anxiety was the cause for my pains recently, it made sense, right? A short while later, the lump feeling in my throat went away. I was relieved that it worked. Do any of you know the feeling? Is it common? Will that feeling come back?
Now today marked one week since I first started feeling the chest pains and I started feeling pain in the middle of my chest this time, kind of like a sharp pain. I tried to calm myself down and tell myself it's okay, even though I was freaking out because the pain was in a different are of my chest this time. I was out in public at the time and I had to sit down because it was hurting me that bad. After sitting down for a few minutes and taking deep breaths, along with trying to remain calm, it slowly faded away. I took a long nap after arriving at home, and when I woke up the pain wasn't there, but it slowly came back. Right now, the pain isn't that bad, but I feel like it's still there.
My question is, is it normal for me to feel these pains for this long? And are the pains really because of anxiety? I was told something completely different the first time and now I'm supposedly feeling this way because of my anxiety. I'm just confused and not sure what to believe. I know I need to calm myself down and stop googling things, because it's just making me worry more. But if I really stop and convience myself that it will be okay, will I really stop being in pain? Will it be okay? I have a follow up appointment with my primary doctor in a day, and I have many questions to ask. I'm 20 years old and have a history of depression and anxiety. I currently take no medications (though I have in the past) and I just want answers, or reassurance. I'm still scared. Scared that the pains will come back because it's scary when I have them. I've never had this kind of experience before, it came out of nowhere.
10 likes, 57 replies
LFCste brite
Posted
But if I really stop and convince myself that it will be okay, will I really stop being in pain? Will it be okay?
you have hit the nail on the head there
and the answer is a defiantly yes
you would be very surprised system's that anxiety can cause never ending
phil76209 brite
Edited
I used to get pains just to the left of my heart but I'm fine. I have anxiety and I believe sometimes we get pains here and there just for no apparent reason and eventually they go.
The body works hard each day so it's just normal.
And worry can bring on pains
Terri55 brite
Edited
Dear Brite
I can relate to all you described and said above, every single bit. Sometimes I have pains 7 days a week non stop. And they are so real that they can knock me out literally. Like I become breathless while exercising, lose all energy feel dizzy and about to faint. I need to sit and breather deep. And everything I think yes, finally I defeat it, it comes back. I take 4 types of medications and they help somehow. But I'm working hard to let my brains finally understand I'm not in danger. I have great days, I mean painless, carefree happy followed by well you know, the days you feel scared to death and feeling crap. But I want you to know that it does get better. For me it really helps to remember how great I felt with anxiety retreats and when I'm having an attack I always keep that warm feeling in mind and keep going. Hope this helps dear. Hold on hunny, it will be fine soon. Hugs Terri
paige80327 brite
Posted
Reading through your concerns and im ticking every single thing Halloween night i was sitting waiting for trick or treaters i started toget nervous about answering the door that much that i started to feel chest pains and tightness since then ive been panicking 24/7 about my breathing my chest my heart somtimes looking down at my left breast and seeing that its beating as freaking out thinkin my heart rates too high and then all the symptoms start up again im fairly new to anxiety well to this degree ive always had slight anxiety but this is the worst... I hate feeling like this and i feel like
Nothing works
yet to see a docter and thats another trigger the minute i think hospitals docters medical i freak out 
travis_21490 paige80327
Posted
I'm 19 and I have anxiety to bc I get none stop mucus and dizzy sometimes and hard to breath and lump in throat and chest pains it not hurting right now but it was last night it sucks ik how it is
ed72648 brite
Posted
I never had anxiety until I found I had a panic attack. What you're experiencing is a panic attack. You need to relax and stop thinking about what's going to happen because your brain is doing all of this.
3 years ago, I had a root canal performed, after a year it got infected; it had abscess, which cause me to have left upper obdominal pain. I noticed my left upper chest would hurt as well. I went to get my blood work. Turns out, I had a bacterial infection in my stomach. My vitamin D was low and I needed more B12. B12 has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Before getting my extrated tooth, I remembered my chest would not stop hurting, felt like a heart attack. Same symptom you were experiencing. I noticed amoxicillin made it worse. After my extraction and getting some surgery done in my jaw. I had bone put in so it would grow back. The dentist told me that my body was going to react to a broken bone and it'll try to fix itself. He was right. That afternoon, I had a panic attack. I had a EKG, ECHO performed and it all turn out fine. After taking the antibiotics, probiotics,Vitamin D and B12, I noticed I haven't had any momments. My doctor told me that I may have a strained muscle in that area also. What happens is all your muscle get stiffened and you feel more pain. Distract youself. Just get your blood work done and find out what you're lacking. I never had these panic attacks and experinced them twice, one before my tooth extraction and another after my extraction. I remember taking amoxicillin, and was starting to get allergic to the medication so the doctor told me to take benadryl and that made my heart beat fast when I first had my first attack. Ibuprofen seemed to called me down though. After my infection was cleared. I haven't felt any attacks. I hope this story helps you understand how crazy our body and brain work. If it detects a problem it'll try to warned you but sometimes it can get out of hand where it makes you aware of it in a different way. Have your teeth checked. I didn't noticed I had an infection until I noticed abcess coming out of gums. Didn't hurt, only would hurt a little with cold and hot water once in a while. Stay healthy.
cody45217 brite
Posted
alexandra85647 brite
Posted
Omg that's the same way I feel. I feel like I am dieting.
Dbmetsfan brite
Edited
alvin51571 brite
Edited
This is currently how I feel..
i was wondering did your pain eventually go away? I've been feeling this way for the past 3 months and I've been to the doctors atleast 6 times . I've gotten multiple EKGs a few X-rays , blood tests and urine tests as well. I am going to get a KT scan this Monday. My doctor also diagnosed me with anxiety/depression but i feel like that's not it. Did the pain ever get better for you naturally ? Or any medication you've taken to ease the pain? I've also been prescribed ibuprofen 800 which will temporarily work but not really. If you could please reach out to me and let me know, I have been searching all over google with descriptions of my pain and yours Is the most relatable I've ran into so far!
david63834 alvin51571
Edited
Hey Alvin, Hope you are doing better. Did you get the results of your test back? Did it make you feel any better? I am on a similar boat with all of you guys -_- but at least its nice seeing other people and knowing I'm not alone in it.
izaiah65143 alvin51571
Posted
(909)438-4184 , feel free to message me we have a lot in common with our pains it'd be nice to talk about them with somebody .
desmond76074 alvin51571
Posted
alvin51571 izaiah65143
Posted
david63834 brite
Posted
You probably don't check this as much anymore but this is also more for anyone that might be struggling with it and finds your post. I'm super excited to have found your post. It sounds like 100% what I'm going through right now. Went to the hospital, did EKG, xray, all normal. I actually had 2 EKGs, one about 3 weeks ago when this started. I was worried because I wasn't feeling the pain during the first EKG, but when I had the second one recently, I was having pain during it, and EKG still showed up fine. I've even had the lump in my throat. What I was really happy to see is when you said that you wern't really feeling anxious when one of them started, which is what happens to me and it scares me even more. I'm 25 and I do some high intensity cardio excirsizes, and I'll never feel any pain during or after, its always later in the evening or something, when I'm making lunch or the like.
brendan91596 david63834
Posted
David, so you haven't solved the problem? You still have these attacks? I have never had a history of anxiety or stress related attacks and suddenly one came on and I had all the symptoms described in this post. I need to solve this. How do we do so?
david63834 brendan91596
Posted
No luck yet. I had another bout with it starting on friday which lasted a week. I actually ended up going to the hospital for it on Wednesday because I was starting to freak out so much. They found nothing. They did an EKG and blood tests and there was nothing. Doc said he does not believe that it is heart related, but rather musculoskeletal, although he was not able to reproduce the pain by pushing. Regardless he said that whatever it is, it is not life threatening and said that unless I start getting short of breath or sweating a lot or etc. then I should try to not worry too much about it. I've even had a stress EKG done since my last post, but I am waiting on the results of that (I think they come back around oct.24th). Currently im doing much better, its been about 3 days since the hospital and the pain has mostly gone away, although I am certain it will come back
I don't know if it is stress related or not, but I feel at least assured that my heart won't just randomly stop out of nowhere, so thats a step in the right direction.