Chest hurts while talking to people. Trouble Breathing

Posted , 8 users are following.

I noticed lately that I have issues talking to people. I went to two doctors recently and both times while talking about my medical issues my chest starts to burn and it feels extremely painful in the center. I also have trouble talking. It feels like i can't get my words out, and the more i talk the more the pain in my chest hurts. One doctor actually hooked me up to an EKG and said i was fine.

I've been having a lot of issues lately with my stomach and acid re-flux. It all started when i went to the ER almost a year ago with chest pain and breathing problems. I thought i was having a heart attack. Before that day i never really experienced anxiety. I was very out-going and i loved life. I would always go hiking and take road trips to national parks. I never even felt anxiety. Now i feel like i'm crippled by it over night. I don't really understand what's happening to me. 

A few days ago i was at dinner with my girlfriends family and they were asking me how I've been feeling lately and while answering their question my chest started to hurt again, and i had trouble talking.

Is this a normal symptom? Is there a way to stop this? I'm 29 years old, and I've never experienced this in my life. 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Sorry you're going through all of this.  Sounds like you might have anxiety but I would first rule out any  cardiac or pulmonary issues by following up with a cardiologist (if you haven't already done so).  Also, does your chest hurt to touch?   Meaning, if you were to press down on your chest with your finger tips, do you feel any tenderness?  Wondering if the docs have ruled out costochondritis as well.

    • Posted

      I went to one cardiologist and he did a stress test, and said i was fine. It still makes me worried because those test are not that accurate, and almost everybody in my family has heart disease including my father. I'm going to a second cardiologist April 11th. A few doctors tried putting pressure on the spots of pain, and it was not anything super noticeable. It did not feel like it made the pain worse, but it did feel weird. I went to a lung doctor, and they said my lungs were fine. My gastro doctor says i do have acid reflex, but they don't know if it's the cause of the unusual chest pressure i feel .

  • Posted

    I'm going through a similar experience. I had to go to the hospital after experiencing numbness on the left side of my body – doctors ended up ruling silent migraine as the cause. But I had to have an MRI and lots of blood tests to rule out some scary diseases.

    3 months later I still get weird sensations, mainly on the left side of my body. When I was telling my therapist about my time at the hospital, it felt like my entire body had pins and needles – proof my symptoms get worse when I think about them, consciously or unconsciously.

    Last week I had 2 days completely symptom free, and I know it's because I was consumed by a project at work (that I loved). No part of my mind had time to focus on my fear of illness!

    If you've been okayed by doctors, there's little to worry about. I know firsthand that understanding this logically doesn't stop the anxiety, though. For me, physical activity has helped – it reassures me everything is working fine and releases tension. Maybe you could try reconnecting with your body in this way too.

    Other than that, I think being mentally engaged with the present – fully distracting your mind with something you like – stops your subconscious from creating these symptoms.

  • Posted

    This sounds like social anxiety as you have trouble talking to people and that’s bringing out your anxiety symptoms like chest pain and feeling like you’re having a heart attack or like there’s something seriously wrong with you. Sounds like health anxiety too
  • Posted

    This sounds like you have become focused on this one problem and that fuels the anxiety. I agree that if you are an active person, getting back to that will reassure you that anxiety is the root of the problem. We all have our triggers and a panick attack is one of those triggers. Try CBT and try not to avoid social situations. I also have times when even talking to family and friends sets it off but it’s that old saying of nothing is ever as bad as you make it out to be in your head. Things that scare us usually turn out to be not half as bad as you’ll think it’ll be!
  • Posted

    Did you get better Darius3311?

    I am having the same problem , without any solution

    • Posted

      I am having the same problem. Logically, I link it to something which happened to me last year, when I ingested something of a chemical nature. I have had trouble speaking ever since then. It may be something originally brought on by that. It may be the same symptom/cause as what you guys have. Maybe it's a condition of some kind. It has reduced my quality of life radically, since I cannot speak easily and I am a confident speaker/take much joy in my ability to express myself. I'm the kind of person who could even have a career in teaching or public speaking, it's really messed up and my confidence as a person is taking a hit.

      Please let me know if you guys are getting better or have had any diagnosis. I have yet to have a checkup myself since I do not currently have medical cover, and live in South Africa with a very unreliable public health system.

      Keep well. Keep fighting for your right to good health.

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