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Chest pains and it’s worrying me :(

Posted , 6 users are following.

jacey68621
jacey68621

I started having like this sharp feeling in my left chest, almost like someone’s poking it with a needle. The pain comes and goes. My heart started beating fast and I can’t get it to slow down. My lower legs (calves I think) are starting to hurt and so does my back. I can feel my heart beat throb in my head and the back. My left arm hurts. The chest pain still persists and it’s almost been an hour like this. I don’t know if it’s because I ate too fast. I feel dizzy too. I don’t have any heart issues in the past and I came out color with EKGs, blood tests etc. I’m also 21. But I’m scared it’s a heart attack 😦

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • paul75665
    paul75665 jacey68621

    Edited

    Sharp chest pain is the better pain to experience, especially if it is centered in one specific spot. Dull, achy, pressure, crushing pain across a wide area of your chest is the more serious pain to have, and could warrant contacting a healthcare professional.

    Have you checked your pulse at all? Might be worth it to see what speed your heart is beating at. Find your pulse, count the beats over a 15 second period, then multiply by 4 and you'll have your heart rate. As long as it is anywhere between 60 - 100 you are fine, even pushing 120 would be ok. Anything over that then again contact a healthcare professional. How are you as a person physically? Are you overweight? Do you smoke and/or drink? Have you been diagnosed with any other conditions?

    I used to think I was having heart attacks, and the symptoms that made me think this were actually caused by numerous digestive issues. Acid reflux, Indegestion, IBS, I have been diagnosed with them all, and it turns out they were caused by food intolerances. In the beginning I used to to experience symptoms like yours, and I would get very worried, it actually turned out I was suffering and diagnosed with anxiety, and anxiety attacks can cause physical symptoms that mimic other conditions.

    If you feel like you need help then get some, this is what health services are there for, and it would be better to sure nothing too sinister is going on. But there are so many things other than a heart attack that could be causing your symptoms, so try not to panic and relax if you can.

    • sophies77
      sophies77 paul75665

      Posted

      I know this was 8 months ago but hoping you see this 😕 .. when you say about anxiety mimicking other things that aren't there.. is it really possible.. over the past 7 weeks I've self diagnosed myself with multiple things (tests done - nothing there) yet I still get random pains, aches, 'symptoms ' so many people have said its anxiety but even on calm days I get the pains.. is it really possible?

    • paul75665
      paul75665 sophies77

      Edited

      Yes, it is possible for anxiety to mimic other conditions, but without knowing more detail of the 'symptoms' you are experiencing and where they are occurring it's a bit hard to make any suggestions of other possible causes. I have been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder, and my doctor told me that this is causing my body to be in flight or fight mode almost constantly, no matter how much of a calm day I may be having. This fight or flight mode increases adrenaline output, which in a normal flight or fight situation is useful as adrenaline makes our muscles and organs work harder ready for the fearful, threatful situation we are in at that specific moment. However, adrenaline not being used in a fight or flight situation, and just sitting around in our bodies while we are doing nothing actually has a profound detrimental effect on how we feel, and how our bodies work. My doctor said to me that it's no wonder I'm feeling ill and having random symptoms with all the adrenaline just sitting in me not doing what it is supposed to be doing.

      I'm not saying that the symptoms you are experiencing are all caused by anxiety, you could well have an underlying condition, and without more info it's tough to suggest other likely causes, all I'm saying is anxiety can certainly mimic symptoms of other conditions and/or make symptoms feel a lot worse than they are.

      I'm wondering if anxiety is probably having a profound affect on your way of thinking and the symptoms you are experiencing. I've been talking to many people since becoming ill over 5 years ago, and one thing I have noticed, self diagnosis is prevalent in people with anxiety. I used to be exactly the same, and would self diagnose everything, and was convinced something was missed during all the testing I had, even after all the results came back revealing nothing. It's only now, after 5 years, that I have learnt to accept my diagnosis' of Fibromyalgia and CFS (plus anxiety) and stop wasting my time looking for something that probably isn't there. The way I look at it now is if something bad was going to happen to me, it would have happened by now, especially after 5 years, but it hasn't, I'm still here, my symptoms don't seem to be changing, so my diagnosis' must be right.

      I hope that info helps in some way, by all means talk to us if you feel you need more reassurance, or a third parties views on what could be causing your problems, just remember we aren't health professionals, and we are all different, so we can only give suggestions and advice based on our own experiences. All the best and take care.

    • jessica71394
      jessica71394 paul75665

      Posted

      I would love to have a chst with you about this if you could inbox me please

  • moon53540
    moon53540 jacey68621

    Posted

    Sharp chest pains can sometimes mean pleurisy. what is your breathing like? Are you on the contraceptive pill?

    You could try 1 ranitidine every day in case you are having indigestion problems along side a rennie after eating.

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