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Chest tightness, back pain, arm pain/tingling, dizziness. Heart attack or ptsd/anxiety

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lionessrampant
lionessrampant

I am a 21 year old college student who works out multiple times a week. I’ve never smoked, my family doesn’t have a history of heart disease or heart attacks. Back in December of last year I went to the doctor because I was having heart palpitations. They did an ekg, echo, stress test, and had me wear a heart monitor for a month. During that month I only had one episode of SVT, which they said wasn’t harmful to me. Over the past few days I’ve had weird chest tightness and feelings in my back, jaw, and arms. Some of it is sharp pain that goes away after a few seconds/max a minute, and some of it is this odd sensation that I can’t quiet describe (I just know it’s not normal). It’s almost between a tingle and a buzz. The kicker is that I have anxiety. I’ve been actually diagnosed with PTSD/GAD from a sexual assault in high school. For whatever reason recently it has presented itself as basically hypochondria, which is why I haven’t gone to a doctor yet for these specific symptoms (I’ve been the girl who cried wolf and nothing was wrong before and logically I know I’m likely just fine). I don’t have panic attacks, but my anxiety is pretty constant right now (can’t tell if it’s exacerbating my symptoms or vice verse). Basically my question is: is it at all possible to have a clean ekg, echo, stress test, and monitor a few months ago/no family history/be young and all but perfectly healthy and have a heart attack anyway? Should I see a doctor? Aka someone please help me decide that this isn’t a heart attack because I seem unable to do so myself. 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • mariano
    mariano lionessrampant

    Posted

    A perfect case of Health Anxiety...I have it myself...where every little pain has me thinking I have a serious illness. and I am going to die...Anxiety can give you all sorts of symptoms...tingling, in arms and feet..numbness, nausea, feeling dizzy, backpain....chest pain.I have all these symptoms...and all my blood tests are normal...I also had an echo test done on my heart, and the DR told me I had the heart of a 17 year old...trust  your DR you are probably really healthy ...and keep telling yourself that..Anxiety is an awful thing..Take care xxx
    • EF4468
      EF4468 mariano

      Posted

      Can you have anxiety but not have chest pain? Ive had abdominal discomfort tonight followed by heart flutter that lasted for a second, sweating afterwards but no pain. I keep having this nagging, achy feeling in my left arm too, in my bicep. When I lay across my bed I can feel that muscle tense up. My health anxiety is through the roof now and I can't calm down......

    • matt45001
      matt45001 EF4468

      Posted

      Yes.   I’ve been having abdominal pain and swelling for the past week.  Yesterday, I thought I was having appendicitis and I’ve been to the ER twice with a ct scan, blood work, urine test, etc.  everything is normal.  It’s unfortunately anxiety but will hopefully subside
    • EF4468
      EF4468 matt45001

      Posted

      Mines mostly been chest tightness, and I notice it when I eat certain foods as well.
    • EF4468
      EF4468

      Posted

      I've also noticed the feeling of heart flutter whenever I sit down at my desk.

    • EF4468
      EF4468

      Posted

      Idk man........I'm scared of dying.......I'm trying to eat healthier and reduce my stress levels but I don't think it's enough........just the fact that I have anxiety means I might have heart problems later on.......

    • frances8088
      frances8088 EF4468

      Posted

      hi! we have the same symptom matt. actually that is what im feeling right now. i ate a lot during dinner then after an hour a drank a glass of water, i keep on burping and i feel cheat tightness. 
    • EF4468
      EF4468

      Posted

      I've noticed my arms feel heavy and weak this morning, along with digestive issues.

  • sue58256
    sue58256 lionessrampant

    Posted

    I have all the symptoms you describe and have had for years its anxiety it can attack the body in many ways. when you are suffering anxiety your mind and body are really devious espcesially the mind which is a really powerful tool for me its a fight between the right side and the left side of your brain one side says what you are thinking is perfectly rational then the other side says no its not. anxiety doesnt bring out just one symptom it will give you a multitude of them. im not a dr but I can tell you anxiety and stress can cause a lot of things letting us think we are having a heartattack/stroke ect this is a wonderful forum for advice because its about people all going through the same thing and will genuinely understand what you are going through and will support you 
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