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Need some reassurance, I feel like I'm losing my mind

Posted , 7 users are following.

EF4468
EF4468

Ok, I thought having more answers would put me at ease, but it just brings up more questions. Let me start at the beginning:

I'm 5'3" and currently 170-ish pounds. My diet isn't as healthy as I want it to be and I don't exercise much aside from walking and riding my bike around.

It started about a month ago, while I was working. I hadn't been getting good sleep because of work-related stress and anxiety, and as a result my energy levels would drop off randomly during the day and I'd feel off-balance and sluggish. One day it got to the point where I couldn't focus and I felt like I was going to pass out, along with what felt like muscle tension on the sides of my chest, under the armpit, as well as shoulder/neck tension and headaches. Fast-forward to a couple weeks ago and I keep having headaches along with sluggishness, and making frequent trips to the bathroom to calm down. Of course, searching my symptoms only made things worse for me. It got to the point where, on Thursday of this week I felt a painful jolt in my chest, right over my heart, which was preceded by what I thought was a heart attack. I was breathing quickly, I was cold and had chills, I was shaking, my muscles from my face and chest to my belly were tight and spasming. My heart rate was elevated and I wound up calling 911 because I thought it was a full-blown heart attack. Once at the hospital I had tests done, including an EKG, D-Dimer and the usual blood work along with an X-Ray. To my (brief) relief everything was in the clear, my heart is healthy and I am at little risk for a blood clot (D-Dimer level was at 450.) Now onto today: I want to believe that what I'm experiencing is work-related stress, but I still have a sore muscle on the far left side of my chest, just below the collar bone and close to my armpit, it itches when my clothes rub against it and I have headaches that won't go away, even when I'm not at work. Not only that but I feel split-second aches in parts of my body, especially in my left arm, my legs and the right side of my groin.

I'm still experiencing headaches, tiredness and muscle aches on the left side of my body along with itching on the far left side of my chest, along with another feeling; something I can't describe. It happens for only a second but then I feel weird, like I break out in a cold sweat for a second and it feels like my heart is being squeezed for a split second, though I wouldn't know what that feels like. I've felt this after walking briskly. Part of me wants to believe that it's not heart-related or angina-related since I've been to the hospital, but there's a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I'm not in the clear. I need reassurances here: Could this be angina related or is it just stress/anxiety? I don't want to go to the hospital again nor do I want to die. I'm losing my mind trying to figure this out.

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • garren88859
    garren88859 EF4468

    Posted

    I’d go to your general practitioner...... if you feel the need tho go straight to the er you can never be too safe. Anxiety can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack, hell even acid reflux can. 
  • garren88859
    garren88859 EF4468

    Posted

    All in all it’s best if you go see a cardiologist as soon as possible cause it could be a number of things 
    • EF4468
      EF4468 garren88859

      Posted

      I've got to do a follow-up with my GP, I'll ask about it, then.

  • nima08421
    nima08421 EF4468

    Posted

    Whilst you haven’t said how old you are, and you’re in a forum of many angina suffers whom may share your experiences. I’d say it’s most probably a trapped nerve or stress related - your symptoms are very similar to mine when I had a trappped nerve (the tingling the groin etc). But better safe than sorry - get it checked out but don’t worry, you’ll get to the bottom of it and perhaps a little R&R will make things a hell of a lot better.

    • EF4468
      EF4468 nima08421

      Posted

      I'm 26, and from what I've read it feels like I have multiple trigger points that are tight.

    • nima08421
      nima08421 EF4468

      Posted

      Sounds like you’ve ruled out the most dangerous at least for the moment - go have a consultation with your doctor. ER is one thing but a proper session with your doctor is another. If you’re still in pain that is.
    • EF4468
      EF4468 nima08421

      Posted

      I'm only in pain when I stretch out. That and I only have brief episodes of arm aches that last from a split second to a few seconds. I'll be sure to mention that to my doctor.

    • nima08421
      nima08421 EF4468

      Posted

      Then it’s most probably muscular so don’t worry too much and don’t put off the doctors appointment - you’ll be fine smile 
    • EF4468
      EF4468 nima08421

      Posted

      I hope so. I woke up to my heart racing for a few minutes this morning, along with cold, sweaty legs. I go in at the end of the week.
  • samuels
    samuels EF4468

    Posted

    Hi,

    ?From your description, your symptoms could mean lots of things, the first thing that comes to mind after reading your story is panic/anxiety, the other thing that comes to mind is, have you started wearing new shirts that may be a bit different than your usual shirts ? I'm thinking allergy to the fabric or even the washing powder, has that been changed or soap when showering/bathing ?

    ?As there are many types of angina, some are easy to diagnose and others very difficult to diagnose, also some cases can be mild and others can be severe in pain and symptoms can vary greatly. Next time you get chest pain my advice would be get to your emergency department, any nurse or doctor will tell you it's better to be safe rather than sorry, there are quite a few other tests to determine if you have heart problems or angina.

    ?Always ask your doctor, never use Google, it will almost always tell you that you have cancer after stubbing your toe cheesygrin?, nah but seriously this is what sets peoples anxiety off by typing their symptoms into google or disease/conditions they think they have/might have.

    • EF4468
      EF4468 samuels

      Posted

      I've already been to the ER for this, just last week. Everything looked good as far as my bloodwork, blood pressure and x-rays go. I'm still nervous about my health, but I'm not obsessing over it.

    • samuels
      samuels EF4468

      Posted

      And they didn't refer you to a cardiologist ? You will have to have a chat to your GP about this, getting a referral to a cardiologist. blood test will only tell them if you have had a heart attack/heart damage (Troponins) blood pressure doesn't necessarily  mean anything in angina  or heart attack, x rays will only show inflammation of the heart. With that aside, you sound as though you have your head screwed on smile and not obsessing over it, chest pain always needs to be fully investigated, all the better if it turns out to be muscle strain, pinched nerve(s) , reflux/indigestion, stress, that's definitely heaps better than being told you have angina or at worst some kind of heart problem.

    • EF4468
      EF4468 samuels

      Posted

      They didn't, now that I think about it. And my head seems to be barely screwed on atm because the second I calm down something new makes me worry about my health. I go in for the hospital follow-up at the end of the week and I'll see if I can't get a second opinion.

  • ikevinmel
    ikevinmel EF4468

    Posted

    This is EXACTLY what I’ve been feeling everyday for the past month: left sided pain, never beneath the sternum; mostly next to the armpit; in between shoulder blades on the left. Sometimes I felt on my left arm but not significantly. Pain doesn’t really wake me up. I’ve notice I get pain mostly via positioning as I slouch over my phone most of the time.

    I’ve done ECG and results were clear.

    X-RAY results were also clear.

    I have a history of hypercholesterolemia but now I’ve managed to control it.

    I’ve seen various HPNs (Health Care Practitioners), and they’ve all said muscle. I sure hope it is, so I’m trying to lower my stress. I’ll follow this story and reply whenever I get further tests. Good health to both of us. ❤️ 

    • manolis
      manolis ikevinmel

      Posted

      Hi there. I am feeling the same for the last year almost every day. Pain or I can better say discomfort over the heart exactly on the left chest side (not at center of the chest) which makes me feel as fainting some times and last maybe from morning up to the time I sleep.

      I have done numerous tests including ECGs (8 times on Emergencies), blood work, D-dimer, X-rays, Echo for heart, Stress test, CT angiogram for the heart, 2 CTs for lungs/chest etc., colonoscopy, gastroscopy, thoracic spine CT for reflux, fluroscopy etc.

      All came back clear (the majority of tests were done last year). However, the pain I have above described is there every day all day. I have been to emergency recently (three weeks back) and again all were clear in relation to the initial screening.

      I am thinking whether I have to repeat the advance tests for the heart (CT angiogram done a year back and echo/stress test done 9 months back) since I am feeling that I have a heart issue.

      Please advise what to do and how to relief the discomfort which affect my life!!!!!!!!!!

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