1. Community
  2. Chest and lungs
  3. Chest Pain

Normal ECG and 2d echo, but still having chest pains and shortness of breath, Anxiety?

Posted , 22 users are following.

jellikho
jellikho

This started on january 7 when I was rushed in the ER cause I woke up catching breath, palpitations, and my hands suddenly became numb. It really scared me a lot I thought I was having a heart attack. After that day I am having this attacks frequently. I also experienced cold and sweaty palms whenever this happens. Ive done numerous ecg, 2 2d echo's, cbc, thyroid, chest xray, which came back normal. This has been happening frequently to the point that I dont feel normal anymore. Doc said it was just anxiety and that I should go to see a therapist.But i believe this isnt just in my head , i can really feel it even for no reason. My question is should i get more tests? Like stress test and holter monitoring? Cause whenever I go to the er they will just do me an ecg and by that time I am calmed down so Im not having palpitations. I also noticed that if im walking my bp is quite high. im only 21 yrs old btw. I hope someone can help me, my mom doesnt listen to me and just kept tellong me its all in my head. I donty feel like myself anymore cause my symptoms are stressing me a lot. I forgot to mention I went to the cardio and he used a stetoscope to check my heart and he said i have MVP (mitral valve prolapse) it scared me a lot so I repeated my 2d echo (echocardiogram) and it was normal. How was that possible sad

1 like, 42 replies

42 Replies

Next
  • reg1945
    reg1945 jellikho

    Posted

    Hi jellikho, I can identify with what you are going through. I had the same experiences with much the same simptoms as yourself. I too had all the tests including psych evaluation, heart monitoring, stress counselling etc. All negative. So I too was baffled. Then one day a work associate said, can you remember a time when you felt OK and without these disturbing effects, so I really thought about it and after some time I managed to pinpoint a time and an occurrence after which I felt discomfort. I gave much thought about this occurrence and discussed it with both my friends and at that time girlfriend. The conclusion, it was traumatic enough to give my mind a shock and sleepless nights. Talking it over with a confident helped a lot to reduce its impact and facing the problem gave me the strength to override my emotions.

    I suggest you try this. You imply that Sometime in December this started, so look at what happened around this time as to a cause, then talk talk and talk some more about it to someone you feel comfortable with. For you it's very real and the skill is in recognising it for what it is... Fear of the unknown. Rest assured that medical science is on your side, and if the medics say after numerous tests that all is well try to believe it. Finally after all this, I will tell you that my fears like yours in my late teens was 60 years ago. So all is not lost, you have a lot of living yet to do so please enjoy it

  • DoctorMark
    DoctorMark jellikho

    Posted

    Hello.

    The chest pains you talk about do indeed sound heart related however... they don't strike me as infarction or anything actually directly related to the heart. Obviously you have seen a doctor (excellent) but you woke up breathless with chest pain? Or just palpitations? Cardiac arrest wouldn't normally strike in the middle of sleep. So it sounds to me like you may have a case of sleep apnea. This is a very serious sleep disorder, it can lead to you having mini strokes, obviously the brain controls everything you do from your heartbeat to your sweat glands up to you actually moving your fingers, arms legs anything... sleep apnea attacks mean the brain gets less oxygen and can lead to the body going numb in places, sweating to start for no reason, the heart stop beating or going rapid. In a number of cases your body goes into emergency mode and the flight or fight response kicks in causing you to wake up pumping with adrenaline not knowing what in the world is happening.

    After the experience this can leave you with severe ptsd and needs to be checked out. See your GP about sleep apnea and see where it goes. Also see a professional about the possibility of having ptsd. Your GP can refer you to the correct place for that.

    This is all a suggestion so please don't feel forced in any way.

    Sleep apnea may not be the answer... Remember this is a forum, I'm not a specialist in that field, I am in cardiology not sleep.

    I do hope you get to the bottom of this.

    • nesh00338
      nesh00338 DoctorMark

      Posted

      Good day

       I am having chest pains over a week now and i went for ecg it seems fine also a test to check if i am having an attack and that was negative, but i still have the pains which feels like indigestion i also have a bad headache and neck and shoulder feels stiff, also feel so drained out,Please advise 

  • jill04306
    jill04306 jellikho

    Edited

    Hey there I am a 29 year old female and have been e the same story. Pretty much all of what you said. Mine has been here going on two months and I haven't been to work in weeks now. At least two solid weeks. I have had all of the tests and seen the best cardiologist in the county. He tried to assure me that it's not my heart because my echo came back good. I have a couple of days here and there where it's not bad and I actually have hope that I am healing. But then out of nowhere it strikes again and scares me out of my whits. Most of the time it happens when I am sitting at rest. I don't have anxiety until after the chest pain gets real bad and I can't hold back the wave of despair that finally comes when I can't keep the thought that I am having a heart attack at bay any more.

  • sarah09410
    sarah09410 jellikho

    Edited

    I feel your pain! I've been having chest pain on and off for years - I know I do suffer with anxiety due to an illness back in 2011 but in December last year the chest pain became more regular with added arm and shoulder pain. I went to my GP and they did blood tests - which I had to have redone 3 times as they kept coming back saying I had slight inflammation or my white blood count was low and then the last lot I had done came back clear - they decided I was all better and I'd had a virus (that gave me chest pain and arm and shoulder pain)! 

    I'm 40 years old. An ex smoker and not a heavy drinker - I can go weeks without having any alcohol. I do have a hiatus hernia which again, whenever I have chest pain the doctors say it is that causing it. I take tablets for this daily as well as medication for heamaplegic migraines -   I also have a slow heart rate of about 44 bpm they think is caused by migraine medication. . 

    I've been to A & E twice in the last 3/4 months. The last episode was last night as I had been to my GP last week with chest pain again but really bad abdominal pain also. My GP referred me to a cardiologist a few weeks ago but the waiting list is about 12 weeks and he is now sending me for an ultrasound to check my stomach (waiting list again). I do think I have digestive issues as I am completely off food and struggling to eat and feel nauseous but the chest and particular arm and shoulder pain is driving me crazy. 

    All my ECGs are clear as well as all my bloods (obviously good) yet I still have chest pain which comes and goes and which is not always in the same place or same type of pain and arm pain - this can start in my shoulder and travel along my shoulder and it is so worrying (which of course makes it worse as anxiety then sets in). 

    I have found this is just engulfing my life - I'm not going to exercise classes like I used to because I'm scared I might put too much pressure on my heart, I'm feeling very down and depressed and generally worried, I'm snapping at people because I'm preoccupied with this and think about it all the time. I'm finding that I don't want to do the things I used to do or dread doing things I've planned because of it. My pain doesn't always come on my doing something strenuous. Sometimes I can be just sat driving the car or laying down still.  I'm a single parent and it worries me senseless that something will happen. My dad died of a heart attack when I was 10 he was about 56 at the time.   You'd think my anxiety came from losing my dad but I'd never really worried about my health until I was ill in 2011- they thought I'd had a stroke but after lots of tests which came back clear diagnosed the heamaplegic migraines. I know my anxiety has been since then as it was very scary but I wouldn't feel anxious if I didn't have the pains!! I'm sure my GP thinks I'm crazy but the pains are most definitely there!

  • nicky87670
    nicky87670 jellikho

    Edited

    This is just a shot in the dark. But for those with chest pains yet ecg coming back clear, have you queried GERD/Acid Reflux? Sometimes Acid Reflux can create similar symptoms to heart problems. I have Acid Reflux and I am always worrying that it could be my heart. I have had ECG a few years ago which came back clear, but I know I have issue with digestion. Sometimes and imbalance in the stomach can cause reflux, but as none of us are experts, we always think the worse and then you can find yourself in a vicious circle or feeling the symptoms which trigger anxiety and the more anxiety the worsen of reflux etc. As I said, it is just a shot in the dark, but worth considering perhaps. 
    • sarah09410
      sarah09410 nicky87670

      Edited

      Hi. Yes. I have queried it as I have a hiatus hernia which we discovered - I'd been having pains on and off for a few years but it took another trip to A & E last year before my GP actually sent me off to have a camera down to get it confirmed. this has become something very different with pains in the shoulders and arms yet the GP still says it's the hernia. I have to say I'm unconvinced and am not necessarily saying it is my heart although that is my primary fear and concern. I did wonder whether it was gallstones or my pancreas - it seems very easy to just say 'it's your hernia' when the symptoms hve been so severe and also very different. 

      My GP referred me to a cardiologist and I was told last week that I'm on the waiting list which is apparently months long - I've waited 5 weeks already. Apparently they are dealing with requests from last year which seems ludicrous. I have today had a break through in that my GP has agreed to re-write to the hospital and ask for an urgent referral and I have also been given an appointment for an ultrasound next week so there is 'slow' progress. I think it is a vicious circle though as the symptoms bring on anxiety and gen the anxiety makes it worse and adds its own symptoms to it. 

  • Creyn
    Creyn jellikho

    Edited

    Hey everyone, I'm experiencing this as well at the moment. I've been to emergency several times in the last few months and have had blood work and ecgs that all come back negative, ive also had one xray and one ultra sound. The doctors have reassured me that with all the tests and the fact that im only 24 that theyve concluded that it cant be my heart. They think im dealing with GERD but ive been on meds for a week and still have seen no improvement. 

    • jill04306
      jill04306 Creyn

      Edited

      Hey Creyn,

      I have been dealing with all of the same stuff. It's been about two months now and it's gotten some better. The thing is, if the chest pain doesn't go away, then don't give up until your doctor figures it out. It's not cool worrying over what's causing your chest pain. It made me physically and mentally miserable. Remember it could be musculoskeletal, it could be gerd, its could be a an infection in your lung like pneumonia or bronchitis or pleurisy. There are alot of simple fix things it could be. It could also be anxiety. However i knew mine was not anxiety from the beginning and literally about a dozen doctors tried convincing me that it was. My doctor finally had me wear a halter monitor which is basically like a 24 hour EKG. It showed some crazy stuff so he put me on metoprolol for chest pain and high blood pressure and referred me back to the cardiologist who said it couldn't be my heart because I'm 29 and can't have heart disease because of my age 🤔 now I have another test on Tuesday to find out exactly what is going on in there but if you feel that it's more than just anxiety please follow up with your doctor to rest your mind and to make double sure that it's not your heart. I will say a prayer for you, I know how awful it is.

    • jill04306
      jill04306 Creyn

      Edited

      One more thing, don't make the mistake I did when the chest pain and stuff was at it's worst I'd get scared and keep going back to the emergency room and they would do the same work ups every single time, same everything. Blood work, ekg, chest x-ray, urinalysis.. all came back fine. You have to follow up with your doctor for further testing. The emergency room is only equipped to determine wether or not you're in a life threatening or dangerous situation and if you aren't, then it's a job for your doctor. If your enzymes in your blood from your heart are good then you aren't having a heart attack and if they do a d-dimer test and your numbers are below like a 5.1 then you don't have a blood clot either. Then they send you home and tell you you have anxiety or a pulled muscle in your chest wall.

    • sarah09410
      sarah09410 jill04306

      Posted

      Am just reading jill04306 response and you are quite right.  You do panic and go to the emergency room but all they will do is ensure that you are not having a heart attack there and then, anything else they refer you to the GP. I asked whether my pains were Angina and the emergency staff said I would have to go back to GP to find this out - went back there and he of course refers you back to the hospital!  The waiting list is so long they are working on referrals from last year still!.  I in the end phoned my GP last week and asked him to ask for an urgent referral for me - it took him 4 days to do this and I am still waiting to hear a week later.  In the meantime I have had an ultrasound done on my stomach and await the results of that. 
    • jill04306
      jill04306 sarah09410

      Posted

      I know how that goes, but I kept calling asking if there were any cancellations. When they see that your situation is obviously urgent because you call asking, they bump you up and make a note to call you if someone cancels. The only thing is you have to be prepared to go in when they call. Sometimes its not much of a notice. I just have to keep telling myself that I'm okay and that I'm not having a heart attack and that I have been fine this long even when it was alot worse than this. Good luck though i hope they can get you in soon .

    • buddah
      buddah Creyn

      Posted

      Not to scare you but your Dr is an idiot. Anyone of any age can have heart problems. Where the heck did he do his degree. Not saying you have heart problem but seek a second opinion.
  • rollsreus
    rollsreus jellikho

    Posted

    My problems started earlier this week after a very long and hard workout session and with lack of sleep (only slept for 5 hrs a day in the past month). 

    I've been experiencing similar issues to that of most people in this thread. Chest pain, arm pain, dizziness. When I went to the doc & took the ECG, it showed a ST elevation but at that time I was so very anxious so I'm not sure if it was because of that. I was then advised to take a 2D Echo test the very next day - surprisingly that came out completely normal. The docs told me this was some sort of a internal muscle cramp

    I still have chest pain, and sometimes arm pain.. the doc has given me ecosprin and some other meds for the next 10 days. I'm so confused if its actually a cardiac issue or just an anxiety issue. I feel like I'm more receptive to sounds and I often get wake up to the mildest of sounds. Some of the mid range sounds also give me a very shocky feeling. I'm very scared at the moment as to what this problem really is and the fear of it is just making things worse. The only positive thing that came out was the echo test

    • jill04306
      jill04306 rollsreus

      Posted

      Rollsreus, wow i have never headd anyone else say that about being receptive to sound during this chest pain and arm and stuff situation. Im not entirely sure id im understanding you correctly, but I live with my sister and three year old nephew and I literally had to buy a pack of foam ear plugs because I could not stand the sound of anything. Not even music that I normally love. Much less the sounds of my nephew whining or screaming or playing or anything else for that matter. So weird. The whole thing has rocked my world in such an ugly way. Everything has changed and now feels so.ehow revolved around the issue with my chest.
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.