Terrified. Possible PE?

Hey Alex, I’m not a doctor but I do suffer from anxiety because pretty badly and these symptoms can also be caused by that. The anxiety can cause you to overbreathe causing pain in the intercostal muscles, the overbreathing can also cause lightheaded ness, tingling in the fingers and a whole load of other symptoms. I am NOT saying this is what it is but anxiety is mean and mimics a lot of other things like a pe or heart attack which then causes further anxiety which will make the symptoms worse. If you really are worried it’s a pe go back to your Dr but read up on anxiety also. I find buteyko breathing really helpful. Good luck xxx

Hi Alex,

Most often, if you have chest pains when you have PEs, you would experience a sharp stabbing pain every time you breathe in.  It is also pretty relentless and impossible to do anything, even impossible to lie down.

Pregnancy is a risk factor, but if you have had one without PEs, it doesn't sound like you have a genetic disposition for clotting.  A member of my family does and she was put on thinners right at the outset.

Like someone else said on the other thread - you can have a blood test (d-dimer). 

PEs are not that common, especially in someone so young. They are most likely to happen with some kind of outside influence (genetics, surgery, some illnesses, accident etc.).

Hope that helps and if you are still worried, maybe see if they will test your blood.

All the best.

Peter

When I had my PE a month ago I had no chest pain .  My pain was on my rt side, upper quad, and around my back and under my arm pit. It worsened when I inhaled. Mine was a huge saddleback clot . I have  a Dvt in my leg and when the clot broke off i had a sharp burning pain in my thigh. I had shortness of breath but not severe.