*Constant* Chest Pain from Anxiety?

[hycotuss]

Does anyone have this for a symptom??  It's horrible, feels like I'm going to drop dead from a heart attack at any second during the day.  Have had multiple tests with Dr., said I have anxiety - put me on Celexa (3 mo's now) but it has done nothing.  Tried breathing exercises, meditation, etc - none of that stuff helps.  And can't really exercise because I'm scared I'll drop dead!  Please help, this is ruining my life, hurting my marriage and my job.  The chest pain is very real and painful to me, but the Doc is telling me it's a chemical imbalance and basically all in my head...   ???

[Shannonhelpme]

Yes i have it none stop its terrible u poor pet, im 18 and i know the feeling u think no matter what that the doctors arre missing something, people have chest pains i have head and cheat, what i do is go down stairs have a cup of tea have a good wee cry, and think to myself after an hour. " well if it is a heart attack i wouldnt be here and that sorta helps me im on zopiclone at night helps sometimes, no matter how hatd u try and tell ur self ur ok it doesnt seem to help but i downloaded an app called headspace and its a 10 therapy for anixity really does help dote

[apple0317]

im feeling that as well pain in the left side alnd also on the right side below the ribs...but the problem is my cholesterol went high and also my trigrylecirine but noe everything is normal but still i have this pain... i am from the philippines...

[Cat_Mag]

I can relate to so many posts on this thread. I have had chest pain and other symptoms for years. Like many here, I have had lots of tests which all show my heart is ok. I try to get exercise by walking because it is meant to help anxiety but I find that exercise can bring on my chest pain, I dont know if this is just psychological or my poor breathing (hperventilation) I havent heard anyone say exercise makes their chest pain worse. When I get a touch of pain when walking, I focus on it and it makes me more anxious which of course doesnt help.

[HannysMom]

hello, little backround on me, I just recently turned 40 and I have had anxiety/panic/ocd for the last 21 years (probably when I was a kid too but never went to doctor for any thing then). So several months ago I had my first baby and all heck broke loose with anxiety... I had some physical complications so I was constantly thinking I was going to die. Thought heart issues, thought blood clots, thought all kinds of things...turned into a hypochondriac obviously, and also am finding I'm agoraphobic. Physical symptoms from anxiety were yes the racing heart, sweating, dizziness, racing pulse, tingling/burning feelings in arms and lets and back and head, plus I have vertigo which makes the feelings worse. I've had this before but after a lot of panic and usually after a bad attack, I feel soooooo run down, tired, in a fog..my body feels sore and tender in my joints and yes the chest pain. Like bruised all in my chest area lasts for days after a bad attack, so would sometimes wonder if my heart or lungs were bad. So it happened again recently and the chest pain is slowly subsiding but its still there over the heart area. I know its anxiety but I do also have reflux issues so it could make it worse. Anyway...basically I'm not a stranger to anxiety...so I want to say that its definitely manageable and for some people with the right help it can become a thing of the past. For those of you who think you're dying and go to the hospital etc, thats ok! Ive done it! Finding out there is nothing really physically wrong with you is great! Go to the ER, go to your doctor, get whatever tests you need done to rule out medical issues. Absolutely nothing wrong with that!  Then take that info and now tell yourself, ok, its anxiety and I know it is and now its time to focus on treating it. For some, its a hit the first time with medication, for others it takes while to find the right one. Don't be discouraged! Take it one day at a time and keep going. I went for many years dealing with my anxiety on its own...sometimes it was fine, other times it was too much,  did medication at one point and it helped but I didn't want to be on it anymore and got off thinking I was ok.Then I went through a long lonely battle with anxiety triggered by work stress but mostly caused by my own intrusive thoughts. I finally sought therapy several years ago when I was dealing with this. I thought, what the heck, I'm just talking to someone, what have I got to lose plus the therapist after listening to me initially said she thought she could really help me and without needing meds. So I was in therapy for approx 9 months...I liked it, I always left feeling good, uplifted like I was doing something for myself. Even though, I wasn't convinced it was going to REALLY do anything for me in the long run cause we're just talking and the therapist is basically giving me pointers on how to handle and how to retrain my thinking and really I didn't think I could do it anyway, too busy to do the mental exercises she asked me to do or just didn't think of them when I needed to.. Well I was wrong, I was doing them little by little and I didn't realize how much it was helping!! After like 6-7 months...I took a look at my situation and looked back from the beginning of therapy and realized, holy crap...I'm not that stressed anymore at work...the triggers that would get me all worked up were not triggers anymore or if they were, it was a small tiny panic that I could talk myself down from in a minute...I couldn't believe it. I didn't even realize it was getting better. So if you can, talk therapy with a counselor/psychologist shouldn't be out of the question. I didn't stop because I was cured, I missed an appointment and just never rescheduled, but from those 9 months I had the tools to use that I was ok not going. Now with the post partum anxiety, I've got an appointment this weekend to start again, the triggers are different this time but I have faith this could help, and if my therapist suggests I will go on meds. I have a friend who is a social worker with a masters in psychology so I pick her brain all the time and tell her what I'm going through. This is something that she tells me, Yes, it ***** you're going through this, its a disorder, certain parts of the brain are dominant over the rest right now...but the good thing is...ITS FIXABLE! With therapy and meds. So please don't give up. Try different things, I used to run and I know you've all heard this before but exercise does help! Just walk outside around the block even, all while keep chanting, this is ME TIME, I'm not gonna think about anything else except this is my time to do something good for my body( I did that on the treadmill at the gym for at least 30-45 minutes)...keep saying that to yourself the whole time you're doing whatever it is you choose to do for yourself even if you don't believe it. Keep doing and saying it over and over and over again..I'm serious...over and over and over again...that's retraining your brain..and I swear eventually your body and mind will catch on and during that ME TIME (could be 20 minutes of whatever you choose a day lets say) you will eventually enjoy and crave it, its a start and worth a try to possibly help give you some peace!

[Fapprez]

I've suffered with this, daily, since 10/12/99. Obviously still looking for answers.  A bad day today, with constant pressure. My husband asked "so the doctors expect you to live like this, you are a mess"   I've been a bit worse lately, and after the years, I'm sure he is sick of me always having panic. I wish you all the best. I've literally tried everything at this point, even went 3 YEARS IN REMISSION. ..now it's back to square one. It's hard to function with so much fear and physical symptoms. If anyone has help, my name is Kimberly sherman Ketchum.  I'm on Facebook.  I have two children now, but I feel like such a crappy mom because of this nightmare disorder. I do try.  Hugs to all.

[sharon_melxo]

Hello guys. First im going to introdice myself.
I'm 15 and female. My names melody and I live in England.  
In around may 2015 I started to get nauseous and dizzy. The episodes were getting more and more frequent. I didn't Pay them much attention apart from the fact that I probably was drinking too much energy drinks / caffeine  or something along the lines.  I thought it would soon pass. During these episodes my mom was rushed into hospital with kidney and liver failure and pneumonia due to alcohol abuse. When she was in hospital I visited her absolutely distraught and remember her face just looking at her face terrified of the worst to happen. I remember being that scared and shocked that I couldn't breathe. A week or two later my mom suddenly died of a heart attack. And she was just gone. Soon after this incident I started to feel chest pain as of my chest in between my breasts was growing out of me. I was getting that worried I could hardly take a clear normal breath and It felt as if you know just above your collar bone there is the skin bit like your wind pipe it is at the bottom of your throat when u push it in it obstructs your airway.  (Sorry don't know the name really hard to describe might sound dumb lol) but when I breathe I noticed in the mirror that that goes in when I inhale. So when I couldn't breathe one day I pulled it outwards and I had the best breath ever it was refreshing and felt amazing it never effected me before but I think because I was so anxious all the time It was felt amazing. The chest pain got worse and worse and then after that happened with my mom I was more stressed and upset. Felt like I had the world on my shoulders plus I need to study for exams and I have 6 siblings to love and be there for. Including a 6 and 7 year old brother and sister.
Anyway back to the story I was having panic attacks. I'm sure if you're reading this you know what they are  the sweating/cold sweats the twitches and shivers the dizziness the butterflies in your belly that big breath you do to make sure your still functioning properly. That looking around contemplating Is this a dream or reality? I know. It feels terrible. Anybody who suffers you are not weak you are strong to deal with such a horrible thing. When I was at my work placement (volenteering  job) which is at a funfair dressing up to stop children bullying, somebody was on one of the rides and suffered a cardiac arrest. One of my close friends had to reccussatate her but she sadly died, so young. She like my mom was unhealthy although it doesn't make anything better the way I feel because I am fairly healthy because I still panic and worry the same.
As time went on it started to get worse. I looked online for symptons of a heart attack just in case I ever had one and to try be more rational about my panic thoughts. After reading that I got a hot flush and sudden pain shot down my left side and a numb feeling came above my heart. I panicked and went very dizzy I begged my dad to take me to hospital but he never understood he always things he knows better than everyone else but does not know how real a heart attack feels to a person suffering from anxiety! !:( as time went on there has been a permanent pain in my left arm in my "heart" probably just my chest but it feels like my heart. And sometimes I get chest pain.  My left arm sometimes goes numb and I then panic I've got bad circulation which could also result in a cardiac arrest.  I decided to Google my symptons tonight even though I know  my own thinking has created this physical pain But I just wanted to know as I don't have a doctor is there anyone else out there suffering exactly like me or do they just get pains in there chest now and again why is mine constant.  When I read the words pain in my chest and left arm all the time It gave me such a relief.  Everybody who suffers with this you are very strong. Keep going !! We will make it and overcome this awful obstacle!! We WILL make it we are strong. YOU are in control of your own mind don't forget that.
I'd k just like to add one of my coping strategies works a little for me the pain is still there and the thoughts don't go away but if you feel you are getting panicy stand up or sit up straight. Take a big breath. Notice which part moves first.  It should be your belly then your chest then your shoulders.  That's the correct breathing g excesses and I only found that 2 days ago. Look up YouTube for breathing excersoses they do make it somewhat easier I thought there was no hope but this relaxes you really well. Good luck to everyone I will pray for you tonight  sorry this isn't an answer but I hope it helps knowing your not alone god bless xxx