anxiety- chest pain...anyone get this?

[Clarissairene]

Does anyone else have lingering chest pain because of anxiety or panic attacks? I have had tightness/pressure/squeezing of about a year. But it can last for days or weeks without a break. I always thought if you had an attack or anxiety it would be there for a few hours and go away. I havent had a hard attack yet and have been cleared with 2 cardios.

Just curious if anyone else has this symptom. I have looked up anxiety on tons of websites and dont see chest pain/discomfort as a symptom anywhere.

[irish_pride]

hello i just want to say that anxiety is a horrible way to live it's such a powerful thing and the sad part is that it's all in our minds i say our because i have anxiety and panick problems also i'm 35yrs old i have had anxiety for about 10yrs or more and i had severe anxiety attacks i'm talkin 911 calls emergency squads always at my house and then when i didnt want the embarrassing feeling of the emergency squad at my house anymore i would have my husband drive me to the e.r. he was so tired everyday at work i put my family thru pure hell of course not intentionally. i no longer have the severe attacks i'm not saying i'm tottally attack free but i will tell you this i can live day to day and laugh a little and drive my car and go outside and not always have bad thoughts about dyeing or the what if's oh my god that was horrible the worst one was what if this time there's really something wrong with me i got so bad i could'nt even pick my kids up from school i lost my job because i would have anxiety attacks either at work or on the way to work and i would end up walking out i worked at a casino i was a blackjack dealer and sometimes i would have a attack on the table while i was dealing cards i was so embarrassed i would try to play it off like nothing was wrong but my hands would sweat so bad the cards would start sticking to them and i had to get off the table immediatly i have stayed in my house for months at a time without going out my husband and kids went to disneyland without me cause i could'nt get over the fears it was horrible the fear actually takes over your life and if that don't the embarrasment will. im still dealing with anxiety but i just wanted to tell you all how i've made my life easier with it DON'T TRY TO FIGHT IT don't try to act like your not about to have a attack walk yourself thru it tell yourself exactlly what you know this attack is going to do to you how it's gonna make you feel (for example) ok i'm feeling this attack i know it's probably gonna get out of hand it's gonna make me breath really fast i'm gonna feel like i'm having a heartattack i'm gonna be very afraid my heart is gonna beat fast and hard my hands are gonna get sweatty.
Of course useing your own symptoms that you feel if you walk yourself thru it then that means your in control of the anxiety attack the attack is not controlling you and thats why the fear is so intense cause you have no control over what is happening but if you accept your attacks and deal with them head on maybe it will work for you to i'm not saying you will be cured i'm not a doctor but i think the only people that can give advice to other people with anxiety are the ones who have or still are experiencing the attacks themselves doctors prescribe medication to us but do you think they have ever even had a anxiety attack? i have been prescribed every medication in the book but i just threw the prescriptions away because part of my anxiety fears were taking medication cause believe me whatever side affects there was i would have all of them and even make a few new ones up i had a fear of taking medication so i never took anything so for all these years i have just been doing it on my own and even tho i still find myself breathing a little fast or a little nurotic at times i'm much happier and i have a job i have my kids and i go places everyday i know its hard to fight this but you have to do it on your own but in baby steps if you have fears face them if your afraid to go outside on the first day walk two houses away from your house and then go back inside the next day walk a half a block it works as long as you dont get discouraged it worked for me and i dont even know how i ever even got anxiety i did a free study at sharp hospital a long time ago and they said anxiety attacks are brought on but something tramatic like loosing a loved one or near death experience or a very frightening experience in my case the only thing i could come up with was when i was in labor with my second child i got a epidural and the doctor hit a wrong spot with the needle in my spine and my ears started ringing i couldnt hear i was freaked out i thought i was gonna die ever since then i had anxiety so now the only thing i can do is try to live with it and there are times when i dont have any symptoms for a month because i forget about my anxiety also one more thing when you feel like you cant breath or you just feel like your not getting enough air put a little ben gay on your chest and feel the menthol opening up your lungs and chest i do this every day i know this may sound crazy but it worked for me and if i can help you in any way with what i've said then thats one person that i've helped ok well goodnite and good luck to all of you by the way ben gay is strong stuff so til you know how strong it is just put a little and for us ladies do not put it under your breast only in the middle of your breast it burns like hell under the breast but it helped me breath better maybe it will help you goodbye thanks for listening

[Kim90]

As long as you have been worked up by a cardiologist, then you can be confident that your symptoms are anxiety based.  If you need to, get a second opinion.
It certainly sounds like you have many new stressors in your life. You have made some huge decisions, moving and adding to your family.
I started to take Lexapro a few weeks prior but the side effects were horrible and I was not willing to put my body through the 2 week trial period.  I highly suggest reading and talking with someone professional to get you through this. If needed, discuss with your physician safe medications for you to take while you are trying to have a baby.
The symptoms you are having are exactly like what I have been through... don't let it take hold of you. Realize that it is anxiety based, don't fight it. It will resolve on its own and before you know it, there will be fewer attacks.  Just know that you are not alone and that we are here to support you.

[Clarissairene]

Thanks for replying. I was beginning to wonder about no one else having chest pain!

Kim- I am glad that you have accepted that its anxiety. Thats a hard thing to do. I did that in 2005 after fearing I was dyeing. I did take lexapro and xanax for 1 year. This year in January I gradually weaned off lexapro because we would like to have another child. Then in MAY after my primary care doctor told me i had an abnormal ekg did (went for mild chest pain and dizziness) then she did an echo and told me I had LVH withouth telling me what it was. So that night in May, I got on the internet and saw that lvh was pretty much an enlarged heart and bam... from them on its been awful anxiety. I was sent to a cardio and EP. Both ran the same test and more test, stress test, nuclear stress test, event monitor, holter and repated the echo... I had NO lvh and all they could find were PVC's and PAC's that I was feeling on the monitor. I couldnt belive it. They said a family physican should not be diagnosing heart related problems. I wonder if she would have never told me she thought I had lvh, would all this have happened? Anyways... i am also in a new state, we relocated because of my  husbands job and all my family is far from me. We are all alone! I love my husband and son and know we made a good choice financially, but i miss my family. I wonder if the house and money is really worth leaving your family. Anyways... my point... Right now I now I am dealing with anxiety but this chest pain just isnt right. When I get up to walk and go down the hallway, I am out of breath. When I walk in a parking lot to a store I am out of breath and my chest tightens up. I was standing at line in the bank today and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It was awful. I saw a phycistrist  (sp?) yesterday. Of course she wants me to be on pills forever!! I cant, atleast right now. we really want to have anotehr baby. Definently afterwards, I would think about it. I have heard of the clair weekes books. I may just pick one up this week. I also have enrolled in therapy to see if that helps... i guess they teach you relaxation methods and stuff.
Has your chest pain gone away? If so, what helped?

MarkTX- thanks for posting. You described exactly what I feel when you said building pressure that gets tighter and tighter... EXACTLY!!! thats what I feel. When I get really freaked out and go to the ER they ask... on a scale of 1-10 rate the pain. I never know how to explain it to them.... its not pain!! its sqeezing pressure!!! May I ask what you do to relieve the chest pressure? Do  you take anything? I normally try xanax in the evenings and it always use to take it away. Not now. its still there but I know the xanax is working because I am atleast calmer.

Thanks-Clarissa

[Mark TX]

There are definitely pains associated with anxiety... headaches, chest pains, back pains... generalized body pains.  I often described my pain as a building pressure, like being in a vice grip that slowly gets squeezed tighter and tighter.  Sometimes this feeling lasted for a few hours... and sometime it could last for days or over the course of a week or longer.

I still suffer from occasional unexplained chest pain.  Usually mild... but sometimes worrisome.  I was a smoker for 25 years so worry about my lungs more than my heart.  But my last chest x-ray was all clear.  So I try not to worry about any mild pains I'm having.  As I get older... I expect I'll be having lots more unexplained pains and aches.  =)

mark

[Kim90]

I have had those exact symptoms for about 3-4 months.  My pcp, cardiologist and GI physician have cleared me after multiple diagnostic exams.  At this time, its safe to say that the physical symptoms are from anxiety and I need to find the route of cause for the anxiety.  I am reading the book by Claire Weekes right now and find the book is thorough in the explanation of anxiety and the physical symptoms you will experience.  Also, it will show you how to work your way through this.

I have decided not to take daily medications, but was given a script for Ativan as needed.  Try to keep busy with things you enjoy and if you begin to feel the anxiety level increase, and the symptoms begin,  accept it, work through it.  Its a shame I have wasted 4 months of needless tests, physician appointments and stress to my family, but I feel that I am working through some issues with my therapist and my husband.  

Keep in touch... Good Luck!