heart problems/anxiety attacks?

[motherofan18month]

okay so i know this is really the wrong forum to be asking this question but i cant seem to post in the right forum because its always full!.........MY SITUATION: i have been having stabbing pain on my left side closer to my sternum since i was 20 years old, when i was 4 months preggo DH rushed me to ER because, my left arm was tingling, i couldn't breath and i had very bad chest pains! they couldn't run as many test on me because i was 4 months preggo and i didn't have the heart to say that we could try for another if anything did happen to our lil man if i let them run certain tests......to make a long story short they told me that i was having an anxiety attack! MY QUESTION: if im not at all stressed out why would i have anxiety attacks every few days???? please i hope some one can help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[motherofan18month]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR RESPONSES!!!! i have recently found out that my father has Mitral Valve Prolapse......also 2 of my aunts have hpothyroidism! nothing else was ever mentioned while i was preggo and my doc never did prescribe meds for PA or even suggest another doctor...( we have really bad doctors around here----my dad could have died because they thought he had an overdose of drugs, but when they saw that his neck, feet, and hands were swelling and he couldn't breath....they immediatly admitted him to the hospital and ran many tests to find out that he had somehow contracted staph infection through his blood stream) sorry my post is so long, im just starting to get worried that it may be the reason why i have had no luck with getting preggo for the last 7 months!      THANKS & GOD BLESS!!!!!!

[Mommymunoz]

I too had alot of chest pain when I was pregnant with my second son and chalked it up to his health issues. However, the pain continued even after he was born and I found out I had hypothyroidism it was wierd because I didn't have any symptoms but I had all qualifying reasons to have it.  I would just suggest that you talk to you doctor and ask if that could be a possibilty. Hope everything works out and you feel better soon.

[spade22]

Just to add - did you get a full (non invasive) workup to see if they is a physical cause for the PA's?  For instance, if your thyroid is out-of-whack that can cause PA's and as Crysi said some heart conditions have symptoms that are similar to that of a PA.  Use of a 24h holter (event) monitor can be used to rule out any abnormal heart rhythms and will not cause problems with your baby (its basically just a portable monitor you strap on for 24 h).

[spade22]

Panic attacks in a NON pregnant individual can happen at any time without rhyme or reason - there isnt always an obvious cause although more often than not there typically is a trigger (it could have occurred weeks or months earlier though).  In a pregnant individual, hormones can trigger panic attacks and some women that have never had one before experience their first attack during pregnancy.

Are you on any medications to control the PA's when they occur?  Vistaril is a good choice for pregnant women and is taken as needed so you may want to ask your doctor about that (its also used to treat allergies and insomnia during pregnancy).  There are also a good selection of SSRI's that can be taken while pregnant, with very minimal complications outside of the 1st trimester.  

I assume you tried to post this in the doctor-mediated mental health forum which only takes 2 questions per day.  Here is a link to the patient-to-patient forum.  You wont have a problem posting in this forum and it is filled with many knowledgeable individuals who can give you loads of support.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/71?camp=msc

[Crysi]

I used to have anxiety attacks a lot (still do but now know the reason) and went to the hopsital a couple of times after attacks. After I got really sick (pneumonia in both lungs) the emerg. found a weird sound to my heart and I got sent for a bunch of tests. Came back that I have mitral valve prolapse (caused to weird sound) and untsustained ventricular and supra ventricular tachycardia. The tachycardia's, even when I am not aware of them, cause the anxiety/ panic attacks. My tachycardias were caught on 24 hour monitors.

Although anxiety/ panic attacks can be caused for seemingly no reason. You could try and get more tests done on your heart if you are concerned or ask for anxiety meds. I have meds that I take only on a need be basis (for anxiety)

Hope this helped a bit.

[sam75]

so sorry i dont have an answer for you. but i too suffer anxiety attacks. not often now. i too asked the same question as u did. i never came up with an answer and i wonder if alot is a hormonal imbalance, but i did find i have anxiety more when im pregnant, tired or not eating regularly or well. hope u get through this if u ever need to talk just msg me...