Anxiety or Heart Disease?

[Ann1234]

I've been having chest pains for 15 years now, aggravated in the last few months, can barely go to work.

I am 37 years old female, with slightly increased LDL, not overweight. I feel all kind of chest pains - squeezing, dull, sharp, going into left arm and in my jaw. I've seen a cardiologist who did a stress test and said it is 'very unlikely' that I have heart problems. However, I keep having these chest pains that are released by Nitro spray. My former family doctor thought these are anxiety related and prescribed an anti-depressant, and the pains were gone while I was on this medication. As soon as I was off the medication, the pain came back.

I am just wondering, could these pains be non-heart related since they disappear when taking the anti-depressant? Or this medication works as a "pain killer" for all types of pains, including the cardiac ones?

is it possible to experience heart pains while being on an anti-depressant?

Thanks a lot for your feedback!

Ann

[jennyfi]

Hi. I do not believe antidepressants numb cardiac pain. Never heard of anyone that had a heart attack on the meds not be able to tell.  I do know from studying panic disorder that indeed a very high percentage of people with anxiety deel with false heart symptoms. I am not a doctor but if your doctor ruled out heart problems and wow, you have had the symptoms 15 years, I would say it sure sounds just like anxiety to me. We anxious people are our own worst enemies. Try to relax. Be careful taking other meds. Nitro spray? Did the cardiologist tell you to take it? All meds have interactions and all cause side effects so be sure your dr. says it is ok to take.

[tanns]

I am going on 2 years with chest pains that are unexplained and also ruled "not cardiac".  I wrote a message to the Mental Health doc on this forum on 4/27/07 and this is the answer he wrote back.

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The problem with anxiety is that once it starts, you become hyper aware of your body, and symptoms like you describe can be created out of anxiety, and persist because they represent anxiety.  Assuming all your medical tests are negative, what you should do now is not rely on some specific medication, but seek a consultation with a psychiatrist who can both prescribe medication and also talk you through this and figure out exactly what is going on.

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I was specifically asking him about my chest pain and the fact that I didn't feel anxious.  When I'm having a really bad day with the chest pains, I try and read over his response and realize that chest pains could be persisting because, although I don't feel anxious, the anxiousness is manifesting itself as chest pains.

I believe that the nitro spray can relieve the symptoms associated with gastro issues as well.  I think esophageal spasms will be relieved by nitro.  My cardiologist also gave me an anti-depressant, I didn't feel different on it.  But he did say that if the chest pain went away while on it, that was the way of saying it wasn't cardiac related.

Good luck to you, I know how scary the chest pains can be.

[Ann1234]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the cardiologist gave the nitro spray and he said I might have esophageal spasms.. but of course, the first think that came to my mind after the nitro spray relieved the pain was that this is cardiac related.

[Ann1234]

Thanks for your reply.

Your responses are very encouraging.

[Ann1234]

Hi Ryan, yes, I took Celexa.

Thanks,
Anca