Anxiety- Chest pains/tightness/pressure

[Camarin]

Has anyone ever experience your chest feels pressured/tightness/ or rather a brick on it?  I've been goin thru this for the past month of Sept 2012 til now.  I know its part of my anxiety symptoms etc, but any remedy on what to do?  i try to relax and stay calm and as much as i want to refrain from taking my stress pills (alprozolam).  I only take when i feel the onset is def strong.   Any advice on what to do when this occurs?  Thanks!

[Camarin]

Yes...everything you just wrote is exactly what i will be doing at the end of the month.  An exercise stress test.  I couldn't bare the chest pains much longer and had gone in this wknd.  Thought i was dying or somethn.  They did an EKG and everything looked fine.  Even took my labs (AGAIN) and will be forwarded to the cardiologist etc.  My doctor just prescribed me ecotrin (aspirin for the heart) which she says it's a good thing and advised that it's my anxiety causing the chest pain etc.  Peace of mine is always a good thing.  I'm also on alprozolam...i take as needed in the event my anxiety becomes unbearable.  

[rodlang]

Many of us have had similar symptoms.  My doctor did an EKG (normal) and sent me to a cardiologist for stress test and echocardiogram (both normal).  The cardiologist said your heart is fine and probably anxiety causing the symptoms.  I was a relief to know that the ticker was in good working order.  You might ask your doctor if a visit to cardio is in order for some tests.  The peace of mind really helps.

[Camarin]

THANK YOU!  your input means a great deal.  And yes all the above symptoms you described is what leads to me being in panic mode because i sometimes feel "am i dying today?".  I will address the issues as for my discomfort.  It does scare me completely but at the same time i try to switch my mode of thought to stress free.  

At my last check up my doctor said i was fine and it was my anxiety etc.  But at the same time as i googled the physical symptoms of anxiety/panic, i was amazed at ALL the symptoms it can possibly make one feel.  Heart attack is exactly what i am afraid of etc.  

But as you said, i need to perhaps go thru counseling or so to get to the root of all my issues.  Thanks!

[RubyWitch]

I'm very glad you'll be seeing your doctor about this. Anxiety, for many of us, presents with symptoms in the chest area. I think this is due, in large part, to our propensity to hyperventalate. Which in turn, can cause many cardiac type symptoms such as dizziness, palpatations, lightheadedness, pain in the chest which can radiate to our arms and jaws.........then these symptoms create feelings of panic which then causes our bodies to release the hormone adrenalin, which speeds up our heart rate, makes us sweat, cause numbness in our extremeties and around our mouths.......jit's a nasty cycle that lands many of us in the ER with "heart attacks."

While a primary care doctor can spot some obvious heart problems, I always recommend people see a cardiologist. It's just too easy to miss some small symptom that only a specialist can pick up on. Especially in women since our heart problems frequently present much differently than mens.

I speak from experience as I now sport two metal stents in my heart for a problem my GP thought was related to my anxiety and acid reflux. I then wasted precious time messing about with a gastroenterologist who could find nothing wrong with my gut and suggested it might be cardiac in nature.

Bingo.

I don't mean to spook you. I'm also a good 20 years older than you, I'm just saying that for far too many years, women have been horribly shortchanged on the level of cardiac intervention we've received and so I want you to make damn sure this isn't your heart. Any and all heart problems must be ruled out before they hang the anxiety diagnosis on you.
If I'd left my primary care doctors office believing it was just my anxiety and reflux, the thorasic surgeon who placed my stents can tell you I wouldn't be here now to tell you this.

I did digress, for which I apologize, but I want all women with chest/heart issues to be given the same thorough screening as men.

Please let me know what your doctor says. I'm very interested.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[Camarin]

thanks for the advice.  I have a physical appt coming up on the 22nd of Oct.  I'll be sure to bring it up to my doctor re my symptoms etc.  The last when i got check when it first seriously happen (my anxiety) back in May 29, 2012, everything seem fine w/my lab work etc.  I agree that the pills only mask the cause of my anxieties.  

[RubyWitch]

Was the Xanax prescribed specifically for these symptoms? In other words, is your doctor aware of the chest discomfort/symptoms and that is why he gave you the Xanax? Does the Xanax relieve the symptoms? Are these the only symptoms you have?
If not, then I'd suggest seeing your doctor again. If this discomfort has been going on for a month. it's possible the symptoms are causing the anxiety, not vice versa.
If the anxiety IS the culprit, then I'd recommend therapy to find the root cause of the anxiety. The pills are only masking the symptoms, the underlying cause is still there.
I wish you the best
Greenlydia