chest pain, run down : (

[stephk821]

I am sooo sick of feeling like this.  I feel like I am going to go crazy!  Every single day I wake up feeling the same horrible way.  I have had really bad chest pain for months and this past week has been ridiculous with it.  Some days I am just exhausted and other days I experience flu-like symptoms (weak, exhausted, achy).  I also feel like I have pains in every possible spot on my body.  Does anyone else experience this with their anxiety?  I am trying to take meds but Zoloft isn't working so I have to wait to see my doctor to find something else.... I feel so helpless...  :' (

[stephk821]

thank you everyone for all your recommendations and stories.. i really do appreciate it!

[RubyWitch]

Well...........that DOES make me feel better to know you've seen the doctor about your chest pains! And you say all the tests came back normal, so what did they tell you the pains were? I'm going to assume that anxiety was discussed when you were being given the results? And if not, then it should have been! It's very possible that your pains are related to your stress/anxiety/panic. I also get frequent chest pains, especially when I'm feeling stressed and anxious, and have also gone thru a battery of rather nasty, invasive (to say nothing of horribly expensive) tests to determine if there was something "wrong" with my heart. For many, many years, nothing WAS wrong. I had just become very obsessed with my heart, being aware of how it was beating, having palpatations, little pains that I would magnify into sure and certain impending death from a heart attack! When my mother suddenly died from an MI, my own cardiac hyper-vigilisim became a hundred fold worse. Another round of tests still showed nothing wrong and I had long dicussions with my therapist regarding the source of my cardiac fears. I feel many of them were put to rest and I lived, relatively free, of worry for quite a few years. But, being a smoker in my fifties, I had something VERY REAL to worry about! Long story short, another problem I was having, which turned out to also be nothing, made that doctor send me back to my cardilologist. Many more tests were done, but this time, as I sat across his desk from him, I was given some rather harsh news. Although my heart was basically fine, they had found that in my left decending artery, I had blockage of up to 50% in some areas! Bear in mind, I had NO chest pains before or after this visit to the cardiologist. All doctors will tell you that you MUST quit smoking (SO much easier to say than to do) but this doc said that if I didn't quit, he could almost guarantee that within 5 years I would have a "cardiac event." Well, if you don't think that scared the **** out of me, you'd be wrong. I am now working my quit program, but it's hard.
I fear I have digressed from YOU to ME........for which I apologize. To get back to your original question about these pains being anxiety related, I think the most obvious answer is yes, they COULD. BUT, and there's always a BUT........this is something you really need to discuss with your doctor and a good therapist. Cardiac hyper-vigilisim can rob you of so much peace of mind. In my humble opinion, I think this is something you need to work on. I wish I had done that years ago..........would have saved me from wasting so much time, to say nothing of the money. I am NOT a doctor and you can take some small comfort (or not) in what I went thru, but the bottom line is still that ONLY a cardiologist can tell you FOR SURE that your heart is not the problem.
Not sure I was much help here and I fear I may have just caused you to feel even more uncertain about your chest discomfort. But your very recent tests have all come back normal and so I would do my very best to accept and believe my docs and get on with my life. Find some way to reduce your stress, (I can't urge you enough on that point) watch your cholesterol levels, exercise, eat right and have regular check-ups. All these things will help you come to terms with your heart related fears. And remember that during a panic or anxiety attack, your heart will do many tricks for you. Learn what they are and learn how to deal with them. If you want to PM me I will tell you some of the things I do to deal with my heart related panic. These work for me and may help you a great deal as well. Until then, be glad your heart is sound and get on with your life.
Peace
Greenlydia    

[shelzmike]

Considering that you have had these test done and they have come out normal, I would say that it is more than likely anxiety and stress. Most of the time chest pain (from the heart) is not felt directly where the heart is. Also, from my work as a paramedic in my former career, I have learned that chest pain associated with a heart related illness is the worst pain one has ever felt.

Another option, and this sounds kinda weird I know, is gas. Gas can cause some pretty severe chest pains. A few years back, I was having chest pains really bad (I was 19 and 20 at the time) to the point of where I could not breathe at all. went to many doctors to find out what was wrong, no one could say. Finally, I saw a doctor in the ER one day and she said that it was gas! can you belive it? Something so simple causing all that worry! And I know that it is true because I still get it on occaision but once the gas passes it is gone.

However, this may not be your case - I think yours may be more related to the tension on the skeletal muscles around the rib cage caused by stress. This is a good starting place so you can see that there are tons of people who have the same issues, me included (I used to anyway, now I am much much better).

And savy..you took my answer :) stephk821, as savy mentioned get some books by Dr. Claire Weekes - they are fantastic. They have helped me SO much more than any medicine, medical doctor, or psychologist ever has. A good one to start with is one called "Hope and Help for your Nerves" - the title is kind of cheesy and it sounds somewhat irrelavant, but trust me, it is completely relavant.

Mike

[savygaby]

also read dr claire weekes books, look on the internet for them

[savygaby]

yes, then it stress and anxiety i dont have chest pain but i get feeling of pressure on in my head sometimes feel lightheaded it depends how stressed i am but my body lets me know it. You should see a therapist and see what is going on in your life, sometimes medication is not the cure? What is bothering you in your life?

[stephk821]

i'm sorry i did not mention that i have gone to the doctor for this several times.... i have had a chest xray done, EKG, and stress test, as well as many different blood tests... all came back normal.... that is why i am wondering if it is just stress and anxiety??

[Jade59]

Ah....the Green One speaks!!

[RubyWitch]

As Jenn, one of our resident wise ones, has suggested, you need to see your doctor immediately! I know you said you had an appointment, for which you "had to wait," I think you need to call them back and tell them you've had "really bad chest pains" for......what did you say? MONTHS?
HELLLLLO!!!!!
What are you waiting for?
Many of us experience all sorts of physical manifestations along with our anxiety/panic, so in a certain sense, what you are feeling could very well be a part of your anxiety issue. But "really bad chest pains" that have been ongoing for months should never have been ignored! I really don't mean to scare you, Hon, but come on! If you can't get in to see your doctor TOMORROW, I would strongly urge you to go to the ED of your nearest hospital and tell them what you've just told us.
You say you feel so helpless, and most of us can relate to THAT feeling as well, but you are FAR from helpless! You came to us and we CAN offer you support and encouragement, but we CAN'T give you any answers and that is exactly what you need to put an end to this "helpless feeling." Take the bull by the horns and get the help you need NOW!
PLEASE keep us posted. Hardly anyone else on this forum is as mean as I am, but we all care and wish you the best.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[26nout]

Have felt that way all day.  Actually almost committed myself.  Spoke to suicide hotline at 4am.  saw a psychologist this afternoon who recommended I commit myself.  He also recommended a shrink who I am seeing monday.  May end up losing a job over the stress and feelings.  Now have depression diagnosed as of today.  ouch.  I feel your pain.  I got my doc to write ativan prescription to get me through until I see the Psych doc on monday.  Hopefully it works without side effects, I cant stay off work more.  I have not slept more than a couple hours for months.  Even with Ambien cr..  Hopefully, the psych doc can help and maybe could help you?  I am dragging and listless and apparantly it is depression, feel a lot like you.

Good luck.

[Jennifer375]

I assume you have had a full physical or otherwise visited your doctor for this pain?

I ask because pnemonia can cause chest pain, joint aches and pains, muscle soreness ect,, and there seems to be a type that can wax and wane in its severity and go on for months. You may or may not even have coughing with it,, has he done a chest x-ray to rule out an infection yet? If not its something to consider bringing up. :0)

I just recently recovered from a spell of pnemonia myself that went on for 2 months without me realizing what it was. I thought I was just fighting repeated colds and or my lungs were still healing from years of smoking. I wish you well and hope you feel better very soon friend.

*Bows with respect and apprication*       Jennifer