chest discomfort and back pain

[okieguy]

A few weeks ago I started having upper back aches after sleeping.  I didn't think much of it at the time and it always went away after i got up and around.  About a week later one night I was sitting around the house and my chest and underarms started to have minor pains.  It scared me enough I went to the ER.  EKG and X-Rays came back normal.  I went back to work a couple days later and after a few hours started to feel lightheaded w/minor back and chest discomfort.  Once again went to ER.  CT scan, ekg, enzymes, and X-Rays normal.  I did have some kind of reaction when sitting up on the hospital bed where my vitals dropped and I broke out in a sweat which further scared me (Doc said it was just a normal vagal response).  While I was there, my blood pressure was a little high (140/85) and my blood oxygen was between 95-97 so he referred me to a cardiologist for stress and echo tests just to make sure nothing was wrong.  Chest wall pain was the diagnosis by the ER doctors, but I'm still wondering if that could be it. To this day my back still aches after working all day.  I am a 33 yr old male, don't smoke or drink, no family hstory of heart problems except grandad with pacemaker and one uncle with past heart surgery.  Thanks in advance for any help/advice you might offer

[Roni062693]

I can understand being scared about possible heart issues but I do think some people listed may be experiencing panic attacks.  If you have minimal new offset of pain and numerous test have cleared the obvious; being over concerned would cause stress and panic attacks which are still harmful to your health.  I was hoping to see if anyone has had cardiac tamponade and if they still experienced that back pain that showed up as the first symptom and has continued years after.

[studnutz]

wow i thought i was the only person with these symptoms. im 18, male i started smoking when i was about 13 or 14 and recently quit due to chest pains that worry me. and i have been experiencing the same types of discomfort. i have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and feel the same way as most of you. i dont know whether or not to trust what my doctor tells me i have but yet again shes the doctor not me. i feel very uncomfortable most of the time due to chest pains or trouble breathing the doc says it is just anxiety but its still very scary because i truly do not know whats happening inside my body i have gone to the hospital multiple times due to chest pains, extreme headaches, anxiety attacks (before i knew i had panic disorder) etc. but nothing ever comes up and i only feel safe either at a hospital or in one. i know sometimes i may work myself up into believing i have some sort of serious disease or even cancer but other times the discomfort/pain doesnt go away for a while and really worries me. i have never had any problems like this in my life until the past year. im glad im not alone though maybewe are just some paranoid skeptics maybe not. recently i went to the hospital because i coughed up blood and i found out i had bronchitis but now im on antibiotics and hopefully my chest pains will come to an end but i doubt it. im not sure how to cope with my chest pains/anxiety and was wondering if anybody in here could give me some techniques. k thanks

[serg36]

I'm 39 and a year ago started with symptoms of chest pain, arm numbness, high blood pressure, back pain, and head tention. Been in and out of hospital with everything normal. Had EKG and echo stress done and everything thing normal. Had massage done and it took care of back, neck, and head tention. But still feel funny. There are still moments that chest, and jaw discomfort re appear and feel bad internally like there could be a problem with the heart. I just don't know anymore...

[Crewchief67t]

I have the same things going on!  I feel alone on this deal.  My docs are dismissing it as anxiety disorder or something.  I have gone to soo many docs i dont know what else to do.  Dont know if i want to start the whole process over or what.  I did have coronary calcium screening done and my score was a 0.  It seems that everyday i have a new symptom.  Lately my chest pains have gone for the most part.  Now have a lot of arm pains (both) and frequent jaw pains (both sides).  I just want to go to the Doc everyday i am soo scared.  I still cant believe that anxiety/panic disorders would cause this stuff to happen.

[mea15477]

I also been having the same problems, I have had 5 EKG done, stress test, blood work, chest x-ray they all came back normal, it scares me every time it happens, (which is right now) as we speak..  I have been told I have panic disorder and it has to do with that.. I want to believe the dr's...... but I so scared I am 32, smoke and drink on occasions..  They put me on meds for the panic and they seem to help some but not 100%, I just so tired of having these problems.. It all started year ago after my mom passed away.. Liver and Lung Cancer..

[amlibbee]

I have been experiencing this discomfort in my upper back between my shoulder blades.  I feel like I need to crack my back in that position to make it go away.  It is discomfort in my upper back and into my chest.  Is this a panic stress related issue or should I see a doctor

[amlibbee]

I have been experiencing this discomfort in my upper back between my shoulder blades.  I feel like I need to crack my back in that position to make it go away.  It is discomfort in my upper back and into my chest.  Is this a panic stress related issue or should I see a doctor

[LadyNRA]

I hear ya.  Sometimes I will get my PVCs stronger than usual and I'll feel them twinging now and then into my right chest or into my back.  But all tests are normal so far so am trying not to worry too much.  It sometimes feels like my heart is reacting to the continuous reasonably high # of PVCs (around 3,000 to 4,000 a day, all day...but not much at night).  So the harder the thump of the PVC, the more likely it is for me to feel some discomfort but it is typically a fleeting pain, not radiating, and it goes away...like a said, more of a twinge.  And like many people on here, I feel it more with stress (I'm in a job where they count everything you do), and more if I'm not sitting up straight, and definitely more after eating a fairly good sized meal (like today when we all went out to eat as a unit).  I also had some back pain not too long ago and the doc said that the muscle just to the right of back bone was definitely spasming so that was connected.  It's weird to get a palpitation and feel it as a muscle spasm but oh well, there ya have it.

[chadwicke]

This is the second thread I'm replying to about this.  How common is this, I can defintely see I'm not alone.

I have chest pains and things resting or exercising or just plain old shifint positions.  I have been diagnosed with palpitations which are further compounded by panic disorder (I think).  

I went to the ER too and had 2 EKG's (again), X-rays (again), and an echo-stress test.  They all came back normal, but as the doctors usually do when initial tests don't diagnose symptoms, they go onto more advanced tests.

They had me on a halter monitor for 24 hours and it came back with tachycardia, but again, no heart attacks.  It also showed bradycardia which on not really worried about.

But let me tell you something, the first response to your post might have some weight to it.  Anxiety and panic can cause those syptoms, or at least in the chest.

Do you ever have a suffocating feeling in your throat?

[dquenzer]

Relax.  Maybe you should see a good chiropractor who will do some deep massage.  Try doing some stretching exercises in the middle of the day just to loosen up.  Sounds like you are a bit tense.