symptoms of anxiety or a heart disorder? How to tell?

[EllieDiamond]

Hello,
This is the first time I've posted on any message board. I am a 27 year old female. I am 5'3" 105 pounds, exercise daily, no drug use and eat healthfully. The only medication I take is birth control pills, which I have been on since I was a teenager.

I have experienced chest and back pain recently (for about 4 weeks). Chest pain located in left lower side and back pain located between shoulder blades. Sharp pain lasts only a few seconds to a few minutes. The pain comes and goes. I went to my doctor who did an EKG and chest X-ray. The EKG was normal, as was my blood pressure. I have not heard back about the chest x-rays, but my doctor said she would call me if there were any issues. No call yet (it's been 2 weeks). I plan to call on Monday to check up.

Since then I have had a lot of head aches and a dull aching pain in my jaw joints. The jaw/head pain comes and goes. The chest/back pain has mostly disappeared. However, the jaw pain and headaches are causing anxiety. I went to my dentist and he said I needed to get my wisdom teeth out. Perhaps this is the cause of the jaw pain...

I tend to be a worrier, and believe this may be anxiety. But I'm just not sure. Should I go back to see my doctor and tell her about my jaw/head ache symptoms? Please let me know what you think.

[Flycaster305]

I've had quite a lot of experience with heart related chest discomfort (angina) and have experienced heart attacks, and generally I would not describe it as a 'stabbing' pain, more of a pressure or crushing sensation.  It lasts for quite a while unless interrupted by nitro pills.

You appear to have no risk factors/behaviors for early heart trouble, I'd get your teeth fixed and see if that helps.  

[prayer_mamma21]

Hello, you have just described exactly what my daughter went through, when she was 17 yrs. old.  We took her to her Pediatrician, then to the Cardio., the endocrinologist, and the Gastro. guy.  My daughter described it as a knife stabbing her from her back and it went through to her chest (or visa versa).  She had on and off headaches, especially in the AM, and her heart would begin to race...so much so that she would start to hyperventilate.  She hyperventilated so long, one time, that she passed out.  (Scary for mom)

Finally, we got the answer and solution...She initially had been grinding her teeth at night and that put her jaw out of sorts.  One thing more, that I didn't mention, her jaw would lock and she could not close her mouth.  That happened 3 different times and the ER had to pop it out and then back into place (painful).  This too was due to her teeth grinding for the past several years.  The headaches came from that, and the raising heart rate was from anxiety over not knowing what was wrong and all the Drs. just assuming it was mental health and told her to try and relax.  Giving up on the Drs. and knowing that the stabbing pains etc. were not just in her head, she began to wonder if she would never be dx. and became anxious over that.

Best of luck--LAF

[nasriwadiah]

I have the same kind of pain just like you described. The most common pain i have is chest pain and arm pain on the left side, sometimes back pain and jaw.
I too have on and off headache.

I often went to the ER when this happened. And the doctors always says that my heart are okay. I even been hospitalized once, because an intern young practical doctor misread my ECG saying im having a minor heart attack. By the time i got to the ward a senior doctor came and say my ECG are normal, my heart are okay, but they still admitted me to the hospital just to ensure my heart are okay, because the blood work result came out the next morning. So the bloodwork result is im not having a heart attack.

Better Days Ahead.