Anyone else with chest tightness/squeezing? Feeling worried.

Hi.

I know I'm not having a heart attack or anything but I've been having a lot of tightness is my chest and it is scaring me. It's really uncomfortable. I was at my internist office today and everything checks out fine. It's likely from either Babesia or Bartonella. But I hate this. And I have my three kids running around and my husband has been out and I hate being along with them when I feel like this. What can I do to help it and make it go away???

There are many older posts about chest tightness.

here is one
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3677525


Some of them talk about inflammation causing it, but Im sure there are other reasons too. If you can check out the pots and maybe you will find some that are similar to yours.

Might be ideas about what to take or do for it.

Not much help here except to say I had/have this, too. I had it the worst before I knew anything about Lyme, so I haven't figured out what helps it.

I recently added Sida acuta, and that triggered those symptoms again along with a little bit of coughing. Babs or Bart - not sure which. I know babesia is well known for air hunger, but the chest tightness is something different, and I keep feeling like I read something that makes me want to connect it to bartonella.

For me, I also get a stiff feeling in my chest, like there's rigidity in the chest wall and when I try to get a deep breath, it feels like my lungs can't fully expand b/c my chest wall is rigid and won't expand with my lungs. When I have the chest symptoms, coughs, laughs, and sneezes don't feel normal. If I laugh hard, I'll start coughing and sputtering and gasping. It's not asthma. I tested negative for that. It's definitely from Bartonella or babesia (for me).

Thanks so much for the responses. It started earlier this evening. I had this a year ago when I first got bit and it scared me then, too. It feels like my chest is being squeezed. That's the best way to describe it. My pulse ox is 100%, I'm not gott of breath, I don't have any stabbing pain, I don't have palpitations, and my blood pressure it totally normal. I'm on massive blood thinners so I doubt it's a clot. It's likely just a really bad feeling from one of these infections:

On a side note.... I got blood work back today from a worthless infectious disease dr. You know he's clueless when I'm. Telling him which tests to order. Anyways.... came back with high titers for both Bartonella henselae and Bartonella Quintana. So it makes sense that my recurrent fevers that I've had for over a year are finally going away being on rifampin and minocycline. Yay!!!!

WalkingbyFaith said...

Girlie said...
I have a tightness in the ribs area...just below the chest.

i thought it was possibly nerve related...it wraps around to my back.

Evanston - did it start just recently ? Was it with the start of a new medication?


I hope it resolves for you soon!

I had tightness in the ribs, too, all the way across right under my breast area. At the worst, the tightness was so bad I couldn't stand up straight.

I also had inflammation all the way through my chest cavity that wrapped around to my upper and middle back and up into my shoulders and upper arms.

For me, those symptoms felt like massive inflammation instead of nerve related.

The tightness is a horrible feeling.

i've also had what I call the MS "hug". where the tightness ramps up and it feels like one wrong move and my back (in the thoracic area) will be 'out'.

What a constellation of symptoms we experience....it's ridiculous.

I have had so many chest pains over the last 6 weeks, they don't really scare me anymore. Okay, they still do, but I know I'm not going to collapse all of a sudden, and I'm the kind of person who is convinced they are having a heart attack every time something twitches, lol. Everything from twinges to twitches, to sharp pains, to dull pains.

Yeah, it's scary. I did an EKG just to be sure, and actually had a 1st heart block that I didn't have a few months ago - another reason to believe I have Lyme. But if everything appears okay, I would try to take comfort in that and relax. Easier said than done, of course.

I sometimes notice the feeling when I breathe in that I'm not getting a full breath or my chest feels uncomfortable, but I also sometimes think that's just my imagination.

I started having chest tightness like someone was squeezing me with air hunger. I eventually was positive for babesia microti and duncani so I began treatment with malarone, zith and artemisia.

The squeezing and tightness around the ribs wrapping around on the sides got very bad. The squeezing and air hunger created much anxiety/panic for me. My stomach would feel bloated and tight. With treatment, these symptoms have got much better.

I treated for at least 6-7 months before these symptoms let up. I still have many other babesia symptoms but squeezing is almost gone.

Evanston1 said...
Thanks everyone!!

Yeah.... no bra. Just wearing big sweaters for now to make it not so obvious. Bra is too squeezing on top of the already squeezing sensations I have.

Glad to know I'm not alone with these creepy physical sensations. No fun!!

I thought it was just me with the bra. I hate putting it on - I keep wondering if it's pressing on some nerves and exasperating things.