chest and arm pain everyday....so tired of this

I've been having left chest and arm pain for going on at least 2 years. I also have strange foggy head feeling and the typical anxiety symptoms. The chest and arm pain will set me off quick though. I'll be fine for a month or two then its back again. It seems like the pain comes first but I'm high anxiety all the time. I've had 2 echoes, a stress test, blood work and more ekgs than you'd believe. During the worst episodes I'll be at the er at least twice a month. After all the doctors and test they still say its not my heart. The last er soc said it was cosyovhondritis. Of course I think he was just pressing too hard. My oxygen sat machine freaks me out by having crazy waveforms and I'm going crazy! I've cried and cried today and now I feel nauseous, of course that too is a sign of heart attack.

I'm so tired of this! I want to enjoy my kids, my husband and family! I'm only 33 with no family history of heart disease at a young age, low bp, good cholesterol. I do smoke and don't really exercise though. This is ruining my life!

ryates,

Remind me what you have tried for anxiety relief? Are you in therapy, taking meds...ever tried self-help?

Sorry, but I sometimes forget what members have used for anxiety management, and it will be easier to respond if I have the whole picture.:)

S.C.

Well your medical test speak otherwise...so that is good!

Keep working on trying to find a therapist, and until then, can you practice the coping skills, such as the ones in our Resources, everyday?

It takes commitment and practice, but they will in time work!

So many of our anxiety symptoms mimic more serious issues, and they are scary! That is why health anxiety is as prevalent as it is.

Have you checked out our health anxiety book recommendations? They might really help you to stop the negative/scary thinking...and turn it around to postive rational thoughts in terms of your symptoms.

Wishing you peace!

S.C.

ryates, im a 34 yr old male and your twin, i have alot of left arm pain chest pain and shortness of breath and scared to death to die and worry about heart attacks 24/7, are you on a benzo like xanax or ativan, or klonopin to help calm you? I'm hear for you i know what your going through its horrible im 6 ft 140 lbs and im afraid of cholestrol so i don't eat much, i watch my salt, and i dont excersise much either, i hope you get better :)

Today is another bad day. My jaws feel kinda tired I guess. Its probably from tightening my jaws which I do stressed. After all the tests I still think they missed something. I mean you hear of people who have normal tests then have a heart attack. The doctor offered yo do a ct angiogram but that involves dye and meds to slow my heart rate way down. I already have low bp so the meds may cause it to bottom out. I'm starting to get upset and wanting to go to the er again but I'm here alone with the kids :( I just don't know what to do anymore.

I know how you feel. I had a lumpectomy and they removed 19 lymph nodes on my left side. My arm will sometimes swell and really ache. I always think its my heart. They say I have a strong heart. I also have some plaque in my neck arteries and so that worries me. I'm 84 and that does give me some cause to worry, but I want to enjoy life and get over the silly worrying. I have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to enjoy. I want to look into Mindfullness and maybe find a therapist. peace of mind to all, Dee

Been there my friend ...... and how it's a constant battle for the rational to 'keep a lid on" the irrational.

The costochondritis and the "mental fog" rings a few bells for Fibromyalgia; an 'overarching pain condition' which has anxiety & depression as frequent "cohabitants". It was originally thought as mostly a female disease but does impact guys as well. There is a separate sub-forum for that disease so it may be worthwhile looking at the resources on that sub-forum and see if you "tick some of those boxes" and if so, it may be worth raising with your doctor.

NOT going to criticise your concern re the arm pain but may it also be due to muscle tension. Many of us anxiety sufferers DO tend to store a lot of our tension in our neck and shoulder muscles which can in turn cause pain and further tension in our arms and backs. There may also be some nerve issues involved. I've been having a hell of a time in recent times with my left arm ..... and like you the negative thoughts were often at the forefront. My rheumatologist, who I'm seeing re Fibro, referred me for a shoulder X-ray and it showed bursitis in my shoulder which has major impacts in the bicep muscles and tendons. darned painful and will be a long recovery ...... but at least that worst case scenario was put out of play !

DO ask informed questions of your doctor but be careful about always "second guessing" them. Sometimes you're ultimately 'second guessing" yourself. You do need to keep an open mind .... and allow yourself to receive positives, not just negatives.

I don't know why, but I think maybe all of us with anxiety share this same issue. It is my worst fear, a heart attack...I have costochondritis, and ulcerative colitis. Both of those will make my chest hurt, and then my arm will hurt. Then my anxiety gets a bit going, and then my jaw will hurt, and my shoulder blade will hurt too. I have gone into the E.R. when these symptoms have been going on, and all my test were good. For the life of me, I can never get it out of my head that it's not my heart. I think it's a never ending cycle. My pains make my anxiety worse, then my anxiety makes my pain worse. There could be many other health issues that could be my problem, but I always think the heart. Yes my Dad died of a massive heart attack, but my Mom died of cancer. Why is my focus always my heart? I know this doesn't help much, but I just wanted to say your not alone..

my 85 yr. old uncle has been dying from a heart attack since I was 5 (I'm 53) He is now the only living sibling of my late father and guess what? He has RA. People with RA can experience costochondritis which mimics heart attack. Do you have any other rheumatic symptoms? I did not even know we had RA in our family until I talked with him at my last uncles funeral where I saw his deformed hands and he told me my grandmother had it too. My mother & father had told me she was chair ridden at a relatively early age but RA was never spoken as I do not think it had a name at that point.
I wish you all the best

Hi all I'm new to this site, but glad I've found it as I feel so much better after reading some of the posts. I've been suffering all day thinking I'm going to have heart attack with pain in my left arm and neck but hearing so many other people suffer same thing I feel better

Only therapy is going to help you. We can all tell you that your fine as so the doctors but you will not believe because you are full of anxiety. Find a therapist, local mental health center. Anxiety and ocd over a physical phantom symptom can drive one crazy, get therapy soon, it will help you understand and cope. Good luck and hugs.

I also suffer from chest and arm pain all the time and as a result i end up having a major panic attack. I was just diagnosed with fibro in may, Gerd last year and generalized anxiety. I am weaning off my antidepressant so that doesnt help my anxiety but i need to stop the medication if i want to try out cymbalta. I also was told over ten years ago that i have nerve damage so i constantly have nerve pain, particularly on the left side which causes me to have more anxiety. It helps to know i am not alone though.

Do you ever get a burning pain in your armpit? I get that a lot but i just figured it is related to my fibromyalgia.