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Chest Pain caused by Anxiety without panic attacks????????????????

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Posted 6/16/2012 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
I am a 17 year old male teen and I struggle with chest pain, upper left back pain, heart palpations to the slightest thing. I feel like I am gonna have a heart attack or something is going funky with my heart even though I had many ECGs an also Holter Moniter and the Ultrasound on my heart, which tests all came back saying I hae a healthy strong heart. And they say it is all anxiety even though after I got off my antidepressents I dont have panic attacks anymore and my moods seem to be better then what they used to be. I cant drink, smoke (cigarette/****) without something funky going on in my chest and I can feel my blood pumping threw my arms,neck, upper left back. I used to be a runner and I stoped after this onset of my life going from awesome to crap. Now I started running agian and I get extremely bad left chest pains and I can feel my pulse threw out my body. I just went to the ER AGIAN last night! And they said nothing is wrong AGIAN! doctor gave me "Tecta" because he thinks its my stomach and I have took them and it doesnt seem to do anything. I cant play basketball or nothing without getting extreme chest/ upper left back pain.    Can this be all anxiety related to cause this, please I need someone to talk to. I feel just like ending my life becaue Icant go in the career I want because of this:( Please someone help. confused    oh and im 17 and very healthy, thin, tall and muscular. Not what I used to be but I have no risk factors for heart disease

Post Edited By Moderator (Scaredy Cat) : 6/16/2012 6:27:16 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/16/2012 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hey man, I'm 23 and have had bad anxiety and panic attacks since I was 12. Ive had an amazing home life but some people are just born with it like diabetes or anything else and we have to live with it. Anxiety can cause pretty much any feeling in your body from muscle twitches to tunnel vision to feeling like you would pass out. Our bodies adrenaline trigger is just loose or something. I think that hyper sensitive people like us are prone to more extreme heart rates when running because the feelings of exercise make us worry which releases adrenaline. But we have to keep doing it to prove to our bodies we won't pass out and we won't die. The best thing that gives me peace is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Knowing that no matter what happens Im Secure for eternity really gives you peace. If you don't have a relationship with God I would strongly encourage you to find a good Bible teaching church to visit. God bless.
Posted 6/16/2012 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
oh my gosh dude!! I started reading the bible and started praying to jesus. i think i became this way because i used to be a really bad person. id hurt people and was just a bad person, how can i say it.. i used to ride with the devil. and he made me sick?? but im finding faith in Jesus and praying to him everyday.. But about the anxiety/panic thing, I dont have panic attacks anymore but can I still get this pain which is constant even without panic attacks?
Posted 6/16/2012 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
Yeh. You can have anxiety without panic attacks. All you can do is get all the tests done to let yourself know it's all in your mind. You'll still have bad days but the more you tell yourself it's all in your head and you never will die from it the more you'll be able to live with it. Glad to hear you're seeking Christ
Posted 6/16/2012 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
Do you have constant chest/back pain?
Posted 6/17/2012 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Anonymous,

It is going to be okay...this is a common anxiety complaint...and no, you don't need to be having an anxiety attack to have anxiety related chest pain.

There are a couple of reasons why people have this issue. One is the tendency to shallow breathe. The respiration rate increases, but the breath is not deep or effective, causing the thoratic muscles to have to work harder than they should with normal breathing. This will also cause the cardio symptoms that are bothering you as well.

Another reason is constant tension in that area. We are often not even aware of how much tension we are holding in our bodies at a constant level...it becomes the 'norm' for us with anxiety...and leads to sore, painful muscles.

Finally, anxiety sufferers are on red-alert about every pain. twinge and weird feeling in our bodies. What may be a mere nuisance to the average person, becomes unbearable for us! So you are probably just feeling and reacting at a higher level to your symptoms.

I have a great breathing exercise that saved me when I was going through what you describe in your post. I can't remember if I posted it for you already, so if not, and you are interested...let me know and I will send it out right away.:)

Try and have faith that you are going to get through this. I speak from experience, and we are all here to support you.:)

Talk to you soon,

S.C.
Posted 6/17/2012 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
I am interested, could you please send it to me
Posted 6/17/2012 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
Anon,

Here's a copy and paste from an old post...this member had exactly the same issue you are having...

Okay, if you are struggling with a tight chest sensation, you will benefit from learning to breathe productively. It's very common when anxious, to breath rapidly and in a shallow manner. This can result in hyperventilation and thoratic (chest muscles) fatigue. The chest and abdominal muscle get tight, not allowing you to take a good deep breath comfortably, thus making the whole cycle worse:(



Here are a couple of links that teach some breathing and relaxation exercises, and I'll post my favorite 'The divided Breath' below...



www.ehow.com/video_4405003_breathing-exercises-panic-attacks.html

www.stress-relief-exercises.com/

www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_relax_I



Okay, my favorite is this one, it takes some practice though. When I first started, I could hardly do one!

The Divided Breath:

Imagine your lungs as having 3 parts. The bottom third, the middle, and top third. On the inhale fill the bottom third first, then the middle and finally the third. Make sure that this is one continuous breath, but divided, with a slight pause in between each third. Hold the breath in for 3-5 seconds if possible. Exhale in reverse. First blow out the top third, then the middle, and finally the bottom third of your lungs until all air is expelled. (remember the pauses) Repeat several rounds for a toatal of about 10 minutes. Practicing this every day will not only give you control and structure to your breathing, it will strengthen and loosen the thoractic muscles, allowing better, more productive breathing, and relieving the chest tightness!



Good luck, and remeber pracitce everyday whether your stressed or not, that way when anxiety really shows up you'll be ready:)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 7/3/2012 10:01 AM (GMT 0)
You must still be anxious on some level if you're on here asking about chest pains. It is common to have these because we are breathing shallow. Try breathing exercises for example whenever you don't feel like you're breathing is right breathe in for four seconds and breathe out for 6, or whatever you find easier eg breathe in for 3 and breathe out for 5. It really helps a lot. And to the person who said anxiety is something we have to live with is utter bullshhhh. No one has to live with anxiety and you aren't born with it. There's always a way out,if you want to help yourself you will get better :)
Posted 7/3/2012 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
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Posted 3/20/2014 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Anonymous did ur chest pain ever go away?
Posted 3/20/2014 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah no more chest pains. That was resolved because it was gerd so I took PPI for 3 months now no chronic chest pain. But the origin of my gerd chest pain is from Lyme disease . I have numerous uptime that came along with my chest pain from neurological, urology, psychology, gas trilogy and cardiology and bones muscle etc.! So yeah when people tthis whole time telling me it was in my he's and it's all from anxiety, really I had Lyme disease. Well a middle finger to all those doctors and specialists who treated me like I was a hypochondriac liar !
Posted 10/23/2014 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Hey I was in the same boat as a lot of people here and the chest pain was getting worse. I was constantly being told it was anxiety and panic attacks. No anti depresssants helped and deep down I knew it was something physical. I was finally diagnosed with a HIATAL HERNIA and I have been doing exercises for it that you can find on google. Finally, I am starting to feel some significant relief. My GERD is subsiding and my chest pains are becoming less frequent and it's only been about two weeks. I figured I should share because I know how much it sucks not to know what's wrong. I hope this helps someone
Posted 10/23/2014 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hey,
Your body is tired, and your nervous system is sensitized. This sensitization exaggerrates the heart beat. Hearts can beat at over 200 beats constantly for days on end and come to no harm. In panic attack max is about 160 beats a minute.
Your heart gets exercise from physical exercise and also from adrenaline. Really in a panic attack your heart is exercising.
Its just adrenaline making it beat fast. If you have anxiety and get palpitations than the adrnaline is casuing it. If its been checked by the doctor and nothing was found to be wrng then its just caused by adrenaline!
Best,
Jon
Posted 3/29/2017 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
Anonymous101, has Lyme treatment helped you ?
Posted 7/26/2017 11:48 AM (GMT 0)
Gondore - I've looked at some of your posts and I think I've got issues very similar to yours. Are you still active on this site? (Chest pain, difficulty breathing in, pain when I talk making me not want to talk -
but no other LPR symptoms, consequent anxiety, was in Connecticut just before this started which is Lyme Central). I would be grateful if you are still active so we can discuss. Thanks!
Posted 7/26/2017 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi kpodhayski,

Thanks a ton for replying. I've looked into costo but the symptoms don't seem to fit. I don't have pain or tenderness when pressing on the area - the discomfort seems a bit deeper.

Gondore seems to have been dealing with this for over 3 years now and his symptoms are similar.

I have paint that is *triggered* by inhaling deeply. The inhalation itself isn't that painful, it's the after effects I seem to suffer from. The same applies for talking. If I speak for any period, I get really uncomfortable. It's like a sore throat but really deep down.

I've been treated for asthma for the last 18 months without much help from the inhaled steroids. In fact my pulmo thinks they may actually be contributing to the symptoms - but who knows?

I've lost 25 lbs (12 kg). I've started exercising and run for about 2 miles a day and walk another 5-8.

I'm currently exploring the esophagus route with my pulmo and a gastro surgeon but haven't gotten too far to date. PPIs don't seem to help (yet at least).

I also fractured some vertebrae 5 years ago and had a spinal fusion but never really felt and problem with it. I still have the nuts and bolts in there. But I've learned the body and mind are more complex than I ever imagined (or cared to imagine in the past).

I have had a bit of a history with depression but I was pretty happy before this happened (quite suddenly).

It's perplexing, pernicious and frankly depressing. ;-)

By the way, you've taught me a new word today. Nutrigenomics. I've been exploring the effect of diet on mood and psychosomatic symptoms but haven't found anything that definitively makes a difference. Nutrigenomics looks interesting.

Again, thanks for replying!
Posted 7/27/2017 4:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Gondore and Dalaigh!

I want to welcome you both to the A/P forum! We are glad you've joined us though sorry to hear of your current challenges.

Please see our Resources at the top of the main forum page here for great self help material to work with...(practicing the suggested exercises daily will make a big difference in how you feel!)

...as well as talking to your doctors about your anxiety treatment options.

Please also consider starting your own thread of introduction anytime...so that we can get to know you better, and address your needs more specifically.

Talk soon,

Scaredy Cat
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