Mild chest pains

Hi,

This probably isn't strictly anxiety, but wondered if anyone here could shed some light on another problem that's cropped up.

I have an aching pain in the top left part of my chest. It's not severre and doesn't appear to be linked to excercise or anything. It's quite localised, usually appearing roughly where my ribs meet my breast bone (a couple of ribs down from the top) but occasionally feels like it turns up anywhere out to my armpit (any point along a line at the same height)

I first noticed it at the same time as a cough-like throat irritation recently and intially I thought this was just the pain associated with a chest infection - it does feel a bit like the pain you get after coughing hard, yet more localised. It comes and goes progressively (no sudden onset - it varies from undectable to mild discomfort) and doesn't seem to be associated with any chest pressure or anything.

Does anyone kow what it might be? -GERD? -chest infection? -psychosomatic?

I'm a relatively healthy 23 year old and I had an ECG about 18 months ago for a work medical which came up fine as did a couple of blood pressure checks when my anxiety kicked in recently.

Thanks,

Chris.

Post Edited (Chris711) : 3/20/2007 5:55:35 AM (GMT-6)

Those were my thoughts too. What I've heard before is largely "if you're having heart trouble, you'll know about it". If this wasn't so persistent even now I'd put it down to indigestion, but it's been on and off for the best part of a week. The whole of my torsode feels a bit uncomfortable one way or another (it's not just my chest!) and whilst driving back from work a second ago someone I had someone nearly crash into me and I could feel what seemed to be a sudden burst of acid in my stomach, which seems to suggest something like GERD. My chest feels a little tight now, but it's not the sort of thing I'd notice that much if I wasn't thinking about it - I'd just put it down to indigestion.

The feeling in the upper left part of my chest is still there and I can immagine it would be very similar to Bronchitus (having had minor chest infections in the past). It feels a little bit like a scratch and seems to be more noticable if I cough or take a sudden breath. Occasional seems to transfer to my armpit, but it's not as if the pain radiates there, just that it fades away in one place and then turns up seperately in another.

Will talk to my doctor, but unfortunately I live in a third world country (well, england...) with a state funded health service that's very reluctant to spend any money investigating people :) with a slight history of anxiety I think I'll be told to go away and "come back if it get's any worse"

Of course, I'm assuming that it's not anxiety itself and that's already 'given' me two brain tumors, MS and HIV so I presume it can do all sorts of things to your chest too. The first thing I learned on here was not to underestimate what your mind can do to your body. I had twinges all over my body when my anxiety was really bad a few weeks back. Just had one in my right elbow (I'm sure that's in the mind) and it's quite similar to what's going on in my chest, so who knows.

Well, man, I know you're only 23 so you probably haven't experienced much of this...but sometimes people just get aches and pains. There's no real reason for them. They just happen.

Before you think I'm being condescending, I'm basing what I said on "the discomfort remains barely enough to detect".

I'm not a doctor. I have absolutely no way of knowing for sure, but unless you can really feel it I doubt it's much to worry about.

Are you drinking enough water? If you have a chest cold, you need to drink lots of water. It could just be mild muscle cramps...water may fix it. Posture may fix it. It could be that you just have an achy gland because you're fighting off the remains of an illness.

I'm one to talk, but find something to do so that you're distracted from it. I'm willing to bet it goes away. If you're genuinely distracted and it gets worse or just never goes away, then see your doctor.

Better yet...

Do you have health insurance? Look on your insurance card for the company's phone number. Most of them have an option to speak to a nurse. They'll go over your symptoms and will talk to you about it. Let them know you're an anxiety sufferer, too. If they say you need to get to a doctor immediately, then do that. If they say you need to be seen in 48 to 72 hours, I take that to mean if it persists then go to the doctor in 48 to 72 hours.

Very true - if it felt like an impending heart attack I'd be off to hospital, not debating it here! It's just it seems to have been going for ages now and it's more or less constant and in that 'worrying' area of my chest/left arm. I did get a rather stronger pain in the same area last night which really shook me up for a bit, but after getting up to go to the bathroom it dissapeared, so I'm putting that one down to indigestion!!

Don't worry, I don't see it as condescending - as well as some advice, I come on here for a reality check! I know how unlikely it is to be a real heart problem, but it doesn't stop me worrying about it (and if I was to be negative for a second, I suppose it doesn't completely stop it being one)

Ironically, having had anxiety problems I'm no stranger to feeling light headed and getting pins'n'needles in my fingers, but these haven't actually happened recently that's got to be another good sign (heart wise)

The lingering pain in my chest doesn't feel like indigestion, it's hard to describe but it feels different and very specific, which is one of the things that makes me worry ("if not - what is it?") I suppose it could be muscular - I've more or less moved in with my girlfriend now, which means instead of sleeping on my right, I taking to sleeping on my left side either scrunched up or with an innevitable head/elbow/miscelaneous body part rested on my chest!! Perhaps it's a combination of that and GERD or something who knows.

Did have one slightly odd experience last night - I woke up and it felt like my windpipe had closed off. I had to sit up and take a gulp of air, then I was fine - no hyperventilation or anything associated with it, just a one off thing as if something was lodged in my throat and then it came out.

So.... all sorts of random stuff happening to me. Maybe it is a factor of life, but for the first 22 years or so, my body never missed a beat and it seems to have been falling apart for the past couple of months - I'm sure 90% of it is in the mind, but still....

Hi Maree - all good to hear.

Getting a doctors appointment is easier said than done (it's about a 2 week waiting list right now!) but I'm gonna see what I can do.

I agree entirely that focusing on what might happen given a small probability is a bad thing, but even though my symptoms have always been relatively minor (and don't stop me physically doing anything) I've always found that I can't enjoy other stuff until theres some relief from whatever symptoms I'm having. I find it very difficult to ignore it and focus on other things, as the only time my mind seems to let the other things in is when the anxiety fades for a while.

I know medication works very well for a lot of people, but I don't really think it's for me. Assuming everything I've experienced so far is anxiety related, I'm not too worried about the physical symptoms. Thankfully it's not anything like as physically debilitating for me as it is for some people and for this reason I don't want to risk any side effects or addictive tendancies that might come from drugs. I suppose the flipped side of the coin is I'll continue getting all sorts of apparently physical symptoms until I've exhausted the list of unpleasant diseases! But still, it's something I'd rather over come psychologically.

Can I just ask again if anyone here has had personal experience of chest pains based purely on anxiety? As with my previous "diseases" I know I'm at a low risk of them, but a high risk of health anxiety, but never quite sinks in when I say it

Thanks Lyn - do you ever find the pain extending to your arm? I stupidly googled it and one site claimed this was the key symptom of heart based chest pain. Sure I've heard that GERD related chest pain can go off to one side? Suppose the mind can make it go anywhere too....

Chest pains for me now are a warning bell that I better start breathing properly and calm down..I don't get pains down my arms to go with it..yet..lol.

I have ended up at the doctors surgery on more than one occasion totally convinced that I having some sort of cardiac event...but all tests have proven that all is well..phew! Very scarey experience!

Looking symptoms up on the net is a big 'no no' for me..I have a vivid imagination and can dream up all sorts of diseases..sounds funny..but Not!

Maree

Chris - even if you have to wait two weeks to see your doc - it doesn't matter - make the appt. and put your self torturing to rest..maybe he could set up some counselling for you - so you can learn some new skills to cope and possibly meds ~ I know they are not for everyone, but I can assure you they really do help.

Maree

Excellent Chris...good news..so now you really have to do some bigtime 'self-talk' and convince yourself that the doc is right..and you have Nothing to worry about..easier said than done I know lol.

Focus on something else other than You..distraction and diversion...any kind of project that will stop you dwelling on bad stuff..it could be as big as planning a holiday, or as easy as doing a jigsaw..

You are only 23 yrs old and have so many adventures ahead of you - wow, I would love to be that age again..

Keep posting with your progress.

Maree

There are lots of us that understand the 'health anxiety ' thing believe me - I am an expert lol. A couple of days ago I pulled a muscle right in the area where I have convinced myself that I get chestpain happening..that set me off too - sheesh..it took me a little while to realise that if I twisted in a certain way it really hurt lol..and that No I was not having a heart attack...

Maree