Picture it, you’re enjoying an average day at work when all of sudden you get a sharp jabbing pain in the center of your chest.
You go from totally relaxed to “oh no!” in 3 nanoseconds. This is a very typical reaction to anxiety induced chest pain.
Chest pain can create a swift and focused sensation of fear all over your body in what feels like an instant.
Your first assumption is that you’re having a heart attack and that you’re going to die suddenly.
After several minutes of experiencing chest pain, even though you haven’t died just yet, you figure that it has to be something serious.
Symptoms like chest pain may have even prompted you to visit the ER or set up an appointment with your primary doctor.
If you did go to see a doctor he/she probably put you through the paces of blood tests, EKG, stress test and maybe even a portable heart recorder for good measure.
The tests all came back normal and you were sent on your merry way. But, you still get chest pain from time to time.
So what is happening, can it be anxiety causing you to have these pains? First let me just say that if you are experiencing regular chest pain and haven’t seen your doctor you should go see him/her asap.
Chest pain really can be a sign of heart attack or other serious heart condition.
Really I’m not trying to be an alarmist but this is just a fact. However, once you have been through the hamster wheel and have been told that your problem is nerves than you might be experiencing anxiety induced chest pains.
Anxiety does have the ability to make your chest hurt and it does this in generally 5 ways.
1. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD causes your stomach to create excess acid which is “backed” up into your esophagus which in turn creates heart burn and chest pain.
2. Esophageal spasm : This causes your lower esophagus to contract and also disturbs the muscles in your chest wall. This is a random and involuntary contraction of a series of muscles.
3. Stress : High levels of stress over a prolonged period of time can cause muscle tightness and tension. This can lead to all kinds of aches and pains all over, including the chest area.
4. Panic attacks :It is also very common to feel chest pain and shortness of breath when experiencing a panic attack.
5. Precordial Catch Syndrome: PCS is usually seen in children and teens but has been known to affect adults.
This is a seemingly mysterious condition that causes sharp pains for short durations, normally under the left breast or even the arm pit.
And although the pain is sometimes piercing it is not dangerous nor does it require treatment.
I have read many articles that try to explain the difference between chest pain and a heart attack.
As far as I can tell there is very little difference between the two. This is exactly why it is so important to see your doctor if you are experiencing new or different types of chest pain.
Once you have been checked out however you should relax and accept that not all chest pain is heart related. This is not to say that it isn’t frightening because it absolutely is.
I’m just saying that you should try to put your mind at ease so you can reduce your stress level which would decrease the anxiety symptoms that create chest pain.
I have had this particular problem myself for about 2 years. And although you never get used to it, you can relax your attitude toward it.
It’s important to get cleared not just for safety reasons, but also to reduce the amount of fear you have when chest pain does hit you.
Chest pain is varied so it can make you grab at your chest and pulse for days. Your heart can feel “warm”, you can have short jabbing pains, the pain may radiate to your arms and back, your chest muscles may vibrate, the muscles under your arm pits may be affected, etc.
Chest pain can be an endless abyss of worry. So cut the worry off as it were and do what you must to be reassured.
For tips on how to relax effectively click here .
And for a good explanation about the difference between heart attack and benign chest pain click here.
I have been having chest pains since 2010 when i joined high school….av gone to different hospitals soo far without positve results.i feel bad when chest attacks occurs,that they even distress me.i feel pain at the sternum and even some times the pain extends at the back………please help me.i want to get better
Hey I came across Rachel’s comment I get the same thing chest pain on left side saw doctors got ekg xray ct scans blood test they said I’m fine and its anxiety.
I can help you. Send me your email if you’d like or facebook. I have the same thing.
Tips that help me is accept its anxiety. It’s not easy the first few times but when you feel phsysical anxiety aches come on let it be there don’t let it scare you accept it. Tell yourself it’s just a feeling. When you let it terrify you and try to push those symptoms away it’ll make you feel worse. Accepting the symptoms for what they are will eventually shrink them. I’ve learned from experience believe me. Practic it breath in through the nose for 7 seconds slowly then out through the mouth for 9 seconds slowly and accept the symptoms don’t let them scare you no matter how bad they are it’ll pass remember that. Remember panic attacks won’t kill you!! Things will get better keep positive don’t allow negative thoughts.
I am sorry to hear what you all are going through. I myself a 21 year old female have been feeling sinilar sympotms for the past few days now. It started with my arms and legs tingling while I slept, and later progressed to tightness in my chest and throat, difficulty breathing, shaking, faintness and dizziness. Because I also missed my menstrual cycle this month, and had abnormal bleeding I drove to Urgent Care almost 100% sure there was something physically wrong. I was told there I was fine, and all that was due to stress. However, the following day the symptoms got worse until I felt as though I was losing consciousness, I had my mom drive me to the ER where they conducted blood analysis, chest and lung x-rays, EKG, urine samples, and checked for my oxygen and blood pressure levels. Everything came back perfect, except a slightly low potassium level which I was treated for. Left the ER still sure there must be something wrong. Today I continue to feel as though I am drowning, and nothing seems to make it better. I debate whether I should go back to the ER, although the last time they basically told me I was crazy! I am a bodybuilder, the gym is my escape, however lately I can’t even seem to put my self together enough to go workout.
Any advice!
Thank you all
Best,
Karina
One thing that helped me conquer panic attacks- acceptance- instead of resistance. Resistance only exacerbates panic- we are conditioned to resist this but accepting them – saying”I give up-I’ve had it! Do what you will to me”! , Will surprisingly change everything! Try this at least- surrendering to the panic- hard as it can be – since every fiber of your being is telling you to resist!, is actually the trick to freeing yourself from thiese nasty buggers. If you surrender and accept it- you may still get them, but they won’t hold so much damned power over you- and trust me, you won’t go bonkers by doing the acceptance- you will begin to feel so much better!
Hi all. I thought I was the only one going through this but after reading some of the comments it made me feel a lot better. Don’t get me wrong I do not wish this on anyone but I definitely can relate. I just started my business this january and things was going great until a few months back. I tend to have these chest pains (more toward my left) whenever I get excited, angry, or even when I am talking to someone. I feel my mind is thinking too fast and my mouth is not saying the words quick enough and that tend to get me all worked up. Also my dad had a heart attack last year and every time I get any pain in my chest I associate it with a heart problem. Just like many of you I also had a full check up at least 3 times in my life and every doctor said you are find young man, it is all anxiety. I even went to the emergency and again doctors said we couldn’t find a thing and said it was stress/anxiety. They gave me pills and I refuse to get my body hooked on medication so I try to meditate early in the morning and run a little. It helps me a lot in the early day but eventually the pain comes back when I am in stressful situations throughout the day. I feel lost and not too sure what else to do. I know I have to discipline my mind cause that is the key factory that is causing all this problems. If someone out there have any other suggestions please feel free to share. I really don’t know what else to do. Thank you all for listening and hope each and every one of you get through this annoying situation.
Hello,
Ok, all to familiar. Little Background. I have been a world class /national and international athlete all of my life in several different disciplines. Training hard pretty much daily, not taking on another sport and making international level competition. I have never taken any type of illegal form of enhancement drugs, merely all legal type sports drinks and recovery type stuff as sponsored athlete. So, I am basically at my wits end with all this, consuming my thoughts and worries. Several trips to the ER hooked up to everything imaginable over the years, all passing with flying colors and health, I am checking my pulse rate every few hours, worrying that I am going to die at anytime…this has been going on for years, chest pain, arm pit pain, panic attacks…I am most happy when stressing my body with sports and cardio type day’s, but I worry because at night my body goes into shock, no sleep, soar muscles, heart palpitations to a level that is very uncomfortable, when I do fall asleep, I worry I will die in my sleep from all this. Sometimes I wake up suddenly seemingly gasping for life begging my wife for water…she is so used to my worrying, I am alone with all this crap. Scary stuff right here. I think I have tried everything imaginable to shake these symptoms without success. I am starting to doubt myself in sport, afraid I might die doing so, thinking of quitting everything and letting go of things I love. wow, i am rambling like no other.
I now have a fear of loosing feeling in my legs, I have leg cramps, soar ankles and feel I am falling out of shape for my sport, hard to train knowing this will get the best of me at night. argh !! need help from someone with similar issues (or not issues) I am holding my chest as I type, checking my pulse…I need a work out now…dang ! sucks.
Feel like this article is written just for me 🙂
I have all the symptoms you have mentioned and have been to ERs often for an EKG.. have also done the stress test 5-6 times.. and also a cardiac telemetry monitoring.. none of them produced bad results.
but still when I get a new type of chest pain, I get worried and go for another EKG.
after all these tests, my panic level have come down.. but still not able to completely come out of it.
Many thanks for your post
Hi my name is Andrea,
Ive started having really bad chest pains but only on the left side since i was 18 and im 22 now. Ive gone to the cardiologist so many times and they all said my heart was perfect. I just dont userstand why it hurys like that lie i feel it right on my heart and my left arm and my back. It sucks but they have told me it was anxiety also -_-
wow I have never felt anything like it its so scary its been happening to me about 12 months only on a night when I try falling to sleep I get shortness of breath I feel like im gunna die like im taking my last breath it only normly happens a couple of times at once but last night it happened about 2o times I didn’t sleep till 3am an I fell to sleep sat up with the light on I was so scared that I was drifting off into death I went inbto a stage of panic my heart was racing shortness of breath my chest was really tight and I had aches in other parts of my body the fear is unreal is the worst feeling ive ever felt could this realy just be anxiety
Help please,
Two years ago I had my first chest pain.
The nurse called the waiting room to inform me that my husband had a widow maker. His value was closed 98%. I had no idea. He kept it from me so I wouldn’t worry.
When we got settled in his room.
I had pain like I was stabbed in my left breast at the very top left corner.
My husband is fine , doing amazing.
How ever I had all the heart test.
Only a a small leakage. It’s fine.
Had lumps in right breast but it’s fine.
It’s my breast, a tight squeezing , burning, stabbing pain. It’s starts at top of left breast , goes under breast to the center of my back.
I pray each time that I don’t die. That how bad the intended pain is.
I do have wide spread fibromyalgia.
I feel like I’m going crazy. I jump, can’t sleep, stress for sure. But I can’t say anything is wrong at the moment. Have had a lot going on in last 2 1/2 years.
Don’t know we’re to turn. I’ve been prayed for so many times .
Doctor seems to have deaf ears to my problem.
Hello, I started having a Sharp pain in my left side of chest. At the very top
First pain was a little while after my husband had just got in his room at the hospital. His heart was blocked 98%.
The doctor called the waitingp room and said my husband had a widow maker
Thanks for the message! We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Lewis Dawkins
lewisdorkins@hotmail.com
Hello, I think I am suffering from Health Anxiety. For two months now I have been feeling awful, chest pains, minor and what I feel to be severe at times. Aswell as breathing issues, heart palpitations and stomach aches at times. It started 2 months ago after a party while in bed I had a weird heart sensation and began to panic, I thought I was having a heart attack. The next day I was still in panick. so I went to the hospital, had an ECG and he said I had heart inflimmation, he gave me some ibopurofen and off I went. Everything after that was normal for a few days, I had no chest pains at this point, ever. Then during the night a few days later I woke up feeling sick and panicked, I went to hospital again and I reacted badly with the ibopurofen. After this point this is where the chest pains began. 2 weeks later I had a burning chest sensation and began to panick, this one was really bad, as this was the panick attack where the chest pains were incredibly painful and I thought I was dying. Since then I have had 4 ECG’s all coming back normal, and a blood test which has came back normal. I haven’t had another panick attack since mid-january. But I still get chest pains daily aswell as stomach pains and rarely I feel like I can’t breathe and my chest feels empty. The chest pains sometimes come even when I am COMPLETELY relaxed and not even thinking about them, is that normal? I just don’t understand why I am still getting chest pains 2 months later, I am struggling to cope, I have been incredibly down recently and staying in bed all day. I am 20 years old, generally healthy and no heart or chest issues in my family history.
I have depression and anxiety…I get so scared…chest pain and then nitro…I get weak and so sick..I tremble…my chest feels warm but I do not sweat or have pain in my arms…I want to be a member on here…what do I do?
Wow! After reading everyone’s comments I feel so much better about what I’m going through. About two years ago I was abusing drugs. (Stupid, trust me I KNOW!). One night I had a terrible panic attack and ever since then, I’ve had terrible anxiety, OCD disorder, and chest pains!(I’ve also been sober ever since then) I’ve had 4-5 EKGS done, an ECHO, wore a 24 hour heart monitor. Everything came back fine! I got pregnant with my daughter and had zero anxiety/chest pains throughout my whole pregnancy. After I had her however, the anxiety and chest pains started again! All the time. Chest pain on the left side, terrible sharp pains, left shoulder pain. Every doctor I’ve seen has said it’s anxiety and that I’m fine. Everyone thinks I’m crazy and I feel crazy thinking this is all caused by anxiety. I was wondering if maybe it’s hormone related since I didn’t have any through my pregnancy? Anyways, good to know I’m not alone in this.
Thanks for the article. Just last week I went through a very stressful situation just like you mention, starting from an ok point suddenly I realised I could lose my flight. I got very stressed and felt my chest contract and had trouble breathing as I hurried to the airport. When I finally made it, I felt very tired and my whole body muscles still tense, although breathing got easier. Next morning my back, and arms ached. I am ok now. At the moment it felt like a panic attack but when telling the story to my grandpa he got worried I could have a heart attack anytime. So reading this is really easing my mind.
RICHARD, i know what you mean. I feel iv not been myself since i was at collage.. before i fell into depression, the depression started off just small thoughts & now i feel im not me anymore, anyhow the depression had other side effects such as Anxiety.. one moment im fine, get on the bus.. then BAM, i feel/be ill or worse i get chest pain like iv been stabbed & someones just turning the tip, Recently its been making life more of a pain in the ass as my work is stressful which is effecting my health (mainly my mind) & if i take a day off ill (or a couple) they think im skiving so it makes me look bad as somedays im fine others its like someones rolling a dice.
sometimes i just think its my mind (which it is) & try to fight through the day at work.. others i my anxiety gets worse as when i get the chest pain it makes me a slow worker.. i then get moaned at for taking x amount of time to try to calm down a little so i can work better which pulls me back into the loop, i find it hard to ‘switch’ off at night my mind is still trundling through many thoughts (sometimes what i did wrong & how to fix it or sometimes other stuff). many years my minds been in dark places, but recently i have noticed its getting worse, i accidentally stepped in-front of a car two days ago then backed-up as i thought “what a mess id make, id feel sorry for the poor-sap who had to clean-up” lol.
this Anxiety really sucks in many ways other than just the chest pain, breathing problems etc.. but im hoping to get it cured today as Finally my Doctor will see me instead of just doing normal checkups and saying “your fine.. theirs nothing wrong with your ticker” which is ok if i thought it was my heart and not my mind. or once i saw a ‘Doctor’ about being depressed only to have him reply “nah, your fine.. id understand you being depressed if you lived in Africa and had nothing to do except play football, you need to get out more & spend your free time doing stuff like going to the gym etc” which would of been ok if i could just switch off the depression so i felt like going out.
hopefully i find a way of beating Anxiety so i can actually get on with life & finally enjoy stuff a little more.
This blog has been very helpful in helping me figure-out what my problem/s is/are & the comments have been interesting as its nice to hear what others have to say and how then overcome or work-round this truly annoying illness.
Hello, I read this and it helps me not feel so alone. I’ve been to urgent care and the emergency room 3 times in the past month and a half. I was at work one day and my heart started racing like crazy. I thought it was the end and don’t think I could have been more scared. They did a chest x-ray and an EKG and everything came back normal. A week and a half later I went to the e.r and felt even worse. My heart felt like it was going to pop out, I felt like I might faint, and I could get enough air as if my throat was closing up… They did a cat scan, an EKG, and another chest x-ray and everything came back normal. A week after that I made an appointment with a doctor and he had blood work done. All normal. Claims to be anxiety. I feel like I should be happy with everything coming back normal but I still feel afraid something is wrong with me. I’m afraid to sleep thinking I might not wake up and experience chest pains at random times and in different places of my chest. Even when I’m not stressed. I just want to feel normal again.
Hello I am Donalyn back in January of this year my and my fiance had dinner at Denny’s and I had a blackout spell and caused us to go way over our budget luckly a kind man helped us but it almost cost having us getting arrested but didn’t thanks to the man but when we were heading back to my apartment I had a severe panic attack pain in the chest and trouble breathing we had to go back into Denny’s and have them call 911 so I went to Kenmore Mercy emergency room and what they gave me helped and now when someone says or does anything that causes on of those panic attacks to come on I have an as needed med to take that my primary doctor prescribed and the thing is I knew exactly what it was and the cause but wasn’t anything that I could do without being seen at the emergency room but it felt good to have relieved at the emergency room and having an extra med on hand just in case
HI I am facing chest and back pain in left side, I feel dizzy and scared also when i try to go for a walk or any new place i feel scared that i will fall down and when i return back I feel good. I dont know what is happening to me in office also i get chest pain and i feel it all over the day. I went to doctor he took my stress test, blood pressure and blood tests in which Stress test was fine, cholesterol and uric acid was little high and blood pressure was 88 by 135 who he told is normal. I am really scared i cant enjoy my life, cant give time to my friends and family because now i am scared of going out and new places. Please can any one help me or what should i do.
I need help please please, also I am having negative thoughts day by day 🙁
Hello. My age is 40. I have been having upper left chest pain and sweeting since 4 months, and it also goes down my left arm and into my fingers. If I twist my fingers, it feels redness.
Have had it off and on now for quite a while. my neck has also pain some time.gotten quite sore and hurts sometimes .Now my upper left chest pain is more into my left shoulder too, not on my back but actually in the ball of my shoulder to my neck area. I am always afraid of heart related problems. I have had two 50 EKGs, 3 Echo and 3 ETT all test fine but one ETT shows the result positive remaining 2 ETTs are normal. heart Dr referred me to pulmonologist, the pulmonologist advised me take asthmatic medicine 6 month I m taking the the medicine since 1 month but chest pain ,sweeting and shoulder pain is still persist . I have also HB positive , viral load is normal, HBeg is negative. Does anyone else experience anything like this? Any one help me please???
Heyyyy friends I have been suffering from anxiety from last 10 years some time it comes and goes I have seen lots of the articles went for all the tests like ekg and blood tests all came normal what I found there is bit deficiency of the magnessium try to have foods contains lots of magnesium like almonds and all and accept the anxiety it will help u alot
Am 29 years and I have been experiencing chest pain over the last one year. The first time I experienced this was on july last year when I was in a mission in Tanzania. I went to ER and the carried out echo, blood work, and ECG all things came back normal and I was told it was due to anxiety. I was given an antiacid and the pain subsidized. after three months later I started feeling it again and went to see a cardiologist, this time round in Kenya who ordered for blood test only to find nothing was wrong with my heart. I was given some drugs which alleviated the pain for three months.Since then I have been experiencing the same pain but since I was told nothing was wrong with my heart I have confident that am not having heart attack.
Am praying God to help me to come out of this.
,
I have panic disorder,severe anxiety plus phobias and chronic depression. So i’ve had chest pain before. It sucks! I’m also vitamin anemic,low vit d and b12. I’m a vegetarian who has not been well enough to take my vitamins. So Now I’m feeling better I’m on a prescription of iron and take my other vitamins/minerals. I just want to suggest everyone get their Vitamin/minerals levels checked as a vitamin defienecy sp? Can cause mental heath issues. Like mental confusion and memory issues etc.
Hi my name is Syed, i’m not sure if i have anxiety but the symptoms sure are right, not all but a few. What i wanted to know is why people here have anxiety for over 10 years!! is this a permanent thing ?? Does it ever stop? How would i stop it if i wanted to?
Is there no treatment or medication for anxiety ??
If what I have is anxiety, how could someone be okay with it for 10 years?? I’m astonished and sorry at the same time.
Someone please tell me there’s something that can be done.
I lost my lovely Labrador dog and in 2015 and I am still suffering build up and crying moments, I suddenly two months ago developed a dead feeling in my mouth and around my lips area, It also tracks down into my Thoracic region ,not real pain but very uncomfortable , after I awake I think is it going to be there today and yes after a while it comes back, The depth of feeling for my dog was immeasurable devotion and not ashamed to say I was in love with him, I wonder daily who is looking after him now Could the various feelings of numb tongue and mouth tracking into the front superficial chest area be instigated with the roots of loss and anxiety..??????anyone advise ,Been to the doctors finds nothing wrong …geoffrey.m3uxb@gmail.com…Thank you..
HEY GUYS ,,,,,, ALL OF US ARE FACING THE SAME PROBLEM :'( DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO??? SOMETIMES I THINK TO QUIT MY LIFE DUE TO ALL THIS . BUT FU*K I CANT BECAUSE MY MOM WONT SURVIVE THAT SHOCK. BECAUSE DIEING ONES IS BETTER THAN DIEING EVERYDAY.
BUT THERE IS SOLUTION YOU CAN HAVE WHICH I CANT ..FOR IT BELIVE IN GOD.. VISIT HOLLY PLACES MORE OFTEN . NEVER STAY ALONE. AND MEDITATE . IT WILL HELP U A LOT AND STAY BUSY HAPPY.
I PITTY MY SELF I CANT DO THAT DUE TO MY PERSONAL REASONS . IT WORKED FOR ME WHEN I TRIED BUT NOW I CANT CONTINUE THAT DUE TO UNRESOLVEABLE ISSUES OF MY LIFE BUT I SUGGEST YOU GUYS DO IT AND STAY HAPPY AND REMMEBER ME IN YOUR PRAYERS.
AND ATLAST WANNA SAY ONE THING WE ALL HAVE COMMON PROBLEM STAY IN TOUCH .
YOURS ANXIETYMATE
GAZI
Hey nora plz send me ur facebook idd i need some of ur time if u dnt mind plz
I’m 12 and I’ve had chest pains ever since this girl has been bullying me and it’s not helping every time I think of going to school or church because she is there my chest hurts and I thought something was very wrong with me but now I know that it’s just panick attacks so yea FML
My name tyrone. My chest hurt in the middle and i am very worried that I might have a heart attack but I have anxiety so i dont know but can anxiety cause a heart attack
Whenever I punch the air really hard (for no reason in particular) I get a sharp pain in the chest (I punch hard enough to hurt my elbow from the blow) I don’t know why i get the pain and i would like to know if you would have any idea.
I have anxiety but I don’t know why but in the middle of my chest when It gets touched even by me I start to panic and feel like someone is stabbing me and It makes me lose sleep over it
Maybe in an article geared toward helping people with excess anxiety, you might not want to repeatedly remind the reader that anxiety chest pain and heart attack pain feel the same, are similar, and something one can’t differentiate between. You hit that point several times in the article, and thus, I felt more rattled after reading it than I did before!
I get all the above, mine feels like a jolt it really freaks me out, I’m 35 I have seen 2 cardiologists and still no diagnosis..
I suspect all of you have parasites which causes headakes chest pain tiredness feeling out of breath. Numbness. Stomach pain blurred vision. Off balance weight loss and ect……. So please everyone go get tested for parasites and make sure you get tested for all parasites that can live in the human body
Everything everyone is prescribing is infected with parasites which cause a 1000 different problems which might be misdiagnosed into something else like anxiety or chest pain or flue like symptoms or even uncontrollably anger out of no where or blurred vision or off balance and knowing something isn’t right but nothing found so please everyone get checked for every parasite that can live in your body or even your pets
Yes, I also experience chest pain especially at the upper chest area. There is also some chest tightening whenever I get excited or nervous. I had my stress test, blood test and EKG done last December and all came back normal, yet from time to time I still do get it. The most recent ones were about a couple of weeks ago. I workout here at home and one of my exercises is the flat bench press. I am lifting weights that are much heavier, as progression. I noticed a frequency of upper chest pain and sometimes tightening whenever I am excited. There is also some sort of pin prick sensation to my left side, at the ribs area mostly. It is worrying, which doesn’t help my situation any obviously. I will go back to my doctor though he is still on vacation until Oct. 3. Since the tests haven’t turned up anything I wonder what it is, and also wonder if problems can quickly arise from the tests until now. Hopefully not.