Hi all, I'm wondering how others are dealing with their chest pain? On my drive home from work this evening, I had a bad episode of chest pain. It came on suddenly and radiated over my entire chest and up into my neck. It scared me even though I just had a stress test and all was fine. Of all the anxiety symptoms, this one is the hardest for me.
Will others please share their experiences?
Thank you.
Chest Pain
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justmethistime
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:19 am
I notice that when I have chest pain (for any reason) the first thing I do is panic and chest breath...which makes the pain worse. I stop myself and belly breath to calm myself down. Then I will talk to myself like I used to talk to myself out of panic attacks. Just a lot of kindness to myself...remind myself that it is only anxiety or in my case I pull chest muscles a lot.
I hope this helps some.
I hope this helps some.
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Guest
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Guest
Hi,
The first time I had a full blown panic attack I thought I was literally having a heart attack. I went to the ER and they did all the tests and after 4 hours they looked at me (I knew I had an anxiety disorder) and said "call your therapist". I went home feeling uncertain how this could feel so bad, so scary, so huge and then they send me home saying it's in my head. But I told myself that 'this too shall pass' and after 3 full days of panic, it did. I've become very aware of when panic is happening and 'comfortable' with it, knowing it's not going to kill me, but at times I lose that focus and it all floods back. You are not alone. It's an awful, scary feeling but you are still in control even though it doesn't always feel that way.
The first time I had a full blown panic attack I thought I was literally having a heart attack. I went to the ER and they did all the tests and after 4 hours they looked at me (I knew I had an anxiety disorder) and said "call your therapist". I went home feeling uncertain how this could feel so bad, so scary, so huge and then they send me home saying it's in my head. But I told myself that 'this too shall pass' and after 3 full days of panic, it did. I've become very aware of when panic is happening and 'comfortable' with it, knowing it's not going to kill me, but at times I lose that focus and it all floods back. You are not alone. It's an awful, scary feeling but you are still in control even though it doesn't always feel that way.
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Guest
Sunniebeech,
I am so sorry to hear about your episode and I am right there with you. I am not always sure which one causes which, but the anxiety is just the same when I have chest pain. I also have Costochrondritis - it is something to do with the chest (a type of injury per se - you can use a search engine to read more, but likely not your issue.)
At times when I start to let everything get to me my chest pain will get really bad and like you I went to the ER, ironically this was after 3 yrs of anxiety, I finally wound up in the ER - After four stress tests (annually now) and four Echo's. I still wound up in the ER.
So, on to solving or relieveing the problem. Sometimes I have to take my meds, other times I just need to begin thinking postive thoughts. Maybe catch a tune on the radio or get up from my desk and walk for a minute or two. Aside from the chest pain, the only other symptom I have is this feeling of doom, so I don't have many of the other symptoms that would be associated with a heart attack, so, I try to resolve the symptom I have with Logic and lately it has been working.
Being from the EMS side of the house I use to talk myself into multiple heart attack symptoms because I would say, "If I don't have this, then it is not" sure enough, I'd get that pain or feeling.
So, in the end, be positive, distract your mind, and I know it is hard, I do understand, but if the tests are OK, you have to roll with that. Know that you are going to get through it and then feel the relief as it does. You will be fine, you will get through it, and you will eventually begin to laugh off these attacks.
Feel better!
I am so sorry to hear about your episode and I am right there with you. I am not always sure which one causes which, but the anxiety is just the same when I have chest pain. I also have Costochrondritis - it is something to do with the chest (a type of injury per se - you can use a search engine to read more, but likely not your issue.)
At times when I start to let everything get to me my chest pain will get really bad and like you I went to the ER, ironically this was after 3 yrs of anxiety, I finally wound up in the ER - After four stress tests (annually now) and four Echo's. I still wound up in the ER.
So, on to solving or relieveing the problem. Sometimes I have to take my meds, other times I just need to begin thinking postive thoughts. Maybe catch a tune on the radio or get up from my desk and walk for a minute or two. Aside from the chest pain, the only other symptom I have is this feeling of doom, so I don't have many of the other symptoms that would be associated with a heart attack, so, I try to resolve the symptom I have with Logic and lately it has been working.
Being from the EMS side of the house I use to talk myself into multiple heart attack symptoms because I would say, "If I don't have this, then it is not" sure enough, I'd get that pain or feeling.
So, in the end, be positive, distract your mind, and I know it is hard, I do understand, but if the tests are OK, you have to roll with that. Know that you are going to get through it and then feel the relief as it does. You will be fine, you will get through it, and you will eventually begin to laugh off these attacks.
Feel better!
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Guest
