¿No estás seguro si es ansiedad o un problema cardíaco?

Salud mental
1

Hey all.

33 year old male here, a little bit overweight, but pretty fit. Suffering from seasonal allergies and migraines. And now chest pain.

About a month ago I was carted off to the ER because I thought I was dying. Heart racing, trouble breathing, and a strong feeling of "omg i'm gonna die". This only lasted a couple of minutes. By the time the ambulance arrived, I was mostly fine, if shaken.

They took me to the ER anyway, did an ECG, took a chest xray and then a doctor came in for a chat. I explained what had happened, and that I had had a bit of chest pain for a while now. She asked whether it felt (and I quote) "like an elephant was sitting on my chest". When I told her no, she sent me home saying that it was "probably a panic attack".

Unfortunately the chest pain has pretty much persisted since then. It seems to come and go, though I can't really figure what causes it. It doesn't seem to match the whole heart attack or angina thing, considering it lasts for hours and has been going on for over a month. It's mostly in the general area of my left nipple. Exercise doesn't seem to affect it, I've been running and swimming as usual. It's not a really bad pain, but it's annoying nevertheless.

I'm seeing my GP next week to discuss this, but it's driving me up the walls. It's all I can think about. I never thought of myself of a very anxious person before, but I have been having a bit of a stressful time at work. And if I'm being honest, I've been a bit lonely as well. But I don't see how either of those situations would explain this weird chest pain?

Your comments are appreciated. Thanks.

2

 Well that’s good that your ECG was OK. Stress can definitely cause symptoms all over the body including pain.

Loneliness can also contribute because that   can lead to depression and an underlying anxiety.

Sometimes we don’t even realize how much anxiety we have inside us. Then our body reacts with symptoms. 

 follow up with your primary care doctor to discuss all of this.

Think about the possibility of getting some counseling for the work stress and feeling lonely.  look for ways to find things to do that you enjoy.

There are ways to meet nice good people and have a  social life as little or as much as you want.

There are a lot of meet up groups online for things you may be interested in  such as hobbies, etc. take time out for yourself to relax your mind even if it’s just going for a walk in nature.

There are also some great meditations on YouTube for anxiety, relaxation, etc. that really calm down my mind and body.

The worst thing you can do is sit around and think about what is worrying you because then your symptoms will increase. That’s because the brain sends out adrenaline when you are anxious and that can cause anxiety symptoms.

 and remember to laugh and smile! Be good to yourself and every day think of things that you’re grateful for in your life.! Hope you feel better soon 👍😁

3

Thanks for your kind words.

I suppose I should have mentioned that I've also had a low grade headache and have been somewhat fatigued for a while. But then I guess those, too, might be symptoms of anxiety/stress.