Heart disease symptoms

[nickie420me]

I'm really struggling to hold on right now. I've been having these pains on and off every day for almost 4 months now. I'm driving my family crazy. I can't seem to calm down tonight.

[Hidden]

Hey there nickie420me. What kind of pains are you having? Are you taking any medication for your anxiety?

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Hi. I'm having pains in my chest, upper left arm, left elbow, left jaw and chin and shoulder.

I have Ativan that I take very rarely.

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Ok. I have those same pains. I know it's scary...but it is anxiety. It's hard to believe that anxiety can have these kinds of physical effects on your body, but they can. Start taking your meds on a consistent basis. That's the only way they are going to work. It takes about two to three weeks for them to really get into your system. Unfortunately it's not something that happens instantaneously. My doctor also prescribed me Xanax. When I feel my symptoms coming on, I can take one and it calms me down in about 10-15 minutes. Problem is, you can become addicted to it because it keeps you really calm and we want to ALWAYS feel like that. I was just telling someone else, that I like to color so I went out and bought myself a coloring book. When I feel my symptoms creeping up, I color. It takes my focus off my symptoms. I'm more focused on coloring inside the lines.

Anxiety is an evil monster and it sucks, but we have to learn to deal with it. I struggle with it everyday and I'm doing my best to not let it defeat me.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

I thought the jaw pain was from clenching but the dentist said yesterday that he doesn't see any evidence of it! Which has me even more freaked out about the jaw and teeth pain! But I keep seeing these indentations on the sides of my tongue so it would seem like there has to be some clenching!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

You very well could be clenching your jaw. Maybe you're doing it in your sleep. But if the dentist doesn't see any evidence of it, it could be anxiety. I know that jaw pain is also a physical symptom of anxiety.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Now when I feel these pains I take my blood pressure! I took it probably 10 times today. But I tell myself if this was a heart thing I probably would've dropped dead by now!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

OH MY GOSH...I swear you and I are just alike. I too would take my blood pressure 20 times a day. I finally had to stop. It was driving me nuts. And you're right, if it were heart related, you would have dropped dead by now. Keep telling yourself that! This is how you know it's anxiety. If you've been check out extensively by your doctor and they are telling you you're ok, then you're ok. You just have anxiety. I can't tell you how many EKG's I've had done. Blood work, stress tests, urinalysis, upper GI, lower GI. I've been poked and prodded all over my body. Everything came back normal. Well, except my gastro says I have the beginning of a fatty liver but other than that, I'm fine.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Same here! My health anxiety used to always focus on cancer. I don't know that there are any cancers that I haven't been convinced that I had! This is my first time have anxiety over any heart related things. This is also my first time NOT being reassured after going to the doctor and ER!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Well, I'll tell you like I just told someone the other day, you can either drive yourself crazy with self diagnosis and drive yourself broke with all the Dr. and ER visits, OR you can find something to take your mind off your symptoms, take your meds and fight this ugly beast called anxiety.

The way I talk, you'd think I didn't have anxiety, but trust me I do. In fact, I had a panic attack so bad yesterday, I had to pull over while driving. Sometimes it does win, but when that happens it makes me angry because I let it bully me. So I vow to win the next time. I know it sounds crazy, but that way of thinking works for me :).

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

I think that's the part that confuses me about anxiety. I get these pains when I'm not feeling anxious at all! Just watching TV, relaxing and then BAM! It happened this afternoon and I sat down and burst into tears and I'm not even a crier!!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

That's the part that absolutely pisses me off (excuse my language). I'm like...why am I having an attack right now. I don't feel stressed...I'm sitting on my couch with my dogs in my lap. Are you kidding me! It's all ridiculous, I know, but we have to find a way to deal with it and not let it drive us crazy.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

I know, ridiculous! I had another massage today and she told me I'm way more tense on my left side! But did they help convince me these pains are muscular? No, no it didn't!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Ha. Right!! Speaking of massage, I need one. I'm in between jobs right now and have a new home, so that doesn't help my anxiety situation AT ALL!!! Not sure what your religious background is, but I pray a lot!!!

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Praying may be the only thing I haven't tried!

I thought the massages would provide some kind of instant relief! But my doctor recommended getting one once a week until this muscle tension breaks up. Luckily I have an amazing husband that said "I don't care how much a massage costs if it gets you off this heart disease obsession!" I found a place that's only $40 which is pretty cheap compared to other places I looked.

Have you been to a chiropractor? I tried it for 2 months and didn't get anything out of it but I've heard it works for some people.

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Wow...$40 massage? I wish. I haven't tried a chiropractor. I need to go because my back needs to be realigned. Have you tried acupuncture? Hypnosis?

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

I've never tried accupuncture or hypnosis! And at this point I'm not opposed to anything!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

I've tried acupuncture. My panic episodes aren't as frequent and intense, but again I don't have a job and they aren't cheap! I'm up to trying hypnosis and going to see a counselor. Perhaps there's something that I'm not dealing with and it's causing me anxiety.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

I might look into accupuncture. What was it like?

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

It was cool. The thought of needles being stuck in your body was a little freaky, but once they were in, a calmness came over me. I had them EVERYWHERE...my back, legs, scalp, arms and hands. See, I told you I've been poked and prodded! I didn't have hundreds of needles in my body, so please don't get that visual. Total, there may have been about 20-30.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Needless don't bother me so that may be worth a try.

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Try it! Ok...I have a job interview tomorrow and I feel anxiety about it! Time to pull out my coloring books. #anxietystinks

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Good luck!!

[Hidden in reply to nickie420me]

Thank you. This is my third interview with this organization and they've asked me for references so I hope thats a good thing.

[nickie420me in reply to Hidden]

Sounds like a good sign. Hope it goes well!

[mdooms in reply to nickie420me]

Agreed and I feel the same way. Checking BP too much also creates more anxiety and symptoms.

[Jeff1943]

Nickie420me, I think you will find that all your pains described are caused by tension and anxiety. As you're on medication you may have already discussed your chest pains with your doctor but if not then to get him to check your heart out just to give you reassurance. No use constantly taking your blood pressure whilst you're feeling high anxiety, it's going to be on the high side anyway.

Relaxation techniques can bring short term relief, something I invented 40 years ago is to imagine that you have muscles in your brain and imagine/feel them relaxing. Also the technique of slowly taking a deep breath, hold it for a second, slowly breathe out, hold it for a second and repeat. This has been proved to release calming hormones into the blood stream. Well worth trying but you may already know it.

In the end the only way to heal your over-sensitive nerves is by accepting the symptoms without fear to give your nerves a chance to recover.

Either way, I assurevyou that you're NOT going to die.