Need some reassurance, so I suffer with anxiety and at times I feel so alone. I have these sharp pains that suddenly come on and it feels as if it’s coming from my heart? Sounds silly right. But it’s just at the back of my left breast that I get this sharp pain I stop what I’m doing and start taking deep breaths for it to subside ans it does. It’s just scares me as though I’m having a heart attack.
Does anyone know what it is or have anyone felt this?
Thanks in advance
Stay safe XX
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Edmonton81
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Hi. I'm sorry you get that. It's very unsettling. I have the same. But been told its aniexty. Deep breaths. If you feel it troubling you a lot there's no harm in going to the docters to get it checked to ease your mind
Yes I get them too with anxiety Obviously if you are worried best to get it checked out but it's a really common symptom of anxiety
At the moment I'm finding great comfort and help from Dr Harry Barry's video on YouTube Understanding Panic Attacks and have been practising "flooding" with good success
Look up "costrochondritis". I had this a few weeks ago, was afraid it was my heart as well. Sharp, highly localized pain that lasted a split second, then a few seconds later another sharp pain. The episodes lasted a few minutes. It wouldn't always appear in the same location but it was always pretty close to midline of chest. Walk in doctor gave me a very thorough exam and asked a million questions. Then he had my lie down as he pressed down on certain areas around the ribs and it was tender. Here are the reasons he said it was likely NOT my heart: pain is not continuous, no shortness of breath, no increase in pain when I walked uphill and/or exercised, pain is sharp. He said if it was heart the pain would be worse upon exertion, the pain would be continuous for several minutes with no letting up and I would likely have shortness of breath upon exertion. If you read about costrochondritis it usually is brought upon/gets worse/is relieve by deep breaths which wasn't the case for me and was the reason I ruled it out. Turns out that's exactly what it was. I guess not all symptoms have to be necessarily present to rule in a diagnosis. Anyway, the pain almost completely resolved two weeks later. If I were you I would book an appointment with the doctor just to be 100% clear on what it is, but in the meantime you can take comfort in knowing that the most likely cause is costrochondritis. You can also try taking an anti-inflammatory like Advil for a day or so and see if the pain resolves. If it does, and comes back after you stop taking advil then you pretty much have your answer. Hopes this helps!
Indeed! And after I went to the walk in clinic I remembered I had that type of pain more than 20 years ago...but a bit different. It happened with deep exhalations and whenever I rested my left arm up and over the back of the futon. THEN, I realized I ALSO had it a couple of years ago and completely forgot LOL. The brain is a funny thing....
Sorry to be a pain but I also suffer with anxiety have you ever had the type of pain I’m having a sharp pain from my heart? It’s a sharp quick pain ans then it goes
You are not being a pain. Perhaps you are trying to direct this reply to Agora1 and not me. Just hit the Reply button right below her response to you so that he/she will get an email notification to reply to you 🙂
Yes. Years ago I had it to the extreme left, and it got worse when I raised my arm or exhaled deeply. Almost as if a bone had to "crack" back in to place as I reached the limit of my exhalation. But yes, sharp, sudden, transient pain followed by another a few seconds or minutes later, then I would exhale and it got to the "bone cracking" feeling. This time around, it was purely sharp pains in the mid chest area and not always to the left (sometimes it was to the right of midline). Just remember....if it were heart the pain would be continuous, not sharp, and be worse with exertion, and likely you'd have shortness of breath. Just keep reminding yourself of this over and over again. I have discovered over the course of my many physical symptoms that a single symptom has never led to anything. Multiple symptoms occuring at once is what has required intervention.
Thank you so much feeling a bit relieved now, been nice talking to you and thank you for baring with me and all my questions. I will book an appointment work my doc to reassure me it’s all good
Excellent! And you are welcome. Just keep reminding yourself of all the reasons that point to it NOT being a heart issue and get on with whatever you were planning to do today/tonight...Take care and good luck with your appointment
My pain is not in the middle of my chest my pain is literally coming from my left side as if it’s literally coming feom my heart it’s a quick sharp pain that comes ans goes. It’s also like it’s at the back od my left breast but more feom my heart
Think about how large an area your ribs span. They go all the way to your sides. Do google costrochondritis and see if it sounds like what you're experiencing. The pain can come from anywhere your ribs are located, not necessarily from where mine came from (middle of my chest). Mine too felt like they were coming from my heart, which is what made it scary and sent me to the walk in clinic. Do you have a walk in clinic you can attend today? It's worth the peace of mind to have anything serious ruled out today, then you can go to bed tonight with a smile 🙂
Are you asking if it's what I had and is it gone? Yes it's what I was diagnosed with by the walk in doc and it's now almost entirely gone (a few days ago I had one episode). The doc says he suffers from it too and it's been going on for a long time for him. He said he just has to learn to live with it. Hope this helps!
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xx
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