Pain on left side of chest - that is the heart, me thinks

[Jeordie]

Hello.

I'm gaining the weight used for my bench press - and I of course expect some muscolar pain. But I am not doing it with just the left side of the body - I'm using BOTH arms, and muscolar pain FEELS different.

Never I had such frequent sense of pressure to just the left side of the chest, and the same type of pain on the left shoulder, arm, and fingers.
Me thinks: angina pectoris. Bad stuff. Doctor's won't take it seriously. I'm too young and look to healthy. They don't have an idea of the pain inside.

Last ECG done one year ago, and turned negative. In the last week, I rarely got the same kind of pain elsewhere on the right side. It's always approximately where I'd expect my heart to be. Sometimes it comes just a little below, which tranquilizes me in thinking it's just intercostal pain.

And the arm, and the fingers...that's what I read about angina pectoris.
I'm under a huge amount of stress. I'm worried of my health right now. Heart attacks come more often in these conditions, right?

Guess I just need some reassurance. When I go to sleep, I have a lot of apprehension about that part of the chest. So much I even feel it warm. I can't think of anything else. It's authomatic. And the spells of pain arise.

I'd like to think of something else...

[JimmyB]

Hi Jeordie, have you read the symptoms thread as I'm sure you'll see most of your pains on there. There are some really scary symptoms associated with anxiety/depression.

One of my pupils is sometimes dilated more than the other which associated with brain damage but I've been reassured but people of the depersonalization forum and also by my doc.

I bet that if you forgot about these symptoms they'd go away, this has worked for me time and time. I know its easy to say that but I think you cause yourself more worry by monitoring all these bodily warnings.

If your still worried then I'd definately go back to the GP as its your health and it will probably put your mind at ease if you get it checked properly.

[Jeordie]

Thanks a lot...yes, I should really forget about it. As I did many times before with other symptoms or this one.

[Breathe]

I, too have had pain in my left arm...try stetching the left side of your chest and see if it hurts moreso than the right...I think you can pull one side.

I try not to think about it being my heart b/c I have hurt myself somehow where I get pain in my left shoulder blade and it runs down my arm.

If you notice anxiety from thinking it is a heart attack makes it worse....

[Jeordie]

THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW:

the fact that the toracic pain is more or less constant in the last four days, and that it INCREASES (I get a sharp pain) when I have an emotional reaction (just a thought is able to trigger it), wouldn't sort of confirm it's not plain intercostal pain? Why would those muscles or nerves react to an emotional response, right those in the area of the heart? Intercostal pain, I read, is usually to the right side...mine it's on the left side, I think it's absolutely obvious that I think of the heart. And the emotional point, this is what worries me the most. I HAVE BEEN SO STRESSED in the last few months, that I'd think it's funny my body isn't making me pay. I sort of expect an illness. What can I say? That's been out of my control. I'm human and I've had stuff I didn't know how to solve. Stress was the only way to cope.

Can someone help? I think my heart might not get enough oxygen, and doctors just don't think it could happen to me.

[FallenAnx]

my friend you and I are in the same boat.... and I dont no wat to tell you cause I still havent figured it out. Ive had all the tests done and they say my hearts fine but it still hurts and i still get palpitations, hell i cant even sleep a full nite without being woken up to my heart racing. Im tired of going to the doctors cause all they say is im fine. Best thing I think that Ive done is that my heart has kept going with snowboarding this season, I have had sex since I felt like this, (havent worked out yet because my first huge panic attack was at the gym but im gona try that and see what happens) I just keep telling myself that its just anxiety and praying Im right telling myself that :?

[Jeordie]

hey FallenAnx,

I still get the pain on the left side. It was better for two days in which I didn't go to the gym, and now that I went, it started again. I'm also noticing that my left pectoral is growing more (has more mass) than the right, which is kind of funny, maybe I use that more when I do the bench presses. So, since I started having pain again after exercising, when I have it I associate that to it. So I'm slightly more relaxed. I now think it's the muscle, or articulations right behind, tendons, nerves, or stuff.

As for you, I wouldn't worry about the palpitations. If you wake up by night palpitating, and of course you've been checked for heart conditions and turned negative, I think you obviously had a night panic attack or another anxiety symtom. A lot of symtoms of anxiety happened to me during sleep. I even had dreams interacting with those, like having an headacke in the dream which kept going when I woke up. Again it was scary and I thought I was having a stroke, but it was six years ago and I'm still alive.

So from what you've said, I wouldn't think you have a heart condition, but just anxiety, and if I were you I'd see if there are some stressors in your life you can resolve, for maybe the symptoms are connected to that.