Welcome to the Anxiety Forum - A Home for Those with Anxiety, Fear, or Panic Attacks.
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  1. #1
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    Unhappy Anxiety is killing me.

    I have been having really bad chest tightness throughout the day, lightheadedness, and all kinds of muscle tension in my arms, shoulder, and back. I have been to the ER three times in 9 days. They have done an ECHO, too many EKGs to count, all kinds of blood work, and even a stress test and all of the tests came back normal. I thought that would help, but I am still having daily panic attacks, thinking they missed something. Any chest pain, shoulder pain, back pain, shortness of breathe, or anything else sends me into full panic mode and I want to go back to the ER. Today has been mainly shortness of breath that has me freaked out. It's not so bad that I can't breath at all, but I can tell it's a little hard to breath. Does anyone else go through episodes where they feel like they're having a hard time breathing, or constant chest tightness. And does anyone else feel light headed all day for weeks at a time. I'm being told that I have panic disorder, anxiety, and a couple of other things. I just feel like anxiety wouldn't give me all of these symptoms, especially not all at once. This is my first time on this sight, and I'm just trying to get some help from some people that have been through stuff like this.
    Thanks.

  2. #2
    You're def. not alone. I had to quit my job because of my constant chest tightness/ heaviness.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by nobot87 View Post
    You're def. not alone. I had to quit my job because of my constant chest tightness/ heaviness.
    I'm literally back in the ER again because I woke up with such bad chest tightness that I felt like I couldn't breathe. I don't understand how I can't get jolted awake with that feeling. It's so unreal.

  4. #4
    Wow. Yeah during the summer I went to the ER like 5 times.. it sucked. But anyways you have to realize that we cringe/get freaked out by our symptoms the same way someone who is afraid of needles cringe/ freak out about needles. Unfortunately we can't avoid these feelings the same way people avoid needles. Running to the ER every time you feel chest tightness will def just make the anxiety alot worse. You just have to learn to flow with it until hopefully one day it disappears. How old are you by the way?

  5. #5
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    I am so sorry you are going through this. Yes, I have had that "can't breathe" feeling. I get focused on it and keep sighing to make sure I can take a deep breath. I get it quite a lot actually now that I think about it.

    I read in a book that anxiety can cause your chest wall muscles to tighten and tense up, giving you that "can't breathe" feeling. The only thing that helps, for me, is to relax and get my mind on something else. All last month I have been worrying about my heart, and about two weeks ago I began to have heartburn. Last week I woke up with horrible cramp in my left side that radiated down to my left leg. I was sweating and having arm pain--I was sure I was having a heart attack. I laid in bed and spent two hours on my phone looking up heart attack signs. It was horrible. I even started crying because I was so scared.

    It is a nasty cycle, and I am so sorry to see someone else go thru it. You should check out this book by Claire Weekes titled "Hope and Help for Your Nerves". I think it will help you a lot. I think someone else here on the forums has talked about it, maybe try to search for it later. In the meantime, I am going to pray for you that you will calm down and feel better. God bless you.

  6. #6
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    Yeah it's pretty bad today. It's not like a feeling that hurts overly bad. It's just there and then it makes me start worrying. I got prescribed some ativan for the days, and citalopram to take at night. I hope it helps, because today has sucked. And I am 24 years old.

  7. #7
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    Has anyone ever gotten over the chest tightness? I'm so tired of feeling like there is something wrong with my heart. The ER nurse last night didn't even bother to have my blood work done because the way my EKG looked and how normal all of my other tests have been over the last week. She said that my heart is actually really healthy, and there is no possible way that these pains are coming from my heart. She said that I keep having anxiety and panic attacks, and thats what causing this. I seriously feel the chest pressure all day long, and definitely feel it more when I think about it. Sometimes the pain goes to my arms and back, and that's when it really scares me.

  8. #8
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    I think your chest tightness is coming from tension. I have had pressure in my chest area a few times...and when I think about it, I can almost make myself feel it again. I believe when we're stressed or anxious for an extended amount of time, our bodies tighten from constant fight or flight. It happens subconsciously without us knowing it. There is a website called "calm clinic" which deals with and explains a variety of symptoms that come from panic and anxiety, including chest tightness. It talks about "over-sensitization", which is what I believe is the culprit of your chest feelings. Check it out.

  9. #9
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    I also believe it is coming from tension. The only thing that worries me (or keeps me worried) is that I have it constantly. It wouldn't be as bad if it came and went like before and after a panic attack, but for it to constantly be there....It keeps me thinking about it all day. Thank you for your post though. I have been on that website quite a few times the last couple of days.

  10. #10
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    Same, been hospitalized for this too. My biggest fears are medical and yep sure enough my symptoms will so frequently match my fear-of-the-day

    If you can, gently massage the muscles in your ribcage. If you feel that tenderness it's a good sign the muscles are tense.I don't know if I'm actually ripping them or what but dang. It really does feel serious but it goes away in a couple weeks when the muscle heals

 

 

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