HELP! Breathing Problem and Chest Pressure/Tightness!

[bluewillow]

I need some information (and reassurance) about anxiety-related chest tightness and pressure, please! sorry this is lengthy...

I have had a problem with health-related anxiety for several months now. I am 50, menopausal, taking estrogen, xanax, and protonix for GERD.

Back last fall, I awoke in the middle of the night with heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, chest pressure, and went to the emergency room, thinking ‘heart attack’. The ER staff checked me out thoroughly and assured me my heart was fine. A week later, I went to a cardiologist, who did numerous tests and also said my heart is in great shape and I am at low risk of having a heart attack because I am a non-smoker, good cholesterol, just a little overweight, try to eat well, etc. Now, you would think I would feel so wonderful and encouraged at all that good news. BUT, instead, every little pain I have I am thinking, “oh no I’m dying of a heart attack”. I have even developed some really bad breathing habits-- hyperventilation, shallow breathing, conscious of every breath, even holding my breath, etc. PLUS some really bad chest tightness and pressure that is driving me nuts!!! I also get the glob in my throat and my neck muscles get sore. Does anyone else have this and what causes it? All this normally only affects me during the day, but last night I forgot to take my Xanax before bed and had a really bad bout of it about 3 am, fell back asleep after taking the Xanax, but this morning my chest and diaphragm are actually sore from all this! How could this happen? Is this really caused from anxiety? I am still afraid it is my heart. As I mentioned earlier, I am menopausal and trying to alleviate those symptoms with estrogen, but I just hate blaming all my problems with anxiety on menopause and hormones, but maybe that is logical. If anyone out there has any ideas on what causes this, or how to prevent it, or even if it really is anxiety, please write! Thank you so much!

[V for Victor]

If your doctors and cardiologists tell you that your heart is in fine shape, then you should try not to worry. I know that's tough.

Rest assured that chest tightness, a lump in the throat and a feeling of needing more air are both very, very, very common with anxiety attacks. It's because your brain is telling your body that there's an emergancy, and your body is pumping you up for fight or flight. So the REAL problem here is your brain misleading your body, not your heart or arteries, etc.

True, there are many changes that can be attributed to menopause and hormone stuff, and so on. I don't know if this is one of them or not.

What I DO know is that you have to take control. When you get an anxiety attack, you have to tell yourself: "This is not a physical problem. The problem is in my head, it's anxiety, not my heart."

You can learn to overcome anxiety through medication, therapy, and just positive thinking. It's hard, but possible. :)

[wolfie56]

Gee, that sounds soooo familiar !! I bet you think you might die too and spend time wondering if you should call 911 and the more you think about it, the tighter your chest gets !! For some reason, when I go into an anxiety attack, it always brings me back to my heart, wondering if I am having a heart attack. I have pressed my fingernails to see if they turn back pink again, have spent hours looking up heart attack information, I guess to see if I can find symptoms that are like mine, so I know I'm not crazy !! I have worn out a blood pressure cuff, and spent nights in terror, knowing I was going to die alone. I've been to the emergency room twice, both times leaving healthy as a horse, but not believing what they told me. Is what you are experiencing anxiety? YOU BETCHA IT IS !!!!!

[bluewillow]

Gee, that sounds soooo familiar !! I bet you think you might die too and spend time wondering if you should call 911 and the more you think about it, the tighter your chest gets !! For some reason, when I go into an anxiety attack, it always brings me back to my heart, wondering if I am having a heart attack. I have pressed my fingernails to see if they turn back pink again, have spent hours looking up heart attack information, I guess to see if I can find symptoms that are like mine, so I know I'm not crazy !! I have worn out a blood pressure cuff, and spent nights in terror, knowing I was going to die alone. I've been to the emergency room twice, both times leaving healthy as a horse, but not believing what they told me. Is what you are experiencing anxiety? YOU BETCHA IT IS !!!!!

Hi Wolfie! YEP, that's me too exactly!!!! As a matter of fact, I had a major meltdown this past Sunday, with awful chest pains, so my husband drove me to the ER again (third time since last fall), had all the heart tests including a CT scan, and all came back fine, again, thankfully! Now I figure that if that wasn't heart related, then my heart really really is fine. Out of frustration, my husband gave me a good, gentle, talking-to last night about how I am going to have to start believing the doctors that have said I am fine. Thank goodness he understands what I'm going through. I know what is wrong with me is in my head, but it's getting it under control that is the challenge. I am finding out that anxiety is a very strange but real affliction, and I don't have any obvious reason to have anxiety (except menopausal hormone fluctuations)! Now, if I could just get a handle on it all! I have a full prescription of Zoloft sitting in my medicine cabinet (untouched--scared to take it before now), so I think I'll give it a whirl. Thanks so much for your post and your support-- let's hang in there!!!

[wolfie56]

You are welcome !! If you want to know the truth, I.ve had cancer, a cold, kidney failure, several heart related diseases, liver failure, TB, bird flu.amd pneumonia. Silly, huh? My computer can go to Web MD by just a voice command...lol !! The fears are real, the symptoms are real, but, its all in our heads. I tried to take Zoloft, but couldn't, made me way to sick. After the third day of vomitting, I gave up. Be sure you research it before you start it, so you are aware of what happens as it gets into your system. Good Luck and write anytime you like, I'll try not to be having a heart attack....lol !!