Current Events > Am I being overly paranoid or not about having heart disease?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Background info: I'm 27 years old, don't smoke, no high blood pressure, no diabetes, not obese, and no family history of heart attacks at young age.

With that being said, for about a week now I've been having frequent episodes of pains around the thorax (chest, back, shoulders) and also arms. The pain is not unbearable, it's more of a nuisance, but it still scares me due to it being a classic heart attack symptom.

I've been to the E.R. literally 5 times these last couple of days because of it. I've had a few EKG's done, blood test for Troponin, and a chest x-ray, in addition to the physical exam (blood pressure, sthetoscope listening to the heart, oxygen saturation, etc). ALL of these came back normal with no sign of heart problems. Every doctor who checks me out says this is all anxiety related, but I feel like my anxiety comes from the physical symptoms that I feel.

Why can't I have peace of mind? I've spent the last week literally obsessing that I'm about to drop dead at any moment from a heart attack or whatever else serious issue. I can't seem to wrap my mind around this not being physical. Because the symptoms just are so in tune to what angina is. On the other hand, it just seems crazy. As I said, I'm very young and have pratically no risk factors.

For the medically savvy here on CE, do these exams that I've had along with my personal history make this all seem like paranoia? I cannot stop thinking that maybe the doctors missed something. I feel short of breath and have these pains around my thorax regularly this past week, and they all say that it's anxiety.

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have you done any sort of strenuous activity involving your chest lately?

does it hurt when you breathe in or move a certain way?
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if you are having a cardiac event it will be sudden, it's not some building discomfort over the course of a few days.

i had a similar episode last year, i was about your age, had chest discomfort and thought it might be a heart attack or something (i have a family history of heart attacks). went to the dr, got an EKG and all that, turned out to be nothing. heart issues at your age are very rare and you had all the tests to confirm you're fine.

try and relax, stop drinking/smoking weed if you do that, take some time off work.

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Pancake posted...

have you done any sort of strenuous activity involving your chest lately?

does it hurt when you breathe in or move a certain way?

No to both questions. I do feel a bit of pain in my back and neck when I bend forward, but not much.

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It seems weird that you are SO worried about this being cardiac related, when there are way more common things that cause pain in these areas, like pleurisy, muscle strain, or indigestion. The fact that you're overly concerned about it being cardiac to the point you went to the ER FIVE times would also lead me to assume anxiety.

but I'm just an EMT. Patients also get very upset when you diagnose them with anxiety related physical symptoms, as if we're just writing them off as nuts, but the fact is that it is one of the most common things seen in EMS

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Same TC

made an appointment with my doctor
March 12 is the next date they have available

Hope my heart doesn't explode before then


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Does the pain or discomfort go away when you burp?

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Romulox28 posted...

if you are having a cardiac event it will be sudden, it's not some building discomfort over the course of a few days.

i had a similar episode last year, i was about your age, had chest discomfort and thought it might be a heart attack or something (i have a family history of heart attacks). went to the dr, got an EKG and all that, turned out to be nothing. heart issues at your age are very rare and you had all the tests to confirm you're fine.

try and relax, stop drinking/smoking weed if you do that, take some time off work.

My worry is angina. From what I've read, when you're developing heart disease, your blood has a hard time circulating to your heart, and that can cause pains around the chest/backs/shoulders/arms. In many cases this precedes a heart attack. So I'm worried sick about that.


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LordFarquad1312 posted...

Does the pain or discomfort go away when you burp?

I'm not burping too much. Doesn't seem to be acid reflux related.

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I sometimes feel a pain around my heart, and it can be sharp when I inhale. I can go several weeks without feeling it, then I can feel it off and on for a few days. I was a little worried for a while but now I think it might just be a rib out of place.

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I'm worried sick

you'd be surprised what anxiety can do to a person, but that is what it sounds like from here.

stay in the loop with your doctor about this. if you find the need to go back, ask if there's anything you can do for your anxiety. from here, it does seem like your concerns are getting the better of you.
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I've treated dozens of angina patients and none of them had normal blood pressure and no history of heart disease

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GenGrievous03 posted...

My worry is angina. From what I've read, when you're developing heart disease, your blood has a hard time circulating to your heart, and that can cause pains around the chest/backs/shoulders/arms. In many cases this precedes a heart attack. So I'm worried sick about that.

i read shit online about angina too before i went to the doctor, i ended up calling my dad (who had a heart attack) and he was like "what the fuck are you talking about"

when i asked him what it felt like he said a very intense pressure on his chest, among\ other things, not discomfort around his throat.

Colorahdo posted...

It seems weird that you are SO worried about this being cardiac related, when there are way more common things that cause pain in these areas, like pleurisy, muscle strain, or indigestion. The fact that you're overly concerned about it being cardiac to the point you went to the ER FIVE times would also lead me to assume anxiety.

this too

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Could be a chest cold

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Colorahdo posted...

I've treated dozens of angina patients and none of them had normal blood pressure and no history of heart disease

This actually made me feel a bit better, thanks. Yesterday was the last time I went to the E.R because I felt a sharp pain on my left shoulder, which then irradiated to my chest and upper back. I was at the movies with my girlfriend and had to leave in the middle of the session because I was so scared. Ended up in the hospital doing another EKG and getting yet another anxiety diagnosis.

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bump

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I get that you're concerned, but after a certain point you have to just live your life. You're not going to change anything by worrying yourself sick all the time and letting it rule over your thoughts and alter your plans for the day. If your tests have come back normal then you're fine, just relax and give it some time.

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I been having sharp pains randomly in my body and heart for like 10 years. After thinking I was gonna die soon for like 2-3 years, I just stopped even giving it any thought. Now it's just like "AH, FUCK....I wonder what I should watch on tv"

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Bump

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As someone who really does have heart disease, this is appropriation. Seriously though, if they haven't found anything, then your symptoms must be psychosomatic.

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I'm thinking it might be poor posture mixed with anxiety

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mustachedmystic posted...

As someone who really does have heart disease, this is appropriation. Seriously though, if they haven't found anything, then your symptoms must be psychosomatic.

Sorry, I didn't get what you meant by appropriation. English isn't my first language.

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GenGrievous03 posted...

Sorry, I didn't get what you meant by appropriation. English isn't my first language.

Like when a white person wears a native American headdress, or a Japanese kimono.

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Bump

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You have either acid reflux/gerd, cosco, or messed up your traps which can fuck up your chest as well. Add that in with anxiety, which seems to be the culprit. Since you've gotten yourself checked up, and you're fine, you're fine. See if you have other symptoms with gerd, see if your chest bones hurt when you poke it, or your shoulders, and neck muscles, and get the appropriate care for them. Prolisac, massages, stretching, etc. Get a hobby, occupy your mind.

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I'm beggining to think this could really be an injury in my upper back due to my horrible slouching posture. I started to notice that the pain originates in the upper back and radiates across the rest of my thorax and arms. It gets a little worse when I stand and feels better when I'm completely lying down. I'm also feeling it in my lower back now.

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Update: I'm getting muscle aches all over, that migrate, come and go. One more ER visit and one more anxiety diagnosis. My body feels like it's been beat up in a fight or went through an intense weight lifting session.

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Why do you keep going to the ER?

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Does ER mean something different in your country than it does in America? Here you would go to urgent care or schedule an appointment with a doctor.

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mustachedmystic posted...

Why do you keep going to the ER?

Because when a particular symptom really acts up, I'm deathly afraid it's something fatal or some disease that the doctors hasn't picked up yet. I go into panic mode and just want to know I'm not dying.

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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Does ER mean something different in your country than it does in America? Here you would go to urgent care or schedule an appointment with a doctor.

Yeah, it would be urgent care, I guess. For medical emergencies and such. Here in Brazil we call it Emergncia, so I fugured ER was an appropriate translation idk

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It's definitely coronary artery disease. Keep going to the ED until they admit you.

They told you it was probably anxiety. So deal with the anxiety. See a psychologist, see a psychiatrist, whatever you need to do.

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Yeah dude, you literally just need to chill

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Jesus, this is consuming me. Every single day now I feel symptoms. Just called the ambulance again because I was feeling some shoulder, arm, chest pain. They examined my vital signs and said everything was normal.

I can't live like this anymore. I cannot shake the feeling that it is cardiac/angina related and the tests just didn't detect it. This is consuming my every thought.

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Why have you not seen a psychologist or psychiatrist yet

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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Why have you not seen a psychologist or psychiatrist yet

I made an appointment, but it's only in March. It was the earliest they could give me.

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Did you get your gallbladder checked? I know I had similar pains and the doctor explained it was because of stones.

Abiz_ posted...

Did you get your gallbladder checked? I know I had similar pains and the doctor explained it was because of stones.

Nah. So far I had EKG, Blood test for Troponin levels, and x rays in the chest and lower regions. Last year head an echocardiogram, which I don't know if the diagnostic relevance stills holds up today. All tests were normal.

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I imagine the x-ray would point out if you had a gallbladder problem. They did a ultra sound on me to figure it out tho.

GenGrievous03 posted...

Nah. So far I had EKG, Blood test for Troponin levels, and x rays in the chest and lower regions. Last year head an echocardiogram, which I don't know if the diagnostic relevance stills holds up today. All tests were normal.

Those tests mean nothing. Tell them you need ativan and an MRI.

Hummer 2 posted...

Those tests mean nothing. Tell them you need ativan and an MRI.

Don't scare the dude again. Those tests are enough. It's only when something odd comes up in those tests, a doctor will then recommend MRI, or some other advanced testing like the treadmill recordings.

Anyways tc, seek help. I don't mean physically, I mean mentally. Also, go see a massage therapist and have them check your back, and neck muscles. I'd bet you got several tender spots, and knots.

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I thought i had it too, turns out i had Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

I managed to get an urgent pych appointment yesterday. He started me on some benzos and anti-depressant meds

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GenGrievous03 posted...

I managed to get an urgent pych appointment yesterday. He started me on some benzos and anti-depressant meds

You need someone to talk to, not meds.

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If one thing don't kill you something else will.

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Romulox28 posted...

if you are having a cardiac event it will be sudden, it's not some building discomfort over the course of a few days.

i had a similar episode last year, i was about your age, had chest discomfort and thought it might be a heart attack or something (i have a family history of heart attacks). went to the dr, got an EKG and all that, turned out to be nothing. heart issues at your age are very rare and you had all the tests to confirm you're fine.

try and relax, stop drinking/smoking weed if you do that, take some time off work.

Not necessarily true .

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I'm still not at ease. Everybody thinks I'm crazy for worrying so much about angina

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Could be a few things, maybe cardiac but could also be respiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, psychiatric. I havent read through the topic but Im basing it off your first post.

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