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Chronic chest pain: How do you manage anxiety and cardiac issues?
Hello everyone-I'm almost 52, female, and I have chronic left sided chest pain. I have a history of a left bundle branch block, SVT, implanted loop monitor, resolved non ischemic cardiomyopathy, and chronic chest pain. And I have an anxiety disorder which has become a convienient catch all for my complaints by the medical field. I've had chronic left sided chest pain, shortness of breath, and back pain for 10 years. Every cardiac test I have had has come back normal, but I still feel awful. It's very frustrating and my cardiologist suggested I go to Mayo. It's hard because I am also a cardiac nurse and I know all the scary things that can go wrong. Most days I fight the urge to go the ER to get checked out because my chest hurts so much. Does anyone else live with chronic chest pain that isn't due to a blockage or blood flow problem? How do you deal with it?
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I am in the same boat with the chest pain. I am 76 years old with heart valve regurgitation and stenosis and other chronic but stable conditions. I started to experience upper right sided chest pain while walking on the treadmill. It would remit in an hour but gradually became of longer duration and over the last 6 months has become more problematic with added belching and lasting up to sometimes 12 hours. My cardiologist says it’s not cardiac related. He thought it might be gastrointestinal and possibly an esophageal ulcer advised not go on the treadmill until resolved. I went to a gastroenterologist highly recommended in the community for a consult and he said he was sure 100% not a gastroenterological problem but anxiety and dismissed me . I am trying to believe that but over time my symptoms have expanded to include nausea and not my regular healthy appetite. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try Mylanta but it caused burning in the mid chest area seconds after swallowing it and lasted a couple of hours. I tried Pepcid AC and it caused diarrhea. Went on to Prilosec and no side effects but no improvement. Yes I was a sensitive child and highly anxious when it comes to health issues, medical procedures and illness. This is problematic with the vulnerabilities of aging but never experienced what I am going through now. Hope this helps others not to feel alone. Any insight would be appreciated.
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3 Reactions@dougajoi I would go to ER.
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1 ReactionNot to be flippant
But "Let it Go" That is the best advice for anxiety...
I have had it for 35 years...if it gets bad, that is exactly what works
@jamiemj I think much of the time we get anxious over things we have little control over. If at all possible I too write it off as 'not worth worrying about'. 'If it ain't broken, don't fix it but if it's broken then too bad, there is nothing I can do about it.
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1 Reaction@dougajoi
For your own sake, ifI were you I would insist on further tests on your abdominal areas for arteriolosclerosis.
You seem to know there is something more wrong with you, so you relieve Your* mind.
Best of luck to us all
Thank you. I had a cardiac Cat scan 18 months ago and valve issues but no arteriosclerosis with incidental finding of a small hiatal hernia. I couldn’t get appointment with an other gastroenterologist until mid May but a nurse practitioner next week.
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1 Reaction@mtnmarge Good that you can write off. More power to you. I think that is wonderful. Some people can and others are more prone to anxiety. Our physiological differences as well as life experiences all come into play.
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1 Reaction@rashida Unfortunately the ER only attends to the emergency issues and then discharges. I went there previously for chest pain and when blood tests showed no heart attack they discharged. My cardiologist was annoyed because they didn’t do a CAT scan while I was there. Seems emergency rooms have gotten very crowded and in high demand so they keep more rigid keep boundaries on their scope of practice.
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1 Reaction@jamiemj I seem to be able to as you say “let it go” for everything else and used my sensitivity in a positive way that has served me well but when it comes to health issues I feel very vulnerable. I think my age is a factor and seeing too much in medical settings as well personal life experiences.
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4 Reactions@dougajoi
I agree with you, for some worriers it’s easy to just write it off but for others, like myself, it’s easier said than done…I sometimes call it a curse but it is what it is….
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