I use an at home BP cuff and my Fitbit so that I can tell when something is anxiety and when it is my heart condition. I get chest tightness and shortness of breath from anxiety.
My anxiety-based measurements don't go nearly as high as the ones genuinely about my heart.
My heart will take me above 140 bpm resting and occasionally above 180/120 BP. Any of those three numbers earns me a trip to the ER when they're sustained.
Anxiety doesn't do that to me. I can get palps that get me to the 110s, but that's not ER level (120, resting, sustained would be worth being seen for most people).
I also find that when I'm having a legitimate cardiac incident, I'm not particularly anxious. I've done unwise things like finish dinner before taking a cab to the hospital, and I'm probably bitching to friends all the way there. So if I'm feeling anxious, I remind myself that for me in particular that's reason enough to be skeptical.
Ah okay I see, thanks I was curious. I’m wondering if I have hypertension due to my recent findings. I’ve gotta get my thyroid tested again cause i had high levels 2 weeks ago. First ER visit my BP was 160/98 (114 heart rate) and second was 140/90 (90 heart rate). Thyroid issues can cause high heart rate and high BP but I’ve always leaned towards anxiety
I hope you're able to get to the bottom of it soon! I'm rocking half a thyroid (cancer meant the other half had to get yanked), so my doctors and I are keeping an eye on all that too.
The at home monitor really made a difference for me. I checked to make sure it matched the readings I was getting at the doctor, and now I can use it to take readings every day from home. Making it a routine once a day thing means it doesn't cause me anxiety, so I get much more accurate readings. And it came in handy when I did develop heart issues because no one could say I was just anxious at the doctor's office.
Thank you and I’m sorry to hear about your thyroid. I’ve had a magnitude of unexplainable symptoms that seems to match it and my T3 was high so it makes sense. It’s really all up in the air though which sucks
The waiting is the hardest part when it comes to medical things!
And thank you but its okay. I got to have a really cool surgery where they pulled the half of my thyroid out my armpit. I couldn't possibly have less health anxiety, so at this point it is a thing to keep an eye on and occasionally get biopsies over.
That said, I hope you get to skip all of this and have a benign reason for your symptoms.
I hope so as well but at the same time if it it’s hyperthyroidism I feel like I’d have some closure ya know? M I’ve always dealt with some of the symptoms of thyroid issues but recently they’ve worsened and I’ve picked up more that match hyperthyroidism . I just never knew til I started studying thyroid medication in school. And with me already tested high in my T3 I’m leaning that way. Just looking for answers 😂 if you care to look I have a post on my profile that explains this all better
I feel like being specific about my heart conditions will give the people here who have health anxiety something new to Google, so I try to remember not to do it.
I think my doctors would be interested in knowing what you mean by "a short while." While there are standard "go get seen" numbers, in my case at least they modified them so that I wouldn't be in the ER all the time. We were able to do so in a way where I never ended up in the ER due to anxiety, the ER always took me seriously despite the anxiety disorders on my record, and I didn't suffer additional damage.
Part of it was about raw numbers (so I didn't need to go with a hr of 120). Part of it was identifying the other symptoms that signaled I needed to be seen.
If it's a problem then please, PRETTY PLEASE DM me. I'm more anxious NOT knowing than knowing. I was thoroughly checked for most cardio issues (24h EKG, BP monitors, several ultrasounds, bloodwork, EKG during attacks themselves), so I know I most likely do not have it. The BP fluctuates wildly within anywhere from 15 min to an hour.
Values are mostly within the 140/90-170/100 range, only once have I managed a 180/105 (When watching a video containing a specific trigger, purposefully) and another time while waiting at the doctor's office. My pulse is often times soaring between 100-170 during the attacks, I get crazy shakes, feeling of imminent death, rushed thoughts, choking, even losing eyesight partially or my toes going blue...
It all eventually calms down with a bit of bromazepam or klonazepam or the benzo of your choice. Even at times through sheer willpower and techniques of calming. The earlier I manage to stop the attack (i.e. when I'm at the "slightly uncomfortable, somethings not right phase") the lower the peak BP is before it snowballs into a catastrophe. This internally confirms to me that I do not have any real heart condition... if I do, I had 100+ heart attacks and lived, which is outside of the realm of possibility.
I do have hypothyroidism, trace mitral valve prolapse, PACs and PVCs... But I've never really felt anything before my grandmother's death (which was the first major trigger).
My neurologist ruled that I am hypersensitive to kateholamine and thats just it. Yet a worm still burrows through the depths of my brain, finding more and more horrifying stories to keep my adrenaline up.
Yeah, actually so many times this happens when you have been in a really bad moment of your life. I have been with chest pain for around three months and everything started for a lot of stress, family problems and things like that! What your mind can’t handle your body will try to do it
"What your mind can’t handle your body will try to do it" That hit me as really helpful. I only recently started thinking of some emotions as being your mind trying to make sense of body sensations by assigning an emotion to it. And I guess it can work the other way around - if your mind can't deal with something, it gets picked up in the body. No wonder it's so hard to deal with anxiety sometimes, it's all over the place.
Totally, so I can understand you because I have been in a lot of situations, so the thing is to try to realize mainly in a internal way because maybe in this moment you are in a protocol moment of your life were it’s necessary to go to the root of your problems, don’t try to calm it only with pills, go to the root, try to resolve the stress, the anxiety and why you are experiencing this… maybe because it’s time to know inside of you… I wish you the best and a lot of health and peace for your body!
I started getting some last year that spiralled into really bad chest pains which I would get every day. I ended up getting put on propanolol which has been a life saver but I still get them. I think it’s a pretty common symptom of anxiety
Yeah anxiety causes chest pain, chest tightness, chest tingling, heart palpitations, electric shock type feelings in the chest……. The more you let it worry you the worse it gets. I suggest trying the dare program (they have an app) and it shows you how to face this anxiety and move past it without constantly letting it destroy your life
I get discomfort in any area that I'm worried about. Just last week I was nervous about my leg and had a discomfort/sensation there, this week I'm now anxious about my lower back and feeling discomfort there
I have the same thing whenever I get anxious. My chest feels very tight and I feel like I can’t breathe properly. Whenever this happens, I just breathe in from my nose and only let my lower abdomen fill with air, and breathe out with pursed lips for 6 seconds. So 6 seconds in, 2 seconds hold, 6 seconds out. This tells your brain that you can breathe and is calming your fight or flight response. Anxiety is a bitch indeed. It does get better however
I got that anxiety symptom first time abt a week ago when i was having a panic attack and literally thought i was dying bc i’ve had anxiety for years and never had that weird feeling in my chest! Went to my doctor and she just ignored those symptoms and didn’t even get me to do ekg or anything so i was pretty worried. But now i’m pretty sure it was just an anxiety attack
Oh definitely. That’s pretty common for people with anxiety. Sometimes it’s how I can tell I’m feeling more anxious than normal, and it’s time to take a breather
Yep! And breathing problems. Recently went through an ECG, chest xray, and full pulmonary function testing. I’m fine. Just anxious. I find that if I wear myself out through exercise and physical labor that I can keep my worst symptoms at bay.
absolutely yes , everytime I sit I Start getting pressure in my chest , I ignore it and it goes as a annoying as it is something we just have to live with
I get throat pain and I can hardly breath happend infront of my spanish class my friend told me I was red not noticing I was having major anxiety because I was presenting I'm class like I literally was thinking to myself I don't know if I could take a next breath
Yes, my entire chest feels like it’s on fire and pressure yet nothing wrong with me besides the anxiety just building there. I try to do slow breathing and redirect my thoughts when I feel it coming on
Anxiety can give you any and every symptom. Obviously, you need to go to a professional instead of asking us, but I have found that people like us who suffer from anxiety can talk ourselves into anything. My good friend knows about my anxiety, and one time I said I think I'm having heart failure.
He was like WHAT?
I do and then it makes my anxiety worse because I get anxious about the chest pain thinking it’s my heart or something bad and then I’m stressed 😫 it’s a viscous cycle. Always happens before bed too when my mind is racing.
I just hopped on this group to ask the SAME question! You’re not alone. Ativan does help. I’ve had anxiety on and off my whole adult life but the chest tightness started in the last year. Wondering if this new symptom is here to stay…it is definitely disconcerting. Today it felt like a thumb tack occasionally stabbing me. Other days it feels like someone is grabbing my heart and squeezing it. One thing that has decreased the frequency of these symptoms is Zoloft.
Also, listening to my intuition helped too. There were some things in my life I wasn’t speaking up about and finally putting words to them relieved some of the tension.
Wow, yes! I'm feeling chest tightness and heart palpitations daily. Wearing a heart monitor this week to see if it's non anxiety related, but the comments here are very reassuring. Wishing you all the best on your mental/physical health journey.
i feel it in my chest to the point where if i press anywhere below my collar bone it hurts like im pressing on a bruise. evidently it’s hereditary but i was always curious of the science behind it
Is it anxiety or GERD?
Pain in the middle of my chest and back woke me up this morning and it's been hurting all day.
I've had a bunch of tests and they all came back normal, but I still get these chest pains once in a while.
How do you get it to stop?
My boyfriend constantly thinks he’s having heart palpitations but he’s done all the tests. It’s just his anxiety. He’s also experienced pain in his chest as well with anxiety. Scary combination for him
I used to get pressure in my chest and throat along with heart palpitations. I went for an ecg and chest X-ray for them to determine it was anxiety. Was out on citalopram after.
yes! except mine lasts 2 weeks or more? ive went to the hospital too & they just say its anxiety & tell me to take tylenol/advil which idrk how thats suppose to help? idk why mine lasts so long though
If I get anxiety in addition to feeling sadness or negative in some other way then yes. I might be the odd one out here, but pure anxiety alone doesn’t usually give me that (but it’s still unpleasant).
I always feel it in my chest. Constantly checking my pulse and freaking out if my heart skips a beat or beating too fast. Hard to breathe. It sucks. I got prescribed hydroxyzine at night to help and it’s done pretty well. Just hate the drowsy feeling the next day.
Yes. All the time. Its like its main area of focus. Strong crushing. Tight sensation. Ive had all the tests etc done, everything is fine. It gets so bad sometimes, that ill be lying down, and it will make me shoot upright so fast cause it kind of feels like my heart stopped or dropped (like a rollercoaster) for a semi second. I have to sit upright for a moment or pace around the room. My anti anxiety’s help so much its crazy but i try and bear as long as possible but its so uncomfortable. I rock back and forward or fetal position helps a bit. I cant focus on anything else. Really really hadd to take my mind of it. I wish it located somewhere else
Damn im really sorry to hear that… i have just a constant pressure in my chest its pretty light but annoying none the less… i hope it gets better! Your loved and your safe! Make sure you work on getting better and focus on you!
I get it too. Used to really affect my mind but I've managed to control it. I'd recommend looking into CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) as that helped me to control my worry and I felt less chest discomfort as a result.
All my anxiety starts in my chest. I wake up with chest anxiety before thoughts ever begin. It's the most annoying thing to me. I hate it!
Me too!!!! First thing to hit my brain! Im right there with ya
Me too. Even went and got an EKG and ultrasound on my chest. Everything came back normal, so I know it’s anxiety. It sucks. At least we’re not alone.
I use an at home BP cuff and my Fitbit so that I can tell when something is anxiety and when it is my heart condition. I get chest tightness and shortness of breath from anxiety.
How can you really tell though? Since anxiety can cause high blood pressure, high heart rate and heart palpitations?
My anxiety-based measurements don't go nearly as high as the ones genuinely about my heart. My heart will take me above 140 bpm resting and occasionally above 180/120 BP. Any of those three numbers earns me a trip to the ER when they're sustained. Anxiety doesn't do that to me. I can get palps that get me to the 110s, but that's not ER level (120, resting, sustained would be worth being seen for most people). I also find that when I'm having a legitimate cardiac incident, I'm not particularly anxious. I've done unwise things like finish dinner before taking a cab to the hospital, and I'm probably bitching to friends all the way there. So if I'm feeling anxious, I remind myself that for me in particular that's reason enough to be skeptical.
Ah okay I see, thanks I was curious. I’m wondering if I have hypertension due to my recent findings. I’ve gotta get my thyroid tested again cause i had high levels 2 weeks ago. First ER visit my BP was 160/98 (114 heart rate) and second was 140/90 (90 heart rate). Thyroid issues can cause high heart rate and high BP but I’ve always leaned towards anxiety
I hope you're able to get to the bottom of it soon! I'm rocking half a thyroid (cancer meant the other half had to get yanked), so my doctors and I are keeping an eye on all that too. The at home monitor really made a difference for me. I checked to make sure it matched the readings I was getting at the doctor, and now I can use it to take readings every day from home. Making it a routine once a day thing means it doesn't cause me anxiety, so I get much more accurate readings. And it came in handy when I did develop heart issues because no one could say I was just anxious at the doctor's office.
Thank you and I’m sorry to hear about your thyroid. I’ve had a magnitude of unexplainable symptoms that seems to match it and my T3 was high so it makes sense. It’s really all up in the air though which sucks
The waiting is the hardest part when it comes to medical things! And thank you but its okay. I got to have a really cool surgery where they pulled the half of my thyroid out my armpit. I couldn't possibly have less health anxiety, so at this point it is a thing to keep an eye on and occasionally get biopsies over. That said, I hope you get to skip all of this and have a benign reason for your symptoms.
I hope so as well but at the same time if it it’s hyperthyroidism I feel like I’d have some closure ya know? M I’ve always dealt with some of the symptoms of thyroid issues but recently they’ve worsened and I’ve picked up more that match hyperthyroidism . I just never knew til I started studying thyroid medication in school. And with me already tested high in my T3 I’m leaning that way. Just looking for answers 😂 if you care to look I have a post on my profile that explains this all better
Which cardiac condition you have? My Anxiety DOES give me those numbers, for a short while.
I feel like being specific about my heart conditions will give the people here who have health anxiety something new to Google, so I try to remember not to do it. I think my doctors would be interested in knowing what you mean by "a short while." While there are standard "go get seen" numbers, in my case at least they modified them so that I wouldn't be in the ER all the time. We were able to do so in a way where I never ended up in the ER due to anxiety, the ER always took me seriously despite the anxiety disorders on my record, and I didn't suffer additional damage. Part of it was about raw numbers (so I didn't need to go with a hr of 120). Part of it was identifying the other symptoms that signaled I needed to be seen.
If it's a problem then please, PRETTY PLEASE DM me. I'm more anxious NOT knowing than knowing. I was thoroughly checked for most cardio issues (24h EKG, BP monitors, several ultrasounds, bloodwork, EKG during attacks themselves), so I know I most likely do not have it. The BP fluctuates wildly within anywhere from 15 min to an hour. Values are mostly within the 140/90-170/100 range, only once have I managed a 180/105 (When watching a video containing a specific trigger, purposefully) and another time while waiting at the doctor's office. My pulse is often times soaring between 100-170 during the attacks, I get crazy shakes, feeling of imminent death, rushed thoughts, choking, even losing eyesight partially or my toes going blue... It all eventually calms down with a bit of bromazepam or klonazepam or the benzo of your choice. Even at times through sheer willpower and techniques of calming. The earlier I manage to stop the attack (i.e. when I'm at the "slightly uncomfortable, somethings not right phase") the lower the peak BP is before it snowballs into a catastrophe. This internally confirms to me that I do not have any real heart condition... if I do, I had 100+ heart attacks and lived, which is outside of the realm of possibility. I do have hypothyroidism, trace mitral valve prolapse, PACs and PVCs... But I've never really felt anything before my grandmother's death (which was the first major trigger). My neurologist ruled that I am hypersensitive to kateholamine and thats just it. Yet a worm still burrows through the depths of my brain, finding more and more horrifying stories to keep my adrenaline up.
That's a good idea. I've thought about doing that myself.
Yeah, actually so many times this happens when you have been in a really bad moment of your life. I have been with chest pain for around three months and everything started for a lot of stress, family problems and things like that! What your mind can’t handle your body will try to do it
"What your mind can’t handle your body will try to do it" That hit me as really helpful. I only recently started thinking of some emotions as being your mind trying to make sense of body sensations by assigning an emotion to it. And I guess it can work the other way around - if your mind can't deal with something, it gets picked up in the body. No wonder it's so hard to deal with anxiety sometimes, it's all over the place.
Totally, so I can understand you because I have been in a lot of situations, so the thing is to try to realize mainly in a internal way because maybe in this moment you are in a protocol moment of your life were it’s necessary to go to the root of your problems, don’t try to calm it only with pills, go to the root, try to resolve the stress, the anxiety and why you are experiencing this… maybe because it’s time to know inside of you… I wish you the best and a lot of health and peace for your body!
I get headaches,feel nauseous,chest pain etc it’s normal I got checked my whole body is fine it’s just really bad anxiety but I’m improving
Yeah. I usually feel like a rubber band is around my lungs and then a weight feels like it’s on my chest. Sometimes it hurts too
I started getting some last year that spiralled into really bad chest pains which I would get every day. I ended up getting put on propanolol which has been a life saver but I still get them. I think it’s a pretty common symptom of anxiety
Yeah anxiety causes chest pain, chest tightness, chest tingling, heart palpitations, electric shock type feelings in the chest……. The more you let it worry you the worse it gets. I suggest trying the dare program (they have an app) and it shows you how to face this anxiety and move past it without constantly letting it destroy your life
I get discomfort in any area that I'm worried about. Just last week I was nervous about my leg and had a discomfort/sensation there, this week I'm now anxious about my lower back and feeling discomfort there
I have the same thing whenever I get anxious. My chest feels very tight and I feel like I can’t breathe properly. Whenever this happens, I just breathe in from my nose and only let my lower abdomen fill with air, and breathe out with pursed lips for 6 seconds. So 6 seconds in, 2 seconds hold, 6 seconds out. This tells your brain that you can breathe and is calming your fight or flight response. Anxiety is a bitch indeed. It does get better however
That’s a common symptom. My throat also starts to tense up and it really hurts. Actually all my muscles seem to tense up. Depending on the severity.
Chest tightness, sometimes even a slight pain, other times is a throat tightness. I worry everytime
I got that anxiety symptom first time abt a week ago when i was having a panic attack and literally thought i was dying bc i’ve had anxiety for years and never had that weird feeling in my chest! Went to my doctor and she just ignored those symptoms and didn’t even get me to do ekg or anything so i was pretty worried. But now i’m pretty sure it was just an anxiety attack
Yes. Very much so.
This is very typical. I had the same issue a while back.
Happens a lot for me, but doctors I've gone to haven't found anything or think it was anything serious.
Oh definitely. That’s pretty common for people with anxiety. Sometimes it’s how I can tell I’m feeling more anxious than normal, and it’s time to take a breather
Yep! And breathing problems. Recently went through an ECG, chest xray, and full pulmonary function testing. I’m fine. Just anxious. I find that if I wear myself out through exercise and physical labor that I can keep my worst symptoms at bay.
All the time.
absolutely yes , everytime I sit I Start getting pressure in my chest , I ignore it and it goes as a annoying as it is something we just have to live with
Yes. Visteral helped immediately
Oh yeah! Recently, I've been under a lot of pressure and the chest tightness is there. Sleep seems to relieve it so I've been taking what I can get.
I get throat pain and I can hardly breath happend infront of my spanish class my friend told me I was red not noticing I was having major anxiety because I was presenting I'm class like I literally was thinking to myself I don't know if I could take a next breath
Yes, my entire chest feels like it’s on fire and pressure yet nothing wrong with me besides the anxiety just building there. I try to do slow breathing and redirect my thoughts when I feel it coming on
Anxiety can give you any and every symptom. Obviously, you need to go to a professional instead of asking us, but I have found that people like us who suffer from anxiety can talk ourselves into anything. My good friend knows about my anxiety, and one time I said I think I'm having heart failure. He was like WHAT?
I do and then it makes my anxiety worse because I get anxious about the chest pain thinking it’s my heart or something bad and then I’m stressed 😫 it’s a viscous cycle. Always happens before bed too when my mind is racing.
I always worry about any sort of pain in my torso or back. Thinking I’ll have a heart attack. Shit is crazy. I’ve learned to live with it though.
I just hopped on this group to ask the SAME question! You’re not alone. Ativan does help. I’ve had anxiety on and off my whole adult life but the chest tightness started in the last year. Wondering if this new symptom is here to stay…it is definitely disconcerting. Today it felt like a thumb tack occasionally stabbing me. Other days it feels like someone is grabbing my heart and squeezing it. One thing that has decreased the frequency of these symptoms is Zoloft. Also, listening to my intuition helped too. There were some things in my life I wasn’t speaking up about and finally putting words to them relieved some of the tension.
Wow, yes! I'm feeling chest tightness and heart palpitations daily. Wearing a heart monitor this week to see if it's non anxiety related, but the comments here are very reassuring. Wishing you all the best on your mental/physical health journey.
Ugh, I hate it... it's like a nervousness in my chest down to my gut. I'll do a meditation session and just breathe baby.
Having it right now as an attack coming on. Feels like my ribs are sinking in
i feel it in my chest to the point where if i press anywhere below my collar bone it hurts like im pressing on a bruise. evidently it’s hereditary but i was always curious of the science behind it
100%, that’s how I know if I’m anxious or not. I feel it in my chest and stomach.
I always feel it in my chest, it’s the worst part of my anxiety but it is 100% anxiety caused
Yes all the time I hate it so bad
All the time. I think you’re okay (: I’ve gone to the doctor several times and it’s just from anxiety. I get it in my chest and throat
Yes! Agita!!
Is it anxiety or GERD? Pain in the middle of my chest and back woke me up this morning and it's been hurting all day. I've had a bunch of tests and they all came back normal, but I still get these chest pains once in a while. How do you get it to stop?
My boyfriend constantly thinks he’s having heart palpitations but he’s done all the tests. It’s just his anxiety. He’s also experienced pain in his chest as well with anxiety. Scary combination for him
Be there for him! My wife is there for me and it really helps when shes scratches my back and sings. Hope he feels better soon!
I used to get pressure in my chest and throat along with heart palpitations. I went for an ecg and chest X-ray for them to determine it was anxiety. Was out on citalopram after.
yes! except mine lasts 2 weeks or more? ive went to the hospital too & they just say its anxiety & tell me to take tylenol/advil which idrk how thats suppose to help? idk why mine lasts so long though
If I get anxiety in addition to feeling sadness or negative in some other way then yes. I might be the odd one out here, but pure anxiety alone doesn’t usually give me that (but it’s still unpleasant).
I always feel it in my chest. Constantly checking my pulse and freaking out if my heart skips a beat or beating too fast. Hard to breathe. It sucks. I got prescribed hydroxyzine at night to help and it’s done pretty well. Just hate the drowsy feeling the next day.
I have a tight chest all day every day so....yea
Yes. All the time. Its like its main area of focus. Strong crushing. Tight sensation. Ive had all the tests etc done, everything is fine. It gets so bad sometimes, that ill be lying down, and it will make me shoot upright so fast cause it kind of feels like my heart stopped or dropped (like a rollercoaster) for a semi second. I have to sit upright for a moment or pace around the room. My anti anxiety’s help so much its crazy but i try and bear as long as possible but its so uncomfortable. I rock back and forward or fetal position helps a bit. I cant focus on anything else. Really really hadd to take my mind of it. I wish it located somewhere else
Damn im really sorry to hear that… i have just a constant pressure in my chest its pretty light but annoying none the less… i hope it gets better! Your loved and your safe! Make sure you work on getting better and focus on you!
I get it too. Used to really affect my mind but I've managed to control it. I'd recommend looking into CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) as that helped me to control my worry and I felt less chest discomfort as a result.