Hi everyone,
I hope you're not having a bad day today. I'm new to these boards but have read them a few times before.
I've suffered from anxiety for about 16 months now and I also have mild ME/CFS. I mainly have general anxiety and occasional panic attacks.
I have a question about something that is worrying me. From time to time I get a discomfort in the middle of my chest, it feels tight and sometimes it feels like it's my chest and sometimes my stomach. This can last for weeks sometimes. Also I get alot of breathlessness, it can come on out of the blue when I am resting but it also comes on when I exercise, this really scares me as I think it's my heart. I've had loads of blood tests and my heart and lungs have all been checked out. Does anyone else have these symptoms and I'd especially like to know if it's normal to have chest pain for days and does hyperventilation get worse when you exercise. I'm so scared the docs have missed something and that it's really my heart.
Hi Lisa-Jane! I'm new too, just so you know.
I get the same feeling in my chest, and experience the same breathlessness. Sometimes it feels like my heart is skipping beats, almost like it's fluttering. And then there are times when I'll get a big burst of anxiety (not quite a panic attack, just an extra shot of adrenaline for no reason), and afterwards my heart beats very heavily and quickly for a minute or so. And my ears ring a little also. I haven't actually experienced the chest pain you describe that lasts for days, although I may not have as severe of anxiety as you do. If you've gotten your heart checked out and things are okay, it's got to be caused by the anxiety. Over time, the stress on your heart can lead to heart problems (you're making your heart work a lot harder than normal), so it's important to do something about the anxiety. Are you taking any medication?
No I'm not taking any medication. My worst time with anxiety was in May last year. After that I had a course of CBT and had no panic attacks for over a year. Just recently I've been feeling panicky again, but I've had alot of stress in my life. I know I got through it before and will again but I forgot how scary it can be. I am now taking some medication for GERD too just in case it's that as I'm told anxiety can make that worse and cause similar feelings in the chest.
