[SunnyD]

I have had every test known to man at least twice and even a heart cauterisation but they have yet to find any evidence of heart disease.
I get occasional chest pains, jaw pains, radiating, dull or sharp..perfect symptoms of heart attack. And they really hurt..8 on the pain scale.
Now I am wondering if it is a panic attack. I don't feel afraid or upset, except for trying to deal with the pain.
They started when I was about 55 I am 61 now. The first time it happened was when we were going to visit a new church. That morning we went to the hospital instead.
A sip or two of water usually takes care of it. It has awakened me out of a sound sleep a few times.
I may go weeks without one and then I might have a cluster of them. The last one was when I was trying pants on in the store last Saturday. I had to get dressed before I could get to some water.
Thank God the water works..I was running out of money going to the hospital.
My doctors don't have any concerns but no answers either.
Has anyone else had this happen? What do you think?

[Jewels]

Hi Sunny

i too experience those kinds of pains, and yes, water does the trick...it feels more like muscle spasms, but are painful and i have discovered that it isnt my heart at all but a panic/anxiety attack...

sometimes i will use ice cold water, sometimes just cool water, but it really depends on what is going on as to the degree of coldness. it seems to me that the colder water does the trick better than warmer water. i found that trying to ignore the spasms/pain is detrimental rather than helpful...so i look to see where the fountains are wherever I go...or i carry a bottle of water just in case...

i hope that you know you are not alone in this...there are plenty of people who have this, and it seems that water does the trick the majority of time...i hope you find something that really works so you dont need to keep drinking water...for me i was put on a muscle relaxer which does the trick as well...and i dont need to be as vigilant taking water with me wherever i am going...

hope this helps!

Yahna

My doctors don't have any concerns but no answers either.

Why do not the doctors have concerns? Is there a specialist you may be referred to?

[SunnyD]

My cardiologist told me that I don't have anything to worry about as it is not heart related. Since it happens so seldom there was nothing to do but give me an upper GI or something like that next. I was out of money then so decided just to take an antacid as they would probably do that anyhow. No change.
I ran it by my kidney specialist but he wouldn't hazard a guess. I do have a new GP
and will be seeing him next week. Maybe I can get him interested.
I will tell you what though..if water stops working I will be more insistent.

[SunnyD]

Yahna.
It is good to know that it is all in my head . Man it hurts and it is good to know that water helps you too.
How often does this happen to you?
I forget to take water with me..at church though you can buy for 50 cents a small bottle of water. In fact the first time I was there I got the heart pains.
How often does this happen to you? Do other things happen too?

[Stranger2]

I know how you feel.. I had one a couple of months ago that was so seveere I thought for sure this is the big one.. I still get the pains here and there but that one radiated up into my lower jaw and sharp pains down my left arm.. After all the exams came back negative they let me out of the hospital.. I now take an 81 mg bayer aspirin and niacin vitamins for my heart..

[SunnyD]

Originally Posted by Stranger2

I know how you feel.. I had one a couple of months ago that was so severe I thought for sure this is the big one.. I still get the pains here and there but that one radiated up into my lower jaw and sharp pains down my left arm.. After all the exams came back negative they let me out of the hospital.. I now take an 81 mg Bayer aspirin and niacin vitamins for my heart..

How is it going now? Do they think it was a heart attack? Do you have digitalis? I have some but it didn't work on my chest pains..another sign that it is probably a panic attack. I forgot about that.

[la doctora]

So how do you tell the difference? I mean, do you have to go to the ER and get a heart attack ruled out to know it's a panic attack. I have had the pains that radiate up in my jaw and down my arm that hurt so so much. I freak out for a few minutes that it could be a heart attack but the pain usually goes away in a few minutes if I can get in a deep breath or two. I'll have to remember to drink water... I also have some huge heart flutters or palpitations. At least that's what it feels like to me. I can literally feel my heart beating so hard and it feels like it is about to burst. It is really scary. I have an appt with my GP this afternoon for a yearly physical. Need to remember to bring it up.
So, how do you know the difference???

[SunnyD]

For me it took a lot. Don't be surprised if they want to do some tests. But if you are prone to panic attacks that might be an indication you don't have heart disease. Good luck with your appointment.

[findingmyself1005]

the last post was correct they will do a bunch of tests on you ...i too hae had aneixty attacks that feel like a heart attack buit i am only 34 so i know that is not what it is ...but i still have had to go to er....yesterday i wnet becaue it felt like my heart was racing and i knew that i wasnt anxious over anyhting and i m gla dthat i went becaus emy heart rate and blood perssure had went way up becaue of a med that i was on that is a stiimulant so i cant take it ant more but ialso have to see my regular doc to have a cardi o gram doen becaue again becaue of the meds that i am on can do damange to my heart...so realy whenevr in doubt just call 911 noting to mess around with

[SunnyD]

What was the medication that caused this?

[Ygrec23]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

I have had every test known to man at least twice and even a heart cauterisation but they have yet to find any evidence of heart disease.

Originally Posted by SunnyD

My doctors don't have any concerns but no answers either.
Has anyone else had this happen? What do you think?

Lord knows if it's any comfort to you, Sunny, but I have the same thing with strokes. I'm 64, and I keep having sudden weakness and paresthesia (strange feeling) on my left side. The first time they put me in the hospital and did the whole workup: CT scan and MRI. Nothing showed. It slowly went away over about a week, which means it wasn't what they call a TIA (transient ischemic attack) because those are defined as not lasting more than 24 hours. I've been to all the local expert neurologists and the sum total of their wisdom is that I haven't had a stroke, are not about to have a stroke and should just go and stop worrying about it. And that's what I do. Actually as I sit here and type to you, I have the same thing: weakness on my left side and paresthesia, though I still talk fine.

I don't know if this is any comfort to you, but it shows me that one can have some/all of the symptoms of classic major problems and not have them.

Take care, and don't get as upset.

[la doctora]

I asked my GP yesterday at my appointment about this. She noted that I had a normal EKG in Feb. of 2009, and thought that these symptoms are most likely due to a panic attack. But to be sure she wanted another EKG. It was still normal so she said they are panic attacks. whew! That's a load off.

This is me today b/c of allergies. OMG I can't breathe!

[SunnyD]

I wanted to post an update..
I asked my doctor about it and he said that it didn't sound like any cardiovascular problems.
He shrugged and said that it was Atypical chest pains..which means that they have no clue. He said this was not uncommon though.
I asked what I should do if water doesn't take the pain away. He said to take a Prilosec because it might be esophagus.

[Perna]

If water works to fix the problem, I would probably try to get more fluids into me daily; deliberately drink a glass of water before bed, etc. I eat a banana a day, and usually, an apple, just because the "apple a day. . ." thing has a lot of truth to it (like the chicken soup for colds has) and I enjoy bananas and apples. But the chemical/fluids systems are constantly changing in our bodies and it's hard to know just what to do. I know whenever I have to go to the ER, I usually need a bag of potassium dripped in so I've studied potassium and tried to figure out how to keep mine up there (has a lot to do with muscle contractions, among other things). I haven't been to the ER for that in seven years.

[Stranger2]

The answer to your question is no.. They didn't put me on any heart meds.. They only told me to take an 81 mg bayer aspirin everyday and niacin..One thing I found that helps is to get in a hot shower and just let it beat down on my chest.. The pain finally subsides..I do take xanax for anxiety and panic attacks..

[ECHOES]

It definitely could be gastric related. I hope you can get the upper GI soon.
Reflux, GERD, etc cause similar symptoms as you described.

[Jewels]

Hi Hunny,

It happens to me when I am overly stressed...and with no apparent reason at times too. I get them at church as well, and think that the reason is it is just stressful for me being at church when and where I don't have access to water like I want and so the feelings are worse there.

I am finding it happens to me at home more lately as well, because I am going through some rather intense stuff and it's a stress induced pain. I sometimes, not all the time but frequently enough, panic sets in and then I get the pain in the jaw and in my shoulder/arm. I know it isn't a heart attack because the water--it has to be cold water for me--does help stop the spasms. There have been times when I have had to take a muscle relaxer to get the spasms to go away, but that is rare.

I'm glad your doctor said not to worry. With panic disorders we have enough stress for many people all the time...and if the stress is greater on one day or another the pains will be there too...when I was driving school bus the pains got really bad...had them every day for many minutes each day...and now that I am not driving, it is indeed better, but not as good as it could be.

I also get the impending doom thing. I think that is natural for those with panic/anxiety disorders. I know a lot of people who have that fear on a regular basis. It is no fun, and it too goes along with the pains in the chest. Most of my pain is on the right side of the chest, and jaw and shoulder. It hurts like H*** when it does come...thankfully it doesn't last but a few minutes. It's just that those minutes feel like hours to me.

I hope you get to the bottom of things. Now that I take Xanax for my panic/anxiety, I don't have them as often. So the Xanax helps me. It doesn't help everyone though. Some people get worse with it, and have higher blood pressure with it, and some just have an allergic reaction to it. I am glad that the water works for you. The colder it is for me, the better off I get. Warm water seems to worsen instead of help, but I haven't talked to others who have this particular symptom to know if they are helped with cold or warm water.

Hope this helps.

Yahna

[SunnyD]

Yahana...I am really fortunate that I can get water in church. It is rather casual. My husband is preaching tomorrow, maybe I had better have some water handy..

Good luck in getting this resolved, SunnyD.

[SunnyD]

I so appreciate all your comments. It makes me feel less afraid to know I am not the only thing that deals with this but also I have your support if things get worse. I am in a time when they are not coming. I can't believe it because I am under a lot of stress.
I am getting more sleep at night so that might be a factor..

[Window]

Yes I have this too at times of immense stress. I've even calmed it with iced tea but I preffer water when I'm anxious anyway.

Yes---I discovered it was the med I was on; I have MVP also, so they gave me a beta blocker made all the difference in the world.--regulated my heart

[SunnyD]

My first time for chest pains was when I was on Lithium and some AD. I am now only on Lamictal..but it is good to see how meds might be the culprit. I wish they were for me.

[Julial]

After reading your post SunnyD, I was reminded of my trip to the emergency room in Dec for chest pains (I am 52 yrs which was why I was concerned). After many tests, they gave me a nitrate pill and suggested that I take Prilosec which I faithfully take every day. I have always had stomach problems which I knew was related to bpd but I will say that as long as I take it, it gives me a lot of relief. However, what I didn't realize; that was the first of a series of panic attacks. My mother committed suicide last year and it has been an ongoing problem for me. I started going to an understanding t (a miracle in itself) and now I take a xanax when I feel the anxiety starting. For the first time in 45 yrs, I actually have hope. Not every day is great but then not every day is bad. Don't ever quit trying to find the solution for yourself; that is what makes us unique! Thanks for bringing this to the table!