[hamster-bamster]

Posting in two forums: anxiety and sex issues.

Yesterday night I started feeling sharp pain in the heart area, as if my heart were being pressed on, squeezed, etc. I also felt rapid heart beat (did not measure it). It happened after two orgasms - the first one from my partner's hands and the second on from my masturbating in his arms. It was not clear to me what to do - to have more orgasms or stop? I stopped. I did not tell him because I wanted to ask this question first.

That kind of pain that is sharp and very narrowly located in the heart area (nothing unusual felt outside of the heart area) is a manifestation of anxiety, and I know it very well. It has been explained to me by a p-doc that REAL heart problems do not even manifest themselves in the pain inside the heart - heart attacks manifest themselves via pain in other regions of the body.

I did not have difficulty breathing and I was able to speak at the normal conversational pace.

I knew that I was not in danger. But it felt scary - meaning, had I not been instructed multiple times beforehand that anxiety/panic attacks are not dangerous, I would have felt quite scared, because the pain was sharp and pointed.

I fell asleep eventually and feel fine today.

But I wonder what would have happened had I not stopped but, rather, had more orgasms. Next time it happens, what should I do? Stop or go? Would continuing having orgasms relieve or exacerbate the pain? Likewise, would continuing having orgasms make my heart beat even more rapidly?

The sensation of rapid heart beat was a bit scary in and of itself.

There was no reason to feel anxious that I was aware of. We were at my partner's place, business as usual, nothing to be scared of.

Now that I have described this pain, I am feeling it again, except now it is subdued.

[healingme4me]

Sounds a bit scary and painful to go through. Glad that something like that, experienced before, it's not something like a heart attack.

You mention, the pain is coming back, thinking of it. I'm wracking my brain here, to consider what would bring an anxiety reaction, physically manifested, where you are in a trusted environment(as you mentioned, business as usual).

Which leads me back to wondering what else, can bring about an anxiety reaction. I, firmly believe, that not every ounce of anxiety need be emotionally manifested. So, if this is physiological, what can do this?
Anxiety and arousal: physiological changes a... [J Affect Disord. 2000] - PubMed - NCBI

^^Physical stress. ((not that having an orgasm is a negative stressor, eh? )) Somatic symptoms and physiologic respons... [Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI
Physiological Symptoms Of Anxiety | LIVESTRONG.COM

Emotionally, are you becoming closer and/or more vulnerable to your partner? Are there changes going on in the relationship? Maybe, the stress, in the moment, with your partner, is bringing about an unexpected anxiety reaction? Not sure...

Kind of brain storming, with you.....

[hamster-bamster]

wow, the LiveStrong link says:

"Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America."

I did not know that. I thought it was depression that was the most prevalent.

Sorry going off on a tangent.

I think unless it repeats let us just say that it was, as you said, not that ounce that needs to be emotionally manifested.

[DePressMe]

Hi hamster, yeah, maybe it was a reaction to your orgasms and not necessarily an incident of anxiety. Sometimes during sex/masturbation our bodies will react in a novel way. It may be unexpected but not necessarily a problem. However, if you hyper-focus on it and let it get to you too much it could become an anxiety issue. Try not to do that because then the anxiety might start interfering with your orgasms (don't want that!). Maybe you could try to go with the flow and see what happens the next time you are with your partner. Stay relaxed and secure with him and enjoy yourself.....D.

[hamster-bamster]

Thanks DePressMe - I had a few very strong solo orgasms last night, without pain in the heart, so at least now I know it is not some kind of a permanently negative thing that happened.