left arm pain and tightness in chest with weakness (Page 3)

I am 41 a musician/songwriter and have been having panic attacks since I was 23.Since it's arrival anxiety has never completely gone away. Though it has been much better over the last ten years.
Recently I have had a tight uncomfortable feeling in my left arm.This brings on anxiety.I have had an ECG and all was fine. I have known for sometime that it is only anxiety but the mind is incredibly powerful and often it will spiral out of control.

I want to sympathise with all you fellow sufferers of this frustrating condition. I have bookmarked this site as it really brings it on home to me how I am not alone and my symptoms are just phantoms,frauds and fakes and that I should not let them get the better of me no matter how real they seem. Smoking a cigarette could bring the symptoms on or an argument or stressful situation or even nothing at all and though I am only an occasional smoker it angers me that it should get in the way of my freedom to smoke or argue etc. I now take a stand to ignore these symptoms tight feeling in arm/chest dizziness panic etc. And to get on with living life without this unwarranted fear. I am sad that many happy occasions in my life have been tainted by this narcissistic malady and hope that some you younger folk can take some reassurance from me and move on and enjoy your lives to the full.It annoys me that I must think I'm so special that my life is forever in jeopardy, when there are so many really sick unhealthy people out there who really need help. You wont find many anxiety sufferers bungy jumping for instance. Go on do it, do what you want now without fear.

Thx for sharing your thought....I couldn't agree with you more. I for myself felt these uncontrollable numbness which made me very uncomfortable. After couple years of these accidents I begin to second guess my ability to even control my own body and mind....for a long time I was in a deep deep feared stage...but no more.

Just knowing you have people who will accept you as who you are and accepting the conditions you have, you will do just fine.

Hi, I'm glad I found this board. I'm not really sure if my symptoms are related to my medical history but I have had tightening in my chest, shallow breathing, feeling liek I can't breate and pain when i breathe, tightening in the the right hand and arm. I also feel pain in my right lower rib area. About 6 months ago I called 911 because I could'nt breate and I has afarid I was having a heart attack at 30. At teh time My business was doing bad and I had allot of stress, well I still do. Bills wise. The rude Paramedics said my vitals when noral and told me it was a anexiety. They told me that I should not go to teh hospiotal because it would just be another bill to worry about.
I ahve been fine until last monday, I hurt my hand and it swelled up like a football. An xray came back normal. since then my hand is able to move but I have extreme pain and tightness in the right arm, hand, shoulder, chest and pain in my back. I feel like the hand injury triggered something. I don't know if it's anexiety but it feels hard to breathe and the pain in my arm is unbearable. Has anyone else felt these symptoms?
I'm always worried bout my health because when I was 17 I got a headache that was so bad I could'nt move. within 2 days I almost lost my vision. I could'nt read. It turns out that I had a Pit Tumor. I had surgery and my vision came back. I had to take 8 different emds to replace hormones because my Pit was not functioning anymore. As a young person this was hard. I did'nt take my meds beacuse everything had a side effect. Now Im taking them years latter. But because of side effects I never know what it may be. I hope you guys have good doctoors. Recently I was at a endocrinology appointment. The same doc I have been seeing on and off for 15 years. When I was 18-19 he told me that if i ever wanted to have kids when I got older taht I better have stock in Coca cola. I tought this was rude to say to a kid. recent he told me at my 3 month office vist that I am they call: "unfinished business" I looked this up in a medical dictionary online. It says that that this is the acceptace of a person dealling with terminal illness and dealth and consoling with there family before dying. Maybe i'm over analizing and this is why I have anexiety.
any way, if anyone else has these symptoms or a doc experience like this let me know.
Jon

Listen all of you. Barring a physical examination were the doctor finds nothing wrong with you, most all of you are experiencing the NORMAL feelings of anxiety. Yes they are scary. Yes they are uncomfortable. And yes they can turn your world up side down. Yes they are the most ugly, bizarre sensations and thoughts you may experience but please realize though they are NOT going to kill you. They are just your bodies normal reaction towards stress. And they can be overcome: But it does take some effort.

1.Once you get a panic attack, you get caught in a vicious cycle which is: panic = weird strange physical symptoms = Then your convinced "something is terribly wrong" = causing more stress = More panic = more strange symptoms = you freak out some more and the cycle goes on and on and on.

2. The only way out is to not fight them. As crazy as it sound "WELCOME THEM - ENJOY THEM" with all it's uglyness -strangeness. Do not avoid them. As uncomfortable as you are, continue with your day "AS IF EVERYTHING IS FINE" even though you might be week, dizzy, have tightness of the chest, short of breath and are sure you are dying, etc etc etc (believe me you are not) this is the only way out. You are training your nervous system to understand that panic is not appropriate any more. The more you get comfortable with them and the more you welcome them, regardless of any new sensations it throws at you, the quicker you will overcome them. This is the only true way out is through them not avoid them.

3. There are other things you can do while re-training the nervous system: start breathing deeply on a regular basis From your diaphragm. This promote a sense of calm. Stop reading the horrors of news papers and television. Fill your mind with more positive things. Also, stop eating anxiety producing foods ie; Coffee - caffeine sugars- alcohol -nicotine. Last get some exercise in. As simple as stretching you body everyday. Anything to move and get the heart rate up. (I know your heart rate is already up.) Don't worry . Start slow.

Remember it may take a period of time to overcome. You are not in a race. But this will do the job.

God bless all of you.

Oh my god!! I thought I was alone with this but my symptoms sound very similar to you guys! I am a 33 year old female who is planning a wedding and when I look back, the problems started not long after I got engaged. It first started when going for a run, I would get a pain in my left arm with tingling in my hand and it would go up and down my arm, sometimes in the elbow, other times in the wrist and hand area. I then started to get it just be having a brisk walk or by doing nothing. I ended up going to the doctor coz I was also getting palpatations and a slight chest pain and he heard a murmur on my heart and referred me for an Echo. Since then I keep thinking I am going to die of a heart attack!! I also suffer from vertigo in the past but this has recently come back, I didnt think it was related but now I read that you have suffered from it it could all be related to anxiety attacks. At the weekend I was cooking dinner and it went wrong and my other half wouldnt help me and so i got really stressed, I then had to do the ironing and during that time I started to get a pain in my chest and my left arm started to hurt!! I am getting the Echo scan done next week hopefully but now I am not so worried that it is a heart problem, maybe I just have to stop stressing out!!!!

Sarah x

hi i am 26 yrs old and i have been having pain in the arm left chest, neck and going up into my jaw and head. does anyone else have these issues and should i go see a doctor because of this? all of this has been going on for about 2 weeks now.please help me

Hello all,
I had my first ever panic attack today. I was dismantling a futon couch and it fell on my hand and cut it. My hand swelled up and I started to feel dizzy and like I wanted to throw up, then came the heart racing and I thought this is it I am going to die.
Being a single mum all I could think is who is going to look after my kids and I must be internally bleeding! Called the ambulance who came half an hour later to me shaking and trying hard to deep breath. After much assurance and an hour later I read the form and it said "anxiety episode" I couldn't believe it as it has been so real.
I live a very stressful life with a child who hits me and controls me and I cannot escape. Guess this is my sign to reach for more help. I used to think panic attacks were what wimps got, now I know they are the one of the scariest things I have ever experienced!! After my attack my child punched me in my arm several times as i had been supposed to take her to a dance class and she was mad as hell that I had "faked it"

I have enjoyed reading all the entries. I have been having most of the symptoms mentioned for about a year now with no explanation as to why they started. I just woke up one night with tightness in my left arm and a strong feeling that I was having a heart attack. I was dizzy, difficulty breathing, tightness and pain in the left side of my chest, etc. I too have been to several Drs and Hospitals for all the tests only to be told my heart is fine as is my lungs. Now, the Drs have found that I have a reduced opening of the nerve channel in my cervical spine at C5, C6 and C7. The Dr feels that this is what "triggers" my attacks, and that perhaps acupuncture may help. I was also diagnosed with tendonitis and bursitis in both shoulders.

Has anybody else had a simular diagnosis? If so what helped you? Right now, the only thing that has helped me survive each day is a low dose anti-anxiety pill that I really don't want to keep taking as it is habit forming.

I am glad I too found this sight as it lets me know I am not crazy.

I too have enjoyed reading these entries. For the past 6 months I have been experiencing severe panic attacks. I have had several EKG's, worn a holter monitor, done a stress test, etc...Everything has shown up normal. There are periods of times where I do feel normal but for the most part, not a day goes by that I don't have some sort of symptom, chest tightening, arm pain, shallow breathing, throat tightening. I really feel as though I am going to die. I try to tell myself otherwise but it is hard. I am taking Lexapro and xanax, although would like to be off of them because I don't want to be dependent; however, I do not want my symptoms to become worse. I am trying really hard to control my symptoms but I am not exactly sure how. I will be sitting at work, carefree, and then boom, my heart starts racing or my throat tightens up on me. I just want to be normal again. I don't think I could live with these symptoms forever but, sometimes I feel as though I might just have too.

Hello board readers.

I suffered severe anxiety for a number of years. MY symptoms ranged from palpitations to chest pain to arm pain... I could go on and on. It always corresponded with the feeling that I was dieing. I went through tests, emergency room visits, hours online trying to find my illness and eventually was diagnosed with panic disorder and began taking medication. I was dependent on meds to get through the night but still suffered the attacks. I was fearful of being dependent on meds for the rest of my life. I finally found my way to therapy (I was kicking and screaming believing that it wasn�t what I needed) and within 8 months I was med free and my symptoms decreased drastically.

My panic attacks are few and far between and now I can usually deescalate them before it becomes a full-blown attack.

I still have to do the work---feeling my feelings, not stuffing them. IT isn�t easy and when I get back in my bad habit, my symptoms resurface.

I am now such a fan of therapy and would encourage anyone that has been suffering this terrible condition to pursue it. Get your life back! In my case, therapy worked and is a wonderful tool for living a healthier and more fulfilling life.

i can honestly say that i am so relieved to see so many people have the same symptoms i am having.i am 19yo until a year ago i thought i was in perfect health. i felt that all the bad things like this wouldnt happen to me and then one day my chest surged with pain my arm hurt so much and had pins and needles and it felt like i was going to black out from lightheadiness. i have been to the doctor countless times and they telle me i am fine. i have had blood tests, stress tests, CT scans, ECG. i always feel like i am on the verge of an attck again and im always on alert and my mind is always racing and it cant relax. the big question is i cant find anything i am anxious about in the first place apart from the fear of having another attack and dying. it truly is a terrible condition to be in. and everytime i leave the house alone it starts again. being around people and staying focused on something has really helped though but as soon as i start to relax my mind dwells on it again and it starts again. if anyone has any help at all or if you feel the same please post it

HI i am 19 yo too and i feel the same way as you, its really frustuating because everyone, doctors etc keep telling me its anxiety. I think i just have to accept that it is anxiety and try to get over this.

ONLY CURE IS TIME - 2 TO 4 YRS OF TIMME but that how it is
AND MUSIC YOULOVR

bestt tip ever
if you can point with your finger to the pain or discomfort
its NOT heart attack

it would hurt EVERYWHERE REALLY BAD if it was

Wow this is great, and in many ways a cure in itself, to find so many people with the same symptoms! I fully feel that sensation of "oh crap my arm hurts.. is it a heart attack? stroke?" then all of a sudden other symptoms appear out of nowhere!

Sometimes I get the chills really badly and can't stop shivering, even though I don't feel that cold. Something that has helped me is to take a bath. Not only is this calming but sometimes I'll decide to shave my legs (I'm a female) and it will distract me. Before I know it, I'm good to go. The first time anything happened my heart was beating very heavily and I was shivvering so I took a bath. My boyfriend said we should go to the ER so I said I wanted to shave my legs! (reciulous, I know) but by the time I had chilled out and shaved my legs, I didn't feel as bad and layed down and went to sleep.

Are people taking other drugs on a daily basis besides those used to cure these anxiety problems? I'd be curious if there is a similarity among other things. I take adderalll XR sometimes (prescribed) and I have asthma so I take preventative meds and a rescue inhaler when needed. I do smoke pot sometimes and drink beer/wine, but not excessively.

What about herbal remedies? Aren't there some things that are supposed to calm people down? I'd hate to be prescibed yet another drug since I've been on allergy, asthma, and ADD meds for a good portion of my life. Again, great to see that I'm not alone!

It's soothing to read about how everyone has similar symptoms and they have been checked out by a doctor only to find (for the most part) nothing wrong!

I agree with Waterbean that a very hot or very cold bath (to start at least) helps.

I am a 22 and have had crippling anxiety for a long time but I'm going through a particularly upsetting bout right now. Last weekend I went out and drank and smoked a lot more than I usually do. I knew this was a bad idea because the hangovers always set me off but now it's 4 days later and there is this undercurrent of anxiety that wont go away.

This has never happened before and it's making me freak out more than usual. I was prescribed xanax on two separate ER visits and it works great but I had to force myself off it after day 3. It was hell watching the time I could have another dose go past. I really need this to go away, I'll never drink or smoke again I just can't take this anymore.

Like all of you I think I'm having a stroke/heart attack constantly. I've had a whole battery of tests done so I know I'm fine. I need to get myself to a therapist or psychiatrist before I become a complete shutin from this fear.

Good luck to all of you out there. Sometimes when it's really bad I'll put my palm over my heart and lay on it. I'll tell myself "this is your heart beating. this is what it's supposed to do for you to be alive. worry when it STOPS beating." It will never stop beating so maybe this will help you too.

Hi, 33 year old male and recently, about a month or so, ive been having tingling down my left arm and kind of numbness in the left arm also, tightness in left chest and a weird tightness in my left shoulder blade too. I have been through alot of stressful situations in last 2 years, both parents dying, moving, relationship, probably drinkn too much. Overall fairly active and healthy though. Had been back to the gym lifting again but than had these symtoms and was kinda nervous bout going back and im just kinda waitin for it 2 go away ?? I have thought it may be anxiety and like another post said, i also get it at times like right now just chillin at home, and i think im pretty relaxed and my arm is tingling now.Also, sometimes a after a couple drinks i dont feel those symptoms anymore, is that weird??

Thanx,

Johnny

Hi my name is Andrew, i am 22 male

I cannot believe how many people have experienced basically the exact same thing as me. I was so happy when I found this page , it help me reassure myself that everything is fine.

Some of you put it into better words than I ever have. Such as my nervous system constantly being on high alert. I'll feel little pain or cramp, and focus my mind so much on it that it stands out more. Most likely why they always seems to 'worsen' , and change into other symptoms ...especially the ones were fearing. For me I always feared sumthing was wrong with my 'heart' , I thought it was beating to hard, or too slow or too fast, etc.... Then it would actually start to beat faster or skip beats and I'd throw myself into a panic attack to the point I was scared for my life... It eas a horrible way to live each day, and especially everynight. I especially had trouble sleeping, and even developed symptoms of 'sleep apnea'..focusing on my heartbeat right until the point i was about to fall asleep, and then suddenly jolt awake as if i had stopped breathing. I beleive it was me literally losing control of my mind. Always I noticed when I had nothing else to focus on it was much , much worse.

One day i even went to the ER . The second the doctor spoke with me and explain all my test result, I felt completely better.My resting heart rate was even especially healthy, the doctor told me my heart is more healthy than the average adult male...my resting heart rate was between 53-55 bpm.Day to day i still have to convince myself that I am perfectly fine. Still I feel like i am constantly aware of my heartbeat, and it bothers me . I try to ignore or I find rigorous excercise helps exaust me to the point I am too tired to worry .


I am not so worried about it on average but as some of you have also said, it seems to go in phases. Ill be relatively okay for a few months , and then fall into the cycle of worry and panic. Trouble sleeping returns and wierd symptoms like 'chest pain' or shortness of breathe...increased heart rate. But all in all i find once i take control (mind over matter ) , everything is okay. ESPECIALLY after reading about so many people who experience the same thing as me. I felt very relieved and like part of a unique family almost

Also not to sound corny but the things that help me most are excercise, especially late at night when its very dark (who knows why), Drinking large amounts of organic looseleaf green tea, and watching a movie i really get into or reading a book or a forum full of friends who share my experiences


may we all find relief and happyness in our lives

You all might want to be seen by a gastroenterologist, many of the symptoms that a person thinks is the heart, turns out to be a Hiatal Hernia (protruding into the chest area) Check it out. Hiatal Hernia's can produce severe pain.

"feels like sometimes I am wearing a tight t-shirt"

This is exactly what I feel but just in the left armpit to shoulder area.
35year old non smoker, with pretty good health.

I guess the anxiety of trying to have kids is catching up with me.

Thanks to all for sharing...........

Very important to rule out the possibilty of Heart disease for everyone regardless of age. If you do, consider having a Chiropractor evaluate your upper back and lower neck area for misalignment and nerve irritation! I was having the same symptoms without much neck pain and my Chiropractor had me feeling great within weeks!! Make sure you get the right one though, they vary greatly!! Good Luck!