What is wrong with me?

[sharon6922]

But what when you're 21 and experiencing every heart related illness there is? I get pains in my left arm everyday, pins and needles, chest pain, shortness of breath tec I have had 2 ECK'S, numerous x-rays and blood tests....nothing! I do have anxiety but it is this condition that is causing me worry all the time hence the anxiety. Doctors dont believe me but it is not unheard of that a 25 year old can have a heart attack. I am only 21, fit and kind of healthy, a smoker but not a drinker. I feel like I cannot take anymore. I dont see how anxiety can be causing this because it happens even when I am not havign an anxiety attack! :( xxx

[audrey1122]

Anxiety is a magnified response of the normal fight or flight response that our body has to protect us from harm. Anxiety can take on many forms of symptoms. When you become anxious it is common to not breathe properly and deplete your oxygen saturation. Your body will send your oxygen to your brain and vital organs to accommodate for the depletion of oxygen thus making your extremities tingly. One of the best ways to "beat" or manage anxiety is to not feed it. Face your fears head on and it will lessen the fear. It is hard to break the negative thinking cycle. This is where therapy can do miraculous things. Once you learn to accept your anxiety and stop feeding it with the fear from your symptoms you will begin the road to recovery. Stay positive...

[Stressfree37]

Fine the route of your anxiety! Why do you have it, and when does it on set! 21yrs can be a stressful age!

[birdie0907]

Actually for the stiff neck you can get the stretching exercises off the internet. They are just basic movements so you don't need anyone to show you how to do them. I would start with that for a few days because at your age you can heal and gain muscle mobility quickly. If you don't get relief after a week you might want to go to a physiotherapist or your doc but likely it will just go away, because it is not some exotic disease.

[birdie0907]

I just read your post in the neuro section. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/Constant-neck-tightess-It-wont-go/show/2079898#post_9853612

Perhaps the head pains and neck pains that you mention there should be checked out. (For all we know, the neck pains could just be stiffness from not moving it enough which a physiotherapy person can help with, so that is where I would start on that issue. I had that problem when doing office work but with some stretching directed by my physiotherapist they disappeared and the mobility returned)
The pains and symptoms you mention in your post above have been checked out by doc so are nothing but Mr. Anxiety having fun at your expense, which is cruel and I feel sorry for you to have to suffer through it.

[birdie0907]

Anxiety makes you over-analyze yourself so every twitch, ouch, hot, cold or numb sensation seems to be a clue for you to follow up on to figure what is wrong. Since you don't accept the science that has determined twice that you do not have a heart problem, your anxiety is having a fine time playing with your body making you go into overdrive with fear - it is normal high anxiety suffering and lots of people including myself have gone through it. Just as you have done, we headed to the ER after the "symptoms" of chest pains, twitches, sweats etc. got to us. We got our ECG tests saying no problems just as you have done.
The road to peace is when you accept the science and stop trying to diagnose your "mystery" ailment which the docs say you do not have. Once you accept that then the pains will disappear or at least be reduced, and you will not be feeding Mr. Anxiety. You are not on that road. Not everyone can get relaxed and accept the diagnosis but many have found ways, such as going to therapy to get some suggestions. Here is a CNN article about an anxiety sufferer (it is the fourth one from the top) who tried everything, but so far anxiety will not give him a break. http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/list/676326?personal_page_id=890501
The road to misery is where you try to figure what is wrong with your body because you know the pain is real and the pain means you have an ailment but the docs don't understand. It will not stop as long as you keep believing something is wrong, because it would be a frightening situation for any 25 year old if you really did have a heart condition. You are on that road.

[sharon6922]

I just find that no matter hat I do I do cannot think on a ositive level, its like it must be the worst case sernario all the time. After I took the 2nd ECK the doc sat me down and told me straight that it isnt heart related but its like I am adamant that it is.....xxx

[mele48]

I'm sorry you're going through this!

I'm not a medical professional, so I can't diagnose.  But I can tell you my anxiety presents with all kinds of "heart-related" looking symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, etc.  Anxiety can show itself in many, many physiological symptoms.  And it also makes us very vulnerable to hyperfocus on those physical symptoms and think they're something bad & scary.  They can also manifest even when we're not having an anxiety attack.

If your tests came back negative and your doctors say your heart is healthy, start to work on believing that.  Tell yourself, "My heart is healthy.  I know it is healthy because (xyz test) came back negative.  My heart is healthy."  Self coaching is HUGE for anxiety!

Smoking can constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure, which may also contribute to symptoms that look like heart issues & contribute to anxiety.  So that's something you want to keep in mind, too.

Talk to your doctor about your anxiety, and consider seeking out some resources to help with this.  There are lots of great options out there.

Hang in there!