need help really worried

[shorty112]

Hi there im a nearly 21 yr old female have been smoking for 5 yrs on and off i weigh 38kg and 151cm tall . I have anxiety and panic attacks. Over the past month i started getting pains in my back and chest and up my left arm . I went to the doctor they checked my heart everything was fine , i told them i also had been getting acid reflux and heart burn symptoms . So they narrowed the pain down to acid reflux, i got medication for that, when i started them meds i also started on niggarette gum and the pains went . But over tha past few days ice had smokes again and now im getting a pinching pain in my baxk and chest feels like to ne behind my ribs pain to 1-10 would be at a 4 -5 im really worried about i read up suff on google and alot say COPD but now im freaking out cause of my anxiety and stuff im still on my reflux meds and also got some medumussil to top up my fibre as ive.been. a little constipated ive started baxk on gum i dont wanna touch another ciggarette now could these pains be my body warning.me to stop or is it much worse i have not had my lungs checked yet , and i do not have a cough just this. Pain . Can anyone help me please...! Its all i can think.about .  :-(

[shorty112]

Thank you for replying that gave me a little releif i have had a smoke in just over 3 weeks now ive been on a nicatine replacment niggarette gum ive been ok the last few days but ive been getting unconfortabke pains in the chest im still on my teflux medication also taken medamusil 2 times a day to bumo up my fibre as i could go well over a week with out poo ing and i also take omega 3 vitamin and my nicarette. And. I have been abke to poo in teo days thow i think im not taken enough fibre and i. Lye in bed and. Get chest paain just over my left breast and if i think about it or anything i must go nto panic mode cause my heart starts racing and it dont slow down until i occupy my mind on a game or reading and ive been getting really bad abdomonal pain from.not going to toilet. Its been that bad ive had to squat in a hot shower . And ive been having trouble getting.to sleep i wake up up at 5 every morning and xant skeeo at night unless i d play a game or something . I know the sleeoing would probabky be my anxiety and the racing heart, and the abdomonal pain would proberly be from bloating.and.not going to the toilet and i got really bad gas thats like nearly constant. Could any of this been.linked i have a 4 year old son and im probably under a bit of stress i just worry about it all cause the stress and anxiety and the pain can make everything.worse and m grandfather had heart desease and diabetes ive xhanged my diet ive been tryingnto eat more healthy and gonna be starting.a sport this coming.monday. i only weight 39kg and im 151cm tall im a small girl .

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

At your age, you need not worry about COPD and probably do not need to get any special lung testing.  What you describe, however, strongly suggests that relief of your pain is possible and is probably related to smoking cessation, since that seemed to make the pain subside.  Anxiety and panic could play a part in your overall discomfort.  Given the relief you got when you stopped smoking, that would appear to be the answer to your problem.  If, however, the pain returns despite your not smoking, then it would be wise to have your lungs examined by your doctor and get a chest X-ray.

Smoking cessation may also reduced the amount of gastric reflux you were having and that in turn could have contributed to pain reduction.

Good luck