Deep chest spasm feeling

annabay · ‎19-10-2019

Hi there,

I was just wondering if anyone else experiences a spasm like feeling deep within their chest that feels very much like your heart is spasming? I've been to the hospital, to see lots of different GP's/doctors and a cardiologist and they all have said that its just anxiety, but can never pinpoint if it is my heart spasming or if its something else. When the spasm's happen, my breath gets taken away with them and they only last a few seconds. I feel so exhausted and it is debilitating living like this because I am constantly living in fear that these spasms are causing my heart stress, and could eventually lead to a heart attack - or that the next time I have one it will resolve in a heart attack.

I feel so alone as doctors are always unsure what these spasms are, or haven't heard of 'deep chest spasms' and I'm wondering if there's anyone else out there who has experienced a similar thing?

smallwolf · ‎19-10-2019

Hi annabay,

That feeling you have must be worrying. I am guessing the feeling you get is different to a racing heart? For me...

previously when I would check email in the morning my heart would be racing. I was worried that every email in the inbox was bad and related to a problem I was expected to fix yesterday. Now, I have haemochromatosis and would get venesections periodically by a doctor. One of these times I also had a blood test for something related to my heart. I was asked how I was feeling. Fine I said. While getting the venesection I chatted with the doctor about the racing heart, and what I was asked outside. He asked me when it happens - and worked out that it was situational, but that feeling you experience could be a heart attack if there were nothing to trigger it (my paraphrasing). And therefore likely to be anxiety related. Between then and I switched between a few ADs and the one I take now had reduced that feeling, but not totally.

Perhaps the one thing to take from my story is to see if you can work out what happens before and during that sensation you feel. And for me that racing heart was/is not pleasant.

Tim

44Max44 · ‎20-10-2019

Hi Annabay,

I think I know what you're experiencing as I experience the same thing from time to time myself.
What you may be experiencing could be 'heart palpitations' which for me at least feel like my heart spasms for a second or two and it feels like my breath gets taken away in those couple of seconds.
Heart palpitations are normal for people who suffer from anxiety and as far as I know, aren't dangerous. They can also be caused by exercise, stress, and a whole assortment of other things.

When I first started to experience them, I'd get super anxious because I thought I was going to have a heart attack when they happened, but since then whenever I experience them what I try to do is focus on my breathing and assure myself that they are just caused by my anxiety and that they are nothing to worry about.

I can't be 100% sure, but I'd be pretty confident in saying that what you're experiencing are heart palpitations.
I know how scary they can be, my first and only panic attack was actually triggered after I experienced my first heart palpitation, but once I learned what they were and that they aren't dangerous I found that I stopped experiencing them pretty much altogether. The only time I experience them now is when I'm feeling particularly anxious or stressed.

I hope any of this was of any help to you,
wish you all the best,
Max

annabay · ‎20-10-2019

Hey Max, thanks so much for your reply, all of that has really helped a lot.

I'm wondering why the doctors wouldn't have explained to me about heart palpitations because after googling them it feels like that could definitely be what I'm experiencing.

Does it feel like a quick few beats that feel out of sorts or irregular or too quick or too slow and your breath gets taken away with them?

Thanks again 🙂

Dreaming24 · ‎20-10-2019

Hi Annabay (and 44Max44)

I am just joining in here to reassure you that you are not alone! I have heart palpitations and also chest spasms which cause me major panic as I am also convinced they are heart attacks.

I have had my heart checked And monitors put on it and I am seeing a physio for the chest spasms.. it has really helped and I’ve been told it’s anxiety so shouldn’t worry.

I have so many strange, unsettling and hard to describe physical feelings and sensations from anxiety, I truly believe that anxiety can cause our bodies to do and feel anything.

You are not alone in your worries!