Chest Tightness, Subsides On Lying Down, Left Arm And Shoulder Pain, Anxiety Symptoms ?

Posted on Tue, 22 May 2012

Question: it all started with a chest pain ,first i did my EKG ,they said it is normal but since my father had a heart disease they said to do a stress test before doing the test i was very nervous ,after doing that they said everything is fine ,but the next day i had tightness in my shoulder ,left arm and i went to ER ,they took my EKG and blood test (troponon level is <0.01) and said it is a panic attack,now i get this weird neck tightness and chest tightness ,most of the time it is neck ,some times it's after eating ,some time it's after talking ,so my pcp said since i am a It professional i might be having a neck problem ,coz of my posture , inorder to rule out any heart problem she took my EKG, tested my blood my troponin level (troponon level is <0.01) and my chest x XXXXXXX
Still i get this neck,chest tightness (most of the time it is neck ) most of the time it's after eating or while i am working (sitting infront of the computer ),but this chest tightness makes me worried a little bit .

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (14 minutes later)

Hello,

Thanks for your query.

The chest tightness that you are feeling seems to me probably because of anxiety rather than any pathology. You need to relax a little bit , take some time off or do relaxing exercises like yoga or meditation. These things will help you more than medicines. Since your stress test is normal twice there is nothing to worry.

The second possibility is a chest infection which is mild and shows intermittently.This can be diagnosed or ruled out by complete blood picture and a chest X-ray.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available if you have any further queries.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (35 minutes later)

stress test i did only one time
most of the time i just feel tightness ,there is no pain
the neck tightness has been going on for some time (1 month)
my pcp told me to try physiotherapy for my neck
is there any connection between neck muscles and chest muscles
this neck tightness is really bad if i don't support my back and head
it goes away when i rest or support my back and head (especially lying on a bed)

"The chest tightness that you are feeling seems to me probably because of anxiety rather than any pathology"

does this anxiety trigger automatically ,because i get this even when i am not thinking about that ? may be it's the gas or acidity ,not sure

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (5 hours later)

Hello.

Thanks for writing back.

The stiffness in the neck that you are feeling is probably not related to the chest tightness. For neck pain and stiffness it is best to have physiotherapy sessions.

For excessive neck stiffness oral muscle relaxants will help. Check with the pharmacist if there is topical muscle relaxant spray.

Anxiety does not have to be evident physically. It may remain at the back of your mind also. Still to clear your doubts, you can have an EKG done at the time of the tightness.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available if you have any further queries.

Wish you an early recovery.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (7 hours later)

"Anxiety does not have to be evident physically. It may remain at the back of your mind also. Still to clear your doubts, you can have an EKG done at the time of the tightness."

Once i did the EKG while experiencing this ?usually it goes away immediately after i lie down ,and how about the pulse it usually ranges from 64-78 while i experience this ?i can email you the scanned copies of my blood test that they have done .

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (3 hours later)

Hello.

Thanks for writing back.

Pulse rate between 64-78 is absolutely normal.
Yes you can send me the blood reports at " YYYY@YYYY " with subject line as "ATTN - Dr.Rakhi Tayal".
As it subsides on lying down it further goes in favor of anxiety.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available if you have any further queries.

Wish you an early recovery.
Regards

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar