What Causes Chest Pain And Sweating With Normal Test Results?

Posted on Tue, 2 Sep 2014

Question: Three times in the past year I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Nausea, sweating, chest pains, headache. I had all the heart tests done. This last time I went to the hospital, I told them I was either having a stroke or a heart attack - did heart attack tests - Nothing. I said a stroke because my face on the right side was feeling numb, top of head numb, right ear numb, back of head numb, neck hurt. They didn't do any stroke tests and just said they have no idea what the numbness is from. Two days ago my jaw started to have a dull pain, both sides of my neck have a dull pain, underneath my tongue feels swollen but it isn't, on both sides of my neck those bean shaped thingies...haha...feel like weird. I am 45 year old woman......when I use a heating pad on my neck some of the sensations go away - when I take heating pad off - a few minutes later the weird sensations come back. My neck is not swollen, no sores in my mouth, no sore throat, I have had no injury. At one point I almost scared myself because I thought my air was going to be cut off. I do not and I repeat, I do not have anxiety. I am a very easy going relaxed person and nothing scares me or gets me going. So, I am unsure what is going on and I keep having all these weird symptoms. It's making me crazy.

Answered by Dr. Vishal Garala (30 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Hi. it is due to health related anxiety.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Very glad to see you.

I admire you for positive outlook.

If you had done all the heart test that its clearly rule out heart related issues.

You said that i have no anxiety and very easy going person. is it really so???

because the way you have described symptoms that indicate some anxiety related to personnel health which is exaggerated in form to produce hypochondriasis type health seeking behavior.
Now a days it is called abnormal illness behavior.

it is the one of the type of anxiety which operate through unconscious mind when it reaches to the pick it produce heart attack like symptoms.
but it is psychological and called panic attack.

major differences between heart attack and panic attack is in panic attack no any pathology found in heart and it is not lead to any more serious illness.

So if your reports come normal then it is require to do psychological evaluation because many times we feel very relax but our subconscious mind produce this kind of symptoms.

so my advise to consult psychiatrist, evaluate your self , show him all your reports and tell him about your detail history.
it is basically stress and once it verbalize you wont have that kind of episode in future.

I will prefer medicine like SSRI and counseling in my patients, but after proper evaluation.

Detail history and evaluation is must to reach on conclusions.

Beside this following will help.

Regular exercise.
Meditation.
Healthy food.
Proper sleep.
Stress free schedule.
Do pleasurable activities.
Enjoy hobbies.
Keep your self busy and communicative with friends.

Still if you have some query then feel free to ask.
Hope you will get best.

Get well soon.
Thank you.
Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Vishal Garala (55 minutes later)

Well, the first time this happened was last October with the heart attack symptoms. I was a first year teacher and the next day I was going to be observed by the principal. But a few weeks prior to that I felt stabbing heart pains and almost to the point of blacking out. The job I had was only for the year. So, at the end of the year I was let go.

Two weeks later after school let out (middle of XXXXXXX this was), I woke up at 5 am hot, sweaty, heart hurt, and just not feeling myself at all. The ER did all the heart tests and they said it might be anxiety. I then asked do you think it could be peri menopause or meno pause symptoms? The ER Dr. said he didn't know.

I do have a tooth that is infected and needs to be pulled but the dentist and I agree it can be left in until I finish with interviews. I don't want to go on interview with teeth missing. So, he gave me amoxicillian (sp?). I finished that in XXXXXXX before I went to the ER that time. I thought that might be the problem with the facial numbness. But that was a guess.

Last week on Monday I went to the ER again thinking I was having heart attack with the symptoms I said of the numbness in face, neck hurt, jaw hurt. Did all the tests and nothing (except stroke tests). I asked this Dr. (she was a lady the other one was a man) if she thought it might be peri menopause or menopause - she said it could be. They also said I was dehydrated and gave me IV before I left and a prescription for a daily vitamin.

Now, end of last week or so the jaw and neck and mouth feel weird.

I really am a relaxed person. I work out each day, I take bubble baths every weekend, and I take time for myself with reading sitting outside for fresh air. I walk my dog in the forest for a change of scenery. I ride my bike everyday outside for about 20 minutes.

I literally have been to the hospital about 6 times in my entire life and 3 of them were in the past year. Prior to this was when I was 14 and had a compound fracture of my leg. So, for 31 years I didn't go to a hospital for any reason.

I will admit I owe a lot of money in student loans and have no job. But it isn't like they are hounding me for it. It is in repayment with a zero payment.

I think the only stress I might have is the thought of no job. But I have several interviews this week. So, I am a positive person who thinks I will have a job before school starts and if I don't find a teaching job the school I did work at does have a non teaching job that I can take for the year. I also smoke. So at first I thought OMG I have oral cancer - no there are no sores or anything, no swelling. Then I thought maybe TMJ my jaw does pop a little when I open and close it. Maybe I have just gone crazy. I don't know.

Answered by Dr. Vishal Garala (15 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
It is like psychological stress

Detailed Answer:
Hii

Very glad to see you again.

1st about Peri- postmenopausal symptoms,, It can be but mood changes is one of the symptoms in Peri- postmenopausal symptoms that you do not have.
So it will rule out that can not be due to menstrual cycle.

Yes you have described very well about your history. I appreciate this.
But after all this i would say it might be anxiety which is due to past events that happened in childhood. you are currently doing well to maintain your daily schedule which make you relax.

But sometimes unwanted or forbidden memories in past make your subconscious mind more threaten which ultimately lead to produce this kind of body symptoms.
It is like psychological stress convert in o bodily symptoms.

If your all body check up and heart reports came normal repeatedly then you have to think about psychological reasons behind all your symptoms.

It is not definitely due to stroke. stroke can affect multi system and has different type of presentations.

So do not hesitate and visit best psychiatrist near by.

He will guide you and make diagnoses. if you run for different different test then your anxiety will increase every time and this lead to more psychological distress.

So please consult psychiatrist.

Happy to help you.
Thank you.
Take care
Get well soon.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju