"Spasm" feeling in chest, no pain involved. A few questions.

tklaiber · Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 2

I am reading this as I have googled and re googled looking for answers for a year. I have spasms that feel like someone was wringing out a washrag in my chest lasts only a minute or so then I have sweats like hot flashes which last another minute or so. I do not describe it as pain just scary and frustrating and annoys me. Also wears me out. I have had during the last year every test you can think of - my heart dr ruled out my heart problems and thyroid dr did every blood test could think of - I am now scheduled for scopes the week after Thanksgiving. Dr's suggesting I have esophogial spasms but they can not agree - these wake me out of full sleep and also during day - have tried not eating for several hours before bed and still happens -- if it is anxiety please let someone just say so and get me on the right track - am on a spasm relax med until test and it has helped some but still noticing a few spasms here and there.

tklaiber · Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 2

I have had what I call a wringing of washrag spasm in chest for over a year -wakes me in middle of night and during day -lasts only a minute followed my sweating and hot flash. Sometimes only once a day - sometimes as many as ten a day. Thus am tired - during last year have had nuc stress test and since have mitr valve that was checked and ruled out as cause. But they put me on Beta blocker because my heart races while at rest. Beta blocker does not change or relieve the spasms. Thyroid dr has done every blood work up possible. All hormones in balance - even had adrenal gland test done. Negative. Now dr. think possibly esophigial spasms and am scheduled for scopes next week. I am frustrated - no one has suggested anxiety though I have asked - I am tired and frustrated. They are not painful and now that I am assured they are not angina or heart attack I am not as frightened as I was at first. They have put me on a anti spasm med for several weeks until scope - the first few days it worked but last couple of days have noticed a couple of minor spasms - and I don't like the drug - leaves me groggy. I did have a severe bleeding ulcer about 5 years ago and am wondering if when healed left strictures. I have also had gall bladder removed and do have some ibs and diverticulitis to deal with - And yes they are worse during stress situations. I have tried not eating for hours before bed makes no difference - and I am over weight. Ok I think I am just venting before the test but thanks it is a comfort to know there are others out there -

dan0b · Newbie Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

I have been having these problems since I was 16 I am now 22, My first spasm sent me into complete panic, I was rushed to hospital to be told I was in V Fibrilation. They used some med to slow it down but it kept raising back up again. When they told me I may need to be zapped with electricity to get my rythem back to normal it all stopped. My heart went from 210 bmp to 80 bpm and after 30 mins all was calm again.
I later went for a check up and an ultra sound on my heart and all was fine. I cant help but think the mind can seriously effect you. I honestly thought I was Dead.
Its been about 6 months since I last had a spasm, I was sat at work the other day just typing away and I had the spasm again. Its so strange, Its like my heart feels like it has contracted but wont open again almost like its blocks and is trying hard to unblock, there is no pain just pressure and then a sudden hard heart beat, the whole feeling lasts a matter of seconds. Then I am left with a panic attack for about 30 mins. Does this sound similar?

Guest · Guest

I had the same thing going on and my Dr told me to take calcium tabs.
It worked just after a few days. The spasms went away.
I take 3 cal/mag tabs a day now, I even sleep better.
I saw a naturopathic Dr and he said the Calcium relaxes the muscles and
may be masking the true problem.
I have had a bunch of test done with no problems so far.

Guest · Guest

I have to tell everybody that I'am so releaved there are others out there with this same problem. I'm 30 years old and had my first spasm when I was 23. I can relate to every single person on the forum. I've been to many doctors and nothing has been found. I've been told by doctors it might be SVT, diaphram spasms, reflux, irretable bowel syndrome and the list goes on and on. I just stopped going to the doctors because truthfully I don't think any of them have a clue what is really causing the spasms. My current doctor gave me the best advice......Learn to live with it and try not to stress out so much. My spasms had gradually been getting worse over the past seven years. It doesn't matter if you're standing, sitting, eating, drinking, full stomach, empty stomach these spasms come and go when they please. I did read on the internet that there is an operation to help the spasms, they go in and make a small cut at the bottom of the esaphagus. I would hate to have to go under the knife but if it means no more spasms then I think I would do it. I hope there is somebody out there that might have a cure for what we are dealing with, but until that day I guess I'll just learn to live with it.

Guest · Guest

I'm glad i found this also...I am 23 and for the past year i have felt this random thumping feeling in my chest that isn't painful. I have been scared because my father has health problems but the doctor saw nothing. I smoke and I sometimes worry too much, but this "thumpping" doesnt happen at any specific time...It's very random...I hope to see more posts on this and I will be sure to keep you posted also

Guest · Guest

I was doing a google search on the symptoms and that's what landed me here. I have the exact same symptom. I gotta say.....after reading your comments....I think it may be a stress reaction?? I am prone to panic attacts like the others. Now that I am aware of them and know the symptoms I actually have a little control over them. Any of you get a quick dizzy spell when you get anxious?

HOLMSEY35 · Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I am very glad to have found this website along w/ people who share something that I think is happening to me - It seems I get the spasms - however I don't think mine is related to stress - I am the most laid back person! I do get some additional symptoms and I want to see if anyone else does too - when I get one of these episodes - sometimes my heart will race fast and hard - followed by adrenaline rush - sweaty palms and feet - lightheaded - nausea - and a spinning sensation - I even sometimes after an episode I will get cold and start shaking.
I have had a stress test done along w/ an echo - Even a colonoscopy, upper GI.
Would appreciate any thoughts Smile

RonnieUK · Newbie Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

Well this page has eased my mind a little. I believe I have the same condition.

I'm 26 now and for quite a few years I've noticed (but never paid any mind too) these little "flutters," a twitch behind my sternum, that feels uncomfrotable, and the weirdness of it makes my breath catch for a second. I'd then breathe a bit quicker after these attacks and my heart rate would go up. They were not pleasant but not painful either, and within minutes I would have forgotten the spasm. These were only ever one spasm at a time and then it could be days, weeks or months before the next one (that I noticed).

Then 4 years ago (nearly to the day as of this date) my mother died of heart related problems, and hearing of various heart related problems within the rest of my family, since then I've been suffering from anxiety attacks. Ever since then I've been hyper-sensitive to anything to do with my heart. Panic attacks were a major problem for me, and it's only in the last year that I've begun to control them through breathing slow and trying to remain calm and taking drinks of water.

So this last year I've been relatively panic-attack free. Until Monday. I had one of this chest "twicthes" and was alarmed but calmed myself, as I had them before but only ever just the one at a time. Within minutes I had another "flutter," and over the course of 10 minutes I got more. I was really getting worried then. The one spasm turned into a set of spams that lasted 4-5 seonds and were coming every 30 seconds or so. That's when I called an ambulance, and was taken to the hospital. During the ambulance ride the spasms slowed down and then went away. The hospital did a number of ECG's and they were certain that there wasn't any problem with my heart causing these twitches. I described them to the doctors as a "fluttery" feeling in my heart and a sensation that was that something "was not right." They said I was just having an anxiety attack but I still did not know why I was having these fluttery feelings. I was sent home, and managed to get to sleep in between a set of the spasms. When I woke the next morning I had a muscle spasm in my shoulder and the feeling of that was exactly the same as the feeling in my chest. Anyway the last few days I've been having the spasms on and off, and knowing what the Doctor's said, that it was a problem with my heart, I was able to get through them without starting off an anxiety attack.

As to my lifestyle, I'm very laid back, and like chilling out watching a film or reading a book or playing a game. There is no readily apparent source of stress in my life. Saying that though, I'm overweight, I smoke, and drink lots of caffeinated drinks like coke and tea, but I don't drink alcohol. The caffeine/smoking/weight issues are probably not the best of things to combine especially when I'm concerned about my heart. But I have cut back in my caffeine inatake by having caffeine free tea and coke in the afternoon/evening, but my attempts to quit smoking have not been successful so far.

This forum post has helped reassure me a lot, as I've spent a while googling the symptoms, and had a number of scary looking medical terms being spat out. But most of the things I read had similar symptoms but not exactly the same, till I saw this. Some of the descriptions I've read here, could have been written by me.

I'll be heading to the my local GP soon, to see if he has any insight into what it is that's casuing it. But judging by the majority of people here it seems mainly to be a problem with anxiety attacks. Although I've seen the terms SVT and MVP pop a few times here, so I'll ask my doctor about those conditions.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone with these symptoms and that others have had this for many years with no apparent ill effect, excepting the discomfort of it.

petevee · Newbie Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

I had my first spasm in september 2006 in the bathroom, a quick snatch, catch or 'spasm' about 3 cms above my sternum. I was of course terrified. was given a drug for tachycardia or elevated heart beat in 1996 after a bereavement and requested this drug again here in italy at the farmacia. bad call, as I admitted myself to emergency 2 days later and was told that this drug was inappropriate as I had or was having bad attacks of anxiety. tight chest, permanently for me, unusual hotspots and random 'sensations' (not pain) in my chest area, and sometimes upper abdomen too. they gave me an ECG - normal, and looked for elevated troponine in my blood for heart damage but there was none. they prescribed diazepam, 10 drops twice a day to relieve tension in my chest wall area. in the following 12 months, smaller spasms contined from time to time, especially when it was hot here (I live in rome) and sometimes I was breathless cos of the heat. I have spasms in my back, lower back and behind my shoulders sometimes which actually hurt - I know this is stress. on december 22nd. 2007 I had a spasm in my chest that occurred in my middle back too which scared me, so off I went to emergency again, a 6 hour wait and they did no ecg, only checking TSH in blood as my heart rate was 100 - I said cos I was terribly worried and scared, so it's obviously high - TSH was normal so she said 'bad anxiety, take diazepam when you need it'. i've had no spasms for 19 days now, just some close calls and strange chest sensations. emergency medical wards know when someone has heart problems, i'm 39 and I think i'm being prudent to go now and get checked as spasms in the chest is not an insignificant event. to summarize, if you have ANY unusual feelings in your chest that make you feel uncomfortable, go to emergency immediately to make sure that the problem of chest spasms is just severe anxiety and tension in the chest wall area. if this recurs, make a point of having an ECG and blood test every 3 months and keep your BP at 140/90 max if you can, mine is a bit higher but i'm on the case.

"Spasm" feeling in chest, no pain involved. A few questions.

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