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?
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 :-)
I have had a stress test done along w/ an echo - Even a colonoscopy, upper GI.
Would appreciate any thoughts :-)
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.
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.
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.
I'm 27, and have had the same issues for the past couple of years.
I'm 6'0 and about 220lbs. Until 3 years ago, I was in good shape weighing in at 175lbs. I ran 2-3 miles a day and exercised regularly. Then my wife and I had a child and I found that I was exercising less and less, and eventually not at all.
I've brought up this "condition" to my doctor and according to him, it's caused by my (now) high blood pressure. However, that is all the detail he goes into. -"It's just your high blood pressure." That's it. I've asked "Why?" but all he says is that it's just small "flutters" caused by high blood pressure.
I get the feeling that he doesn't really know what it is, nor does he probably care. Six months ago, my wife took me to the ER because I had pain just below my collar bone and slight numbness in my left arm, along with a bit of tingly sensation in my fingers. I told her I was fine, but she was convinced I was having a heart attack. They said my blood pressure was very high and had caused the slight pain and numbness, but I was far from a heart attack. During this time, I had the "spasm" again, and I once again mentioned it to the doctor; this time an ER doctor. He said (you guessed it) "It's a result of high blood pressure."
So, I've about given up and I'm just hoping it's not a symptom of a much greater problem.
I'm 6'0 and about 220lbs. Until 3 years ago, I was in good shape weighing in at 175lbs. I ran 2-3 miles a day and exercised regularly. Then my wife and I had a child and I found that I was exercising less and less, and eventually not at all.
I've brought up this "condition" to my doctor and according to him, it's caused by my (now) high blood pressure. However, that is all the detail he goes into. -"It's just your high blood pressure." That's it. I've asked "Why?" but all he says is that it's just small "flutters" caused by high blood pressure.
I get the feeling that he doesn't really know what it is, nor does he probably care. Six months ago, my wife took me to the ER because I had pain just below my collar bone and slight numbness in my left arm, along with a bit of tingly sensation in my fingers. I told her I was fine, but she was convinced I was having a heart attack. They said my blood pressure was very high and had caused the slight pain and numbness, but I was far from a heart attack. During this time, I had the "spasm" again, and I once again mentioned it to the doctor; this time an ER doctor. He said (you guessed it) "It's a result of high blood pressure."
So, I've about given up and I'm just hoping it's not a symptom of a much greater problem.
check into hyperthyroidism, symptoms are very similar
I know what all of you mean. I get this weird feeling also that I cannot explain. I have sinus and allergy problems and I do cough a lot also. I also cough up mucus. So I am wondering if what I am feeling is from all of that. I don't have any pains, shortness of breath, problems with throat or swallowing. Any help would be much appreciated.
I have the exact same problem as described in the original post. For the past two years or so, seemingly at random, I'll experience a very quick "jump" in my chest, near the bottom of my sternum, around the area of my diaphragm. Sometimes it will occur three or four times in a given day, other times it'll occur only once a month or so. It's not painful, but it is very startling and it does cause me to "skip a breath". The sensation usually causes a few seconds of panic, but I'm so used to it now that I've learned to get over it quickly. I have yet to visit a doctor in recent years.
I'm 22, 6'3, and around 185lbs. I am relativity stress free, and don't regularly consume caffeine or alcohol. I do smoke marijuana regularly, and although I am considered pretty skinny by my peers, I don't get much exercise.
Like some have said before me, it's pretty reassuring to know that others share this sensation. Maybe I'm just a hypochondriac, but I've noticed some other strange sensations around my body that make me nervous or set off a mild panic attack.
I'm 22, 6'3, and around 185lbs. I am relativity stress free, and don't regularly consume caffeine or alcohol. I do smoke marijuana regularly, and although I am considered pretty skinny by my peers, I don't get much exercise.
Like some have said before me, it's pretty reassuring to know that others share this sensation. Maybe I'm just a hypochondriac, but I've noticed some other strange sensations around my body that make me nervous or set off a mild panic attack.
I am very glad I found you guys here! I am 49 years old and was dianosed with an over sensitized autonomic nervous system
(Panic Disorder) in 1990. In 2005 a blood test discovered that I have a disease called HNPP. Hereditary neuropathy pressure palsy. It simulates MS but it is nerve relatedand not muscle. It works on the periphrial nervous system, but as we all know. The leg bone is conected to the ankle bone, so the periphrial system is connected in some way to the autonomic system. I am a very high strung person. Very driven. After reading every ones writtings here. I have come to the conclusion that the spasms that I feel in my chest area is nothing more than stress related. I have been dealing with this in one form or another since 1990 and have done a lot of research on these symptoms. Our subconscience is a very powerful thing. It can and will cause anxiety and panic. I am going to ask my doctor for some klonapin or xanax and try to relax more. Thanks every one for your input ! Butch
(Panic Disorder) in 1990. In 2005 a blood test discovered that I have a disease called HNPP. Hereditary neuropathy pressure palsy. It simulates MS but it is nerve relatedand not muscle. It works on the periphrial nervous system, but as we all know. The leg bone is conected to the ankle bone, so the periphrial system is connected in some way to the autonomic system. I am a very high strung person. Very driven. After reading every ones writtings here. I have come to the conclusion that the spasms that I feel in my chest area is nothing more than stress related. I have been dealing with this in one form or another since 1990 and have done a lot of research on these symptoms. Our subconscience is a very powerful thing. It can and will cause anxiety and panic. I am going to ask my doctor for some klonapin or xanax and try to relax more. Thanks every one for your input ! Butch
Well, im glad i have some kind of relief but still a bit concerned about my spasms as well. I am 35 years old i have been under alot of stress myself. I have three children and my wife is in the military. She has been gone for 7 months now. I started gettin palpitations and was concerned about it and i had a heart cath done. I am clean as a whistle. I have no blockage and no signs of heart disease. There is that one thing that bothers me and its that spasm but mine has a bit of discomfort at times. I feel my spasms 1 inch 1/2 away from the center of my sternum to my right of my chest. I sometimes get a head rush feeling when they hit me and sometimes i get sweaty or clamy then nauseated. I get anxious when they happen. The doctor tells me it has nothing to do with my heart cause its happening on the right side of my chest. I know i have a healthy heart but why in the heck am i getting those spasms. It happens twice or three times every other day or so. I have been gettin them recently too. I somewhat have gotten use to them but when they hit me unexpectadly. It feels uncomfortable. Anyone have any of the same symptoms
I am so grateful to have read everyone's comments. Now I know I'm not the only one. When I was 5 years old I remember telling my dad that "I try to breathe but it doesn't go all the way through". This was at the time when my parents were splitting. They took me for chest xrays and all was fine. This didn't resurface until I was 16. I woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. It was as if my torso was made of cement and my chest couldn't contract to breathe. For years I struggled to breathe - it was very severe. The doctors had absolutely no clue what I was describing and did stress tests (the exercise machine) tested me for asthma, allergies, heart conditions, ecg's - thought I might have lupus and I saw a rheumatologist who monitored me for a long time - for nothing. Give me a break.
My symptoms included:
severe and constant shortness of breath (my only break would be to go to sleep) - I would try yawning really hard to get the breath through, tight chest, the feeling that someone had their fist inside me and pushing under my diaphragm, pain in my back on the left side about four inches under my shoulder blade, tingling gums, dizziness, a feeling of unsteadiness (this is hard to describe - I felt unsteady on the inside) little "pops" in my head. Also, the feeling of an electrical current running through my body, and very strangely - imagine sitting down and someone lightly putting their hand on the back of your head and lightly pushing your head forward - I would get that sensation inside my head (hard to explain). These are all such bizarre feelings - it is so hard to describe. This would all happen so randomly it seemed. I could be relaxing watching TV and it would start. If I overexerted myself it would start and in fact, these symptoms would last for days that I stayed away from exercise because I couldn't breathe. Also, because it was so random I never could associate the response with any specific event or situation - which I guess is good because I'm sure I would have become phobic. Finally my doctor looked at me with such stigma and judgement - this is anxiety and that was it. No suggestions, treatment or anything....so I continued to suffer. Finally with a new doctor when I learned about panic attacks he gave me Celexa and All symptoms STOPPED! I am an easy going person to begin with and very healthy and in my mind through all of these symptoms it puzzled me because in my mind I was relaxed, and happy, having fun with friends so the mind and body connection was way way off. I think that my body reacts to very very slight stimulus in a very big big way...and I can't control it by talking my self through it or thinking in my mind to relax etc....and taking deep breaths isn't an option. I feel like my ancestors have passed on this primal fight or flight response that is triggered very easily. So, in my mind I don't feel like I suffer from anxiety but my body does...so the celexa treats my body and calms its response to the stimuli. It was a miracle. I was on 40 mg (two pills) and have weaned myself to just one pill but now I can feel the symptoms returning but on a much smaller scale. So for those of you who share this you may want to consider talking to your doctor about celexa. BUT, if anyone can suggest a non-medicated approach I'm all ears. From age 16 to 35 years old I suffered through this - for the last 3 years I have been on celexa and it is so much better. Thanks everyone for sharing - it helped me so much.
My symptoms included:
severe and constant shortness of breath (my only break would be to go to sleep) - I would try yawning really hard to get the breath through, tight chest, the feeling that someone had their fist inside me and pushing under my diaphragm, pain in my back on the left side about four inches under my shoulder blade, tingling gums, dizziness, a feeling of unsteadiness (this is hard to describe - I felt unsteady on the inside) little "pops" in my head. Also, the feeling of an electrical current running through my body, and very strangely - imagine sitting down and someone lightly putting their hand on the back of your head and lightly pushing your head forward - I would get that sensation inside my head (hard to explain). These are all such bizarre feelings - it is so hard to describe. This would all happen so randomly it seemed. I could be relaxing watching TV and it would start. If I overexerted myself it would start and in fact, these symptoms would last for days that I stayed away from exercise because I couldn't breathe. Also, because it was so random I never could associate the response with any specific event or situation - which I guess is good because I'm sure I would have become phobic. Finally my doctor looked at me with such stigma and judgement - this is anxiety and that was it. No suggestions, treatment or anything....so I continued to suffer. Finally with a new doctor when I learned about panic attacks he gave me Celexa and All symptoms STOPPED! I am an easy going person to begin with and very healthy and in my mind through all of these symptoms it puzzled me because in my mind I was relaxed, and happy, having fun with friends so the mind and body connection was way way off. I think that my body reacts to very very slight stimulus in a very big big way...and I can't control it by talking my self through it or thinking in my mind to relax etc....and taking deep breaths isn't an option. I feel like my ancestors have passed on this primal fight or flight response that is triggered very easily. So, in my mind I don't feel like I suffer from anxiety but my body does...so the celexa treats my body and calms its response to the stimuli. It was a miracle. I was on 40 mg (two pills) and have weaned myself to just one pill but now I can feel the symptoms returning but on a much smaller scale. So for those of you who share this you may want to consider talking to your doctor about celexa. BUT, if anyone can suggest a non-medicated approach I'm all ears. From age 16 to 35 years old I suffered through this - for the last 3 years I have been on celexa and it is so much better. Thanks everyone for sharing - it helped me so much.
Ok, long story short, i also suffer from this Disorder, and it is accompanied by chronic fatigue. I sleep 7 to 12 hours a day and i´m always sleepy, it seems the longer i sleep, the more sleepy i become. I´m 19 an currently attending University. This is realy Crippling my studdies, i´m failing my classes, loosing my social stance and might get fired, my boss is becoming wary of my always showing up late. Some one please Email me a remedy, if not for the spasms, atleast the Fatigue. Thanks
-:Onslaught:-
-:Onslaught:-
As a counselor and someone who has experienced panic epsiodes......a good non medical intervention.....read out loud while walking in a regular pattern ...in your house/outside....for twenty minutes. This occupies several parts of your brain, deals with the adrenaline being dumped into your system and regulates your breathing.
It's simple...but effective.
It's simple...but effective.
I am so glad I found this site. Knowing that I'm not alone has relieved a good deal of stress. I'm 45 and began having these chest spasms a couple of years ago. I'm in great health and excercise daily and up until two weeks these spasms were very infrequent ( maybe once every 4 months) but still quite alarming. Had stress test after first episode and everything was normal. Explained symptoms to cardio doc who suggested possibly reflux. Recently they became much more common and ended up in ER this past week. Everything OK and ER doc prescribed Xanax. I feel this is definitely stress related because my episodes coincided with stressful periods at work. I also think there may be an allegic component to this. Besides skipped heartbeat/chest spasm or whatever this is, I have flushing in face, numbness in neck and upper chest area and tingling in hands. Yesterday had an episode that was triggered after a sip of beer. Took a benydryl tablet which seemed to reverse symptoms. I have an appointment with cardiologist next week and will request a Holter monitor (24 hour use) to see if this is truly my heart having spasms. Up to now my doctor has been at a loss to understand this and attributes it to stress which I feel is also the main culprit. I guess I'm looking for a magic pill to take to prevent this from happening in the future. I'm begining to do breathing excercises and have started a yoga class. I also feel that thinking about this constantly is setting me up for another episode, kind of like a positive feedback loop. I appreciate what others have posted on this forum and feel discussing this with like souls is good therapy. It has offered me a lot of hope and shows that this condition is most likely benign and can be managed.
I, too, have chest spasms and have had them for the past several months. They come with no warning, just a sudden jump in the center of my chest and I gasp. There is no pain at all. I may have several of these, one after the other, and sometimes it just happens once. It doesn't seem to matter whether I am lying in bed or walking about. My doctor can't explain it. I am sure it has nothing to do with my heart, just a sudden gasp for breath and it is over, but it is very disconcerting. I wish someone would explain it to me.