"Spasm" feeling in chest, no pain involved - part 2

. Anxiety and tension causing muscle spasms of chest wall are the most common causes of chest pain,especially under the left breast,which is nonradiating,lasting a few seconds to days.It may coexit with angina pectoris

Found this site and information very helpful !!

Hi people,

I've been experiencing the same thing as what most people described:
- Clear blue skies
- Out of nothing the feeling that my heart is having a spasm ( i would describe it as my heart wants to contract against heavy resistance)
- There's no pain, dizziness, sweating of other discomfort

I have it now since a couple of months, with a frequency of once a two weeks. Lately it's getting more frequent though. First
it scared me a lot, but i got used to the feeling a bit. I've noticed some factors that contribute to the spasm:
- from sitting to standing and then walking (i get it just after i walked for like 30 seconds)
- bending over to reach for something
- stress
- coughing

Lately i've been stressed out because of health issues in the family. Because of that i started smoking (i know BAD!) and that's why im
coughing more often.

Since i dont experience any other symptoms it would be quite useless to go to a doctor: 'so what's the complaint?' Yeah, spams behind my sternum' Anything else: 'no...' XD If it happens too often i will see one though.

I've just had the results back from the cardiologist. Apparently my problem is an ectopic heartbeat. The cardio said that it was pretty much harmless, but can be frightening and uncomfortable. He told me that I could have an operation (ablation) to fix the issue, but the routine is not highly succesful (around the 70%'s from what I remember) and the risks of problems are potentially high (certainly higher than the WPW op). He did say they would operate if it became problematic, but unless it is a real problem, the risks of an op are not worth the effort.

Hey ho, at least I now know it is not life threatening or serious, just a nuisance really....

***********PLEASE READ**************

I'll try to keep this short, so everyone will actually read it lol..

I use to get panic attacks and the twitches and sensations in my chest as well.. I VERY, VERY rarely get them anymore..

In fact, I had my first twitch in about 5 years today, I pretty much completely forgot all about my former problem.. So I thought I'd get online and spread the word..

Seriously, its about 50% mental and 50% physical.. I was a 3-sport athlete in HS and ate fairly healthy.. I was in tip-top shape. Went to college, started boozing, smoking, quit working out, ate whatever I wanted.. did poorly in school.. and BAM! I got these twitches and scary sensations.. I dealt with them for about 3-4 years, some just twitches, others turned into full blown Panic Attacks..

I assume about 99% of you are in the same boat I was.. Simply not eating right, nor exercising properly. I was stressed about school.. Basically the trifecta of poor decision-making..

I never saw a physician, never took any medications.. As someone else already posted, you are your own best doctor. I could just feel my body needing to exert itself.. Just a feeling of "BLAH".. I didn't work out EVERY DAY.. nor did I have salad and fruit for every meal..

But if you get up and jog 2-3 times a week, basically just sweat it out, and skip Mickey D's for a salad and fruit a few times for lunch.. I PROMISE YOU, YOU'LL FEEL BETTER! You'll feel better about yourself, your body will feel better about itself, and your stress levels will drop DRAMATICALLY.. You don't need to go over board, just make a conscious effort and you'll be very pleased with the results..

Like I said, I'm not a doctor and I never saw one.. I would suggest seeing a doctor just in case, in fact it may help your stress level bc most likely you're heart is PERFECTLY HEALTHY!!!

ALSO, when you do get these feelings.. Have a glass of milk.. I noticed a few posts about lack of magnesium/calcium.. And I couldn't believe my eyes! A glass of milk helped me out BIG TIME! I never knew why, but milk ALWAYS made me feel better. This is probably why.. SEE! You ARE your own best doctor!!!


Best of luck to everyone and their progress.. Don't be scared, these feelings won't just immediately go away either.. but you will definitely notice them starting to be less frequent.. Then all of a sudden you forget they existed! Until you get lazy again like I did hahaha.. It's basically the body's way of reminding you to get off your ass and get healthy!!

Hope this helps! Like I said, please see a doctor just in case, but nothing is wrong with you! Your body just wants a little exercise and better diet! Just sweat it out baby!!

Hi, Iv'e been experiancing a problem similiar to this, I get these weird Spasm/pulsing feelings in the exact same place every time in the sternum area, the feeling only lasts for a few seconds and disappears and returns anything from 5mins to an hour, its only been happening since the start of today, I'm just very worried that it might be somthing serious. Im 17 years old and I haven't been in any significant stress lately.

Boy am I glad I found this thread. I hope I can add some info. I have had these episodes on and off my whole life. They started when I was in my 20's. I went to an MD when it first happened and had an ECG. No problems were detected, but the Dr. told me the ECG was only an indicator. Anyway, he thought it was probably an esophageal spasm. So that's what I assumed for many years.

Fast forward several years... I started to have panic attacks. These were crazy out of body type experiences (no, not alien abductions). I went to a clinical psychologist and got control over them. There is also a book called "Panic Attacks and Their Cure" that was helpful to me. Panic attacks are basically a fight or flight response. Your body gets adrenalin flowing and bingo!!! One thing I did when they were intense was lay on the floor. You can't fall off the floor! BTW. I also have acid reflux like many of you. That's why it's so hard to pin down the cause of these episodes. So many possible causes and possibly multiple factors.

Anyway, a little over a month ago I started to have these episodes where my heart would start to beat at twice it's normal speed! I was freaked out by this, so after two events I went to a cardiologist. We did ECG, stress test, full blood workup and ultrasound of the heart. He said my heart was in excellent condition. No blockages, no valve issues no obvious disease of any kind. The diagnosis was SVT. This is basically an electrical issue. He put me on a beta blocker. Then I started to get the "flutter issues" again, more frequently than normal. I still have them. I have started magnesium supplements and the Dr. gave me Xanax just in case. I am cutting way down on caffeine and alcohol. The cardiologist said it was difficult to determine the exact cause of these issues. He told me the esophagus was behind the heart, so I don't know if that is my problem. With so many of us having this issue I would hope more attention could be focused on it in the medical community.

It seems like we have many of the same symptoms and the same possible causality issues. It's very hard to track it down. I have the little cough sometimes when this happens. It's most disturbing when it happens at night when trying to sleep. I wish you all peace, wellness and hope as we travel this path together, looking for answers and relief.

Boy am I glad I found this thread. I hope I can add some info. I have had these episodes on and off my whole life. They started when I was in my 20's. I went to an MD when it first happened and had an ECG. No problems were detected, but the Dr. told me the ECG was only an indicator. Anyway, he thought it was probably an esophageal spasm. So that's what I assumed for many years.

Fast forward several years... I started to have panic attacks. These were crazy out of body type experiences (no, not alien abductions). I went to a clinical psychologist and got control over them. There is also a book called "Panic Attacks and Their Cure" that was helpful to me. Panic attacks are basically a fight or flight response. Your body gets adrenalin flowing and bingo!!! One thing I did when they were intense was lay on the floor. You can't fall off the floor! BTW. I also have acid reflux like many of you. That's why it's so hard to pin down the cause of these episodes. So many possible causes and possibly multiple factors.

Anyway, a little over a month ago I started to have these episodes where my heart would start to beat at twice it's normal speed! I was freaked out by this, so after two events I went to a cardiologist. We did ECG, stress test, full blood workup and ultrasound of the heart. He said my heart was in excellent condition. No blockages, no valve issues no obvious disease of any kind. The diagnosis was SVT. This is basically an electrical issue. He put me on a beta blocker. Then I started to get the "flutter issues" again, more frequently than normal. I still have them. I have started magnesium supplements and the Dr. gave me Xanax just in case. I am cutting way down on caffeine and alcohol. The cardiologist said it was difficult to determine the exact cause of these issues. He told me the esophagus was behind the heart, so I don't know if that is my problem. With so many of us having this issue I would hope more attention could be focused on it in the medical community.

It seems like we have many of the same symptoms and the same possible causality issues. It's very hard to track it down. I have the little cough sometimes when this happens. It's most disturbing when it happens at night when trying to sleep. I wish you all peace, wellness and hope as we travel this path together, looking for answers and relief.

I've been having basically the same thing on and off for years, but it's fairly rare with me. I learned years ago that this flutter, or flip, or spasm as many of you have referred to it is caused by an esophageal spasm which is normally set off by something irritating your upper gastric system (stomach, diaphragm, esophagus, etc) and is really nothing to be worried about and certainly not panic over.

The way you can tell it's not cardiac related is when it happens, try and stay calm and put your finger on your carotid artery (neck) to find your pulse. As long as you don't get excited, your pulse won't change it's speed or rhythm. The flutter just causes me to cough a few times, and may happen a few times in an hour or so, but then goes away. I've learned to not worry about it and just accept it. It's not going to hurt you.

Be well!!

JT

I'm a 46 year old male, and I've just started having these same symptoms. I like the term "flip" to describe it. First I feel a little bubble of anxiety, and then it feels like my heart is flipping over in my chest. Then it seems like a ripple effect flows through my body from the center of the "flip." It's almost like throwing a rock in a pond. The anxiety seems to be controllable, (at least a little) since I've spent the last two nights in the hospital, and passed every test they threw at me with flying colors.

Almost all of these attacks are happening at night, when I'm in bed. They started three nights ago, with each night being worse than the last.

Last night was horrifying. It was around 1:30 am, and I was asleep in bed when the "flip" hit, and this one was harder than anything yet. It felt like my head was gonna pop off. I ran downstairs and ran my BP, which was a terrifying 255/142 with a pulse of 112. After settling down for a moment, I ran it again, and it came 216/142/91. Needless to say, even though I had just been admitted and discharged from the ER less than 24 hours ago, I called an ambulance, and began driving towards the hospital to meet the EMT halfway (I live almost 45 minutes from the hospital emergency room).

By the time I reached the ambulance, my baseline's were back to normal, and they stayed that way the entire time I was at the ER. The doctor seemed pissed at me, and acted very put out that I would return so quickly (and obviously cause some ER workers to have to come in from bed) after he'd just told me I was fine. He said that he thought my acid reflux could be the cause, so he gave me Mylanta with some lidocaine in it. So, of course, the "flip" hid from the doctors again, and everything came up roses.

The night before, after I was up all night long with one flip after another, I drove myself to ER at 6am, and after coming up clean on every test, the doctor said I was in perfect health, my heart was fine, and other than slightly high baseline BP, there was nothing going on. He concluded that my attacks were caused by an over the counter BP medicine call Nattokinase, which contains Natto, concentrated green tea powder, and Fibrin.

I had started taking the Nattokinase the day these attacks started, (three days ago now). I stopped taking it immediately, of course, but have still been blown out of the water by the past 7 hours. I've been experiencing a flip almost every 5 to ten breaths all night long. My BP has been all over the place, and I've followed his instructions to sit up in bed and take an antacid in addition to my prilosec. This has not worked.

I have a follow up with my regular doctor Friday, (tomorrow), but I've gotten like 6 hours of sleep in the last three days. I took a Unisom last night, and the flip woke me up as if I were being electrocuted. I will definitely address the Neurocardiogenic Syncope with her, and look for a beta-blocker scrip that can possibly help me out. I have scared out of my mind these last three nights.

i am so happy that i came across this thread!!! i have the spasms, the unfumfyness and most of all i get it when im very stressed!! tDocs just say its anxiety attacks.....started doing yoga again and exercising so it gets better but there are still some days where i feel that im losing my mind lol

Dear Friends,

Now I'm not a doctor either but I would like to encourage you all not to panic about this situation.  I have had this problem a long time also and from other symptoms I have had diagnosed; I know that a lot of the spasms type feelings without pain is related to 2 primary causes.

Esophageal (however you spell that) reflux and the other is Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  With IBS - stress actually increases the sensations and this is quite common with people with IBS - you worry and the situation intensifies to some degree.

I know I have enormous issues with stress (hereditary mainly) and I find if I spend a lot of time in prayer and meditation the symptoms subside but sometimes it's not easy no matter what I do.

I am convinced diet is an enormous predisposition - if I cut out sugar, flour and butter from my diet and then be selective with vegetables (variety is always good); very little meat - this seems to help wonderfully.

But yes I would encourage you all not to panic but to experiment with your diet.  If your unsure how to start just start eating mashed potatoes with no butter and use a little black pepper and non lactose milk and see if that makes any difference.  If it does you probably have IBS (millions do without realising).  Potato is a pretty safe bet for most people with IBS.. and a few days should help identify trigger foods and symptoms.

If anything - use these symptoms as a reminder to start eating well.

And be happy.


Chovabub

Wow, great news to stumble on this thread.  It sounds like not all of our symptoms line up exactly but there is lots of overlap.  Let me just add my case to the mix:  I'm a 43 year old male: normal weight, decent diet, not totally fit but not sedentary, sometimes prone to depression and anxiety, off and on recreational THC user.  For as long as I can remember I would occasionally get a twitchy spasm in my chest above my sternum.  A sudden feeling of shortness of breath or that my heart was sputtering.  Tightness and twitching, but no pain whatsoever.  A good hearty cough or two was like the reset button and then I'd be fine after that, usually for months.  Now I'm experiencing the same thing much more frequently (I get it most days, a few times a day) which is worrisome.  This has coincided with increased stress (I started a job as a U.S. middle school teacher) and me working up to a dose of 300mg a day of 5-htp for depression, though it's possible that these are coincidences.  Who knows.  The part that interests me most is the urge to cough, as a few others have reported.  Who else has the coughing thing?  I feel like I should see my doctor to rule out scary cardiological stuff and I'll hopefully remember to post an update after I do so.  Thanks to everyone for sharing their details.  It's nice not to feel alone in this!

This had been great to read.  Now to let you know, there are no histories of heart disease in my family and I was diagnosed with GERD many many years ago.  I am a 34 male.  I take care of myself pretty well.  Well, about 4 or 5 years ago I would get that "floppy fish" or "fluttery" feeling in my chest.  It seems to change areas but lies around the sternum area.  There is no pain, just very annoying. 
Like most of you have said in this thread it gets worrisome.  I also do not have high blood pressure. 
Here is my story.  Back in October I lost my house do to a fire and have recently moved (stress), I was also assaulted by my boss at work earlier this year and lost my job (stress), I have been looking for a job (stress), and now this problem seems to have gotten worse (stress). 
This "fluttering" sensation now happens several times an hour.  I believe that the severe stress from this entire year has built up to this escalating.  I just recently started taking a "one a day" vitamin. 
I have also notice that my GERD has come back.  I feel gassier.  I am going to probably go buy some prilosec and see is that helps and may try milk (not a milk drinker) for the soothing effect. 
I will try this for a few days and see what happens.

Hello Everyone,

 

I know these post are about a year old but I would like to keep the topic open for new comers who experience the same issues with heart spasms as I am today which is December 29, 2011.

I've had these for many years off and on and some have taking me right to hospital because I thought I was dying or my heart is malfuncting. It's a scary thing to feel your heart spasing out and your not sure if this is going to kill you or it's just an episode that's happening in your stomach or your diaphram...etc. I get these flutters or vibrations or what feels like skipped heart beats. It's very discomforting not know what they are or what's causing them. Every time I go to the doctors it's like the stupid edisodes don't happen, the minute I walk the freak out of the office, they start back up, but this time I walked out with a holter monitor and I'm hoping they catch these spasms and tell me what it is. I can't blame the doctors when they run test and don't see anything, but it's hard because they need to do a test that will record the spasms as it's happening and a short window of test will not show them anything.  

I'm currently on a 7 day heart monitor and I have a pacemaker as well.  I ask the doctor to take a look at my readings and he said that I've had some PVC but nothing in the pass couple of weeks. SO this leads me to believe that it could be something else and not my heart. I wasn't taking any chances and I asked him to please put me on a 7 day heart event monitor and so he did. I'm currently on day 7 and I have to mail out the monitor to the company who reads it. I will keep you guys posted on what they said about the events.  ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

Today is December 29, 2011 at 1:05 AM and around 11:02 Pm I had one of these episode and it feels like a vibrations in your chest and it like your heart is shaking or vibrating in your chest, but my worries are; is it my heart is something else that's causing these episodes. I don't see anyone saying much about what doctors have said to pin point this problem so even thought we are finding comfort we're not finding the answer we all seek in this disheartening condition.

 

I will make it my dedication to continue to write on this forum to make sure I let you guys know what I'm going through and what they found in my condition such as the one everyone here is writing about. Until then, be strong and believe your going to be okay. I will keep you posted soon.

God bless you guys,

James

I have this strange beat or spasm!! about 1 .5 years ago , and suddenly it began.still have gone to visit doc , this stuff its hard to explain, but since I have researched a lot I guess it could be cardiac arrhythmia, but i hope i was wrong about it :(

as you said :" I don't see anyone saying much about what doctors have said to pin point this problem.." I don't see either