Hello all. I have read through many of the threads and information on this site and it is fantastic. I have not had the best couple of years really,gone from happy go lucky to constant worrier. My doctor has diagnosed me with anxiety and I am coping a lot better than I was, although ashamed to say it I do rely on alcohol to dull my anxiety when it is really bad. I guess this along with my symptoms has brought me to you.

I have chest pain most days, the majority of the time it feels like a tight band just underneath my breasts going round to my back along with shoulder pain extending down my left arm. It is very scary and have had this on and off for a few months now. The other pain is in the centre of my chest and the top centre of my stomach. My father has angina as do his siblings and his mother, although all smoke heavily and I dont know if this is genetic or environmental. I guess I am constantly living in fear that I have this condition and am on the road to a major heart attack.

I have had many blood tests before the doctor diagnosed my anxiety and only recently had blood tests for polycystic ovaries which I believe tested for cholesterol etc all came back fine apart from being on the lower side of normal for estrogen. Ive also had a resting ecg over a year ago that came back fine. I dont know whether to return to my GP and request further testing for heart disease or am I being completely paranoid? I know I drink too much and I used to smoke so maybe the damage is already done.

I would very much appreciate any advise as I am at a loss of what to do next.

Many Thanks
Jayne

P.s I am 27 years old 5ft 11 weighing 190lbs..... jeeze this is the heaviest i have ever been.I  do not take any medication.

Okay, this is something known as DaCosta's Syndrome and was named after the Civil War Officer who discovered it by observing a tremendous number of his infantry men all in triage because they were complaining of chest pain during battle. He reasoned that it would be highly unlikely that all of his men were having heart attacks. Subsequent observation and symptomatic treatment soon led to their uneventful recovery and it became evident that all of his men were suffering from acute anxiety disorder associated with the extreme stress of war. It should be noted here that it doesn't take this level of trauma to experience DaCosta's Syndrome and many patients find their way to their local emergency room because they associate the symptoms with that of a heart attack.

If you have a family history of heart disease, it is merely wise to have your primary care physician keep track of your cholesterol differential, C-reactive protein, blood pressure, etc., and when you reach the age of 40 or so, then you can undergo a simple stress test and echocardiogram. It's not necessary at this point. Although the very rare case does exist for atherosclerosis in certain individuals at a very young age, there are other markers for this disease that are picked up on routine lab work by your doctor.

So you can relax. It might be more worth your while to investigate why you've changed over the past several years and seek out the underlying problem that is leading to the anxiety disorder. Relying upon substance abuse can take you down the wrong path in a real hurry and you should be aware that alcohol actually raises blood pressure when used to excess and can cause other problems as well. You've simply resorted to its use because you are unable to identify the source, or alternatively know what is causing the anxiety but are avoiding it for various reasons.

This site can be of tremendous value to you in that regard if you are comfortable in expressing your difficulties with others. I am here regularly to guide discussion and provide medical information with regard to anxiety disorders and the associated physical symptoms that regularly accompany such disorders.

You're going to be fine.

Best regards and Good Health

I don't think there is a blood test for anxiety, so I guess your GP will have been checking all the usual stuff like iron levels, cholesterol etc., just generally checking out your health. They have a duty to tell you if anything is amiss so I'm sure they would have brought it to your attention if there was anything to be concerned about. It sounds like you need reassurance about your heart again - ask your GP for help with giving up drinking and just ask for reassurance about your heart. Make sure they know about your family history. Don't be afraid to ask -that's what they are there for.