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Pressure And Heaviness In Chest


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This week I've been having pressure and heaviness in my chest. The best way to describe it is, it feels like something is sitting on my chest, and sometimes it's hard to breathe. this isn't a new symptom for me, it's just been worse this week. Usually when i get this, it just goes away and doesn't come back too often. But this week i've been getting it on and off since monday. I can barely do anything without feeling this heaviness in my chest. Yesterday i was folding my laundry and started to feel like that.

I've been in contact with my dr's office all this week. my cardiologist says i need to see him, but the earliest he can see me isn't till the 20th. So i guess my questions is for those of you who deal with pressure in your chest, how do you deal with it?? When it hits me, i usually try to rest, but that doesn't always help. I'm really hesistate about going to the er, cause they won't know what to do, and will end up sending me home. So i'll just be wasteing my time and end up more frustrated.

Today i've been okay, at least so far. So maybe it was just a bad week...who knows.

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Becca,

Before I was treated for Mast Cell Activation Disorder I got that feeling periodically. Singulair, 20mg, totally made it go away for me. Sounds like you need a doc to listen to your lungs/heart sooner than the 20th. Can you see your PCP sooner than your cardio? I don't mean to worry you. I lived with that feeling for weeks and nothing untoward happened:-) Breathing in made the heaviness worse. is that what you are experiencing? It could even be a virus or allergy. Let us know what you find out.

Julie

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Julie- i'm not sure if breatheing makes the heaviness worse, i just know that it's hard to breathe. I'm going to call my PCP on monday and see she needs to see me first. I'm pretty sure that she'll just say to go to my cardiologist. When i find something else out i'll let everyone know.

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Becca-

If it's hard to breathe, then definately see your PCP ASAP. I had increased chest pain/pressure/tightness when I breathed in when singulair helped. If breathing is difficult you need someone to take a listen. What's your BP doing? I recently took progesterone to help regulate my period and my BP took a huge nosedive. I had trouble breathing and found my my BP was 71/40. I fell asleep and awake feeling much better. Could your BP be super low?

Julie

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I've had chest pain and heaviness for months at a time, and I chalked it up to anxiety, but that was before I was diagnosed with POTS. I never had problems breathing, however.

My chest pain is always worst when I'm anxious. If I weren't an anxious type, I'd probably be more helpful in my answer!

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When I have this symptom I take an additional dose of my BB and it goes away, thankfully.

It took some trial and error to discover this and the doc was surprised, but it works for me.

You have to be sure your bp isn't too low before taking additional BB, of course.

:)

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i get this too.. feels like an elephant on my chest.. you can try rice packs... you can take a sock and dump some uncooked rice grains into to.. and tie or sew the end up.. and pop that sucker in the microwave for a minute or 2... watch for hot spots with the rice.. and you can rest in on your chest... or you can put the rice pack in the freezer too if you do better with ice then heat...

and like other suggested prop your feet up too... and rest..and drink something seriously salty.. like bouillion broth or something... in stead of using 3 cups to make use 1 1/2 and the broth will cook down and youll have a salty drink! which might help a bit...

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thanks for all the suggestions... i really appricate it! hopefully i'll be seeing my PCP on friday, and i'll be seeing my cardiologist on monday. So hopefully i'll find something out, I'll post more when i do.

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I have been reading some latests and new posts and found the one talking about chest pressure and breath discomfort...

It all started months ago. From time to time, I had chest discomfort. Episodes increased gradually and the more time I was standing, the sooner I got that feeling and pain and had to sit down or lay down. But it had never happened while sitting. Even though, when the pain started it was more and more hard to cope with.

Then one day, at work (my collegues used to smoke at work by that time) I started with the same feeling. Chest pain and shortness of breath. Breathing in made it worse and I could not breath in deep because I got such a hard chest pain. It became unbearable and we called my husband to take me home. I thought it would go away after resting for a while, but while we were in the car going back home and my husband asked me if I prefered going to the ER, I accepted.

At the ER they did a blood test and a Xray and I had an inyection.

They said I had Pericarditis and prescribed a treatment + rest at home.

Other Cardiologist have seen the same Xray done at that time and said they did not see Pericarditis, but I still wonder what it could have been, as I have the same problem from time to time (but not so accute).

I can still not take the stairs up or I will feel out of breath, with a fast hr (faster than it should) and for a longer time, and chest discomfort... But I have not had it again while resting.

When do you get the chest pain and shortness of breath? Is it walking, at rest, sitting?

What seems to be worse is my sensitivity. I feel as if I am hypersensitive now.

For the first time in my life I scared the other day, while I was cooking. A teaspoon fell on to the floor closeby and I felt as If I was going to pass out. It happened quite fast: some Pre-syncope symptoms and... I had to sit and calm down.

I am on Licorice Root (= Florinef) and a Beta Blocker.

Love,

Tessa

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Hey again, i saw my pcp this afternoon, and she thinks that the heaviness and pressure in my chest is from my pots episodes. And all i can do about it is to rest when it's happening. I'm still going to see my cardiologist on monday, so we'll see what he says. And i'll post more after i see him.

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Just wondering if your cardiologist was able to offer any constructive solutions for the chest pain and pressure. I have also been having a great deal of trouble with that symptom. It seems to be correlated with large drops in my BP (132/79 HR 80 sitting to 83/53 HR 115 standing). I am hoping to start Mestinon on Thursday and praying that that medication will also provide me some relief for this awful chest pain.

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I get it with any kind of exertion, I hate it, but I just rest and wait for it to go away and then try again. I know I don't have coronary artery disease, so I guess it doesn't worry me as much as it would if I was this age (52) and didn't know.....not sure what to tell you. Hopefully one of your docs can figure it out....remember when a person said chest pain and people flew to help you....

oh yeah, that's what they do for men..... :)

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so today i had my cardiology appointment, i didn't find out much. Just that i have to have a stress test and echo done as soon as possible. I'm not looking forward to it at all. The last time i had a stress test done, i ended up passing out and then got sick afterwards.

He also said that it maybe have something to do with the heavy dose of ibuprofen i'm on( my pcp has me taking 800 mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for the inflammation and pain in my shoulder). But that doesn't make sense cause i didn't start taking the ibuprofen till this past saturday, and i've been having the heaviness and pressure in my chest for about 2 weeks now.

So i don't have alot of answers, just frustrated. I'll be back at the cardiologist next month for the stress test/ echo results.

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Hope you can get some answers from the tests and/or the doctors, though never forget that no one will know your body and your symptoms/reactions better than yourself.

Try to rest a lot these days, increase fluids, check your bp and avoid stress...

Take care,

Love,

Tessa

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I have had that symptom too. It is part of a POTS flare for me. As I have gotten stronger (walking, resting, medication, etc.) that symptom has gotten much better. Take it easy for awhile and do the things that make you pots symptoms feel better. I hope tomorrow is better!

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I have NCS and also have had those same symptoms for over a year... been to ER couple times for it.. they did cat scan .. every heart test imaginable... not heart related. Finally figured it was part of my dysautonomia.. dont understand why it does it though. My Proamatine wasnt helping.. I was getting worse.. couldnt breathe while eating and riding in the car or to fold laundry it was tough. So tried some vitamins.. finally found somthing that has helped to alleviate these symptoms as long as i take it twice a day.. its glyconutrients (necessary plant sugars our body needs )to promote cell to cell communication. I dont know how but it instantly helps me breathe when i take it.. I still don't have a whole lot of energy yet.. but thankful to be able to breathe and not have daily chest pain. Hope you can find for sure that it's not heart related.

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This week I've been having pressure and heaviness in my chest. The best way to describe it is, it feels like something is sitting on my chest, and sometimes it's hard to breathe. this isn't a new symptom for me, it's just been worse this week. Usually when i get this, it just goes away and doesn't come back too often. But this week i've been getting it on and off since monday. I can barely do anything without feeling this heaviness in my chest. Yesterday i was folding my laundry and started to feel like that.

I've been in contact with my dr's office all this week. my cardiologist says i need to see him, but the earliest he can see me isn't till the 20th. So i guess my questions is for those of you who deal with pressure in your chest, how do you deal with it?? When it hits me, i usually try to rest, but that doesn't always help. I'm really hesistate about going to the er, cause they won't know what to do, and will end up sending me home. So i'll just be wasteing my time and end up more frustrated.

Today i've been okay, at least so far. So maybe it was just a bad week...who knows.

Just wondering if you have ever noticed excess gas with this feeling? I have times of pressure and difficulty breathing and a lot of the time I find I will have gas. Even if it is not noticeable at first, later on..there it is. So I usually take an antacid when I start to feel like that. May not be your problem, but thought I'd mention it as something to look for.

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