Is it my heart?

[Julieann90]

Hello. For the last few weeks I have had pain in my left arm on and off, sometimes pain is stronger than other times, goes down into my wrist and back up into my collarbone. Doesn’t affect me when I’m sleeping(Infact I keep putting it down to poor sleep, or the way I use my arm throughout the day) I read somewhere that pain in the left arm could be a sign of a heart attack. So it’s making me more anxious that it’s on the cards for me. I do suffer with health anxiety but these last few months I have been really good and haven’t feared anything. So I’m trying my hardest not to go to the doctors but the. Don’t know if I should. Any advice please?

 

[bin_tenn]

Yes, cardiac pain can sometimes cause pain in one or both arms (most frequently the left, I think). However, it's much less common (again, as far as I know) to experience only arm pain as a symptom of a cardiac event such as heart attack. Believe me, I understand this fear all too well, and my mind also jumps immediately to heart related fears if I have any sort of pain in my left arm.

IMO it sounds like it's nerve or muscle related. But if you're concerned it couldn't hurt to see your doctor when you get the chance.

Is this entirely new for you, or have you experienced it before?

 

[Julieann90]

Yes, cardiac pain can sometimes cause pain in one or both arms (most frequently the left, I think). However, it's much less common (again, as far as I know) to experience only arm pain as a symptom of a cardiac event such as heart attack. Believe me, I understand this fear all too well, and my mind also jumps immediately to heart related fears if I have any sort of pain in my left arm.

IMO it sounds like it's nerve or muscle related. But if you're concerned it couldn't hurt to see your doctor when you get the chance.

Is this entirely new for you, or have you experienced it before?

Thankyou for taking the time to reply to me. I have experienced left arm pain many times in my life from a teen onwards. Just worried as this has been going on for few weeks now.
Sorry to hear you have this fear too.
I did have an electrocardiogram last year and everything was fine. But that doesn’t mean to say all is fine now.

 

[bin_tenn]

Eh, reach out to your doctor. It wouldn't hurt to get their opinion. I do think you're fine, but I'm not a doctor or otherwise qualified in any way.

 

[Marnie]

Im sorry you're dealing with this. Im actually dealing with the same issue right now. All day Ive had pain in my left shoulder, around and
under my arm. It feels like pulled muscles and I have no other symptoms. Im always lugging/lifting heavy things and Ive had this
before but Im always sure its my heart.

 

[cheer_mom]

I too have heart anxiety. Had echo, EKGs, and stress test. All normal. But I wake up sometimes with pain in my left arm and wonder if this is the real thing. It's a horrible cycle. I HATE ANXIETY!!

 

[bin_tenn]

I too have heart anxiety. Had echo, EKGs, and stress test. All normal. But I wake up sometimes with pain in my left arm and wonder if this is the real thing. It's a horrible cycle. I HATE ANXIETY!!

Isn't that the worst?! Any time I have an ache or pain in my left arm or chest or nearby, my mind instantly assumes the worst. Even if I don't panic like I used to, it still causes a bit of anxiety to begin with.

 

[Cuchculan]

There are times when knowing too much is a bad thing. Left arm = heart. If people didn't know that, many would not worry if they felt a pain in their left arm. Because people are aware of it, it is bound to make them worry. I think with the OP, as the pains have been there since the teen years, it is most probably not the heart. As was said by Dr Bin, always good to get a real doctor's opinion. Even if it just for peace of mind.

 

[bin_tenn]

There are times when knowing too much is a bad thing. Left arm = heart. If people didn't know that, many would not worry if they felt a pain in their left arm. Because people are aware of it, it is bound to make them worry. I think with the OP, as the pains have been there since the teen years, it is most probably not the heart. As was said by Dr Bin, always good to get a real doctor's opinion. Even if it just for peace of mind.

Indeed. Knowledge is power, even if that means the power to destroy ourselves. LoL. I talk often about how I used to be able to fully function during very intense panic attacks when I was in my teens, and now I'm virtually useless during even a mild and short lived attack. The difference? Back then I knew next to nothing about heart attack symptoms, and now I know what a lot of people say a heart attack felt like for them.

 

[cheer_mom]

I was talking to friend's mom the other day. She knows I have horrible health anxiety. I said I had all the heart tests and they were normal. She said mine too then I had a heart stint. Immediately I started questioning ALL my results.

 

[bin_tenn]

I was talking to friend's mom the other day. She knows I have horrible health anxiety. I said I had all the heart tests and they were normal. She said mine too then I had a heart stint. Immediately I started questioning ALL my results.

Eh, it does happen. But did she say how long ago she had the tests prior to a stint? And did she say why exactly she had a stint? There's a good chance she had something else going on.

It is true that tests don't necessarily "predict" that something may happen. They usually just tell whether you're in danger, or imminent risk of danger. This is why we can't rely so much on tests to solve our anxieties about health. This is true for anything, heart or otherwise.

Acceptance is key.

 

[cheer_mom]

After she said it, I just went into a panic so I tried to change the subject. I was too scared to ask her those questions and have her say, it was 2 days later " or something freaky like that. I know I am having issues right now because my husband had a 3 day heart monitor that showed irregularities and I'm in a little tiff with my mom. She bought my daughter a new iphone after I said she couldn't have one. I refused to let my daughter open it and I told my mom to send it back. Of course I'm the bad guy cause " I never let her get my kids anything". So far from the truth.

 

[Iugrad91]

If it’s your friend’s mom I assume she is older than you. Also completely different history than you. You also don’t know the details, it could have been years later. She may have a bad diet, smoke, or have family history working against her. Even if everything was exactly the same, like you were her twin, there is still a good chance you wouldn’t have the same issues she does. That’s anxiety brain jumping to the worst case and thinking “if her why not me too”.

 

[Phillies Phan]

If it’s your friend’s mom I assume she is older than you. Also completely different history than you. You also don’t know the details, it could have been years later. She may have a bad diet, smoke, or have family history working against her. Even if everything was exactly the same, like you were her twin, there is still a good chance you wouldn’t have the same issues she does. That’s anxiety brain jumping to the worst case and thinking “if her why not me too”.

Excellent response.

 

[Julieann90]

Thankyou for all of your responses, I’m still here and I think I’m ok, I actually think I woke up from a dream having an anxiety attack the pin in my arm isn’t really there unless I’m lifting the push g hair out of the car, I think that’s my arm pain issue.