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Anxiety chest pain questions

4 replies

Anxietyhelpneeded · 11/08/2026 12:59

Hoping for some advice from anyone with experience of this.

DD (19) been away on a fairly intense full time course from last Sept to this July. Living away from home for first time and a very full on training timetable (performing arts).

Right at the end of final term she had a panic attack/anxiety attack which at the time she thought was a heart attack. She went to A&E and was thoroughly checked over, ECGs, bloods, all fine.

She finished the course and came home, and after a few weeks this started again. Very strong chest pain, radiating around her back, gastro symptoms, poor appetite, poor sleep. She went to the GP and was prescribed 80mg propranolol nearly 2 weeks ago. She has sourced a private counsellor and had one session so far.

Last week she got a UTI which developed into a kidney infection so as part of that diagnosis had another check on her general health.

Despite these checks she's really afraid that she has something wrong with her and is going to die. She has the chest pain at some level all of the time she says, it never goes away, and she gets quite upset with it. She says it makes it hard to get comfy in bed and when she wakes up she can't get back to sleep.

She works in hospitality, she has a bf and does performing things, so well occupied at the moment but not overloaded.

We are all reassuring her that she's been checked out and they would have found a heart problem if there was one.

We are also explaining and researching how anxiety causes pain and what could help.

I am worried about her and hate seeing her struggling. Any advice - are we doing the right things? What else could help?

OP posts:
DoAWheelie · 11/08/2026 17:03

Is the pain on the left, centre, or right? I started with gallbladder pain when I was only 18 and thought it was a heart attack at first. I felt it more in the centre of my chest but over the next year it shifted over to the right a bit.

Tell her to cut out anything with more than 3% fat from her diet for a week or two. If the pain gets better then she should get an ultrasound done.

Thisgirlcandance · 11/08/2026 17:59

Buy the book self help for your nerves by Claire weekes. It will explain everything and is excellent for healing exactly what you describe.

Anxietyhelpneeded · 12/08/2026 14:41

DoAWheelie · 11/08/2026 17:03

Is the pain on the left, centre, or right? I started with gallbladder pain when I was only 18 and thought it was a heart attack at first. I felt it more in the centre of my chest but over the next year it shifted over to the right a bit.

Tell her to cut out anything with more than 3% fat from her diet for a week or two. If the pain gets better then she should get an ultrasound done.

It's centre to right. Actually as part of the kidney infection diagnosis, the doc was concerned about pain under right rib and mentioned pancreas. Is that the sort of area for gall bladder?

I think i am just worried that she could have bad anxiety and also something else wrong.

OP posts:
DoAWheelie · 12/08/2026 17:06

Anxietyhelpneeded · 12/08/2026 14:41

It's centre to right. Actually as part of the kidney infection diagnosis, the doc was concerned about pain under right rib and mentioned pancreas. Is that the sort of area for gall bladder?

I think i am just worried that she could have bad anxiety and also something else wrong.

Yep that's the spot. it's worth seeing if a fat free diet helps at all.

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