Carers’ chest pains

[marionq]

Recently I had a thorough going over by a cardiologist because of pains in my sternum. I was given the all clear and told it was “just” the stress of my lifestyle as a carer which was causing it. I met another carer in roughly the same situation who without any prompting from me told me about her pains in her sternum. I am dosing myself with paracetamol and doing deep breathing to reduce this but it is daily and I am not happy about this. When John was in respite I don’t think this was an issue.

Have we a new medical condition do you think called “Carers Chest Pains”.

 

[Duggies-girl]

I have not had chest pains but sometimes I get a rapid heart beat. Googled it and it is probably stress. Most days I feel like I have a knotted stomach. It feels like I have been punched.

I think we need to get away for a while.

 

[Grannie G]

It`s worrying @marionq. I`d be inclined to get a second opinion just to be sure.

 

[marionq]

The thing is @granny G I got the height, weight, blood pressure, ECG, heart scan and blood tests and all from a top cardiologist. Who would you then go to for a second opinion? When I look up these symptoms the closest I see is that frequent stress means that chest pains don’t get the chance to recover so become regular.

So what’s the answer and how many of us have it?

 

[Cat27]

I think sometimes we are so tense that our bodies tighten up.
I used to get what you have, was checked out thoroughly & all was fine. It all stopped when Dad died.

 

[love.dad.but..]

I had similar when looking after dad and different illness with OH.... with chest pain on exertion,palpitations, aching arm, breathlessness etc...mirrored heart problem. My bp was found to be 228/170..previously always fairly normal. I was also sent for tests at local hospital...treadmill..ecg etc then although nothing showed because of clear symptons I was referred to London hospital for a specialist heart scan to double check. Apart from a heartbeat that missed now and again which they assured me was ok to live with...all results were fine so it was decided extreme and continued stress was probably the cause. On bp meds now...still get some of the symptons but not under the same stress now so I think generally caring takes its toll on the carer.

 

[marionq]

I think sometimes we are so tense that our bodies tighten up.
I used to get what you have, was checked out thoroughly & all was fine. It all stopped when Dad died.

That is what I think is going on. My husband is not an aggressive person but he cannot be left on his own at all. He is becoming more immobile so we can't go out walking anymore. I have reduced his daycare from four to three as he gets so tired. So I feel very restricted. My few hours when he is at daycare are a lifeline. I sleep very lightly in case he falls or wanders but this is slowly improving now I have my own room and sensor lights set up.

I will have to concentrate on relaxing as this could go on for years.

 

[Lindy50]

Quite possibly @marionq !!

I used to get chest pains when I was 24/7 with Mum. They resolved gradually when she went into a care home.
What I would say is, if you get any new symptoms, go back to the doctor. I have subsequently had atrial fibrillation and other heart problems. These are almost certainly not related to the chest pains, but I did ignore them for too long, because I put them down to ‘carer stress’.
Look after yourselves everyone
Lindy xx

 

[northumbrian_k]

I think that when we are under stress any pain or discomfort becomes magnified in our minds and that actually makes it worse. I cricked my neck doing some building work and had a few weeks of occasional shoulder pain and neck spasms. Ordinarily I would have not thought too much about these but, without a sympathetic ear from my wife, the thought of something more serious being wrong began to play on my mind. That is down to the stress of being a carer.

Having said which, if you continue to be bothered by chest pains, I would advise a cautionary approach which might include seeking further medical opinion.

 

[karaokePete]

Has anyone thought of oesophagitis/acid reflux as a culprit for the actual pain, with stress as the trigger.

I ask because 30 odd years ago, during my running days, I started suffering chest pains which were severe enough to make me think I had a heart problem. The strange thing was that I was still able to train hard without keeling over. The culprit was oesophagitis for which I still take a daily pill. The only time I suffer the chest pain these days is when my stress levels get to the wanting to scream stage.

 

[Andrew_McP]

Since becoming a full time carer there are times when I get chest pain which is definitely exactly where I don't want it. It does always coincide with periods of high stress though. It's life's way of telling me to count to ten and take a few deep breaths... and maybe an aspirin, just in case.

If I got routine chest pain or extreme breathlessness during any form of exercise I'd be more concerned. So far though, so good. But it never does to underestimate stress, so I try to take it as a serious warning I need to put myself first for a bit. Or at least stroke the dog until the cortisol has frazzled out of my ears.

 

[Marnie63]

I've had this too @marionq. When everything started with the very sudden change in mum, I went to see my GP as it was a definite pain/tightness in the chest and that worried me. He told me it was probably anxiety. I think it was. As I got used to our new situation, the pain subsided. It never really resurfaced until mum's last few days in hospital. I was so tired, and I knew by then that she was dying, and it came again, and lasted a few days after she passed. Now it's gone again. I think it was just that - extreme anxiety at the situation I was in. We are all different though and if it continues or gets worse, keep on at the GP, but as you say, if a cardiologist checked and all is fine, then I hope that gives you some reassurance that it's not your heart.

 

[marionq]

So, we've got all these carers suffering chest pains and more and who is concerned with resolving this? I'm of course worried for myself but looking at the bigger picture this is a scandal that so many are placed in the circumstances which are so out of our control that we are in physical pain. I don't know the answer to this yet but I do know that we have got to get to grips with the pressure we are putting on carers.

 

[nitram]

Somewhat boring Sunday afternoon so I went Googling on stress.
I found >>>NHS Moodzone<<<
It's a biggish site covering all aspects of stress/anxiety.
You can click around to target your problem(s) and get suggestions.
Self treatment is the to be expected - eat well, exercise, breathing control, ....

There is a >>>Mood Self-assessment<<< tool, based on questions your GP should ask you, which you can try, it assesses your depression and anxiety and then suggests fairly obvious remedies.

Best to treat it somewhat as a game that might give you some ideas.

I tried it and got zero depression and moderate anxiety which I consider to be a correct result.

 

[Duggies-girl]

Somewhat boring Sunday afternoon so I went Googling on stress.
I found >>>NHS Moodzone<<<
It's a biggish site covering all aspects of stress/anxiety.
You can click around to target your problem(s) and get suggestions.
Self treatment is the to be expected - eat well, exercise, breathing control, ....

There is a >>>Mood Self-assessment<<< tool, based on questions your GP should ask you, which you can try, it assesses your depression and anxiety and then suggests fairly obvious remedies.

Best to treat it somewhat as a game that might give you some ideas.

I tried it and got zero depression and moderate anxiety which I consider to be a correct result.

It told me to go and see my doctor on both counts.

 

[marionq]

Tried it and as i could have self diagnosed got low level depression and high anxiety. Now what?

 

[karaokePete]

So, we've got all these carers suffering chest pains and more and who is concerned with resolving this? I'm of course worried for myself but looking at the bigger picture this is a scandal that so many are placed in the circumstances which are so out of our control that we are in physical pain. I don't know the answer to this yet but I do know that we have got to get to grips with the pressure we are putting on carers.

This is a moot point. A couple of weeks ago I got a copy of the latest report from my wife's consultant and for once it mentioned me, in stating "Significant carer stress was observed today.". Neither the consultant nor the GP who handed me the report said a word to me. I suppose we are expected to suffer on, smiling(or is that grimacing) all the while!

 

[AliceA]

Some years ago I had severe chest pains. I had all the tests including an angiogram. A heart condition was discovered but that was not the case of chest pan, the cause was a large Oesophageal ulcer. Problems with the Oesophagus can mimic a heart attack.
Even now when I get an attack I use gavison extra plus a spray for angina. Belt and braces.
Perhaps go back to GP.
We copers are like swans, gliding smoothly but paddling like mad beneath the water. We do cope whether we feel we do it badly or not. Stress has many guises.

 

[nitram]

Tried it and as i could have self diagnosed got low level depression and high anxiety. Now what?

I think many could self diagnosed without doing the test.

You could go to
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-panic/
although none of the psychological or physical symptoms apply to me.

My, back of the mind, anxiety is about something I hope to be resolved one way or another in the near future, this is different to an anxiety about the future in general.

 

[LadyA]

I know it's come up before that carers can suffer, health wise, as a result of their caring role. It's a scandal that carers can end up being medicated to facilitate them carrying on doing 24/7 care, rather than provide them with the help and support they need. The stress and worry, and the feeling of being completely responsible, combined with the physical demands of caring, and the lack of proper sleep can take a toll.

Thankfully, my health rebounded when my husband went into full time care. My cholesterol dropped significantly, my weight dropped. My GP had said at the time that she wasn't unduly concerned about the rising cholesterol, because, she said "it's stress. Nothing else."