Definitely keep in touch with your doctor. You're never too young to suffer from something serious but also don't allow it to stress you out. I have anxiety attacks in different ways. Sometimes when I would hurt or feel sick I would think I was actually sick. But then I would realize realize it was a mild anxiety attack.

The hardest part with those was that I didn't recognize myself as being anxious at first. You may not be having a full blown anxiety attack but it may be a way your body has found to manifest smaller anxieties.

For me, my chest gets tight. A lot of times it's not due to any direct stress or anxiety. It's just some kind of gut, subconscious reaction...

Ack! Hope that makes sense. I'm 29 too, though. I'm also a hypochondriac! Don't be afraid to check things out with your doctor but also don't let the fear rule your day to day life.

I suffered from chest pains/discomfort for many years. I too, would go to my doctor, positive there was something medically wrong with me. Related to this were the countless digestive problems I was suffering. I can tell you, as your anxiety levels decrease, so do the disturbing symptoms. I am currently taking prozac, and it's been helping alot. This is the third medication my doctor and I have tried... and we had to adjust the dosage a couple of times. Tell your doctor how you're feeling. We still are experiencing a low level of anxiety (known as anticipatory anxiety) in between panic attacks. Sometimes it's noticable, and often it's not. But it still affects us with things like aches and pains. You are not alone!

I've never had a full-blown anxiety attack, but it's been quite a while that I've had a day without chest pains...the first time I thought exactly the same - heart attack (I was 18) - they did an EKG and all sorts, but turned out to be anxiety...it sucks, and it's worth trying to get under control, but it's not life-threatening - try to see if you can get a more specified anti-anxiety medication. Good luck!

Lots of great advise here. Have you ever been checked for MVP? You may want to if not. Also, Coenzyme Q-10 is fabulous for this. When I'm anxious my heart hurts even more and the Q-10 really helps. You have to take it daily though, it won't work like Tylenol or something. Check into if you can. You can buy it anywhere, and it's something our bodies produce, and often lack. Good luck!

Hey mrsanxious! Yea, chest pains have been pretty random for me. Whenever I have them I freak out and think Im having a heart attack because they are so severe. I'm only 18 so that idea is pretty far-fetched, but the pain is crippling, altho short. I don't have these every day, more like every month or so.

I feel the same way...my chest hurts and I have shortness of breath....but was told it was either GERD or anxiety.

I had the same thing happen to me last spring. I didn't know what was happening, initially I was diagnosed with depression, the doctor that was the cause of my severe chest pain, I felt it all the time. And I couple of times I thought I was having a heart attack. I sought further medical teatment and I didnt have depression, but generalized anxiety disorder, and severe work related stress. The chest pain was a condition call costochondritis, which often mimics the symptoms of a heart attack. What it is, is severe inflammation of the cartilege attatching to your sterum and rib cage. The pain can very moving from side to side. There is no real cause for costochondritis, but stress can influence it or make it worse. I experience these symptoms for like 6 months before they finally healed. I was given some pain killers to help with the pain, and lessen the inflammation.

In July of '06, I had Myocarditis and Pericarditis. I was hospitalized for three days. Now THAT was chest pain. It literally is an inflammation of the heart muscle and surrounding sack. When I asked, the cardiologist said that patients who have had both that and a heart attack say that the pain is almost identical. I mention this because I too get chest pains from my anxiety. Although I'm not going to be rash and say that your chest pains can't be linked to your heart, I will say that the difference between my anxiety/panic caused chest pain and my myo/pericarditis pain is huge. I hope that makes you feel a bit better.