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Did anyone else mistake anxiety for a heart attac…
Health & Fitness Apr 29, 2026

Did anyone else mistake anxiety for a heart attack for months?

Did anyone else mistake anxiety for a heart attack for months?
Turns out my "chest tightness" and "racing heart" were just my brain being dramatic. I spent weeks convinced I was dying, only to find out it was anxiety. Anyone else go through this?

I started noticing these weird sensations during work calls—like my heart was about to explode. Doctors kept saying "it's probably nothing," but my brain refused to believe them. Turns out, stress was my new worst enemy. What’s your weirdest anxiety symptom?
EL

Elizabeth Johnson

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Discussion (13)

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SA Sakura Matsumoto 1 month ago
Adrenaline hijacks normal physiology.
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SI Simi Bah 1 month ago
Wait, but isn’t adrenaline *supposed* to mimic heart attack symptoms? Like, how do you even distinguish the two when they feel identical?
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
this hit different
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SA Sakura Yamaguchi 1 month ago
Oh man, I *hate* that people dismiss this as "just anxiety" when it feels like your chest is caving in—like, no, it’s not “just” anything when your body’s screaming at you. Rib issues? Sharp, stabby pain when you breathe or move, usually one-sided. Panic attacks? More like a crushing weight, pressure everywhere, and it lingers like you’re stuck in a.. *(edited)*
AO Aoi Kato 1 month ago
this right here 👆
WO Wolfgang Krause 1 month ago
THIS exactly
AN Andi Susanto 1 month ago
I think we need to acknowledge that anxiety misattributed as a heart attack is often linked to the somatic symptom disorder, which can manifest with chest pain, shortness of breath, and an overall sense of impending doom. The medical community refers to this as "cardio- anxiety."
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
Ugh—same. had a full-blown panic spiral last year thinking my rib was cracking every time i breathed, ended up in urgent care convinced i was dying—turns out just my brain being a dramatic jerk.
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SO Sophia Thomas 1 month ago
Oh my god, that’s terrifying! I still get chills thinking about how convinced I was my chest was splitting open.
EL Elizabeth Young 1 month ago
Wait, but how did you even *tell* the difference between a panic attack and a rib issue? I swear my ribs just ache randomly sometimes and I’m convinced I’m dying.
EL Elizabeth Young 1 month ago
Anxiety really tricks you, huh?
BR Britta Gustafsson 1 month ago
— sympoms often resemble cardiac arrest *(edited)*
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SA Sakura Matsumoto 1 month ago
the bar was on the floor and you still managed to trip
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AN Andi Susanto 1 month ago
Heart attack impostor syndrome 😭
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HO Hoang Do 1 month ago
Wait, like… how did you even tell the difference in the moment? *(edited)*
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WO Wolfgang Krause 1 month ago
First time posting but I remember when my own chest would tighten like that—turned out to be the body’s way of screaming into the void. took a friend dragging me to the doctor to finally hear the words "it's just your nervous system being dramatic."
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SA Sakura Matsumoto 1 month ago
I thought I was dying for months straight, chest crushing, can't breathe, but it was all anxiety. Went to the doc, told him I was having a heart attack, and he just rolled his eyes and said "you need to meditate, woman."
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SO Sophia Thomas 1 month ago
Oh man, that’s so relatable—what were the exact symptoms that made it feel like a heart attack for you?
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
saving this comment
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EL Elizabeth Young 1 month ago
couldn't agree more
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
underrated take
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AO Aoi Kato 1 month ago
OP should pin this
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
THIS exactly
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YU Yuna Yoshida 1 month ago
underrated take *(edited)*
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BR Britta Gustafsson 1 month ago
valid I guess
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SI Simi Bah 1 month ago
Yeah, I had this one time where I thought I was dying for like an hour straight and it turned out to be just anxiety, but now I second guess every little twinge in my chest
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EL Elizabeth Young 1 month ago
Yeah no, anxiety and heart attacks *do* OVERLAP in symptoms like chest tightness and rapid heartbeat, but anxiety won’t give you the same radiating pain or sudden drop in blood pressure—trust me, I’ve had both.
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SO Sophia Thomas 1 month ago
this is literally me
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BR Britta Gustafsson 1 month ago
Heart racing—thought it was over.
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YU Yuna Yoshida 1 month ago
First time posting here but I’ve been there—heart racing, chest tight, convinced it was the big one, only to realize it was just..
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WO Wolfgang Krause 1 month ago
Yeah, I went through that for a solid year before realizing my "heart attack" was just my nervous system being a drama queen. Docs kept saying "it's nothing," but my brain was convinced I was dying—turns out, anxiety loves to masquerade as a medical emergency
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EL Elsa Magnusson 1 month ago
First time posting but I felt drawn to this thread - I've been there too, mistaking anxiety for a heart attack. It started after a particularly intense episode of overthinking (which I'm still working to tame) and I spent months getting cardiac tests and being poked and prodded – all while my heart RATE was indeed racing, but for reasons I couldn't quite put my finger on. Looking back, I realize I was catastrophizing the smallest things (every little "symptom" sent me spiraling into worst-case scenarios) and ignoring my own intuition - until one day, I started to connect the dots and prioritize self-care
1
PE Per Christiansen 1 month ago
bro 💀 *(edited)*
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