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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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For The Past 11 Years I Have Had Very Strange Chest Spasms That Only Happen At Night

For the past 11 years I have had very strange spasms that only happen at night and only when I am laying down to go to sleep, and they happen EVERY NIGHT 365 days a year! They NEVER happen during the day when i am awake, working, resting, being active or not active, ONLY when I try to fall asleep! No doctor has ever figured it out or ever given me a diagnosis. As I start to fall asleep I suddenly get a large spasm which is usually in the middle of my chest that scares me to death and literally gets me out of the bed. I always cry out when they happen. They are not painful but are very strong. Sometimes they are accompanied with chest pain , sometimes with a feeling of being light headed and sometimes my legs will twitch and jump. They prevent me from sleeping for hours because every time I start to doze off - pow! another one happens. The spasms are very strong and at times I can feel them coming on as I lay there. Last night I felt one start in my lower belly area, it felt like a bubble that started to move upwards until it ended in a sharp pain in my chest and a feeling of being hit by a baseball bat! After a belch the pain disappeared. I laid back down to sleep and got several more spasms in the middle of my chest before I finally fell asleep. At times when I feel them starting, it can feel like my insides are being twisted tighter and tighter, other times I don t feel anything before the spasm hits me. I have endured sleep studies, been diagnosed as epileptic - then told I wasn t. I have had cameras down my throat in to my stomach, cameras attached to my esophagus for 48 hrs at a time; heart tests and scans, brain tests, worn a holter monitor several times, ct scans and mri s the list goes on but there is never an answer. Can anyone tell me what is happening here and how to fix this issue? Thanks
Sat, 23 Jul 2011
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Psychiatrist 's  Response
HI,
Your problems may be suggestive of anxiety disorder (panic attacks to be more specific). Anxiety is a great mimicker of other illnesses and if not properly recognised, can lead to a lot of confusion regarding diagnosis (as in your case). Consider this example: It is very common to feel tightness in chest and shortness of breath during tense moments (like before exams), which you might have already experienced. Consult a psychiatrist for proper evaluation and management. All the best.
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For The Past 11 Years I Have Had Very Strange Chest Spasms That Only Happen At Night

HI, Your problems may be suggestive of anxiety disorder (panic attacks to be more specific). Anxiety is a great mimicker of other illnesses and if not properly recognised, can lead to a lot of confusion regarding diagnosis (as in your case). Consider this example: It is very common to feel tightness in chest and shortness of breath during tense moments (like before exams), which you might have already experienced. Consult a psychiatrist for proper evaluation and management. All the best.