Is this chest pain TMS?

Can sharp, stabbing, but very brief chest pain be a manifestation of TMS?

I have other TMS issues, but this is one I'm really curious about. I have lupus, and thought, at first, the chest pain was from that. It comes in sharp bouts that never last long (there were only one or two times it lasted for a few hours). Sometimes it feels like it's coming from between my shoulder blades (it's definitely not a bone pain, though). I went to my doctor who thought it could be mild pericarditis. However, my x-ray came back normal, and I recently had a heart sonogram which was also normal. I have had bouts of mild palpitations as well (another cardiologist diagnosed me with POTS--which is when your heart rate increases when you stand up/lie down) but I'm not aware that that causes any discomfort.

 

As with any pain, if you have had any obvious physical causes ruled out - it probably is tms. Think psychologically - when do you get the pain? what were you doing or thinking or feeling.... Does it come after any situation at work, or with family, or a upset with a partner? Is there a situation in which you feel 'stabbed in the back', or wounded in some way...? often our bodies are quite literal - we do feel 'sick to our stomach' or if we fear taken on a burden - our back gives out... So maybe try and see how you are feeling beforehand, work out if it is a tms reaction... good luck

 

I've had this on/off since 2014, and when it started, I didn't have any immediate emotional factors pop up as to why I may have it. Looking back, I think I had repressed anger about other health issues I had had. Also, this recent uptick is following me having a ton of suppressed rage and feelings of betrayal from someone who was emotionally abusive to me, someone who I really care about. I completely feel like I was stabbed in the back by them. I never have thought of it this way before, thank you so much for saying that in your comment!

 

As it sounds like you've had it looked into and found no cause, it's most likely TMS.

I had chest pain for about a year (I had acid reflux TMS at that time and there can be chest pain associated with acid reflux). It would fluctuate between an almost constant, tight pain and a sharp pain (usually associated with anxiety symptoms). It was worst when my dad had an accident that kept him sedated for 2 months in the hospital (makes sense I'd be having the worst symptoms while going through a very stressful ordeal where it was possible my dad could die).

I recall this video where Jessica Shahinian talks about having heart attack symptoms, but, when she thought about what was going on in her life, they would go away and she realized they were one more TMS symptom.

 

Thank you so much for this! Very helpful to know.