Answer Summary

Members rallied around someone describing chest tightness and breathing difficulty that felt like having a bad cold without actually being... Read more

Members rallied around someone describing chest tightness and breathing difficulty that felt like having a bad cold without actually being sick, with many sharing similar experiences and possible causes. Several members identified anxiety and depression as culprits, describing the sensation as an elephant sitting on the chest and recommending techniques like deep breathing exercises, guided meditations, or medications such as Cymbalta to relieve the fight-or-flight response common in fibromyalgia. A recurring theme was the importance of ruling out serious conditions with a doctor first, while also recognizing that fibromyalgia can cause flu-like symptoms and chest pain even when tests come back normal, and that humor and community support help ease the fear and isolation of these frightening episodes.