10. Psychiatric Disorders
Psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression can also cause instances of NCCP. For example, in a clinical trial from the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, individuals who were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders were up to three times more likely to report experiencing chest pain when compared to those participants who were not diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
Certain medications used to treat psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression can decrease the likelihood that an episode of NCCP will take place. For example anxiety can be treated with medications like diazepam (ValiumTM) or alprazolam (XanaxTM) if it is acute and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (ProzacTM), or paroxetine (PaxilTM) if the condition is chronic. SSRIs are also often used to treat depression.
Some medical professionals speculate that it is possible that those with psychiatric disorders might simply be more in tune with chest pain. The link between psychiatric disorders and chest pain is unclear.
If you think that you are suffering from any of the above conditions, talk to your doctor and they can provide you with proper tests if needed and advice on moving forward.
