<human>: Hello,   I have been looking on the internet for a couple years for an answer but have not yet found one.  I am a 40 year old male who has developed fluttering, spasms, twitching specifically in one area: the left side of the chest, right by the nipple.  I have it about 3 times a week.  It started about 6 or 7 years ago and has become progressively more intense.  I have visited doctors and have done research about it and have tried many different treatments and none so far have had any long-lasting effect. Doctors have told me that it is anxiety and that caffeine and smoking can exacerbate the symptoms but cutting down on smoking has not improved my condition and I dont consume beverages with caffeine.  I have tried magnesium which is supposed to calm the nervous system but have not noticed any difference.  The only correlation I can come up with is with sleep.  It seems that if I sleep poorly in the night, chances are the twitching will start with accompanying heaviness during the day.  The only causes I can think of at the time when it started were being very overweight and exercising constantly which led to a quick loss of 60 lbs.  I also had a tooth infection at the time which I didnt treat and subsequently became abscessed.  And lastly I had received 1 session of ECT therapy for depression about 11 years ago, after which I did feel strange numb sensations.  Any help would me much appreciated.
<bot>: Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your concern. By your history and description, possibility of anxiety and depression related symptoms is more. But better to rule out arrhythmia (rhythm disturbances in heart) first because this can cause similar Fluttering and spasm in chest. So get done ECG, 2d echo and Holder monitoring (24 hour continuous monitoring of ECG). If all these are normal then no need to worry about arrhythmia or other heart diseases. Better to consult psychiatrist and get done counselling sessions. Try to identify stressor in your life and start working on its solution. You may need anxiolytic and anti-depressant Chat Doctor.  Don't worry, you will be alright. Avoid stress and tension, be relaxed and calm. Rule of arrhythmia first. Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.