Q. Is my chest pain due to vitamin D3 deficiency?

Hello doctor,

Four months ago, I consulted you on this platform for premature complexes which I was having without any other symptoms. Below is my query and your answer - I am a male of 48 years of age. I have a lean build and do regular exercise. Since childhood, I had a tendency for heart palpitations and premature beats. After a few tests, anxiety was found to be the main cause.  You had said that most probably these premature complexes are originating from ventricles which are leading to the symptoms. These are usually benign and not life threatening. The only concern remains is that of coronary artery disease, which is also less likely as these are occurring from a long time and you are not having any other symptoms. Lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, smoking, caffeinated beverages are known triggering factors for these due to sympathetic overactivity. You should also get thyroid test done. I think, just be on a safer side, you should get one treadmill test done to rule out coronary artery disease and echo should be repeated. Afterwards, I met a cardiologist and got an ECG and echo tests done. The tests were normal. The cardiologist said that there is no need for TMT test since I do running and other exercises daily and there is no known risk factor for CAD. But the VPCs continued for a month.

Then, I realized that I was taking a weight gainer supplement from the last one year which contained creatinine. Two months back, I was not doing any exercise due to a small fracture in my elbow but continued to take this supplement. The doctor advised me to stop the supplement immediately since this could be the cause of missed beats. Then I read in the internet and found out that there have been cases of irregular heart beats due to creatinine supplementation. I stopped taking the supplement although it was from a reputed firm and did not contain any steroids. The missed beats reduced after stopping the supplement and from the last two months, it has come to a normal level of one or two in a day. But somehow my mind started getting preoccupied with the thoughts of heart disease and I started reading about it from the internet and even textbooks.

I have been thin and slim since my childhood, have been quite active physically, no family history of heart disease, no diabetes, no hypertension, non-smoker, rarely eat fried foods. My lipid profile is normal with HDL being about 55 whenever tested, CRP is around 0.5. But in spite of this, I was not able to free my mind from worries of CAD. A month back, I did quite a lot of pushups after a gap of four to five months. After three to four days, I started having pain in my chest here and there mostly at rest. After a week I got an ECG done which was normal. The pain subsided slowly but whenever I did some exercise which put a strain on the chest muscle I started having pain and with pain, more worries.

Then I met a psychiatrist. He said that I have got into an obsessive loop, which is part of health anxiety disorder which is causing these psychosomatic symptoms of chest pain. He advised me to take some antidepressants for three months, do Yoga and meditation and take some sessions of cognitive behavior therapy. I am reluctant to take antidepressants but have already started doing some meditation and Yoga. He also prescribed Alprazolam .25 mg on SOS basis. Now the pain is subsiding slowly and obsessive thoughts are also reducing. I have stopped doing any exercise that would put a strain on the chest. I do not know how long it will take to resume it. In a recent blood test, two months back my vitamin D3 was at 28. Could it be the cause of the chest pain? Secondly, I stopped the supplement but continued some strenuous exercises without taking a proper diet. Could it be the cause of it? Please guide me. How to get rid of this unwanted health anxiety which I have got into?

Hello doctor,

Thanks for the reply. The psychiatrist had insisted that this pain is psychosomatic in nature and a treatment with anti-depressants is the solution. But, I felt that it is related to the sudden strenuous exercise I had done. Too much worry can also aggravate it because of focus of attention as I have read. I am starting the medicine as advised by you and shall get back to you.