Yes - chest pain is a standard panic attack symptom, and panic genuinely mimics a heart attack.
NIMH lists chest pain among the physical symptoms, and the resemblance sends many people to the ER. But you cannot self-diagnose the difference the first time: new, severe, or unusual chest pain - especially spreading to the arm or jaw - is an emergency evaluation, not a search question. Panic attacks are not life-threatening, but only a medical rule-out confirms that is what yours are.
What to do
Common questions
Can a panic attack cause chest pain?
Yes - chest pain is a standard panic attack symptom, listed by NIMH alongside the racing heart, trembling, and shortness of breath, and the combination genuinely mimics a heart attack closely enough that ER visits are common. Here is the critical part: you cannot self-diagnose the difference with confidence, especially the first time. Heart attack and panic attack share symptoms, and the safe move with new, severe, or different chest pain - especially with pain spreading to the arm or jaw, or in someone with cardiac risk factors - is emergency evaluation, not reassurance from a search result. What changes with experience: someone with diagnosed panic disorder and a familiar, repeatable pattern that passes within the hour can learn to recognize their attacks. Panic attacks themselves are not life-threatening, but the only safe way to learn that yours are panic is having the physical causes ruled out once. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you think through a pattern; for active severe chest pain, call emergency services.