Heartburn-like symptoms?
I’m 46, in good shape, not overweight, with no historry of digestive or heart disease or cancer in my family.
For several months, and increasingly in the last 2 months, I’ve had what feels a lot like heartburn/acid-reflux. About 5 weeks ago, I had a pain in my chest so bad around the esophagal/heart area it felt like I was having a heart attack!
I don’t think it’s heart-related, but I’m just saying, the pain was that severe.
I saw a family physician twice the last week of August, and he put me on nexium, for 30 days, which I just ceased taking at his recommendation, 3 days ago).
Nexium LIMITED the pain, but did not eliminate it. I still had a dull ache around the esophagal area, although lessened by Nexium. My Dr said if it was acid reflux, that would definitely have eliminated it, so that eliminates that. He also tested me for the bacteria that causes ulcers, and I tested negative for that.
I didn’t like taking nexium, it made me feel like I was on the edge of being incontinent, and I had loose bowel movements and headaches the whole month I was on it.
My doctor initially had me on Nexium for 2 months, but said if it wasn’t helping after 30 days, I might as well discontinue it.
My Dr also gave me an EKG to test for potential heart problems, and that showed no signs of heart trouble.
He also did bloodwork, and the only bad sign was my cholesterol was 238, which he advised me to get down, and I’ve almost completely given up meat and dairy to make an immediate improvement in that.
I’m 5′ 11", 180 lbs, in good shape, with no physical problems otherwise.
I usually feel indigestion and chest pain/acid-reflux-like symptoms 2 to 3 hours after I eat, and often releive the pain/pressure by pressing on points of my upper pectoralis muscles, and burping (as quietly as I can). I think it could possibly just be gas pain, but it seems my esophagus or something else is inflamed.
I burp, quietly, sometimes 100, 200 or more times. And I don’t want to, but it seems to be the only thing that releives the pressure and pain, at least partially. Sometimes I press on my pectoralis points till my chest is black and blue (although not often) to releive the pressure.
I work as a massage therapist, and so have a very physical job. I’m in discomfort, but –so far— it does not impair my ability to work. Although sometimes I’m at the upper threshold of pain I can comfortably work with.
It often helps me to work rather than sit at my desk, because then I’m flexing my chest muscles, and that relieves and stretches it.
I also feel frequent itching/irritation around my tonsils and the back of my throat, possibly related to irritation of my esophagus.
I’ve never felt nausea, vomiting or vomiting blood, which I’ve seen are symptoms of esophagal cancer. My doctor says based on what he’s seen so far, he doesn’t think it’s heart disease or any kind of cancer. But this ongoing inflammation can’t be good.
The only other health problem I have is mild allergies, although I’m extremely allergic to mold, and that can irritate my throat and make it burn, especially when air conditioning first comes on and kicks up dust in the vents. And when I’m outside near a canal or other place where mold grows abundantly. But that is largely controllable.
I’m concerned because the chest pain has kicked up considerably in the last 6 weeks.
I’m also currently uninsured, although I make about 30,000 annually and can for the first time in my life afford insurance. I’m concerned if I see a gastro-enterologist, he’ll just say "Sorry, nothing I can do, 300 dollars please".
Or if it is a serious medical condition, they’ll deny me coverage and say it’s a pre-existing condition.
I also have no idea how to find a good insurance provider.
Please advise me, what you think it is, and how it can be treated and eliminated. Thank you !
The most persistent symptom is chest pain, centered around the third rib, just to the left of my sternum, and tightness in my chest muscles on the same point and 2-inch radius around it.
For maybe a year, I only felt it after I ate, about 2 to 3 hours after eating. But the last 5 weeks, I feel it pretty much from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep, more inflamed when I eat.
I notice no symptoms of fatigue or sweating to indicate heart problems. And again, I had an EKG 1 month ago that indicated no heart problems.
Filed under: Heartburn Symptoms
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Possibly a hiatal hernia. Please check your local area for free clinics, or go to your church and ask for help. Often they can assist.
Well, good news. Dr. Atkins was a heart doctor in NYC for many years and he wrote a book about supplements you might want to take a look at. If you buy it USED off of Amazon you can get it for postage.
It’s "Vita-Nutrient Solution" – I read the covers off the first copy I owned. You can be having symptoms of anything from hiatal hernia to simple heart burn to heart attack. It’s hard to know one way or another. YOU’RE the doctor now – You make the call.
And yes – if you go anywhere near a real doctor, it’s excruciatingly expensive for perhaps the wrong answer – and for perhaps potentially dangerous prescription drugs.
Anyway – dear old Dr. Atkins made it his business to treat people without prescription drugs – and this book runs down all the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats and other stuff you can use to take care of yourself.
I have a real funny heart – I take magnesium and taurine each day – vitamin B complex – CoQ10 – and I don’t go near doctors. And on the day I die, I’ll be just as dead, but I’ll be a lot richer for having avoided the doctors.