Please describe your GERD chest pain for me! and do you have palpitations?

I am 39, male, about 50lbs overweight, borderline high cholesterol, borderline high blood pressure.

Went to the ER last August with chest pains, stayed 24 hrs for observation & enzyme tests. Did the whole battery of heart tests (EKGs, stress test, nuclear test, echocardiogram, etc.) all came back fine. Finally did an endoscopy and dialation (to address a "B" ring or schatski's ring)... Reflux was confirmed.

I am now on Prilosec which was working well until last week. (the comment about prilosec causing dizzyness is interesting)  I started getting the same pains, left and right of the breastbone and in my back near the shoulder blades, which come and go. They seem to be getting worse with each occurence. It feels like being stabbed with a broom handle from the inside. Once they subside, I feel sore like I've been kicked in those areas. The chest pains are scary, but reading forums like this help me to know that they are not unusual with reflux.

When I exercise, any pains I have usually subside until I'm done. Sometimes they return, sometimes they don't. I know I need to exercise daily, but it's dificult to go and exercise when having chest pains. I just keep telling myself that I've been checked out and my heart is fine.

I appreciate all the suggestions and plan to talk with my GI about severeral of them.

Im 27 had my heart checked and nothing was wrong with it. I have gerd since i was a teen and latelly i've been having chest pain, mostly in the right side but not only. Sometime i can tell its gas because i burp and it goes away but sometimes it stays there for a long time and it scares me too. Not always it comes with the burning acid sensation. I do have palpitations sometimes but they are really fast, come and go in seconds. I suffer from a lot of gas all the time, anxiety and depression too. but as far as i know my heart is fine. im glad i found this forum.

Happy to have found this site...thank goodness for the internet.

On and off since I was in my 20's I have bouts of this...I am now 48. Twice I have gone to the ER with chest pain only to be told I have the EKG of someone 20 years younger (nice, but it doesn't take away the fear this pain gives me).

I haven't had to go through this for a while, but it started again yesterday. I awoke with pain in my left back/shoulder blade and thought I had slept funny.

...if only...

Now I have that radiating pain all over the left upper side of my body, down my arm to the elbow and up my jaw.

Why does this exactly mimic heart attack pain???

Jeeze!

I was put on nexium years ago and lately I started taking it less...every other day instead of every day (because the stuff is quite expensive even with prescription coverage)

BIG mistake....

On top of that, I didn't even realize that the foods I was eating could make this worse...the doctors never told me to avoid anything in particular. (They're so good at tossing drugs at you but never give you any holistic recomendations)

So, I went on a chocolate binge the other day and this happened a day and a half later. At least now, after reading comments here, I understand that there are lots of things I should avoid (unfortunately, it is the majority of my diet! Garlic, tomatoes?? I'm Italian! .... this is going ot be a bit difficult) and chocolate is one of them.

I am sitting here after being outside shoveling (Kind of gave myself a home made stress test)...Didn't drop dead of a heart attack while outside, but still fearful of this pain that has left my shoulder blade and situated itself in my jaw. But I am greatful to you all and this web site for taking the lonliness out of this bizarre condition. I'm going to go read some more.

Ironically...and this is just weird, I had to have laparascopic surgery last week. When you have this they literally pump you FULL of air. Symptoms after the surgery are supposed to be the exact symptoms I have from this GERD...pain in upper back/chest and/or shoulders& neck, because the air they pump into your stomach for this procedure will rise (like air does).

I had no pain after the surgery from the air.

Goes to show how much gas I make naturally when eating the wrong food...must be more than what they pumped me with to do that surgery! No wonder it hurts so darn bad!

When I get these extreme bouts of GERD (if that's what it is) the pain can last as long as 2 weeks...sometimes more.

I also think stress makes it worse.

I truly think it's horrifying....I always wish the gas would stay low and I'd have pain in my abdomen instead. It's no fun when you have chest pain, it is very scary and no matter how many times I get this, I am always scared because the pain is every symptom they tell you to watch for heart problems....especially now that I'm almost 50.

Another question...you mentioned you work out 5x a week...is it possible you pulled a muscle in your chest wall?? My Husband has done that quite a few times....very painful and scary.

 Please come back to let  us know how the PPI is working for you.

Also...does anyone know how safe/unsafe it is to be on Nexium FOREVER??

I truly hate taking any Rx drugs...so many side effects.

Post Edited (Burp) : 5/6/2011 4:15:45 AM (GMT-6)