Chest Pain

Bridget, thank you for your comments. It confirms that I'm on the right path. I've been wearing an event monitor for a month and I'm seeing a surgeon concerning an endoscopy next week. I took Aciphex for three weeks without relief. I've been taking Nexium for 10 days and have had better results with that although still have some chest and stomach pain. Have you tried Nexium? Have you tried all the recommendations for GERDs such as raising the head of your bed, eating less and more often, avoiding certain foods, etc.? The amount of food I eat really determines how bad I'll feel.

Pansy

Hi Bridget, I have tried aciphex and it helped me. Zantac does nothing for me. At the time I was taking aciphex my insurance wouldn't cover prilosec or nexium but they did approve the aciphex. Both Nexium and prilosec are very expensive unless you live close enough to take a trip down to Mexico! They have started selling Prilosec over the counter just this month. Around $10.00 for 14 pills. Has anyone tried it yet? I also have chest pain occassionally and its so hard to know if its GERD or a problem with the heart, so be very careful. Sounds like you have had your heart checked and thats good. I see a cardioligist because of a heart arrythmia problem so he has checked my heart out pretty good. Take care, Pat

I heard that the Prilosec that is sold over the counter is not as strong as the prescription. So actually it ends up being twice as much for someone who is on 40mg a day like myself. But I didn't know that Prevecid was over the counter. Is it as strong as the prescription. None the less if it brings relief then it's worth the money. And I live very close to Mexico. I'm in Arizona. Do they sell Previcid in Mexico too?
Annie it's interesting that Prevecid makes you tired. My GI specialist said that he thinks one of the reasons that the Prilosec doesn't do much for me is because I was taking it wrong. (just before I go to bed) My internest never told me exactly when to take it, just once a day. And when I told him it made me tired he told me I should wait and take it when I go to bed. But the GI specialist said that is wrong. Both the internest and the GI specialist looked at me strange when I told them it made me tired. Now I feel better knowing it wasn't just me!
I can also relate to the natural rejection of some foods. I no longer crave sugar. And I am a sugar aholic. But now just the thought of it makes me sick. And when I force myself to eat it to be nice at someones home I end up feeling very bloated and sick to my stomach. Very strange for me. And it has been the same with fried foods.

Hope I haven't misled you about the meds.  I was thinking of a commercial that's been on lately and it was a Walgreen's ad.  Big deal because this med is coming to their stores. Speaking of bloating, I was up until around 4 a.m. trying to get unbloated!! 

 Yea..my doctor always looks at me wierd, but I could care less. The other place I notice it is with my eyes.  I tested Prevacid when I was working (8) hours on my feet in a laundry the first time around.  You can tell the difference.  I understand about the "taking it at this time" deal.  I have other problems like FMS which makes any med a danger zone for me.  I just react wierd.  This is not a pill to take twice because you forgot to take it.  I think, for me, I'm going with the Protonix for awhile.  I have free samples and it does move gas better. My m.d. likes Protonix.  He probably takes it.

   I was all stuffed up anyway.  Perhaps the Protonix (40mg) is working out junk I haven't been able to get rid of this week.  IBS and it's changing.  I have no idea what to eat today.  I'll attempt to get back to some routine here when this eases up.  I mentioned before..when I'm really sick, I sip orginal coke.  Sometimes room temp.  7up and other stuff just won't work for me.  You generally find something to help you by accident.  Oh..I use cans.  Not all of fuzzy water out of a machine.  And..Powerade because I'm getting weak.

    No doubt, your right.  OTC ususally are as strong so they get your $$ one way or the other.  I'll have to check Wally World and see what their pharmacist knows.  They up on everything. 

     Hey Patoola....I have too much pain going on in that area.  I can only wait until someone decides it might be my heart.  That's why I keep reading.  Of course, too much knowledge can be dangerous...I'll just scare myself.  Not much I can do about it anyway.  Just trying to get this gastro thing calmed down. 

       I'm sure they sell anything in Mexico.  It'll be genertic here quickly.  I have to laugh at a friend of the family.  He's running a restaurant right now and we have family Christmas/parties, whatever and we like him to cook/cater.  All my daughers have busy lives and they've spent years doing the cooking. 

  I love his lifestyle.  Irish, loves to eat, cook and a little wine.  Last Christmas he was needing Zantac or something while I was watching him cook and drink wine.  He takes the meds with wine.  Cracks me up.  No..it wouldn't work for me.  I assure you he's looking fine, great fun and he's not having nearly the problems I do.  GERD is just a nusiance for him.

    Trust me, I'd trade places anytime.........       

Hey Patoola...........know what your sayin'.  I'm a two-drink and done person.  I remember I didn't have anything in my purse for him to take, but one daughter did...just Zantac, I think.  Nothing big.  I was trying so hard not to be a "Mom".  That didn't work because my eyes got big and I said (gently)...."I don't think your suppose to do that!!"   And, to my daugher.."does he always do this".  She laughed and said,  "hey, Mom, I can't stop him".

He was very gracious and smiled and kept cooking. 

  We all went on and had a great day, good food and they did all the work.  I just keep thinking...."why can't I do that".  We got a bad deal here, Patoola.  Probably did more things right then wrong and still ended up with problems.  Doesn't seem fair, but I don't dwell on the fair part.  Thank you for thinking of me.  I know the chest pain is very confusing.  Everything you read says that's the signs and it's turn out not to be.  It's not like I'm exerting myself a great deal here. 

Hugs,  

Hi Stephanie and All........have to agree with you.  Preavcid would be my choice if I was healing some fissures. It seems to coat everything.   I still can't tell if it's the hernia, GERD or FMS/CMPS most of the time.  Not the pain.  I have gotten lucky with my doctor (he knows I don't have insurance) and he kept me in Prev. I'm on the other because that's what he had.  No problem.  Wouldn't you know they would reduce the dosage amount.  Why not, I haven't checked OTC Claritin either.  I'm not big on soda..that's a plus..I'm a coffee drinker....minus.  The soda I let set open and drink it the next day or the next day after that.  If I'm really sick...I sip it warm. I don't recall soda being a problem for me until lately.  I'll still go to something like powerade.  I wondered about the drug thing, but I don't live near a border (except to bootleg) so thought people must do it all the time.  If it's OTC, would it still be illegal?  Some drugs would spook me if they were genertic. Not sure why.  I would like to think there is some quality control out there.   If you take Prevacid at night....take it earlier so your upright for an hour.  I used it to help me go to sleep since it peaks about the time I'm needing to drop off.  Anything I do is subject to change according to whatever disorder is spiking at the time.   What if you order drugs from another country.  I'm not, but it's out there? 

Enjoy Fall Yall...........

Thanks Stephanie...I thought the states ordered from Canada.  I don't have insurance so I look at ads or other resources sometimes.  So far my doctor tries to help me by giving me samples. 

Hey Patoola....I'm sure a lot of people do it.  It's a shame to have to be forced to bring things across a border that's illegal, but I have no doubt it happens all day long.  What would be new about smuggling from there?  Not much.  I feel bad for the seniors and average people who have to have heart meds, diabetes supplies..on and on.   Gotta do what you gotta do in some cases.  Let alone small children needing expensive meds.

   Gotta be some blackmarketing going on.  I wonder about quality control in some areas.  Or someone getting taken for $$ and receive the wrong drugs.  I'm sure this has been going on for so long, it's not that difficult to find a reliable source.  I'm greener then grass when it comes to this type of stuff.

    Unfortunately, that's not limited to one area.  A year ago one or two major pharmancies supplying cancer meds to people in a large city near me was found diluting the meds. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the news.  Places that had been there for years cheating cancer patients out of the proper dosage. I still can't believe it as I'm typing. Is there no end to people like this.  I cannot comprehend this type of mind.  Totally beyond my scope. 

  

Hey Patoola.....I'm going back out to enjoy the lovely winds and leaves blowing around today. Sneeze!!!   No...they got thrown in jail.  If the main guy doing it survives the prison system, he'll be lucky.  White collar crimes aren't tolerated well.  I'm close to a couple of max security prisions...maybe three.  There not in my backyard, but close enough.....I'm used to them.  He was this nice looking, older type that lived in a high dollar area.  Can you be that $$$ hungry!!  Guess so.....