I'm new to the board. I've read everything I can regarding chest pain and acid reflux. Short story, I went to cardiologist thinking I was having chest pains from heart. All tests were done, to include nuclear stress test, event monitor, etc. Even went back to cardiologist when chest type pains continued. She convinced me it's not my heart. (no heart cath)
My chest pains feel like the actual heart on the left part of the chest. It does not feel like muscle. Does anyone else feel that way when they have chest pains if it involves acid reflux? It does seem a lot worse after I eat anything, doesn't matter what, to include soft foods. I do not have acid reflux or heart burn from what I can feel, but for the past couple of months I have taken Prevacid or Prilosec, which do not seem to help. (trying to cure myself).
In reading all the boards I have made an appt for Friday with a gastrolonogist (sp?), and I'm terrified they will want to do an endoscope. I'm 55, female. All my life the only test I have ever feared is having to have an endoscope. I've had many medical tests in my life but fear an endoscope. I realize that may be the only way they can determine if I have a problem, but it just terrifies me.
Guess I just need some support on what to expect from gastro doctor and endoscope.
I can't really relate to the feeling you are experiencing but I have had the EGD and can say that it went fairly smoothly. I was nervous (to the point of tears in just before going "under" for it)...
I guess I wasn't under general anesthesia but I sure don't remember the procedure AT ALL. The only complication was that they caught my uvula (the thing that hangs down in your mouth/throat) in something and it swelled up to the size of the tip of my thumb. The swelling eventually went down and it scabbed over and was fine.
I'm sure there are cases where people may have had trouble, but I think it's generally an "ok" procedure.
If your doctor needs to look around, I would let him/her. It can't hurt to know what's going on in there. JMO though.
I too was scared of having a scope done. But I have now had 2 EGD's done in the past month and a half, and it really is pretty easy. I was given sedation, but wasn't out completely. They had me gargle with some stuff to numb my throat, and then started. And I don't remember the scope going down either time. I gagged during it a little, but outside of that, I was fine. My throat was sore for the first few days when I had the first one done. But it didn't hurt really after my second one. And they will probably take biopsies during it too, and that is really easy as well. You don't even know they are doing it. And as far as your chest pain, perhaps you have a hiatal hernia. I am 25, and was taken 2 times to the ER for chest pain, and had an EKG and all sorts of heart tests, which were all normal. Then I had the scope and saw it was cause from a hiatal hernia. So now I have to have Nissen Fundoplication surgery done in 2 weeks. But try doing some research on hiatal hernia's and see what you think. It sounds a lot like it to me, especially since it's on your left side and they ruled out heart problems. Good luck though with your appt on Friday and let us know what they think!
I have that kind of pain i my left chest too! sometimes it feels like a nerve is pinched in the heart. I notice it usualy comes when my acid is bad and when my throat is really raw.. I have LPR too... I also have hiatal hernia and my GI said its what caused it. Geez will all these ever go away?....
Wanted to let you know I went to gastro doctor today, and yes, sure enough I am now scheduled for the test I have dreaded my whole life might come to. Endoscope -- Doctor has assured me he will knock me out. And I think yeah, that's what they tell you, but is that what he will do. From the way I described my problems, chest pains that feel like heart pains on the left hand side behind breast bone, with no acid reflux or regurgitation -- he mentioned something called "nutcracker" esphogagus, etc. I appreciated the notes you all have written, and am going to try to concentrate on the fact I need this test done, and after that hopefully it'll be over, and that I'll be on the way to some type medication or healing.
Do NOT worry about the endoscope. I'm 57 and had one done 4 years ago and it was nothing. You'll be out and won't know it was done. You'll awake and feel perfectly normal. I had it done along with a colonoscopy and woke up ready to walk out, feeling perfectly normal but famished!!
I too have tons of chest pains that have been diagnosed via the process of elimination as esophageal in origin. Right now, I've had pains every day for over 2 months and have had a chest xray, upper GI and esophogram and they've found nothing yet, which is very frustrating to me. Mine feel like there's somthing in there that's gently pressing. It feels like it's either esophogeal or bronchial. Maybe it's lpr, I have no idea. It does make me want to feel like coughing at times. For me, it's on the right side, between the nipple and center of my chest at nipple height to about 2 inches above that level.
hi and welcome,
I can relate to you in many ways. I'm 57,have had stomach problems all my life and the last couple years heart problems too, had every test there is and my heart is "normal"--I encourage you to have the endoscope, it's the easier of many tests, and they put you out; there's no prep for it like there is for the "other end" which is a bit worse to go through. I did find out i have gastric reflux and internal hemorrhoids from my tests and was put on Prevacid which I did not like and gave me many side effects. I'm working to cure and help myself naturally, but it was helpful to my peace of mind to have the endoscopy. I hope you go through with it and will say again, it's nothing to fear. best of luck.
I sure appreciate the responses. All last night all I could do was think about a tube being shoved down my throat. Interesting comment on the one about not having sedation - but I just don't think I could do that. I really don't. Wonder why the gag is worse with sedation?? But reading all the responses has helped. And as I keep telling myself this is done by so many people every day. I'm just going to have to deal with it. The doctor I saw yesterday told me to go ahead and stop Prevacid etc as I told him I thought it just made me hurt more in the chest area (like heart pain). I have to say for some reason I don't seem to hurt as bad today, but maybe it's knowing I'm going to finally have a test. We always get better when we go to doctors, don't we? Haha. Again, thank you all for your support. I do appreciate it. Great message boards.
I had this test done a few months back...and was so nervous... They knocked me out before I even knew what was happening.. I mean one second the doctor was talking to me and what seemed like the next second they nurse was telling me it was all over!! It was so easy...no side effects..nothing.
I found out I have Barretts Esopugus and acid reflux.. I take 2 - 40 mgs Nexium every day and it helps most of the time...It did take about 3 weeks to really stop the pain..I don't feel that I ever had heartburn just pain... sometimes a burning pain.. in my chest or in my back...sometimes trouble breathing. Nexium is helping.
I'm 23 and had the scope done in November. I was TERRIFIED, but afterwards, I realized the hardest part was getting the IV needle. It really was SO easy. I was asleep, and woke up and ate lunch. By the next afternoon, I was able to go out to a buffet with my family. Could the pain be your gallbladder?
I had a combination upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy in the same setting. The only thing that bothered me about the procedure was taking that magnesium citrate before the procedure. I was given a light sedative which actually put me out. All I remember is a needle going into my arm and the next thing I woke up in the little recovery room and went home. The endoscopy does sound scary, but I sure didn't mind it at all. I worried about "swallowing the tube", but I wasn't even awake when they inserted it.
Chest pain can be acid reflux. I have the pain over my left breast all the time. Check the symptoms of heart attack at the American Heart Association. I always figure if my left arm is not hurting and it doesn't feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest then it's heartburn or gerd. Have all the tests you can get your dr to authorize because it could be more serious than you think. My cousin did nothing for her stomach and ended up having most of it cut out. I wish I could say I watch my diet but I love spicy food. I do make sure I take my pills everyday. If I don't then I'm sooo sorry I didn't. Please just try to do everything possible to take care of yourself. Like the old saying goes "if I knew I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself". That's how I feel now and it's not so funny.
In women, heart attack pain isnt always the classic signs. A lot of women get jaw pain, and I think the other thing was back pain. I cant really remember, but I know it isnt the classic heavy chest and arm pain.
I had those exact pains about 2 years ago. I convinced myself it was heart problems and got extremely worried. Well i developed anxiety from the constant worries, and the symptoms on anxiety are much like those associated with heart problems which made me more concerned and startes a downward spiral. After a lot of trips to the doctors office she convinced me it wasnt heart problems. And after treating my acid reflux with prilosec and anxiety with valium for a short time I am pretty much back to normal. It can be scary, but I would say to trust your doctor.
Well, I'm probably in the same boat as you guys. I've had right sided chest pain for 10 weeks now. It started as a cough and now I pretty much have a mild pain and tickle to the right side of the middle of my chest. I am totally anxious about it and it's just about always on my mind. I've been to the Dr's 3 times for it already and have had a chest xray, upper gi and esophogram and today had a spiral CT scan. Everything so far has been negative and I hope the ct scan is too, but I want to find out what's going on. I suppose it could be largely nerves. Just today I'm starting prilosec. The cough thing started one morning (11/1) along with a mild pain or tightness. It feels like a tickle too. I best describe it as feeling like a cyst or bump in there somewhere that is agitating things. The cough is non-productive. I sleep fine and it feels better when I rest (but still there a little bit). So I wonder if it's acrid reflux or LPR. I also worry about my lungs or bronchial tubes. We all want to know the causes of all these things!!! And then secondly, how to get rid of the symptoms!
Again, I want to thank you all for your comments on having an endoscope. I have it this upcoming Monday. I'm still scared, and this is all I think about, BUT, your comments on the ease of it and turning out not to be bad, has really really helped me.
I wanted to comment to BIKESING -- my pain is on the left, but just like you I originally thought maybe it could be lungs or bronchial type tubes. One of my doctor's office did a chest x-ray, and from what I read in your note you had a chest x-ray. I believe that would rule out anything with the lungs and bronchial (I think). Did you ask the doctor? I had asked if my chest x-ray would rule out a hiatal hernia, and I'll be darn if they said no, it wouldn't rule it out. I guess it wouldn't show up on a chest x-ray. I always thought they could see those through chest x-rays. I did go through all the tests with a cardiologists also, and all of that was ruled out. Hence, that's how I have ended up at the gastro doctor with an upcoming endoscope.
These medical things are so stressful. We wait and wait, and we go to doctor after doctor, and it takes months to do all of this.
Well, your story sounds similar to mine. Yes, it does take so long to get things resolved. I'm impatient and usually wants all the tests done on day 1 just to get it resolved and over with. Believe me when I say that the endoscope will be absolutely nothing. I know it's easy to say and I would probably have some anxiety again, but it was really absolutely trivial for me and I had no knowledge of it at all. The odds are that your discomfort and pain will fade with time after the Dr's tell you that they don't see anything wrong. One comment on the hiatal hernia question - an upper gi series would show that, and that is also basically a very simple test to have done.
honestly you nothing having to fear. The procedure is very easy, especially under sedation. Ive had two. Im just nervous now because Im having two procedures, one with tube down the nose, throat into stomach and one tube down the throat to insert a ph monitor in my esophaegus and they do this WITHOUT sedation! just throat spray. But my thought process now (at least for the next two weeks until I go to have it done) is a few minutes of discomfort is well worth giving the doc additional info to work with to help me feel better. Just remember this will help them figure out what is wrong and hopefully fix it.
Scott1360 - did you see a link under Acid Reflux from someone else that sounds like they are having to have done what you are, and someone else in that link that has had this done. Maybe this will help you also.? I know these boards have really helped ease my fears. thank you all again.
