I am on and off protonix - have tried severel different proton pump meds but still get these symptoms. Pressure in the chest area between the chest bone and the upper part of your stomach where your ribs meet at the top. The pain radiates to the back liek a vice grip squeezing you. Sometimes helps when I bend over, but just hard to get comfortable and extremely painful. Belching releives some pain. Sometimes get these "wet burps" like something wants to come up. It subsides for a while, then may come back in 10 - 20 mins. I've had an episode like this occur for 3 hours once. This is when I know it's time to get back on my protonix. Then, it will all disappear and I won't have an attack like this for months. But, yes .. still acid reflux if I don't watch what I eat. I am really concerned about this pressure pain that radiates to my back. It is soooo painful. during these spells I seem to get a gnawing burning sensation in my upper stomach for a week or so afterwards. It can be tolerated, nothing like that stabbing pain. Last year I had an esophogram, colonoscopy, cat scan of stomach, MRI of stomach, I guess all turned out ok. Colonoscopy resulted in IBS. But, don't think this is the problem. Also, most recently had a stress test and echogram done on my heart as part of a routine physical. All ok. Some people say it sounds like gall bladder problems, but I had my gall bladder removed in 2004!! the GI doc seems to be no help. Last year he didn't want to do an endoscopy because we did one the year prior and all looked good. Anybody else have problems like this. The last episode i had was last week. I usually eat very healthyl (I've been dieting), but that day I had this last attack I had spaghetti and BUTTERY garlic breadsticks from Fazolis, and for dinner french friens and a fried chicken sandwhich from McDonalds. And, I Never Eat McDonalds. I think this may have triggered the attack. Could this just be a sever case of indigestion, acid reflux????? what's bet to take during an attach like this. I was drinking Maalox out of the bottle last time I had this. Next day I had diahreea something terrible. Not sure if the Maalox did it or if it was part of the attack.

I'm sorry you're going through this. You MIGHT have reflux. Mine was found on upper endoscopy. I had attacks lasting 12 hours before I was diagnosed. Many fried foods would aggravate mine, or food not fried, but high in fat would, too. When I have an attack, I have the same burning thing that goes through to the back. I hope this info might help you. Maybe an upper endoscopy will find what's wrong. Good luck.

My mom and my husband both have hiatus hernias and it kind of sounds like what they say their symptoms are like. My mom had it so bad she had to have surgery for it. My mom was diagnosed by gastroscopy and my husband by small-bowel x-ray. Good luck and I hope they find the cause soon.