Pain in chest after eating

wmjsease · 07-09-2004, 11:24 PM

Hello. I've been diagnosed with a slight case of gerd about 9 month ago after having the endoscope done. I have taken Prevacid daily since then. Everything was fine until 3 months ago. I've noticed that after eating, I fill up sooner than I used to, and I have a lot of pain(not burning) in my upper chest. Also within the last week, everytime I eat or drink, it hurts. I'm am almost not eating anything so I can avoid the pain. I also have shortness of breath with this, and my neck will sometimes go numb and hurt. Sometimes my throat actually feels as if it's going to close. Anyway, I went to the ER the other night, and they said to just take Zantac, and gave me a prescription for it, and follow up with a GI doctor. I went to the GI doctor, and he said he will scope me again, just to see, but he doesn't think anything would happen in the nine months since I was scoped last. I also talked to my family doctor who thinks it is nerves. I'm tired of that response of course, because I can't even eat without physical pain. I've also had a lung function test that I scored well on, and a chest and abdomen ct scan which came back normal. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I need to lose weight, but I don't want to be sick like this to do it.

Flamecat · 07-10-2004, 08:28 AM

Hi there
I'm new to posting on this board, but I've followed it for a long time. I have GERD, and sometimes my throat feels like it swells up (also have vocal cord nodules) and I get pain in my chest after I eat, and most of the symptoms you wrote about. I get discomfort bordering on pain under my ribs too and don't know if it's my lungs or what. A lot of what you posted I've read on these boards as symptoms of acid reflux, but I don't know if that's what's going on with you or not. I'd see what your doctor says after they scope you again. I'm taking Prevacid too, and it worked great at first, but now it's all acting up again. I've tried Aciphex, Prilosec, and now Prevacid. I think, (although I can't say for sure) that a body can get accustomed to PPI's and that's why I had to keep changing to find one that worked. Hope everything works out for you, sorry I wasn't much help!
Sue

StaciL320 · 07-11-2004, 12:47 PM

Hi. I also get chest pains sometimes, but had cardiac testing done and it turned out okay, so the problem must be something digestive. I have never had any scoping done, although I probably should. I also get the rib pains like you talked about, usually worse after I eat. I really think I probably have a reflux problem since I sometimes get heartburn and on occasion actually feel the acid come up my throat. This doesn't happen a lot, but it happens once in a while. I think we are all showing symptoms of a reflux problem, but for now I just take the over the counter gas or antacid pills.

Katie G · 07-14-2004, 01:47 PM

Have you been checked for hiatal hernia? This can cause your symptoms also. Another problem is trapped gas - I get severe chest pain sometimes and up into my neck when I can't burp and need to.

Good luck,
Katie G

Melissa, Oregon · 07-14-2004, 11:38 PM

I was just diagnosed with hiatal hernia by the radiologist, after a couple weeks of the same symptoms. Not really heartburn, nothing burns, no sour taste, etc, but nasty chest pain, strangled feeling in my throat, and needing to burp. Makes sense if the stomach is invading the chest cavity and pushing against the esophagus. Waiting to see the doctor for a plan of attack. Till then am experimenting with diet, trying the magnesium, etc. Hope this won't be something I'll have to live with forever!