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Hello & great site...
I am 44 years old & fairly active. And have always had a pulse rate around 65/bpm.
20 yrs ago I was diagnosed w/gastritis & began taking an h2 beta blocker medicine. Eventhough I still occasionally got an upset stomach the medicine worked fine.
About a year ago I started periodically getting little jabbing pains around the upper left area of my chest. I also got little muscle spasms/palpations in the sternum area that caused me to feel like my breath was taken away. I would gasp & take a deep breath & the feeling would go away. This past December I was at work & had another episode with the spasms/palpations/loss of breath & this time I guess I over reacted thinking I was having a heart problem. I hyperventilated & was taken to the emergency room where they kept me overnight & did an enzyme check 3 times over an 18 hour period to see if I had a heart attack. The tests came back negative. Because of the bad episode at work I developed anxiety/pounding heart & cant sleep because of wondering what was going on. Over the next 1 /12 months I had a complete cardiology exam w/the stress test & everything was fine. I then had blood work & again everything was fine. My doctor told me it was just anxiety & not to worry. I then explained to her that I still had the periodic jabbing chest pain/the loss of breath episodes & a pressure from my sternum up to my throat (w/my throat feeling like it had a piece of food stuck in it) that gets worse when I eat. My doctor ordered an upper gi done & they found I had acid reflux condition w/no hernia. My doctor told me that the reflux was what was causing my problems & prescribed one of the new proton valve inhibitor medicines. I have been taking the proton valve inhibitor medicine for about a month now & I still get all of the original conditions (little muscle spasms/palpations in the sternum/loss of breath & the pressure from the sternum to the throat) that started a year ago. The proton valve inhibitor medicine doesn’t seem to do anything. During all these episodes I never have had extreme chest pain, just little jabbing pain once in awhile.
I seem like I’m back to square one. Am I missing something? This is really starting to worry me…
In Reply to: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Brian K. on February 04, 2001 at 16:08:08:
Brian:
I have very similar symptoms. I get very sharp pain in my upper left-hand quadrant, periodic “lumps” in my throat, and I find it hard to breathe. I get this daily. Often after meals and after doing things like yard work or lifting heavy objects. The chest pain began in August. I have been to the Emergency Room three times. I have also been to a Cardiologist. I have had blood taken, enzymes checked, two Thallium Stress Tests, an echocardiogram, and had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. Everything came back negative. I was then sent to a Gastro. He did an Upper GI, and endoscope, drew blood (to check for E. Pylori), and placed me on Previcid (30 mg. 2X/Day). My heartburn went away, but not the chest pain. I am now scheduled to get some type of Ph scope put into my stomach for 24 hours. Even though I am told it is not my heart, I worry every day about having a heart attack. I am only 36 years old.
However, unlike you, three months before the chest pain, I began to experience dizziness, tingling and numbness down my left arm and leg, and tingling in my face/head. I was also feeling sinus-like pressure in my face, and felt like I had the flu all the time. My lymph nodes under my arms and in my groin swell and go away without any rhyme or reason. I had blood drawn to screen for cancer, along with blood drawn to check for prostrate cancer, I have had a full bone scan, a CT scan, an MRI of my brain, and several visits to the Neurologist. Everything comes back negative or “unremarkable.”
While I am on blood pressure meds (Prinivil 5mg and Toprol XL 100mg), and have slightly elevated cholesterol (236), I cannot believe that everything could be a side effect. I am so frustrated, like you, and have to fight not being depressed all of the time. It’s horrible to think you either have some horrible disease (like incurable cancer), or will drop dead of a heart attack because none of the doctors can find anything.
Perhaps someone on this board can provide us with some of the insight of which we are in so desperate need. But know that you are not alone, Brian. We’ll work through this together and with the help of the folks on this board. Keep your spirits up!!
In Reply to: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Brian K. on February 04, 2001 at 16:08:08:
Brain.K I have walked in those shoes also. I let those problems you are describing go another 5 years before I was finally forced to look somewhere. anywhere for help. I just knew I was having a heart attack that was not showing up on the machines. Now My problem was many, but stress was the real thing. Worring about having something wrong and not knowing what will drive you to great lengths of stress. If you had not had the tests done already I would say have some tests done to relieve your mind. Try some kind of stress relief of your choice if sr does not sound right for you. Try some probotics and enzymes. Last but not least look into betaine hcl also. I was dianosed with acid reflux for years and was told I had to have acid when in truth I had non. Last but not least sit down and have a good talk with yourself and convince yourself that other folks have had this problem and have whipped it. You can do it. Good luck
In Reply to: Re: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Ken on February 04, 2001 at 21:30:18:
guys,the ppi drugs stop acid,but not refluxing oother things,like bile and stomache juices. the studies show that barretts,and esophogitis,are caused by bile and acid,not acid. reducing acid can make the bile stronger,and this is why,throat cancer has risen dramatically in the past 10 yrs,despite meds like ppis which shut down acid. so im getting the surgery,i already have barretts,so im going for it. the ppis are good for a few months,thats it. manypeople like myself are worse from the ppis. the h2 are not strong enough for barretts. guys chest pain is listedas a side effect of prevacid
In Reply to: Re: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Ken on February 04, 2001 at 21:30:18:
I have had and occasionally have all the symptoms that you
have described Ken and i've been checked for heart problems
although not as many tests as yourself,the doctors have
also said that there is nothing wrong with my heart.I do
have high blood pressure and am to stubborn to go on medication.I am 40 years old and my father died of a heart
attack at 41 so i truly believe that most of my problem
is STRESS,i've worried about this most of my life and it is
very hard to ignore it even people tell me to let go of it.
I know that i should look into doing some sort of SR but i
need a big kick in the butt.So in ending i truly believe iy
is also stress in your case.
ED
In Reply to: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Brian K. on February 04, 2001 at 16:08:08:
Hi,
I'm not much older than Brian, however, I've had majority of these tests with the exception of the PH test. Like beegs I've got BE, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, etc...
The original PPI I was put on end of 99 made me seriously ill, the next one made me dizzy and the third has proven to be acceptable with an additional medication as well. Chest pains had been there, but I ignored them until severe attack end of June of this year. Panic attacks then took their toll and the more I complained the more tests were done. If the PPI is not working, you should advise your doctor, as well as start keeping copies of your medical records
Learned this through the HCP conducted with Dr Stoll over a year ago. Recently went back to only one SR (skilled relaxation) session and the chest pains started getting noticeable again. Now I've got a few other issues as well, but dealing with them through SR, exercise and diet as well as my doctors.
Suggest you both read through the archives on this BB and visit the following website as well. Hope this helps you and try to relax. Lately, I've permitted myself to become stressed out as well, so I understand where you might be coming from.
Hope this helps
Take Care Of Yourself
Paulette
In Reply to: Acid Reflux/Chest Pressure/Loss of Breath posted by Brian K. on February 04, 2001 at 16:08:08:
Hi, Brian.
This is EXACTLY what happens with the conventional medical paradigm that ignores the forest for the trees.
Your entire problem is caused by bracing and stress-effect storage in the hypothalamus. Read Hans Selye, MD's classic "The Stress of Life" and Herbert Benson, MD's book "The Relaxation Response". Look up those subjects in the glossary, home page and archives.
THEN, when you have done your homework, if you still have questions, write again.
This is the first thing you need to do because the solution to your health problems is understanding. Look at your history: you are gradually adding tips of the iceberg to your history. Until you understand what is causing this, this trend will continue.
Walt
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