Is this indigestion or something more sinister?

[ecila92]

Hi,

I know I've recently posted about this but I just want to get to the point.

I've been experiencing what seems like indigestion/heartburn but I'm still not sure what it is.

It all happened when I was having a few drinks with my friend, I could feel a burning sensation in my chest, the next day the same symptoms occurred but it was a lot more intense, I panicked and called the out of hours doctors because I thought it was my heart but they reassured me it was nothing.

However, I cant understand how this could be indigestion, my symptoms are - pain in back radiating to my chest, arms and up around my esophagus/throat. It happened today after I drank some warm milk, surely that isn't normal?

I constantly have achey arms and shoulders but I know that might be me over thinking things/tension.

I'm worried to the point of not sleeping because I'm so concerned its my heart and something will happen.

Please if anyone knows or experiences this any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thank you :)

[UKmamainUS]

Obviously we can not tell you what is wrong, but maybe you could try cutting dairy from your diet and seeing if that helps? I get awful indigestion from milk and recently discovered that I have both a lactose and caesin intolerance.

[ecila92]

I used to think I had an intolerance to dairy but after I cut out wheat/gluten symptoms improved so I'm not sure if it was ever the milk

Thanks for the reply :)

[Worried 24/7]

I have been getting heartburn so bad lately that I thought it was a heart attack. It started in my right chest then settled in my breast bone. Then it radiated to my back. I finally realized it was not a heart attack when I started burping like crazy and felt like puking

[UKmamainUS]

I also have gluten intolerance. Often people who have gluten issues area more likely to react to dairy. It's worth a try - if it eliminates the symptoms it might help reduce the anxiety about symptoms.

[ecila92]

Thank you both for your feedback!

Worried 24/7 - So glad I'm not the only one! I'm more worried about the radiating arm pain but I guess it's just tense muscles as its in my shoulders/back.

UKmamainUS - Ok, I'll cut out dairy for a week and see if my symptoms improve, thank you! :)

[Worried 24/7]

Mine radiated down my arm as well

[rtpu2004]

I've had issues with indigestion this week. I have been incredibly anxious about it!

To cope with the anxiety side of things, I usually go on long walks/runs with loud music at night! Breathe in that fresh air and focus on all the good things in my life at the moment. This helps relax my chest and throat muscles. It also reassures me that nothing is wrong with my heart because I wouldn't be able to exercise vigorously if it were.

Another thing I do is to just chill out with a friend. I usually inform them how I am feeling and then just continue to chat about other stuff. After a while, the anxiety fades.

In terms of actual indigestion, I have just taken some antacids. You can get them from the pharmacy. They have helped a bit.

But of course, if the symptoms don't go away, head off to the doctor to get some peace of mind!

[ecila92]

Thank you rtu2004 that seems very benificial I will definitely take that on board. I'm just going to tell myself that every symptom I have is anxiety and try and relax as much as possible.

[rtpu2004]

That's it ecila92! It is just anxiety! But I totally understand that it's not easy to convince yourself that it is. It can take weeks and weeks of creating those brain pathways to truly believe it is just anxiety, but it isn't impossible!

Accepting the symptoms as anxiety is the key to getting through this. You can do it :-)