Mid/Left Chest Pain - Heartburn?

[katniss]

Hey everyone,

So I woke up Friday (two mornings ago) to some heartburn.. I carried on as usual and had some tums. The heartburn has continued and now it's Sunday afternoon! I visited a gp this morning and she mentioned that it could be excess stomach acid and gave me a prescription med to take for a month

My concern is: this has been happening for three days now. I get intense chest pain with it that comes and goes. The chest pain is sometimes on the left and can intense. It settles within a minute or two but it's scary! Also, my sternum has become sore to touch. I feel as though because I am a 30 year old female I was dismissed with heartburn. I am so scared of this being cardiac related. Any experiences?

Also, burping makes the chest pain go away for a bit and antacids also help somewhat.

[WorriedTex]

Yes, if antacids and burping causes the symptoms to clear, then I can guarantee you it's 100% bad indigestion. Also, if cardiac related you would likely feel pain down your left arm and squeezing/pressure in your chest I had some yesterday with the exact same symptoms you described and it went away with water, antacid tablets, and patience.

[katniss]

Thank you for responding!

The part that worries me is that belching and antacids bring very temporary relief. The pain is back within 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes right away! And this is currently my 4th day with it

[orthagonal]

Are you trying longer lasting anti-acid meds like famotidine (pepcid in the US) or are you using calcium carbonates like Tums? CCs provide quick relief but it doesn't last very long.

Also heart attacks don't last 4 days.

[Fishmanpa]

In addition to an OTC PPI (like Zantac etc.) look into the FODMAP (https://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/) diet and keep a food journal. Eliminate or severely restrict foods that aggravate your stomach. If the OTC PPIs aren't enough, speak to your doctor about something like Protonix. My wife and I are on it, follow the FODMAP and rarely have an issue.

Positive thoughts

[katniss]

I was prescribed omeprazole. I believe it's a PPI. Currently my 2nd day on it. It hasn't made much of a difference, but then again it is a month long treatment.

And yes, I have been taking Tums. Maybe just once or twice a day though. In the morning / afternoon it's not too bad, the pain gets bad at around evening, so that's when I usually pop a Tums.

[Fishmanpa]

Yep... Omeprazole is a PPI and a decent one. It takes about a week before it really kicks in. What are your eating habits like?

Positive thoughts

[katniss]

I'm a vegetarian and pretty much dairy free. I usually eat healthy, however the day before my heartburn, I had some super spicy Indian food. And I had it three times that day, lol. I'm pretty sure this is what triggered it, but I'm just concerned as to why it's been happening for so long!

---------- Post added at 18:32 ---------- Previous post was at 18:29 ----------

Thanks for the fodmap link! I will just print it out for reference.. That's a whole lot of delicious food to avoid :( But at this point I will do anything to make this go away.