Hi, as you may have gathered from some previous posts I am trying to find out the answer to the strange gas sensations I continually have in my chest? Can I say that I do burp a lot “very lady like though” which again convinced me it is gas. Today it was particularly bad for about an hour right in the centre of my chest but again I did manage to burp. I decided at one point to become my usual anxious self and went into panic so thought I would take my GTN spray which I have only used about twice ever and it did nothing, however, this time every thing settled down after one squirt of the spray. Now of course I’m thinking that it therefore has to be heart related? Is that a fact? Could be coincidence or not? Thoughts please on does it actually mean if pain goes after spray it is your heart?
GTN Spray: Hi, as you may have gathered... - British Heart Fou...
GTN Spray
Hi Calm2. There is a study from 1997 that suggests that GTN can reduce dyspepsia but I’d suggest that it doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t your heart. What meds are you on?
Hi, bisoprodol, Asprin, ticagrelor, losartan, atrovastatins, lansoprazole.
The Lansoprazole should counteract the Aspirin and Ticagrelor can upset your stomach. Maybe the dosage needs to be tweaked or a replacement for Lansoprazole (which doesn’t agree with everyone) is found. Maybe the next step is to talk to your doctor?
Thank you, I have spoken to the dr and she doubled my dose of lansoprazole, that was on Monday so I’ve been taking double since then and yes the gas, indigestion or whatever does seem to have got worse
That could be it. Maybe you’re not responding well to the Lansoprazole (which is a proton pump inhibitor). There are alternatives so my suggestion would be to call the pharmacist to check that it could be the PPI increase and see your doctor again. This article (which is from the US) shows the range of alternatives your Doctor could choose (if it really is this medicine that’s causing the problem). drugwatch.com/proton-pump-i...
Good luck.
I suffer from terrible wind in the chest and shoulder area. Stopped taking ticagelor in September and am still taking aspirin daily, Last night I had bad acid reflux and today I have had a really uncomfortable chest, to the point where I was thinking is this wind or my heart. (But no breathlessness or other symptoms) And have been burping all evening (very in lady like in my case as its so bad). I find sipping a glass of warm water helps and also baby gripe water.
Oddly enough I seem to feel unwell and get an uncomfortable chest around the time of my period, not my imagination as my husband had noticed it too.I cannot get on with lansoprazole at all it made me feel dreadful.
I have had this problem since having my stent 18 months ago and I think it is probably the aspirin and certain foods I eat that seem to trigger it I seem to get it when I am tired too.
I raised it at a check up with my consultant about 8 months ago and he put it down to the aspirin and said my heart was fine and was quite dismissive of it.
It really gets to me as I feel fine then get the pains and all the fears start all over again. Today I was commuting home from work when I got pains and find it pretty frightening. Always feels when this happens like I’ve taken two steps forwards with getting back to normal life and it feels like a step back as all the fears and insecurities come back to the surface.
Wish I could help you more but thought it might reassure you knowing you are not alone with it.
Thank you so much, that could have been me writing every word you said! I had a HA just over 12 months ago and had a stent. I can’t remember exactly when all this ‘gas’ started but it’s been a while and causes me daily anxiety. I have never been asked to see my cardiologist I only saw him once the day he discharged me. The anxiety is really getting me down, like you and especially lately I do suddenly think oh god is it my heart????? Then I burp and think it can’t be! I just wish I could get this sorted. Thank you so much you are the first person I have found who has the same as me!!!
That’s great, I am similar in as much as if I get active I’m fine, I find if I go for an invigorating walk I feel better, I have no problems with breathless either and so then although I DO have gas and wind in my chest, I wonder if it’s all bought on by anxiety? I have had a lot to make me anxious this last year and trying hard to fight it. I also lost my dad three weeks ago and was convinced I would have a HA at the funeral, I didn’t. The dr gave me some diazepam and it made me feel so much better. I obviously don’t want to get hooked on them but it certainly helped with anxiety and when that is eased the pains aren’t there?
Those words are so true and yes I would expect more trouble on exertion but I don’t get any and so I think I need to get my anxiety under wraps. Your thoughts on the GTN spray sound good to me! Thanks for helping me.
Hi there - I'm on similar meds to you and occasionally have gastric discomfort that tends to spread across under my ribs. It's linked to some foods, particularly those high in protein when eaten in large amounts - I don't do red meat any more, but chicken and turkey can set it off, less so fish (which I love). It makes sense for that to be related to lanzoprazole because protein digestion starts in the stomach and needs low acidity - and the lanzoprazole is specifically to counter that! Good luck... Bill
The only meds I'm on are Bisoprolol 1.25mg+300mg aspirin once a day (I take mine in the morning) and I was experiencing the same - quite unladylike so it was most disturbing to me!
Don't laugh but what I found most helpful was moving my bra hooks to the longest position and wearing a posture brace under my clothing to force my 63yo shoulders 'back to an upright position'. Also sitting straight up in chairs and on the sofa seems to be helpful.
Thank for that, yes I got you on the bra!!! Lol and it’s funny actually, I was only told the other day by physio that I was rounding my shoulders when I sat down and to practise holding them upright and back. My wish is that a dr would actually say to me ‘ it’s wind and gas and nothing we can’t fix’!
Hi, I am only on Bisoprolol and aspirin too, and I have noticed that I am more "burpy" these days, Weird thing is, I always have to burp when walking up any sort of gradient, even going upstairs makes me do it!
Its worth getting it checked out, those are and were my exact symptoms and for months I was treated for dyspepsia, gall bladder and all sorts of other stuff being told by my GP it wasn't my heart, sadly I had a heart attack, a stent was fitted 2 years ago and i have been fantastic for 18 months, however 6 months ago the symptoms restarted up again and I was sent for an angiogram, the stent has become 70% blocked and blockages on other side of my heart so I am booked for a triple bypass at the end of January. Like you, I was scared to use my spray as I didn't want to acknowledge it could be my heart again 
apart from the feelings of indigestion and burping my ears feel like they want to pop and I get a feeling as though something is touching my throat/neck like a jumper, my cardiologist has told me they are signs of angina. I really hope your is just indigestion but please get checked out, especially if you do have heart issues! Keep us posted and ALWAYS take your spray 
Best
Linda
Sorry to hear you have to have the bypass but hopefully you’ll be symptom free again. It’s horrible isn’t it, living every day worrying it will happen again ? It’s driving me nuts and making me quite ill if I’m honest. I’ve had lots going on outside this also so anxiety thru the roof!! I wish you luck with your op and hope it makes you feel a whole lot better 🤩
Sunndy2day I totally agree on the posture. I have started a new job and the chair I sit on is so awful that my posture is bad and I have had a lot more discomfort, Lindaguise good luck with the bypass (the idea of one used to terrify me and after being a hearty it doesn’t worry me anymore if I need one in the future). Calm2 I think living with the fear it will happen again and that will be the curtain call is the worse bit of having heart disease, I have a fear of something happening in a public place.
I also had indigestion like symptoms over a bank holiday weekend and ended up at A & E as thought I had gall stones. My breathing was bad, I had pains in my back and in my armpits, kept feeling dizzy and just felt really unwell. I had pain in my chest which I thought was indigestion and ended up having 4 stents but no heart attack. As my heart was in so much trouble whenI was given the emergency stents they wanted to do another but my heart was not stable enough after being on the angiogram table for nearly 2 hours (& I needed to wee and had a numb bum), they preplanned to do another angiogram and insert the stents 3 months later and even the cardiologist was shocked when they went in to find my stents had failed, so another 4 inserted. Age 50 with 7 stents.
Looking back with my first episode I had lots more symptoms I did not link together. I got breathless going up the stairs and had to stop when halfway when walking up a hill (I was a smoker then and put everything down to smoking) I had a terrible morning cough for a couple of years that would not shift, which I now know was a cardiac cough and was having dizzy spells in the morning when I got up which I thought was the menopause. What I get now is very different it wind and sometimes I get acid feeling in my throat. I also get chest aches and pains when I do loads of housework of lift heavy things like heavy pots and pans. Nurse told me when they go in the angiogram if can sometimes damage muscle.
Sorry this is a bit long winded but I know posts sometimes help people who are new to all this. But I have always got things checked out along the way to be on the safe side.
I too am suffering with burping and indigestion, worried that it will be another HA! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it happens. my cardiac nurse has tried to reassure me she doubts it my heart but it’s driving me crazy and I’m very anxious about it. Didn’t have these symptoms before HA/ medication !
My medication has been altered so many times and now trying pantoprazole for tummy. Apparently GTN spray was originally used for tummy issues - who knew
I could also have shares in gaviscon and peppermint tea!! 😛
Been back to GP and she has referred my for a camera to look inside my tummy to see if it’s inflamed etc.
Your post made me realise I am not alone as I worried I was going mad !
Oh no you are not going mad! Well if you are then there’s two of us !! This is something that started about two months ago when it got this bad. Chest pains that dot about all over the place even in my arms. Then comes the burps which can be reassuring I guess. I was put on lansoprazole months ago and the dr has just doubled the dose but no good. Like you I didn’t have this problem before heart meds. I just don’t know the next step?
I can understand that feeling of not knowing the next step. My cardiologist appointment was cancelled earlier this month which was a pain as I hoped it would help. Hence return to GP and her suggestion of a camera as it will show whether my tummy is inflamed .
I know it’s not good we are suffering but it’s good to hear from someone in same boat - if you know what I mean
Feel free to keep in touch we might be able to help each other !
Definitely! What I don’t understand is, I hear people talk about their cardiac nurse or consultant or cardiologist and yet all I have and have ever had is my GP? I did cardio rehab but once that was done that was it. The only time I saw the cardiologist was the day he walked past my bed and discharged me! I think I need someone to just say to me your hearts fine and this is caused by the meds! I think I need to push this more with the GP. I also wonder if it’s down to anxiety? Be lovely to stay in touch😃
My cardiac nurse was attached to the rehab which I’m still doing ! Yes I would push more with GP
I’ve referred myself to a scheme my authority has called talking matters and I’ve been placed on a waiting list to start CBT for health anxiety- fingers crossed things get better for us both x
Let’s stay in touch 😀
Calm2 the jumping about feeling and in the arms too, that could be when I get it, exactly the same.
When I spoke to my cardiologist he told me if the pain is jumping around is it unlikely to be heart related.
I have good days and bad days and today has been a bad day but it’s the weekend and I’m alive to tell the tale as they say.
Pharmacist told me not to take Gaviscon as it interacts with Bisaprolol.
Me too and in my back!
Personally I think it is the aspirin and possibly linked to bisprolol. I am not good with eating enough when taking the aspirin. I have never found eating breakfast an easy thing and prefer to eat a few hours at least after waking. When I was in hospital a nurse said to me when giving me my aspirin, never ever to take it on an empty tummy, even just eat a biscuit with it as it will kill your stomach lining. So I think the aspirin although good for the heart creates stomach problems which is linked to the trapped wind.
Ahaha I often come across this. I have been told off for this. I work in healthcare and have done the rounds and rotations on most wards by now. Gtn spray relaxes smooth muscle by enabling dilation of the arteries resulting in increased oxygen movement and uptake to any muscle especially any muscle that is in spasm whether that be your heart for angina or an anal fissure or for your oesophagus for management of GERD. I have even gone so far as to allow its use (only under direct supervision and with confirmation of hypertension) for severe anxiety/ panic attacks. Now, a lot of other professionals would disagree with me and some have been horrified...... ummm I think it was “shocked & appalled” .... Unless you are usually hypotensive 1 x 400mic (one spray) of gtn spray will not kill you. Oesophageal spasms really do feel like heart attacks and cardiophobia is on the rise especially under lockdown, alcohol and drug use (yeah I have used it for CACP too, cocaine associated chest pain in patients with hypertension and amphetamine/cocaine toxicity) I have used it for GERD as well and GAD but in the instance of GAD I insist on it’s use only when not alone. The key point is ‘supervision’. Don’t use this medication alone unless you do have angina. It can induce shock and loss of consciousness (although I’ve never seen it) and the effects could last longer than the anxiety attack or instance of GERD and blood pressure may ameliorate or regulate before the gtn wears off leading to a hypotensive state.
In the UK some pharmacists will sell gtn spray without prescription as it is a life saving medication. Before you take GTN for anything other than angina then please be sure to take your blood pressure first 3 times and take an average of the three readings. Don’t buy a cruddy monitor or sports watch. Its your heart.it’s worth the money. Call me old school but I like the sphygmomanometers. I find them more accurate and easier to identify a median value and average . If you are hypertensive (above 150/90 then I’d say it’s quite safe but please please please lay down and breath and relax because your heart rate is about to get a lot quicker. As arteries dilate through vasodilation abs free oxygen starts moving then your blood pressure drops, your pulse will pick up and that can make anxiety worse but the oesophageal sphincter and proximal soft muscle tissue will relax and there will be temporary cessation of chest pain most likely.
I can understand why a lot of practitioners disagree with me. I think GERD when it’s chronic and uncontrolled is as dangerous as hypertension especially when it is not responding to antacids and PPI drugs (which I am not a fan of , long term).
I wish you all the best! Stay awesome and pester your doctor for some help with this. Last thing you need is GERD, angina or some other cardiovascular disease along with anxiety....... recipe for disaster.
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