chest pain with reflux

[Robfromwales]

I hsve had what the medics are calling non cardiac chest pain for getting on 3 years. I had an endoscopy that showed chronic but non cancerous oesophagitis. I don’t ( well didnt in sept2021) have a hiatus hernia. I don’t have h pylori. have taken every ppi and tried every home made remedy and diet so no avail. My reason for posting is to ask whether anyone else gets the chest pain that I do?

I do get the normal acid in the throat and rarely the burning sensation in the chest. I don’t get horseness or feeling of lump in throat and other normal symptoms. What I do get is discomfort/ pain in chest that I can only describe like pulses or waves of pain that are sometimes behind breastbone but sometimes seem to run horizontally not vertically. These last I would say in batches of 10-20 minutes then stop but theses nearly always a background of general discomfort. I would say I get these episodes at least twice a month with the last one lasting over 5 days.

i have had mri , Ct, angiogram and had open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm in April last year.

does anyone get chest pain like this as websites say chest pain is a symptom and mention squeezing that I guess could be classed as waves of pain ?

Thoughts and experiences welcome!

[Robfromwales]

I presume I posted this correctly but no replies?

[nodpot]

Hi Rob

I've had the same. My diagnosis of GORD was made following my experience of chest pain without heartburn. I've continued to have episodes of this pain, despite medication, but after doing a bit of research realised that it might be oesophageal spasm (cramp). I find that reminding myself that it's probably spasm and taking a little time to relax helps.

[Robfromwales in reply to nodpot]

Thanks nodpot.

Having spoken to people who have spasms , my pain is more discomfort and really strange but acutely felt waves or pulses. My understsndung is that spasms are excruciating and last for only say 20 or so mins. Mine have gone longer than that. Despite me having presented to an and e 5 times ( once admittedly with syncope pre aneurysm fix) I think I will be off there again when I next have it just to check nothing has changed. On balance however and in the light of the duration of the pain/ discomfort and no other symptoms eg Shortness of breath, radiating pain, nausea plus the various tests I have had ( including mri stress test) then I can only assume it’s gord or as others have said referred pain from something else.?

[nodpot in reply to Robfromwales]

I'd never try to dissuade you from being checked out when you get the pain again, but I wonder whether there's some bias in the information about oesophageal spasm. Perhaps the people who present to health services with oesophageal spasm and/or post online are those who have the most severe pain & those with lesser/different pain simply think of it as indigestion? Honestly I don't know, just my thoughts. I hope things improve for you.

[Robfromwales in reply to nodpot]

That’s a good and thoughtful point. I suppose it is spasmodic in nature .