So for about a month and a half, I’ve been suffering with chest pain which also radiates down one or more of my arms. The pain has often started mid-afternoon and continued throughout the evening. After growing concerned, I booked an emergency GP appointment, where my blood pressure was checked, heart was listened to, and I also had an ECG. Nothing was of concern to my doctor, who believed I may have been suffering from an acid problem which was also causing a spasm in the chest area which was in turn causing the pain down the arms. I was put on Omeprazole for 28 days during which time the pain eased.
However, having now finished my treatment, the problem has started again. I am always very concerned by anything that is wrong with me, so am terrified of a heart problem, though my doctor has suggested otherwise. I am relatively fit, I walk for 30-40 minutes nearly every day and also have an active job. I try to eat healthily, although I haven’t always done so. About 6 years ago my diet wasn’t great, and as a result I underwent big diet changes in which I dropped over 3 stone. I have managed to keep the weight off.
I can, however, remember suffering from similar pain throughout various stages of my adult life, and am really concerned that this may be serious. I have another appointment booked, but I’m unable to see my GP for three weeks.
Anybody able to offer advice?
Written by
Blueman42
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You know waiting 3 weeks for a doctors appointment is pretty long to wait considering you sound so concerned maybe you need to call back your doctor and let them know that and that you need not want to see them now.
I hope you see them soon. Also when you do don’t let them say oh there is nothing wrong. Because apparently there is something wrong. Remember you are your own advocate I say this because I had to make a big thing about my health if I hadn’t my doctor would never had given me the proper test to find out that I had MS.
I’m going to try to get an earlier appointment. It’s a strange one, over the last week or so the pain has been more in my arm, often like an ache without any chest pain, but I’m concerned that symptom will return too. 🙁
Hi I am not saying there is anything wrong or not but I am wondering if you are perhaps suffering from anxiety? Health anxiety is very common and there are a couple of good anxiety sites on here it might benefit you to join. x
Yup in fact health anxiety makes you think the worse, I suffered from it and I can relate. You keep thinking that there is something wrong and your nervous system gets stressed up which it remains send more body aches > more suspicion that there is something wrong. Yesterday I did a heart echo/ultra sound after used to had left arm pain and sometimes chest pain. The doctor said my heart was very good and there was no sign of something wrong. Anyways, yes acid reflux can be the culprit and I do suffer from it and it causes chest pain too.
I feel you with health anxiety. It’s so often joked about and it’s really not funny. I really really suffer badly with it and it so fed up of the constant anxiety!!
Hello Blue. Omeprazole is just the generic name for Prilosec OTC. It works by blocking the final step of acid production in the stomach. This allows time for your esophagus to heal from the reflux, and then that much less acid in your stomach means that much less of a chance of reflux occurring.
I'm sure your doctor started you on Prilosec just to see if it would help relieve your symptoms, or not. Since it did help, and your appt is 3 weeks away, why not call and see if he will either refill the script again ( if he actually ordered it by script the 1st time), or see if you can purchase more over the counter? I'm not sure why he didn't tell you to remain on it the entire time until you go back for your follow up appointment anyway because if acid reflux is the suspected culprit you will need to stay on the Prilosec daily. The symptoms you described, and then the Prilosec helping, then the symptoms returning after the Prilosec was completed sounds very likely that acid reflux is the cause.
Did you tell your doctor about your Big Diet Changes and weight loss because sometimes diets, and a significant amount of weight loss, especially if it was rapid,can lead to the formation of gallstones.
The time frame of your issues is probably most likely related to what types and/or amount of foods you are eating at lunchtime, and then if you go to the gym, and do sit ups or anything that causes you to do a lot of bending at the waist where your head is positioned level to or lower than your stomach, or vigorous activity/exercise can all cause the food or stomach acid to churn around in there, and to be forced back up from your stomach into your esophagus, leading to the symptoms.
It would be a good idea to keep a log for a few days, and see if you can pinpoint the type of foods/activities that appear to trigger the reflux.
Things that can help relieve the symptoms, or help prevent them from occurring at all is to not exercise, do vigorous activity, and avoid bending repetitively for at least 2 hours after a meal, avoid eating fatty, spicy, or hard to digest meals/snacks, avoid eating/snacking close to the time you go to bed. Once you go to bed sleeping with your head elevated at least 30 degrees, instead of laying with your head flat on just 1 pillow can help prevent the symptoms. I hope this helps. Good Luck!!
I was on omeprazole for several years to offset the effects of nsaids I was taking for arthritis, even though its advised not to taje it for monger than a month.
To a layman/woman your symproms do sound terrifyingly like heart problems and instead of waiting for an appt with your usual doctor I think you should see a different doc in your practice and ask for a referral to a heart specialist, if only to put your mind at rest.
See A McTimony chiropractor. Pressure on certain nerves will cause chest pain. McTimony chiropractor will hopefully be able to give an opinion to take to the GP or hospital A&E.
So I managed to see my doctor a lot earlier. I explained that after finishing my treatment my symptoms returned. He reassured me that my heart was not the issue, and also said that the ECG would’ve showed something up. He prescribed me another course of Omeprazole and want some to give a stool sample to rule out any stomach issues.
However, having taken the medication for three days so far, it doesn’t seem to be fixing the problem like it did last time. I get pain/aches in my arms, mainly my left near enough all day that come and go, whilst the chest pain seems to make an appearance occasionally at the moment. I also keep getting moments where I have a strange feeling in my throat, as though I need to cough, and am concerned that this is related.
I did also mention that to my doctor who says that I may be suffering from stress, and that certain symptoms may be caused my myself stressing about them.
I am very scared still. Even after being reassured by a health professional I still get majorly concerned that something serious is going on. I’ve also tried not to come on here discussing it in fear that somebody will reply with something that I don’t want to hear. I’m in a horrible situation. 🙁
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