Chest pains associated with IBS?

[MJRD36]

I have been getting these chest pains which are really freaking me out. Those who replied to my first post here might remember some of the symptoms I reported first time round, ie the constipation, discomfort on the left side between rib and hip (obviously intestinal) and how the doc put me on mebeverine, even though it's an anti-spasmodic, and if I do have IBS it would likely be constipation predominant IBS.

I have been referred to a gastroenterologist (finally) and the doctor put me on Fybrogel fibre supplements, which did help with the constipation, but tonight I have been having these chest pains. After it happened I ended up needing the toilet. It was really freaky, I had some mac n cheese, then ended up in a sweat, the chest pains started, which set off my anxiety...sometimes I really feel like my heart is messed up, but any time I get bloods done or my BP taken it's usually fine. Has anyone else experienced similar things with constipation predominant IBS?

[Hidden]

Where the chest pains due to indigestion?

The feelings you get in your left side have happened to me because I ate to much that day, I went to a&e that day and an xray told me that I had eaten to much and there was a build up of food in me and my digestive system couldn't handle it. Maybe the big Mac and cheese could be a trigger for your ibs so maybe you should avoid them I'm future.

[MJRD36 in reply to Hidden]

Macaroni and cheese not big mac, i'm not crazy enough to eat mcdonalds lol It may have been indigestion related, or IBS related. I guess if this is how it's gonna be i'm gonna have to get on the fodmap diet or something :/ Maybe pasta is what did it Life's gonna suck even more if i'm forced to give up pasta! :/ lol

[Hidden in reply to MJRD36]

It could be the cheese, do a food diary and make note of anything that upsets you.

I'd not touch McDonald's either, only the brave eat that muck lol

[Hidden in reply to MJRD36]

Low Fodmaps will help you find out what affects you. If you have to go gluten free there are plenty of alternatives these days for pasta made with things other than wheat so try not to get stressed about it I use low Fodmaps foods all the time and havecdi e for four years. It's different certainly but at least I don't have symptoms any more and no meds required now. Give it a try by getting the Monash University IBS app

[MJRD36 in reply to Hidden]

Cheers, but how is it on a low budget? Doable? I'm not working at the moment, and the fodmap stuff i've seen seems to be pretty expensive. I usually can't spend more than £50 a fortnight on food....my two cats eat better than I do lol. Plus i'm no chef, all the seeds and veggies and whatnot....I wouldn't have a clue how to put them together into something edible! I need a woman! lol

[Hidden in reply to MJRD36]

You don't need a woman you need a cook book!

[momjulie]

Yes,i also have had a similar thing

[Hidden]

Low Fodmaps food is just normal straightforward food without Additives and preservatives. I think you are probably thinking of the gluten free element which if you buy bread etc is certainly true.

You can eat any fish or meat or eggs. You can use rice and potatoes and any of the specified veggies and fruit.

Just look up the food guide on the app and choose the green trafficlighted items.

If you can eat dairy there is no problem there either.

The point is to find out what is affecting you so you can avoid it. You can only do that by not eating things like ready meals or prossessed foods as they have so many ingredients added that it is impossible to find which ones affect you.

[kekkuli]

I have had chest pain in the past and it usually was accompanied with my left side back muscles tension. I feel the connection to IBS is indirect through anxiety. Anxiety makes my IBS worse and anxiety also makes my back muscles tense, which sometimes reflects on the chest side too as pain.

[MJRD36 in reply to kekkuli]

Yup it's like a constant cycle, the IBS or indigestion causes a flare up in anxiety, which ends up making me depressed which ends up making the anxiety and the IBS worse, and round and round it goes! :/

[kekkuli in reply to MJRD36]

I have personally found great relief in practicing mindfulness, FODMAP diet and doing physical exercise. Following FODMAP makes my stomach calmer. Physical excercise does all kinds of wonderful things to body, to mind and to mood. I myself do climbing and gym. Of the mindfulness I think the best are body relaxation exercise, and the kind of informal excercises where you focus on the moment, what you see, what you hear, what you feel. These kind of stuff have helped me to relax and get focused on more important things, and thus make life easier.

Of course everybody is a different person, but this kind of things have worked so far with me. Still I have not got rid of IBS, I have had many times problems with sticking to FODMAP... I love eating pizza too much. :/ And then the stomach pains of course come back. Also I had problems because I got a flu and could not go to gym, so it affected my mind and body negatively, I became more anxious etc. So it is a struggle. But I do feel there is hope now, and I know I have the power to improve my situation. So it is much better now.

[MJRD36 in reply to kekkuli]

I definitely need to get more active. Probably most of the problems I have can be traced back to laziness and bad diet. I just really struggle with motivation, and if I feel like shit I won't want to do anything, even though intellectually I know i'll probably feel better...and the cycle continues :/

I did mindfulness for a while when I was doing CBT, but after my time in CBT was up it kinda fell by the wayside. I really ought to get up off my ass and get back into it and try to change things....not like anyone's gonna do it for me eh? And it's no way to live feeling like crap all the time :/

[kekkuli in reply to MJRD36]

Yes. I feel like one part of making progress is also being merciful towards yourself. Like its ok and normal that progress is not gonna be linear. You gonna experience setbacks, but you can learn from the experience and grow stronger in the long run. One great idea for motivation I learned this week... If you take just 15 minutes every day and use it for improving it will pay off. Can you sign up to do things that will make you feel better for 15 minutes a day?

[MJRD36 in reply to kekkuli]

I don't see why not I live in Scotland, I plan to get out and cycle some when the weather stops being totally freezing lol but yea, I could go a walk or something when I get bored, try to get out more, that should help body and mind. I just gotta try and remind myself it will be difficult to begin with because I've been out of practice for ages, but it'll get easier

[Jenn_12345]

5 years later… Do you still get the chest pains? Currently going through it myself