IBS and chest pain

[Oatsforme1]

I have just come out of hospital having been admitted with severe chest pain and pain radiating down my arm. The symptoms all appeared to be a heart attack but my troponin levels came back negative. Drs now think it was oesophageal spasm following an IBS flare up which traveled up my oesophagus causing the symptoms. They said the symptoms of an oesophageal spasm masks that of a heart attack. This was very scary & felt very real. Has anyone else had this? Told if it happens again I must go to hospital as there is no way of knowing if it’s a heart attack or the spasm without blood tests. Anyone else had this? No specific meds advised for this!

[Shoosh_kw]

Hi dear, I am glad that you are ok and result was negative. When I first had this type pf pain, I went through the same situation and my doctor explained that the symptoms are very similar so I still get these symptoms from time to time but I know how to deal with it. You feel as if something is putting pressure on your chest and back along with throat. I usually take sips of warm water and walk for half an hour. Trapped gas plays a big role in this situation as the bloating pushes towards the chest. Watch what type of food triggers it and avoid it. Hope all goes well with you.

[Fergie53 in reply to Shoosh_kw]

Yes I get this occasionally and do the same sips of water and walk around a bit ..

[bburzycki]

I have chest pain all the time with my IBS

[IBS-D-Sucks]

Hi, thanks for sharing this! I have been having chest pain too. I figured it was digestion related since I don’t have the other symptoms; jaw pain, neck pain, stomach ache, sweating, etc. It’s good to know it’s an IBS thing because it can be scary.

Peppermint tea works to calm my spasms. You may consider trying it. Best wishes!

[Oatsforme1 in reply to IBS-D-Sucks]

Thank you. I am going to try peppermint tea

[Elgar1961]

Hi. Sorry to hear that it's very scary in my experience. Happened to me also a few years ago. Spent quite a few hours in cardiac ward. It transpired to be acid reflux in my case. All the best .paul

[Andann]

Similar to other replies. The medics gave me an ecg and a large dose of liquid gaviscon and paracetamol and the pain went pretty quickly. My stomach is sensitive to a number of things like coffee, tea avocado, other fats, onion garlic and I was just finding out about them at the time. Now I get the gas build up, usually after a few hours lying down. I havent really been able to link it to specific foods. I use gaviscon, peppermints, peppermint tea, massage, walking about, breathing techniques to keep calm, until it dissipates, often after an hour or so, sometimes all night. It's a trial all right

[OldTimer74]

I get chest pains , anxiety from never knowing what comes next when I`m out and about.

[Oatsforme1 in reply to OldTimer74]

Awful so sorry. It’s not fun

[Backn4th]

Thank you Oatsforme1. Interesting. I had something similar a week or so ago. Yes, it was a bit scary. At the time I really wondered if it was a heart problem. I did the old coughing heavily trick just in case but decided it was probably acid reflux or stomach related and sipped a drink. I didn't go to the doctor as my heart was checked out by a specialist to eliminate causes of an unrelated problem a few years ago. He was surprised I was there as my heart was fine!

[Gizmo6]

This may sound strange. I have ibs c and acid reflux my gp said they generally come together. My hubby has a hiatus hernia which can cause similar symptoms as heart attack. So he eats ice cream. If I'm having an acid reflux flare I do the same. Not sure why is sooths it all but it does. Maybe it's the cold more than the actual ice cream. It does work for us. Doesn't cure the reflux but does help.

[Tiler]

Hi I suffer from oesophageal spasms, diagnosed after a trip to emergency room in an ambulance with symptoms very like yours. I had a battery of tests,scopes, scans and a 24hr impedance test to check for reflux( gerd) . The results came back with gastritis, gerd and a diagnosis of oesophageal spasms. I take a ppi daily for reflux. The episodes have lessened somewhat but it’s still a case of managing them. After 5 years dealing with them I’ve finally found what works for me. Buscopan as soon as first symptoms show up, heat pad around painful area, sometimes I also sip soluble paracetamol. If that doesn’t ease the spasm I have a nitroglycerin spray which does stop them in their tracks but leaves me with a terrible headache and low blood pressure.

They are scary until you know what causes them and have your meds handy to stop them asap. Always err on the side of caution though and if any change from the normal pain or spasm it’s best to get it checked out.

[dubstepMaul]

I'm not sure if I've had esophageal spasms before, but I occasionally get trapped gas that somehow pushes on my hiatal hernia. Very painful, right in the center of my chest. My go-to remedy is to drink a couple ounces of ginger ale. The resulting belch instantly relieves most of the pain. Little bit more ginger ale, another burp and I'm usually better.