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Chest Pains and more!

Posted , 7 users are following.

Kaaylaac
Kaaylaac

Hey everyone! My name is Kayla, I'm 24 years old and I've got a few issues I'd love to get sorted here. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and help me because I've been dealing with this for a long time and usually come to a dead end.

The thing I've been battling for the past 8 years or so is acid reflux. I was having nausea for years before that after eating so my parents set me up with a doctor to get a barium swallow done and they ruled out I had acid reflux. Was no biggie, got prescription pills - and even upped my dose to stronger because I had it really bad.

Only last year (just over a year ago now actually), I was sitting in my home by myself reading when all of a sudden I got this random chest pain. It wasn't sharp, just kinda dull. Like someone was sitting on it. I got these off and on sometimes but this one didn't go away. I had a panic attack thinking something was wrong with my breathing, (granted having a panic attack doesn't help any situation) I called my mom, she tried calming me down. I ran outside my apartment building because I honestly was too afraid I was going to pass out in my apartment alone. So anyways, I went to the doctor the next morning and they looked at me like I was stupid almost. The chest pain hadn't left, it kinda subsided but never fully went away. Doc checked my breathing and all that and said Im perfectly fine.

Here we've come a year later and I still get those chest pains most days. I've learned to just ignore them but sometimes they get so bad I freak myself out all over again.

I've had countless doctor appointments (medical and I was seeing a nautropath), Ive gotten so much bloodwork done, I had an Xray done (not related but he showed me everything in my upper body and it was flawless)

Im still so young and I know in every other aspect Im so lucky to be as healthy as I am but these chest pains cause SUCH a burden on my life. A few traits to them not being able to take a full deep breath in, it usually stops halfway through and I wind up coughing just naturally. I always check my heart beat (still there lol) another weird one is I can't always yawn fully. It also just kinda stops in it's tracks.

Now Ive been dealing with this for over a year so Ive def ruled out a heart attack at the young age of 24. But Im looking for insight, advice, maybe an actual term so I can treat it!?

There are times where I forget to take my pills, and I drink coffee which Ive been asked not to do. My bloodwork even came back coffee intolerant. So I can own up to that probably contributing to acid reflux issues. I recently am "quitting" coffee and taking a mental note to remember my meds and Ill see where that takes me. In the mean time Im just begging someone to hear me out and finally understand what Im saying!! Im tired of sounding crazy. Its become the norm for my boyfriend to hear me mumble about "chest pains"

Thanks everyone!!!!!

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • clariebear
    clariebear Kaaylaac

    Posted

    Hi Kaylaac, been experiencing the same for the last 6 months. I'm not a doctor but from my own experience with doctors and my own research, you maybe having the silent type of reflux. I don't have the classic type of acid reflux wherein you experience  heartburn. What I feel is chest pains accompanied by difficulty in breathing. I've been diagnosed with mild hiatal hernia and gastritis before 6 months ago. Also took the prescribed meds to cure the gastritis. Didn't change anything though so I just stopped taking the meds 4 months ago. Been controlling since with diet and exercise. The symptoms come and go. But to date I still don't know what triggers it. I do cheat sometimes. When I feel the symptoms kinda getting worse I go back to my strict diet. When I feel ok I eat those food not allowed. I've learned to accept my condition though it still bothers me from time to time. I just don't want to dwell on it anymore because I had slight panic attacks before which made my symptoms worst. Didn't help at all. I just hope it will go away. Hope you get well too. For the meantime learn to accept it. It helped me cope with it.
    • Kaaylaac
      Kaaylaac clariebear

      Posted

      Thank you so much. Even saying that was helpful because I do the same thing haha. Eat trigger foods til it comes back in full swing and then do the strict diet for a week or two. Ive never heard of a silent reflux though. That's interesting. I dont experience heartburn either which I always found weird.

      Do you know much about this silent reflux thing? Like whats going on in your body

  • clariebear
    clariebear Kaaylaac

    Posted

    The silent reflux is also known as LPR or laryngopharyngeal disease. It affects the upper sphincter of the esophagus instead of the lower one which is the main symptom of gerd. It's the same principle of the sphincter not closing well allowing the acid to reach the upper respiratory tract. It's very different from gerd. I just don't understand how come I don't feel the heartburn wherein fact the acid passes first the esophagus before reaching the upper respiratory tract. I sometimes feel bubble sound trying to escape from my throat. It's like the sound when you gargle. I also sometimes feel the pressure in my chest more like someone is pushing my chest down which makes it difficult to breath. I sometimes get relieved when I burp and when I release gas. Sounds weird but it helps. 
    • Kaaylaac
      Kaaylaac clariebear

      Posted

      Right! Thank you again, that answer was quite helpful smile I also understand the burping and gargling feeling. Best of luck on your endevors dealing with this! Seems like no matter what we do it'll never fully go away
  • jeromy86
    jeromy86 Kaaylaac

    Posted

    Im having alot of the same issues a little over a month ago I had my first panic attack since then I went to the er who said my heart was fine and then went to a dr who diagnosed me with anxiety and put me on hydroxyzine for it and then a week ago he put me on celexa for depression. But I was having stomach and chest problems ans he gave me medicine for irritable bowel syndrome and it eased some of my stomach problems but seemed 2 make my reflux worse...so I stopped taking it and ive been having problems with the acid taste in my throat with cheat pain and feeling like I cant breathe right.
    • Kaaylaac
      Kaaylaac jeromy86

      Posted

      I hear anxiety is a huge issue with IBS. From my experience that's the same with this acid reflux thing. Try getting tested for that maybe? Like the barium swallow I got done.
    • jeromy86
      jeromy86 Kaaylaac

      Posted

      Yeah I definitley need to be tested for acid reflux bc the acid coming up into my throat and makin my throat sore and like I cant swallow and breathe right sucks I just dont have insurance and my dr is just at a small clinic and idk if they do those tests
  • gallee
    gallee Kaaylaac

    Posted

    Hi Kaaylaac, when my wife was your age she had frequent pains in chest. Called doctor out. He said hearts fine and couldn't find anything wrong. I did my own research and realised that she was bringing the condition on by hyper ventilating. Research this but a quick check when you next get the pain hold a paper bag over your mouth and breath in and out into it. This will restore the balance of oxygen to carbon dioxide. If you shallow breath this allows the co2 level to build up and can trigger unpleasant symptoms. When my wife realised what she was doing the problem disappeared. Hope this helps.
    • Kaaylaac
      Kaaylaac gallee

      Posted

      That's very interesting. Did you figure its a short term sokutoon
    • Kaaylaac
      Kaaylaac gallee

      Posted

      oh my I hate cellphones haha. A short term solution or is it something she does whenever the problem arises and deal with it as it comes? id love that to be the end of all problems!
    • gallee
      gallee Kaaylaac

      Posted

      When she realised what was happening that was the end of it. However I also found out that coffee caused her agoraphobia.
  • Alison9908
    Alison9908 Kaaylaac

    Posted

    My 12 year old daughter also experiences chest pain - she has reflux and also chronic oesophagitis, and traits of IBS, she also gets frequent flare ups of sickness and diahorrea. She's takes omeprazole twice a day - however the best thing she was prescribed for the chest pain was an inhaler - which is used for pain relief. 
  • sherryl1
    sherryl1 Kaaylaac

    Posted

    Watch your sugar intake. Staring reading about the dangers of sugar. It's in everything and there are over 50 different names for it! I thank JEHOVAH  GOD for freeing me with that problem!
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