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I'm a 43-year-old female and started getting chest pain ...

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Guest
Guest

I'm a 43-year-old female and started getting chest pain about 2.5 years ago. I've had lots of heart investigations (ECGs galore, echocardiogram, 24-hour ECG, 7-day ECG, exercise ECG - you name it!) and apart from having stage 1 heart block, have been assured by the cardiologist that the pains are not heart-related. I've just been to see a gatroenterologist who said that I am very likely to be suffering from oesophagal spasm and reflux. The pains I've been getting can be mild or severe, in my chest, back and can go down my arms (usually left) and up into my jaw, and sometimes taking my pulse during these episodes my heartbeat can be irregular. Something occurs most days, but rarely at night. They can sometimes begin as I start walking to work, usually immediately after breakfast, but they are usually not exercise related. I never get a 'burning' sensation, just a range of many and varied pains or discomforts that sometimes respond to Gaviscon and sometimes don't. I am taking 20mg of Nexium a day, 40mg if things are bad, which helps, but doesn't entirely relieve the problem. The worst thing about all of this has been not really knowing what's caused the problem, and I find that during severe bouts of pain my anxiety levels are sky high - I just keep wondering if this time it's a heart attack. I'm sure my doctor thinks I'm a complete hypochondriac but he doesn't seem able to reassure me fully that the pains are not heart-related. What I do know is that anxiety does not help the situation, so I'm doing my best not to be frightened and to reassure myself that it is not my heart - after all I've been told so many times it isn't. I was a carefree person before these chest pains started, but not any more! Thanks for your time - just needed to get all this off my chest (if only !!!)

[i:165483c30e]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:165483c30e]

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    same problem with my wife also.. please check your neck spinal chords.. as wel as take food which do not create acidity..

    ashok bhandari:D

    [i:2815474e5e]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:2815474e5e]

  • dobbo90
    dobbo90

    Posted

    hi sorry to hear about your problems

    i am a 40 year old male and i started getting chest pains a few years ago i have had loads of gastric tests and apart from finding 2 ulsers after having a endoscopy. (they have now cleared up) they have found nothi ng else wrong but i am still in so much pain and now i am having heart spasms and all my ecgs are all normal because they are doing them when i am resting so i am hoping for more test to be done on my heart as this heart problem runs in the family. so until this is sorted i can not get my life back on track.

    hope you get well soon

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    hello i to have now become a little obsesive about heart attacks it all started a year ago i am only 27 as well i started getting pain in my jaw and down the left arm and in the chest thought that any moment i was going to drop dead of a heart attack was at my gp at least twice a week they did give me ecg wigh was fine but there diognosise was anxiety because i had recently had a baby and they said i was tiresd and have a rest and it will all go away :!: that seems to be there answer for many things the doctors at my surgery must have thought oh here she is again the hypercondriact but i new there was a problem any way eventualy had a camera down having to demand it though because it was my mum that diagnosed me and made me ask for the camera because she has a similar condition they found ulcers on my gullett due to acid reflux wich was why my gullett was going in to spasm wich can cause all the heart type pain it was my mum that told me this though not the docs because they are so hopeless :!: anyway i am now on 40 mg nexium due to go back in feb for repeat test to make sure they are healed my spasms are now a lot less did hope they would stop completly no such luck but i do thi nk if you just put it to the back of your mind and laugh and enjoy life they become less notieable smile
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