Re: Chest Pain

Posted By paige on May 05, 1999 at 12:58:40
I'm a 46-year old woman, in general good health.  Had a parathyroidectomy last September and have recuperated fully.  I've had four or so episodes of unusual upper chest pain.  It begins in the middle of my upper back between my shoulder blades, and is initially a squeezing, sharp pain.  It hurts to breathe deeply, and the pain radiates up through my shoulders and into the front of my chest.  It also radiates up into my neck and jaw; worse on the right side of my jaw.  The episodes last maybe five minutes or so.  During the episodes, my chest and neck feel full, like pressure from the inside out. Because of where the pain is, I am afraid it might be my heart, but during them I am not aware of arrhythymia or pounding heart.  After the last episode -- yesterday -- I also had a great deal of painful belching.  The episodes have ranged from first thing in the morning to late afternoon to late at night.  I don't see a timing pattern.  It's happened with both a full and empty stomach, so I also haven't be able to see a pattern in relation to food.  I just returned from a vacation in the South Pacific, and ate many different local foods, so I've also wondered about parasites.
Although I have been diagnosed with hepatitis-C, I have no symptoms and no traceable viral load, normal enzymes, etc.
My family history does include heart disease -- my father has had angina and high blood pressure for many years, and both grandfathers had fatal heart attacks.  
1. Can you give me any thoughts as to what might be going on?
2.  Do you think cardiac involvement is likely?
3.  Should I see a cardiologist?
Thanks very much.
paige  

[becky__0__0]

Posted By becky on May 17, 1999 at 14:54:12
i am only 27 and i have the exact same thing you could not have explained it any better than that.my heart is supposebly fine i thought that as my first thought also and had my heart checked out then i went on to a gastro doctor to find that i have a hiatel hernia and acid reflux which causes these symptoms.
so my advice to you is get to a gastro doctor and ask for prilosec or prevacid(acid blockers)if he tells you he thinks it is gastric
let me know
i still have some of that pain like you but it helps me to know it is just my stomache and not my heart especillly at age 27!!!!!!!!










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