irritating symptoms won't go away

[blueoyster]

Hi, 30 year old male here (i posted once a while back).  60 lbs too fat, ex smoker 20 pack-years, cholesterol 153.

Tests done have been plain stress test, resting echo, chest xray, Holter, 30-day monitor, and the usual labs. Everything was normal.

I have had what they're calling atypical chest pain for 6 months. It's a heavy tightness under my middle or upper chest/sternum that just kind of sits there and makes me uncomfortable about 75% of the time.  What's more is that it often feels difficult to breath freely as in a deep refreshing breath.  I don't wheeze or anything and my lung sounds are good.    I also have palpitations in the same area that my breathing feels tight, and the heaviness in my chest is.   So in other words, all this "stuff" feels like it happens in the same area in the middle of my chest.   I can confirm that while listening with a stethescope I actually heard an absent beat "dun-dun dun dun (pause) dun dun-dun dun".  Although, my Holter and 30-day were worn long ago before the palps increased (they have become worse recently).

Here is where I get totally confused..I have been having insane acid reflux--when I say "insane" I mean I will wake up in the morning often gagging on stomach fluids in my throat and I even woke up one day with extreme--and I do mean extreme burning from the acid.  I'm about to start on high dose prilosec for a while to see what happens--- But, I still can't seem to get past the fact that I have these palpitations, palps which have sometimes even caused near syncope for me--how could that possibly be from the reflux (OR, can severe reflux be a Result or a co-existence of a genuine cardiac problem???)

(continued in the comments section, if you please...)

[Cleveland Clinic]

I think that your heart is well and, even though you experience some palpitations here and there, your problem in not cardiac in origin.  Many patients feel palpitations, some are infrequent to the point where they get used to therm, others gets worse during certain situations or periods of life such as increased stress, menopause etc.  Majority of the time the work ups are negative for any organic heart disease.  Now you do have some gastritis, most likely related to your obesity.  One advice that I would have for you for the  treatment of acid reflux would be to have your dinner early, don't eat before you go to bed and elevate the head of your bed such that you sleep slightly slanted.  Weight loss and better eating habits are the only two things that will truly help you out.  The prilosec, even though, it helps with the symptoms, will not fix the cause of the problem.  Some people report palpitations with worsening GERD.  This may be related to increased vagal tone associated with GERD.  That could cause your heart to have a skipped beat.  This is a normal heart response.  

[blueoyster]

Again to recap:
Heavy chest and tightness x 6 months.
Intolerance to mild tachycardia (get lightheaded very easy).
heart palps, often post-exercise or excitement in the same area
some difficulty breathing, though no typical s/o/b
Symptoms are not especially related to exertion, with the exception of the palps
And, the palps began when everything else did.
Had EGD done 3 days before first heart palp last year (!!!???) when evaluate epigastric pain (mild gastritis)