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Chest Pain/Discomfort, Anxiety or something more serious?

Hi All,

I have been having some chest discomfort / pain off and on for a few months now. Sometimes the pain is minor, or a burning sensation. Other times the pain is a little more intense or a deeper burning feeling. Sometimes its on the left side of my chest, other times its right down the center. In some cases I get what feels like a muscle ache in left biceps.

I've been worried about my health since late February. I was started on a medication, Lisinopril for high blood pressure. I had what was an apparent allergic reaction to it and ended up in the hospital overnight. I had shortness of breath, chest pain, swollen throat, light headed, and leg weakness. The hospital did all kinds of tests: blood, chest x-ray, chest cat scan, ultra sound of my heart before and after stress test. The hospital did not find anything, and I was released. My doctor took me off Lisinopril the following day. My doctor was concerned I may have had a heart rhythm issue so I wore a mobile EKG device that was monitored for 4 weeks. The study return back normal.

My doctor is convinced my heart is perfectly healthy based on my blood work, test results, and the fact I'm 26 years old. I keep telling myself I'm heart is fine but every time I get pain or discomfort in my chest I start thinking there is something wrong. I've lost 25 - 30 lbs since February so I should be feeling better.

I also have digestive issues / acid reflux. Sometime its worse than others but consistent. This morning I woke up, had an apple and peanut butter, and I'm burping / feeling bloated. That is typically all day. Sometimes small amounts of food come up and I get that awful sour taste in my mouth. My doctor started my on prescript prevacid but that actually seems to have made it worse.

In terms of other stresses, I just bought a house, I'm not really happy with my job, and as mentioned I'm thinking about my health.

I'm wondering if anyone else has / or is facing a similar situation. Am I just worrying to much about what is likely GERD or Anxiety symptoms? I don't want to worry about it nothing to worry about, but at the same time I don't want to lure myself into a false sense of security.
Best Answer
Avatar universal
You need to consider that what you are eating your body may now have an allergy too.  This is often caused as a result of a "leaky gut."  So what kind of food are you eating?  Do you prepare them yourself or do you purchase a lot of pre-packaged foods?  Try cutting out all wheat/gluten products and all sugar (yes all: colas, fast food, packaged foods, cereals etc. with the exception of fruit.)  Diet is a huge reason why people begin feeling ill (I'm not saying that this is your case becasue I don't know your diet) and should be the first thing you should look at.  If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, then you need to consider something called Candida. I've read many posts on here where these poor people have gone from one doc to the next desperate for answers, but they are not able to provide them! If you have symptoms of any kind that disrupts your life, your body is telling you something and is asking you to look deeper.  Good health to you!
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Avatar universal
Also, keep in mind that if you do have "leaky gut" all grains will cause discomfort (including rice, corn, quinoa, etc.) The grains are too abrasive to the gut lining if it is damaged, so lots of fibre is not recommended. I wish there were a test to confirm this but there isn't at this time.  Morning Star brand burgers are soy based, aren't they?  If they are, you should avoid them.  There is a lot of strong scientific evidence that suggests they are simply not good for us unless it's the fermented kind.  The consumption of soy should be avoided until you begin feeling better, then introduce it and see if any symptoms arise the following few days.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I seem to get some form of indigestion to matter what I eat, although the intensity does vary depending on what I ate. I try to avoid eating process foods as much as possible as I avoid sodium due to having slightly elevated blood pressure. However working in an office, sometimes late in the evening, its hard. I eat a lot of morning star veggie burgers, basically every day for lunch at work, and 2-3 nights for dinner. I'll have some no salt added corn, mixed veggies, or green beans from a can with it. I try not to eat out at all, and limit myself to once a week max. I'll cook chicken 2-3 times a week, just plain, or with a little garlic. Essentially I try to limit my diet to fruit, vegetables, and chicken.

I have noticed spicy foods, even if they don't taste spicy to me, tend to trigger it. I love sushi but every time I get a sushi role that is spicy I feel it later. Although it doesn't seem to be so bad with the California role.

I will try going gluten free for a few weeks and see if there is an improvement. Thanks for the information.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the feedback. I feel that heart issues are extremely unlikely at my age, especially given the fact I've had multiple tests done and everything came back normal. However whenever I feel chest discomfort I can't help but think something may be wrong with my heart. I haven't been to any specialist about anxiety and I'm not taking any medications for it at this time. I have a follow up in 2 months with my doctor to evaluate where my blood pressure and acid reflux are. I mentioned it to my doctor at my appointment last month and will follow up with it on the next appointment.

I've also noticed the chest pain / discomfort / burning feeling is worse in the morning, especially depending on what I eat and how late I eat at night. I tend to get some discomfort after eating. Drinking water and burping seems to help bring relief.

I guess the biggest issue is I know logically chances are I'm in good health, just as my doctor said, but I keep thinking what if their tests missed something, what if they made a mistake, etc.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I went to the doctor about ten times took the Same test you had the last test I had the doctor told me I suffer from  anxiety I lost a lot of weight which is causing other health problems change the way you think about things and life that's what helping me right now I need to gain my weight back to get back on track
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
ive been having same problems as you had the ambulance out so many times and been in hospital over night for them to tell me it was my gastric and anixety every thing u just put i could have write the same as you i also had the ambulance out just yesterday for them to tell me it was anixety and gastric ive lost so much weight aswell from gastric and anixety i would go to your gp and get more med of them for your gastric i get this burning up rush and a horrible taste of toxic in my throat i know what your going throw cause im going throw the same mate
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Anxiety can cause many different symptoms, both physical and mental in my experience with it.  You did the right thing by going to get checked out by your doctor to rule out physical reasons for your symptoms, but have you made an appointment with a counselor/therapist to gain an understanding of your stress and anxiety?  As with any subject that we do not initially understand, it can be frustrating and scary, but as you learn about it and what it is, it becomes much more managable in my opinion.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Anxiety can cause chest pains,heavy breathing even muscle pain burning sentation.I am no doctor but I have epxerienced such symptoms due to my anxiety.
Helpful - 0
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