Undiagnosed Chest Pain/Burning after a Long String of Health Problems.

[RandomRobot]

To provide a little background on my current situation, just over 2 months ago I developed a nasty dental infection, and was prescribed Pen V for 1 week. Symptoms cleared, but returned before I could get the tooth pulled, so I required another 2 weeks of Pen V (simultaneous with 1 week of Flagyl) to clear up the infection again before the tooth could finally be pulled.

Almost immediately after finishing the antibiotics, I developed nasty flu-like symptoms and severe diarrhea. I went to a nearby ER, where a stool sample returned a positive test for C Diff. I was put back on Flagyl for 14 days.

Luckily the C Diff symptoms cleared up almost immediately, and a test just 5 days later came back negative... But about 1 week into the Flagyl, I started having nearly-constant severe pain/pressure in the center of my chest, accompanied with some shortness of breath and occasional difficulty swallowing (felt like there was a lump in my throat). Needless to say, I was startled, and again ended up in the ER. They performed an EKG, chest x-ray, blood tests to check for clots, check my electrolytes, check for signs of infection, etc, and they all came back clean.

I left the ER taking solace in the fact that my heart seemed okay, but without a clear diagnosis while the pain persisted. Over the next few days, the pain intensified and become more constant. It turned into a sharp, pinching pain in almost the center of my sternum, with waves of a burning sensation radiating throughout my chest. My GP was away on vacation, so again I ended up in the ER.

This time, the Nurse Practitioner who treated me looked at possible gastro causes. They performed another EKG, just to be safe (it was normal), but also gave me an anesthetic solution to drink. After drinking it, the 'burning' sensation almost immediately disappeared, and the sharp pain in my chest lessened. They said that indicated the problem was "gut-related" and told me to follow up with my family doctor.

My family doctor was still on vacation, so I visited a different GP who looked into the back of my throat and said that it looked very red. He prescribed Pariet, and said that my esophagus may be a little torn up from some reflux, possibly caused by the Flagyl, and that it should heal after a few days taking Pariet.

Now, here I am 1 week later. I finished the Flagyl about 4 days ago, my GP is still on vacation, and the burning sensation is mostly gone, but I still have a fair amount of pain in the center of my chest. It's not debilitating, but it is nearly constant and seems to worsen when I drink or eat. I've been sticking to drinking only water and avoiding spicy foods, but the pain persists. In addition, I've often got a foul taste in my mouth, and my tongue often appears dark yellow. My saliva, too, is sometimes yellow (and in one instance, it was even dark brown).

Of course, I'm something of an anxious person, so, due to the amount of pain I've been experiencing, I've been concerned about the possibility of esophageal ulcers, inflammation, thrush, (given all the antibiotics I've taken over the past 2 months) and the complications that could result from those problems.

Basically, I'm still experiencing discomfort, but without a clear diagnosis, other than one doctor suggesting that my esophagus might be kind of 'banged up' and that it should heal on its own.

I appologize if I've been a bit wordy, but I am concerned, and not being able to find a doctor who doesn't seem to be pushing me out the door is getting rather frustrating.

Until the dental infection a couple of months ago, I hadn't really been to a doctor in about 3 years. Now I feel like I've spent most of the last 3 months in doctors offices, desperate for answers and finding none.

[RandomRobot]

Thanks very much for your response.

I've not yet been referred to a gastroenterologist, as my GP seemed to not feel it was necessary at this point. The chest pain as mostly gone away lately, though the taste in my mouth is still present, particularly after eating. Whenever the taste is present in my mouth, my tongue appears to have a yellow coating, as does my saliva, which would lead me to believe that reflux is responsible. My GP also said it looked like I might have some yeast on my tongue, and prescribed some Nystatin. I'm just hoping the yeast isn't responsible for my chest discomfort, as I've heard that esophageal thrush can be somewhat serious. Luckily, though, the pain seems to be improving over time, though it still hurts when I swallow larger amounts.

I have been having some persistent shortness of breath at times, but I feel that may be related to anxiety that I've been suffering as a result of all the health issues and discomfort I've been dealing with. My only other concern is that my stool has become consistently discoloured and odd sort of yellow colour, and seems very oily. I've not yet informed my doctor of this (I feel like he's getting sick of seeing me a this point, and I can scarcely blame him), could the unusual stool also be caused by reflux?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

The foul taste in the mouth is likely a side effect of flagyl and is expected to get better over the next few days. The chest pain/ discomfort `is likely to be related to GI causes such as oesophagitis, GERD, ulcers/ erosions, GI motility issues etc. I would suggest considering a detailed evaluation by a gastroenterologist. After a specific causes is diagnosed, a management plan can be drafted accordingly. Meanwhile there are a few measures that may be helpful. Taking a glass of cold milk in the morning may help relieve the symptoms. I would also suggest making dietary changes such as avoiding hot/ spicy/ smoked food and avoiding stress as far as possible. Take small frequent meals rather than a large single meal.. For acute symptoms you could use OTC antacids.
Hope this helps.

Take care!