Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart attack

[ame]

I had a pretty damn freaky weekend. For about two months (honestly, more than that, a long time now) I have been taking one or more Pepcid complete chewables before bed. I get bad "creep" if I go to bed too soon after eating. But it seemed like I was needing it even if I'd eaten 4 hours earlier sometimes. To the point where I was having these things almost nightly.

The last two weeks though it's been like...actual chest pain, and then by Friday night it was into my shoulder and shooting in my arms, and sometimes my arms were numbing or weird, sometimes I got lightheaded. It never got much better after the first trip to the ER, which was Friday night. That was a waste of time, frankly. But I was scared to go to sleep, I seriuosly thought my heart was going to explode inside me. Last night I laid there, freaking out, and this mornign I went to another ER, my boss took me. The doctor ran more and new tests there, and gave me a bariatric cocktail (DIS-GUS-TING) and about an hour later I never really noticed a lot of difference. He is pretty sure it's reflux. And now that I've talked to other people, it's not sounding that uncommon. Would Reflux seiruosly present the same symptoms as a heart attack? or Angina?

Anyone else have similar issues?

 

[Tanzigrrl]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Why yes, yes I have. I spent the better part of 2002 in doctor's offices. I, too, did the Barium swallow test. They diagnosed me with "Severe Acid Reflux Disease" and put me on a 6 month prescription of Prevacid (the $5 each pills - long before they had an OTC box). It changed my life. I had heartburn since I was 5 years old. I just thought that's how one felt after eating. Only by the time I was an adult did I realize something was really wrong. I had heartburn so badly that it would literally stop me in the middle of a sentence. I couldn't eat anything without getting chest pain that felt like a knife driving through my chest. I was sure I was having a heart attack. 1 month or so into the Rx Prevacid, I was living free of heartburn. After 6 months, I was terrified to go off of the medicine, but I have been fine ever since. It does get better. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I have terrible memories of that summer. Heartburn is kind of looked at as being a minor irritation. If you're one of those people who has a serious problem with it, it is anything but minor. I totally understand that.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

WOW, ok so this is not just me at all. Thank you for posting that!!! It sounds like it's helped you tremendously, and I am so glad it has!!!

I am hopeful that this helps. My parents are out of the country/ish on a cruise, and they landed in PR today and called and I told my mom what happened. My aunt and my sister were the only family who knew, besides DH, bec I couldn't tell anyone! I had to put my brother and sister as emergency besides my parents so someone else could be called.

Whew. OK. That makes me feel so much better.

 

[Puppmom]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Strange you posted this - DH woke me in the MOTN Friday and said he was having really bad pain high in his stomach (right where your ribs meet). Within minutes, it was so bad he asked me to take him to the ER. He was sweating so badly that he had taken off everything except his boxer shorts. As I was helping him get dressed to get out of the house, he kept falling to the floor because his knees were buckling. He kept closing his eyes too but wasn't quite passing out. He started stumbling around the house and saying things that made no sense. He fell into the shower and knocked the towel bar off the wall. At that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to get him out of the house on my own so I called 911. In the 4 minutes that it took for the EMTs to arrive, he was once again lucid and said he felt like it had never happened! He went to the doc today (he turned away the EMTs) and the doc said he thinks it's heartburn. He's getting an ultrasound to rule out his gallbladder but my first thought was, "Could heartburn really be THAT bad?" The doc says yes so we'll see.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

WOW. That scares me. I am glad he's ok. I was told that if it's your gallbladder you feel it in back and in front...so hopefully he isn't having a gallbladder attack. Like having "serious heartburn" that scares the hell out of you that badly is any better!?

 

[iLander]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

My DH had this for a couple of years. He avoided the pepcid and all that, but did take Tums. The pain was very bad and kept him awake, and scared us a couple of times.

BUT what really worked for him was eliminating ground beef from a local grocery store. We figured this out quite by accident. I switched to Costco meats and he hasn't had it for several years now. I think the local store was using a chemical cocktail to keep their meat fresh and his body was having trouble digesting it.

Try keeping a list of what you're eating, and see if there is a common denominator.

Common triggers; meat/food additives, onions, orange juice, wine, tomato sauces, all spicy food.

He stayed off all those "valve stoppers" like Pepcid etc., because unless you're willing to take them EVERY SINGLE day they can backfire. If you miss a dose, the valve opens and all that acid comes out. OW!

I suggest you keep a list, and wean yourself off those things. My DH hasn't had a problem that couldn't be controlled with Tums for years now.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I'm not a nervous/anxious person but when I was having such horrendous heartburn it triggered my first and only - to date - panic attack. Not fun. My chest hurt so badly that I really thought I was dying of a heart condition. I had every test in the hospital. All to tell me it was heartburn.


Fast forward to today: I can't eat too much food late at night and expect to lie down. I struggle with fried foods. Other than that, no problems. Chocolate? Check. Red wine? Check. Tomatoes? Check. No problems. We got a tempurpedic bed with the "power base" that allows you to elevate the head of the bed. You know, for like "old people." Makes it so I can sleep, somewhat sitting up, albeit comfortably, at night.

 

[decodelighted]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

It sounds to me like Reflux w/ a touch of panic attack mixed in. I have some degree of GERD which I mostly control w/diet modifications & raising the head of my bed -- but I had to take a daily Prevacid & nightly Zantacs for a few months for things to even out. Recently I've had some symptoms that didn't clear up as I'd hoped they would after my cold was over (hoarseness,throat clearing, watery mouth) so just in the last couple of days I'm back to Prevacid in the ams.

Can be triggered by stress too. Good luck figuring out the right treatment! It's NO FUN.

 

[iLander]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Strange you posted this - DH woke me in the MOTN Friday and said he was having really bad pain high in his stomach (right where your ribs meet). Within minutes, it was so bad he asked me to take him to the ER. He was sweating so badly that he had taken off everything except his boxer shorts. As I was helping him get dressed to get out of the house, he kept falling to the floor because his knees were buckling. He kept closing his eyes too but wasn't quite passing out. He started stumbling around the house and saying things that made no sense. He fell into the shower and knocked the towel bar off the wall. At that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to get him out of the house on my own so I called 911. In the 4 minutes that it took for the EMTs to arrive, he was once again lucid and said he felt like it had never happened! He went to the doc today (he turned away the EMTs) and the doc said he thinks it's heartburn. He's getting an ultrasound to rule out his gallbladder but my first thought was, "Could heartburn really be THAT bad?" The doc says yes so we'll see.

That doesn't sound like heartburn AT ALL. It has a neurological component (stumbling, disorientation), I think he needs a new doctor.

 

[decodelighted]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

We got a tempurpedic bed with the "power base" that allows you to elevate the head of the bed. You know, for like "old people." Makes it so I can sleep, somewhat sitting up, albeit comfortably, at night.

DITTO! A lifesaver!

 

[SC86]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I've also been diagnosed with Severe Acid Reflux a few months ago. I had been experiencing horrible reflux for the last 8 months, that would keep me up at night and not be able to keep food down. I had chest xrays, went on antibiotics and had an endoscopy but the doctors could never figure out what caused it and why it developed out of nowhere. I was pretty scared too, since I'm in my mid-20s and have no history of digestive issues. My doctor said that I developed it due to traveling a lot for work (aka eating out all the time) and stress (again from work and travel). I too never thought reflux could be that bad (I felt like I could breathe when it got bad), but the doctors said it really can.
I was put on a regiment of Zantac (maximum) and Prevacid OTC. But what really helped me what changing my diet and how often/when I eat. I basically eat only whole foods, lots of fiber, whole grains and very little junk. I also eat small meals throughout the day and do not eat late at night before I go to bed. For me, it's something I might never get rid of, but something I just have to manage through lifestyle changes. I've found that loosing some weight, eating healthy and being more active really helps.

 

[Puppmom]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Strange you posted this - DH woke me in the MOTN Friday and said he was having really bad pain high in his stomach (right where your ribs meet). Within minutes, it was so bad he asked me to take him to the ER. He was sweating so badly that he had taken off everything except his boxer shorts. As I was helping him get dressed to get out of the house, he kept falling to the floor because his knees were buckling. He kept closing his eyes too but wasn't quite passing out. He started stumbling around the house and saying things that made no sense. He fell into the shower and knocked the towel bar off the wall. At that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to get him out of the house on my own so I called 911. In the 4 minutes that it took for the EMTs to arrive, he was once again lucid and said he felt like it had never happened! He went to the doc today (he turned away the EMTs) and the doc said he thinks it's heartburn. He's getting an ultrasound to rule out his gallbladder but my first thought was, "Could heartburn really be THAT bad?" The doc says yes so we'll see.

That doesn't sound like heartburn AT ALL. It has a neurological component (stumbling, disorientation), I think he needs a new doctor.

Ilander, it was so strange. It was almost like the pain was so bad that it took him to another level of consciousness...or lack of! Our 17 month old is sick with bronchitis and slept with us most of that night. At one point, DH said he just needed to lay down but I had to quick pull the baby out from under him before he laid on him! I don't think DH told the part about the disorientation because he doesn't believe me that he wasn't making any sense. He just kept saying it just hurt really bad so he couldn't think straight.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

This really might be all it takes to get my diet back under control I think. Reading that people had the same experience and many had to cut things out of their diets is making sense. I normally never had ANY issue with spice and generally right now don't still but I am curious about many of these suggestions...I had always read about things like spice, and tomato things. I don't genearlly have much by way of OJ/oranges anyway. So hopefully that's not an issue. But Diet Coke...that might have to go. Cut down considerably anyway. I had soda yesterday because it was about the only option besides beer. That probably did not help.

The panic attack theory is VERY plausible, I'd say last night that was a perfect cocktail. I was a damn fool disaster laying in bed. I seriously was like "oh well, I guess my heart just exploded and now is pouring into my body". lol Thankfully I didn't have that experience.

Wow. I am SO glad I posted this. Just knowing that I am not totally nuts or alone (ok I am nuts, for other reasons) really calmed my brain. I mean, it's still sore in my chest and arm but hopefully the medicine getting into my system will help me a lot. But it also makes me think: HOW are so many people dealing with this? It seriously has to be our diet and whats IN our food. My husband has been going on about organic or grassfed or whatever for a while, and most of it I cannot tell a difference or actually prefer all the crap it's loaded with, but I am thinking there might be a need here. I need to find one thing at a time to stop having and see how I do.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

My husband also had reflux for a long time, and it can damage the esophagus. He had a condition called Barrett's Esophagus which has the potential to develop into cancer. He had to have that scoped (and biopsy) for a few years to make sure it was healing. Prilosec was a miracle drug for him (he couldn't take prevacid).

Hope you'll be better soon, Ame!

 

[TooPatient]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I take Omeprazole (like Prilosec) every day (last 4 or 5 months) and sometimes twice a day. My mother has taken it daily for a couple of years (since before the generic came out) and my grandfather also takes it daily (a year or so now, I think).

I never really had problems before and then.... YIKES.

The things that really get me are fatty foods. Too much garlic or onion are problems also. Depending on the day: lemon, lime, wine, coffee, vinegar, apples, peppers (chipotles all the way to plain bells), dairy, certain grains...

Anyway, I take the Omeprazole every day and have learned to (mostly) listen to what my body says is okay to eat each day. There are days when pasta with a touch of tomato is all I can manage (oddly, tomatoes never seem to get me). Even if we already have groceries waiting at home to cook dinner (or leftovers to heat), my stomach can (and does) change plans as needed.

Other stuff that helps:
eat slow (and at the first sign of discomfort, stop -- find something different to eat for that meal if you have to)
eat smaller amounts more often
sit up for some time after eating (all the way sitting up really does help!)

 

[PintoBean]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Are you stressed out? My acid reflux kicks in with a vengeance whenever I'm stressed--> while I'm stressed, I tend to eat more bad/too rich foods (think fast food meats, cheese fries with gravy) --> stress + bad food leads to more belly weight gain --> bad acid reflux attacks.

eating lighter, blander helps a LOT! Minty Zantac helped a lot. The prescription pills had to be taken every day and did not kick in right away, whereas the Zantac would kick in quickly.

Acid reflux sucks!

And propping myself up with more pillows in bed is helpful, too! Feel better, Ame!

 

[packrat]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

One time years ago I thought I was having a heart attack and my mom told me to get some Tums, which I did and it did go away, so now I know when I feel like that, I'm in the cupboard for tums and pepto. I'd never experienced anything like that before, scared the daylights out of me. I'm prone to panic attacks too, so that just made it worse. JD has it often now, refuses to change his diet or exercise, and he works second shift so his "supper" is when he gets home at midnight or later, and then he goes to bed shortly thereafter and usually ends up sick. He has medicine for it but doesn't take it. He had his gallbladder removed a few years ago and has more problems now. (tho he's heavier and a lot less active now which I'm sure accounts for some of it) A few years ago my aunt called b/c she was worried about my mom, she thought she was having a heart attack and mom was like eeehhh I'll be fine leave me alone. I got her up to the office and they did her vitals and she was taken to the ER for EKG which was fine..Dr on call said she had heartburn, and gave her that cocktail. OMG she was SOOOOO mad at me for throwing a fit and taking her up there just for heartburn but hello??? What if it had been a heart attack?

It's scary Ame, wondering what the heck is going on, and I hope they can come up w/something for you, changing your diet or Nexium/Zantac etc. Maybe having experienced it so profoundly once now the panic attack won't set in as well if it happens again, you'll already know what's going on.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I hope that I can not freak as bad next time. Though I hope no more "next times" happen! I didn't really think I was under a lot of stress, no more than normal, but I guess maybe I am. I can't quite figure out why. Then again panic attacks = stress I guess.

I had a "blandish" dinner last night, and just finally got to eat breakfast which I had cream of wheat, mostly bec I forgot to grab my daily uncrustable! Everyone at work today said I look really bad...peaked and off. I am peaked, like, always, I never got over jaundice as a kid. So I look like a freak anyway. lol They said I look more alienlike than normal. Well, thanks for that ego boost everyone! lol

I need to write my food down anyway bec I am chubbolub, esp in the middle. But I do wonder if there's any specific triggers. I wondered about Dairy, though I already have issues with a lot of that anyway.

I did take the Prilosec today, the pharmacist told me to not take more than one dose a day and since I had to wait so long for the damn refill last night I just skipped it and took my pepcids. I got some sleep, not as much as I would like, but enough. The "rules" on the insert from Walgreens say something about this taking a MONTH to start working!? Seriously? I have to be miserable for a month, ASSUMING this drug works for me!?! Boo hiss!

 

[decodelighted]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

For me the biggest trigger was (and I hate to say it) Diet Coke. Now I'm down to about one or two a week. I still have some fizzy drinks, mostly seltzer. And I switched my coffee to 1/2 decaf/ 1/2 regular. Another big trigger was eating late. I have a lot of trouble w/dairy too -- no late night ice cream (the worst!).

An easy way to raise the head of your bed a little is just to put equally thick books under the top two legs. And pile up the pillows. Travelings a bit tricky because folks never give you enough pillows!!

Hopefully the meds will get you all fixed up soon ...

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Thank you. I REALLY do think I need to whack soda, a lot, if not altogether. I don't consider myself addicted. I just get so sick of water and it tastes good and is different than water. I don't normally buy the normal Diet Coke, I usually get caffeine free. But the carbonation is not helping and Im sure the can o acid is doing me in. I had no soda yesterday, none on Saturday, and I had just one today. I usually have multiple pillows on my side of the bed, he only wants the one he uses that's practically flat. I also have one of those weird arm pillow things that were big in the 70s that are that weird triangle with arms. I needed that after my appendix surgery because my stomach hurt without the angle for a while. So maybe I need to bust that out and use that as my raised bed for a while. See if anything changes. I normally don't eat after 8pm ever, even usually on a weekend. If I do I try to not eat all that much, or I stay up way late for me. I TRY to sit upright (usually at my computer in the office) for at least two hours before I go to bed, I did notice I would get "Creep" if I laid down too soon.

I wonder if I can take Zantac WITH the Prilosec...?

 

[TooPatient]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

The Prilosec (Omeprazole is the generic I take) CAN take up to a couple of weeks (or longer) for full relief, but my mom and grandfather were both lots better after just a couple of days. I noticed improvement within 24 hours and it kept getting better after that.

You should check with your doctor (or a good pharmacist) and see if you can take anything while you wait for it to kick in.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I just left a message with his nurse to find out if I can take sometihng like Zantac or something at night and this in the morning.

 

[TooPatient]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

You might also ask about taking TWO a day for the first week. We were all started this way (my mom & grandfather did this at their doctors' instruction) and it seemed to help get things under control faster.

 

[decodelighted]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Re: dosage ... I vary my Zantac dosage based on how bad I think whatever I ate was or how stressed I am HA! One or -- say, if I've had some WINE or fatty food ... two!

Never taken more than one Prevacid or Omeprezole in the am. I've been told to make sure you take it alone, w/just water -- about 20 min or half hour before you eat anything or drink coffee/tea. So it can do it's thing on a pretty empty stomach.

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

The "rules" (lol) on the bottle say one hour before a meal with a glass of water, the doctor said if it helps to take the Zantac in the evening because that will help til the Prilosec kicks in (the generic prescription one). So Ill go get some of that tonight after work so I can start. I took the Prilosec before I left for work this morning, which is when I take my Synthroid (like, on the days I remember....)

I keep trying to remember to write stuff down that I eat.

 

[decodelighted]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

The "rules" (lol) on the bottle say one hour before a meal with a glass of water, .

I don't doubt it! I'd never be able to make it a whole hour w/o coffee though so I guess I've adjusted it in my head accordingly ....

 

[ame]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

I have that in my favor, I don't like coffee. I like (diet) soda though, and a LOT.

 

[asscherisme]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

My DH had this for a couple of years. He avoided the pepcid and all that, but did take Tums. The pain was very bad and kept him awake, and scared us a couple of times.

BUT what really worked for him was eliminating ground beef from a local grocery store. We figured this out quite by accident. I switched to Costco meats and he hasn't had it for several years now. I think the local store was using a chemical cocktail to keep their meat fresh and his body was having trouble digesting it.

Try keeping a list of what you're eating, and see if there is a common denominator.

Common triggers; meat/food additives, onions, orange juice, wine, tomato sauces, all spicy food.

He stayed off all those "valve stoppers" like Pepcid etc., because unless you're willing to take them EVERY SINGLE day they can backfire. If you miss a dose, the valve opens and all that acid comes out. OW!

I suggest you keep a list, and wean yourself off those things. My DH hasn't had a problem that couldn't be controlled with Tums for years now.

Be careful with the tums. I have a friend that would pop tums very very often and ended up in the E.R. with gallstones. Tums are calcium and too much calcium can cause gallstones. He ended up needing surgery for it and now takes prilosec daily instead and tums only when he needs instant relief. Calcium is one of those things thats good for you in moderate amounts but too much is dangerous. This friend though also loves milk and cheese so her was consuming lots of calcium beyond the tums.

I have had issues with heartburn too. It was so bad at one point I was waking up suddenly with stabbing pain in my throat.

My doctor told me to take prilosec over the counter daily. She said that taking the medicine if needed is less dangerous than having reflux because the acid can damage your throat and cause cancer. Its definately something your doctor should help you decide what to do.

I found that diet coke was a HUGE trigger. i was buying a case of cans at Costco and it would be gone by the end of the week. Also, eating too close to bed time or laying down after I eat. Eating big meals, chocolate, and tomatoes. Peppers too.

I stopped drinking diet coke except if I go out on occasion but I dont' bring it home and its helped a LOT! The prilosec has helped so much too.

Losing some weight has also helped. My jeans were tight at the wasit and I have found now that they don't pinch me its less of a trigger too.

Good luck. I don't think people realize how bad heartburn can be and make light of it, but its definately awful awful until you can control it.

 

[maplefemme]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Strange you posted this - DH woke me in the MOTN Friday and said he was having really bad pain high in his stomach (right where your ribs meet). Within minutes, it was so bad he asked me to take him to the ER. He was sweating so badly that he had taken off everything except his boxer shorts. As I was helping him get dressed to get out of the house, he kept falling to the floor because his knees were buckling. He kept closing his eyes too but wasn't quite passing out. He started stumbling around the house and saying things that made no sense. He fell into the shower and knocked the towel bar off the wall. At that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to get him out of the house on my own so I called 911. In the 4 minutes that it took for the EMTs to arrive, he was once again lucid and said he felt like it had never happened! He went to the doc today (he turned away the EMTs) and the doc said he thinks it's heartburn. He's getting an ultrasound to rule out his gallbladder but my first thought was, "Could heartburn really be THAT bad?" The doc says yes so we'll see.

It really sounds like gallstones to me, not heartburn, those are the classic symptoms of a gall bladder attack. I had a few just like that and it turned out to be gall stones and I had my gall bladder removed...no problems since.
Another thing to check for if it isn't his gall bladder is a strangulated hernia, but as he described it as being "high" I'd strongly suspect gall bladder.
Good luck, I hope it gets sorted out for him.

 

[maplefemme]

Re: Anyone have such bad Reflux that its similar to heart at

Ame, until you get a diagnosis, try sleeping on your left side and elevate your upper torso with a couple of pillows if you can.
You don't need to elevate yourself much, just a few degrees of tilt can sometimes help.