Chest Pains And Burping ?

[marciab]

Does anyone else have chest pain in the upper left hand quadrant, right where your heart is, accompanied by excessive burping ? I have this on a mild basis most days, but today it is very intense. My GI doc said the pain was stomach related, but I don't remember what he said and as long as the problem was minor, I was ok with it.

I know if I call my doctor and tell them I am having chest pains they will tell me to go to the ER. And since I have a history of funky, but harmless heart test results, I don't want to go near there. The last time this happened I was hospitalized for 3 days while they ran heart tests.

Any ideas ? Solutions ? I tried simethecone already.

[pamelaD]

Yes, I get similar pain sometimes when I've been glutened. I assume the pain is from gas trapped somewhere.... burping should help relieve the pain. It sometimes helps me to twist... almost like wringing out your insides.

Sit on the floor cross-legged. Reach your right hand to the floor behind you and put your left hand on your right knee, then twist around to the right. repeat on other side.

Good Luck,

Pam

[marciab]

Thanks. I will try that. Does your stomach just keep producing more and more gas ? I feel like there is a bubble machine in my stomach because the supply of gas is never ending. marcia

[zip2play]

I have experienced this too! Sometimes the pain is truly intense. Burping is the only thing that will help ease it. I have also taken GAS X before!

Monica

[Canadian Karen]

Gas-X helps alot. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE GELCAPS!!!! Chewable Gax-X contain gluten!

Karen

[marciab]

Thanks. I can't believe so many of you are doing this too. It's good to know I'm not so special. I wrote Gas x "gel caps" on my list .. Any thoughts on whether or not this could be hormonal ? I wonder how many folks get hospitalized for this ? Marcia

[Canadian Karen]

Sometimes, it gets so bad I feel like going to the hospital, but I have been through it enough times that I know I am going through hell, but it will pass....... I also used to be terrified it was something to do with my heart.

With me, it starts with what feels like is gas trapped in between my shoulder blades in my back. After awhile, it moves up to where it feels like it is under my shoulders right by my neck, right up through my neck and almost into my ears. As hard as I try, I can't burp out the gas. Sure, I can burp, which brings up the gas from my intestines, but it doesn't relieve the gas pressure I feel around my shoulders/neck. It feels like some gas somehow escapes out of the tubes and was rising freely in my body and resting under my shoulders (the exact same feeling you get after you have had abdominal surgery where they blow you up with gas but if they don't get all of it out, it has to slowly seep through your system..... I have had this and it feels like a knife going into your chest/shoulder when you even try to breathe........)

Gas-X usually helps somewhat. I have learned to lay on the floor, going into different postural positions to kind of work the gas out of my body.

Good Luck!

Karen

[Judyin Philly]

Gas-X helps alot. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE GELCAPS!!!! Chewable Gax-X contain gluten!

Karen

Karen,

do the pepermint chewables gas X have gluten...they told me on the phone they don't but then again, we know the answers we get all depend on 'who picks up the phone'

I get the gas too and it is like a 'bubble machine' and i only get it when gluten,

judy

[chrissy]

sounds like it could be acid reflux.

christine

[Canadian Karen]

Gas-X Chewables have gluten in them, all flavours.....

I confirmed that by phone up here in Canada, maybe it's different in the States, but this is the delphi list on it:

GasX (Novartis) (800.452.0511) (v?=07/02)

Softgels (gluten-free, contains corn and maltodextrin)

Chewable Tablets (NOT gluten-free)

I learned this out the hard way, believe me!!

Karen

[marciab]

Karen,

You nailed it. It is very scarey. I have to keep reminding myself that the cardiologist said my heart was good. My pain is not as disbursed as yours. That sounds horrible.

Christine,

You said it might be "acid reflux". Don't you have to be tasting acid to have acid reflux ? or burping up food ? So, maybe an antacid would help ? Is tums gluten free ? zantac ?

Thanks for your help ... marcia

[chrissy]

i've had problems with acid reflux for over 14 years----and i rarely ever taste acid in my mouth----unless something happens to make it almost all the way up to my mouth, but then it kind of tastes like vomit. i would get horrible pain in my chest, clear through to my back, sometimes all the way up through my neck and it would make my teeth hurt. one night i woke up with just my teeth hurting, but after i got up, the pain in my chest moved in. i used to take protonix, but i can't afford it any more. i am doing ok, but quite often i feel like i have something in my throat---it is a referred sensation from my lower esophagus. both my twins are on prevacid, and i am hoping that the longer they are on the gluten-free diet, that maybe we will be able to get them off the prevacid. i think i might have a stricture in my esophagus, but i just haven't gotten around to going to a GI for myself. sometimes when i swallow food it gets stuck and hurts horribly. it usually only last a few seconds, but one time it lasted for at least a half hour. i kept throwing up what was in my esophagus and it would feel better for a few seconds, and then start hurting again. i was about to drive myself to the emergency room when it finally moved. you probably didn't want to hear anything that graphic.........when my reflux is actin up, i sometimes will burp alot.

christine

[jerseyangel]

I've been dealing with these kinds of symptoms for about 2 months now. I have a lot of pressure just below my ribs, that also comes up my chest and I feel it in the base of my neck. I belch frequently--something I never used to do before. The pressure also causes me to be able to hear my heart pounding in my ears. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I mentioned it to my GI a few weeks ago, he told me to take Phazyme. It does help a bit. Could an acid food like orange juice trigger it? I ask because when I wake up, it's not there, but after breakfast is when it starts. Or is it just having food in my system? I found it interesting that so many of you have similar symptoms--I wonder if it is connected to going gluten-free? It never happened to me before, even when I was very sick.

[jknnej]

sounds a lot like reflux. Ask your GI doc if you can try some Nexium for a month or two...see if it helps. It did wonders for me and I was in constant pain before I started taking it, a lot like what you've described

[Guest nini]

ah I remember this pain well, I used to get this really really bad, the year leading up to my dx of celiac, I ended up in the ER several times with chest pains and burping... every time I was assured it was acid reflux and given prescriptions... Prilosec, Zantac, etc... I've had this only a few times since going gluten-free, but the longer I am gluten-free the further in between episodes of this, I notice that when it happens I cannot lay down on my left side, too uncomfortable... I end up taking a pepto chewable which usually makes me throw up and then I feel better I'm just glad it doesn't happen often anymore.

[marciab]

Nini,

Not sure how I feel about taking pepto to make myself throw up, but I was totally with you up until then. ROFL

Thanks though ... marcia

[chrissy]

usually you get relief from lying on your left side because of the way the esophagus attaches to the stomach-----i wonder why it is worse for you on that side.

christine

[Guest nini]

Nini,

Not sure how I feel about taking pepto to make myself throw up, but I was totally with you up until then. ROFL

Thanks though ... marcia

LOL, I didn't make myself clear! I don't take it to MAKE myself throw up, it's just usually what happens when I take the pepto to soothe my tummy! LOL

[Judyin Philly]

Patti

Could an acid food like orange juice trigger it? I ask because when I wake up, it's not there, but after breakfast is when it starts.

ditto--sometimes oj would bother me before going gluten-free now I CAN NEVER HAVE IT. MY DR SAYS IT'S A NO NO FOR CELIAC'S. TOO HARD FOR OUR STOMACH'S.

jUDY

THANKS TOO kAREN, ABOUT GAS x WILL GIVE THEM TO MY DARLING HUBBY

JUDY

[marciab]

Someone PM'd me about this, so I thought I'd just update it.

I'd forgotten how bad this used to get. It still gets painful every once in awhile, but now I just get sharp stabbing pains in that area occasionally.

My digestive tract was really torn up when I started this diet in 2005, so everytime I add in a new food this is a possibility. I actually ate grapes pain free for the first time in years this past week though. Skins and all ... Tomato sauces will still cause this if I eat it 3 times in a row.

I'm experimenting with eating mostly raw foods at this point. But if I remember to use my digestive enzymes (ground up dried papaya seeds that I prepare myself) with raw foods this doesn't happen at all.

Before going on this diet, none of the OTC digestive enzymes helped me, so I haven't tried any OTC digestive enzymes since I started making my own.

Marcia

PS. I would suggest that anyone reading this go have their hearts checked if you haven't already. No need to take any chances. Heart attacks can present as digestive problems.

[buffettbride]

Burping and chest pain were my daughter's two most noticeable symptoms. She gets gluten and 5 minutes later she is a belching fool, and it is very, very painful for her in the chest area. She never described it as being over her heart, more in her throat--but it is the burping that had has back to the doctor over and over again.

Not until she was completely gluten-free did that subside--now it only happens when she is glutened. Starts has mild hiccups--then they turn painful--then the burping fits begin. Then, she's doubled over in her room in pain because her stomach hurts so bad.

[kaitethehutt]

Ah, I used to get the same thing! Chest pains, kind of gassy feeling.. I can't tell you how many times I had a panic attack because I felt like I was going to have a heart attack; really terrible feeling.

My advice is to definitely try sitting or laying in weird positions, because it's probably gas, and sometimes that's the only way it'll get out. Maybe avoid dairy (for me, creamer in my coffee ALWAYS bothered me; it still does) Also, I've noticed that if I sit with really bad posture, the feeling tends to come on more than if I had been sitting straight up, and breathing steadily. Seltzer water may help you; the bubbles may cause the other stuff to come up as well.

I hope that was helpful. Good luck

[katifer]

my friend went to a nutritionist because she was belching all the time and had some chest pain--- he took her off yeast and dairy and she hasn't had a problem since...just an idea? i was just diagnosed with celiac so i don't have enough experience to know anything else:)

[silk]

I have this too only the belching starts as soon as I put anything in my stomach including water. Seems to be more of a problem when I'm sitting and is even worse and more persistent after I've been glutened. I bought some papaya enzyme (gluten free) today and some gas x to try. Hope this works. I have been gluten-free for a little over two weeks now and feeling pretty good most of the time but still having discomfort at times. I'm guessing from what I've read that that can take a while to heal and go away so I'm trying really hard not to get glutened accidentally. I ate Cream of Rice cereal this a.m. (Not sure what kind but I remember that the box says it does not contain gluten, but my stomach hurt after eating it anyway so now I'm not sure what to eat for breakfast. Not a fan of eggs and there are not too many options left unless I want to try making gluten-free pancakes, bread or waffles but at this early stage of the process I'm guessing that the simpler the food, the better it is for my stomach to handle. Any breakfast suggestions?

[Valerie Rojas]

Burping and chest pain are signs of indigestion which in this case could be the result of gluten intolerance.  Gluten free and low carb diet will help. Also, make sure to eat slower and take time to chew food, this will reduce the amount of air you swallow which also causes gas.