I have a recurrent pain in my esophagus/sternum area. Could this be acid indigestion and what foods are triggers?

Does it happen at certain times? At night, laying down, working on something, etc.

For acid reflux or GERD, try avoiding the triggers for a few days and see what happens.

Also try to not eat after 7:30 at night because lying down can also trigger the response.

(Have you been taking Advil or any Ibuprofen with only water and without milk or food?)

Here’s WebMed “Heartburn Central” blog. http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/default.htm

Omit all greasy foods (chips, KFC), acidic foods (citrus, tomatoes, all peppers), hot peppers, chocolate and peppermint.

Here’s a more Draconian list from Wedmed:

Meats. Ground beef, marbled sirloin, chicken nugget-style, and chicken/buffalo wings.

Fats, Oils & Sweets. Chocolate, regular corn and potato chips, high-fat butter cookies, brownies, doughnuts, creamy and oily salad dressings, fried or fatty food in general.

Fruits, Vegetables & Juice. Orange juice, lemon, lemonade, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, tomato, mashed potatoes, French fries, raw onion, potato salad.

Other Beverages. Liquor, wine, coffee, and tea.

Grains. Macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with marinara sauce.

Dairy. Sour cream, milk shake, ice cream, regular cottage cheese.

PS. I have been dealing with GERDS for years (a hiatal hernia in my case) :Pretty picture

I was diagnosed by swallowing some dye and having a picture taken. Today I believe you get an upper endoscopy. (Not too bad, I m told).

Sorry that you’re experiencing this, @janbb. I can only comment that during periods of my life when I’ve been under enormous stress, I have symptoms similar to what you’re describing. For me, it was always a combination of acid reflux and probably some chest pain due to muscle contractions (that constant “uptightness” that comes with stress).

I think it’s entirely possible it is stress related indigestion, heartburn, etc.
Everyones’ body absorbs and manifests stress differently. For some it is stomach/indigestion/bowel issues. For others it is headache/migraines and for some, like me, it is all about muscle tension, especially the neck and shoulders. I’d just watch your diet, be aware of potential “triggers” foods, drinks, alcohol maybe, or self observation of high stress moments.

Obviously if you keep your diet light and healthy, and it continues a checkup is in order, but I would almost bet my life that it is symptomatic of your stress levels at this time.
Pamper yourself as much as possible, do deep breathing exercises and do what you can to keep your mind in a relaxed state. Good luck! :-)

Like Picante, I too have had those symptoms when under stress. Take care of yourself, Jan!

I’ve never had this before so I think it is stress related, although I am also carrying more heavy loads metaphorically and literally. I feel like I’m eating fine and not drinking much alcohol; if anything, I’m eating much less.

I often wake up with it in the morning and sometimes, like today, I feel it all day. I have a racing heartbeat occasionally, but my doctor felt that was unrelated to this.

If it is acid reflux, bananas might help greatly. It depends on if your stomach is more alkaline or acidic (I’m no expert on this stuff, I just know what works for me and those I’ve talked to about it) but for some people like my mother, and I, if we get heart burn, literally the only thing that helps is a banana. Antacids are usually too late. But a banana….literally at the first bite the burning stops. It’s unreal. But, for my ex, it made his heartburn worse. But it’s worth a shot because if it is acid reflux, it could be the miracle cure. I don’t have acid reflux, just heartburn, but my mom had it really really really really bad until she got surgery, she still gets it though and like I said all she can do is eat bananas to help it.

Good idea @deni . I’m not feeling it all the way down in my stomach; would I if it were acid reflux?

Anxiety does all sorts of nasty things to the body. I’m not advocating major drug dependency, but..I know when I was going through a stressful divorce, family death, moving, job change, the usual tornado we all get slammed with at least once in a lifetime…well…Xanax was extremely helpful. I used it on & off for about a year. Had no dependency issues and one day, I just didn’t need it anymore. A return of bliss. lol :-)

@Coloma Did you take it every day or on an as-needed basis? I take it sometimes but sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t.

During this time of stress @janbb I would cut out dairy and oils and see if it helps. Before bed, I’d eat greens only.

@gailcalled‘s list above is comprehensive. If you’re in pain, an elimination diet would most likely put you back to right quickly if this is caused by foods.

To help you ease your stress load:
Write yourself a note to take deep breaths (I like the 4:7:8 one myself) two to three times per day. I’ve found this to be life-altering. I don’t always have time to meditate. I can always take a few moments to breath.

The deep breaths is a good idea. I feel like there is so little I want to eat right now that I don’t want to restrict my diet more but of course, that is something to consider. I rarely eat after supper and I am eating mainly carbs, some protein, things like soup, etc. I will watch for acidy stuff, although again, I am mainly eating blandish stuff. (Have lost about 7 pounds.)

@Yes, I did take it every day, morning, afternoon and evening. lol
It kept me focused and calm in a high stress job as an accounts receivable and collector for a large global import company working under an extremely demanding boss. It kept me from shooting my ex husband. jk..but…lol and it helped me stay focused in keeping up on my daily domestic duties and helped me sleep.

I used the lowest dose available I think it was .05 mg. but, sometimes I took two. lol
Hell yes, do whatever you need to, to get through this high stress time.

@Coloma Agree, just trying to figure out the best techniques.

@janbb

Xanax, therapy, finding a spiritual practice, reading inspirational works, and lots of rest. In that order. lol

Ah – rest; what is that? I am trying to find the balance between cozy at home and going out. Sleep is a whole ‘nother issue.

(I feel like I’m sitting around with my women friends over a cup of tea and getting nurtured. Thank y’all!)

There are hundreds of articles on this @janbb here’s but one on the Divorce Diet

I have been through two of my mom’s divorces (one wasn’t a divorce since they weren’t married but that’s another topic). Anyway, it’s stressful as hell. It sucks the life blood out of you. For me, it made my migraines go through the roof.

Forgetting to eat could actually be the culprit here. If so, try to eat little snack sized meals throughout the day. I personally get “acid” when I haven’t eaten enough during the day.

If sleep has been an issue, you may want to look into taking melatonin before bed.

I take a sleeping pill but don’t like to take it too often. Maybe it is worth trying melatonin.

I am eating very small suppers most nights so maybe that is a culprit.

@janbb You are..but I gotta get my little duckies groovin’ for a noon car appointment. lol
@SpatzieLover Yes, divorce is right up there at the summit of the stress mountain, rivaling death, illness, job loss, moving, as the others at the peak of misery mountain. lol
Strap on your cross country skis, it;s a loong hike outta these dark woods. Bah. But…it is true, what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.

Hey…cocktails in the hot tub at 7 guys! :-)

Chest pain is something that should not be diagnosed over the internet. And I say this as someone who knows exactly how to do it.

@Rarebear I have been to two doctors and had two EKGs in the last two months. I did cite above what my doctor is putting it down to but your point is a valid one, of course.

I know you did. But when you write, “Could this be acid indigestion?” you’re asking for opinions on a medical diagnosis, and therefore it’s dangerous in my view for people to comment. The obvious answer to your question is ,“Yes, it could be acid indigestion,” but it could also be a whole host of other stuff.

Your second question “What foods are triggers?” on the other hand is NOT asking for a diagnosis and is a totally reasonable question that I think people on this thread have commented on pretty well.

I’ll finish by pointing out that a normal EKG does not rule out coronary artery disease.

You’re right; I understand that. I guess I was just asking people what their experiences/symptoms might be so I could decide how to pursue it further.

OK. Again, it’s nothing personal. Just know that this is something that I know a ton about, and I wouldn’t even try to try to diagnose over the internet.

I get questions sent to me all the time by people about medical questions (this wasn’t one of them) asking me to comment. There are questions that I will comment and ones I won’t, and it’s usually the way it’s asked.

For example, I won’t comment on, “What is causing my chest pain?” But I’m more than happy to comment on, “What are some of the different ways heart disease can be diagnosed?”

Totally understand and no offense taken. So – do I have heart problems? :-)

PS Where’s your office?

I actually don’t have an office, as I work pretty much full time in a hospital. I work in the SF Bay Area.

The most common way to diagnose heart disease is with a stress test. The index of suspicion has to be good, and there should be a reasonable positive predictive value. For example, if I were to do a stress test on a 15 year old female athlete, and it were to come out positive, most likely it’s a false positive. On the other hand, if the test is done on a 60 year old male smoker with diabetes, chances are it’s a true positive.

An ECG can be normal in patients with heart disease if the heart isn’t undergoing ischemia at the time that the ECG is being performed.

@janbb Did this pain start before or after your husband left?

After – before that I had a pain in the ass! (Just kidding.)

I thought so, but I wanted to confirm.

Stress causes real chest pain. I’ve had it happen.

I haven’t had this, but do know someone that suffered from Broken Heart Syndrome

If you didn’t have any chest pain prior to this, I think maybe the Xanax isn’t a bad idea for a bit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy

Interesting syndrome, actually. I see it not infrequently.

@janbb My heart burn is usually up higher, which for a while was why I completely ruled out the idea that it even could be heart burn! I say give er a whirl next time it happens, just to see.

Do Penguins get heart disease? Well clearly, you just need to be waddling about vigorously and keeping to a diet of whole, raw fish. Omega 3’s and calcium from those fish bones. ;-)

I agree with @Rarebear‘s expertise, maybe a stress test is a good idea.
Ahem…I have yet to go in for a routine ST my doc has advised. I’m too feisty to die. lol

If it is just a stress thing, and not a heart thing, I second @Coloma‘s notes about Xanax. When I was going through my divorce, I took it (as prescribed) three times a day for a couple of months. I had been experiencing constant nausea and some actual vomiting, and went to the doc about it, thinking it was non-stress related. He suspected I was wrong, and prescribed the Xanax. I was reluctant, but he strongly suggested I give it a try and it worked like a charm!

Whatever the case turns out to be, hugs to you, little penguin. <3