I Had to Call the Paramedics
By StacyB
@Srbageldog (7716)
United States
July 17, 2017 6:11am CST
I have been having bad chest pain all evening. I know I have three conditions which cause chest pain: GERD, costochondritis, and anxiety. Each of these things can feel like you're having a heart attack on its own, but mix them all together and you've got the ingredients for a full-blown panic attack. Tonight my chest pain has been more intense than it's ever been, so around 3 a.m. I finally called the paramedics.
They were very nice and did an EKG, as well as checked my blood pressure and heart rate. Everything checked out fine. They offered to take me to the hospital for further testing, but I've been through this a million times before and don't want to waste time at the ER. If it gets worse I told them I will call them back and go in to get checked. But I really think it's just all three conditions flaring up and causing me grief. I see my gastroenterologist later today and will bring this up with him. He will probably make me start taking meds again which I don't like, but it's better than panicking that I'm having a heart attack every time I get bad heartburn.
4 people like this
5 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Jul 17
Sorry I missed this Stacy.
I hope you are fine then and sorry to know that this happened to you.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Jul 17
@Srbageldog Good to hear Stacy
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
20 Jul 17
I am okay. I am taking my heartburn medication again and my chest feels much better.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
17 Jul 17
Thank you, I definitely will. Hopefully everything goes well there.
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
17 Jul 17
I hope so too. I may have to start taking my meds again, which I don't like doing because I was on them for so long. I'd rather control symptoms through diet but sometimes medication is needed I guess.
@andriaperry (117146)
• Anniston, Alabama
17 Jul 17
I stopped eating so many foods because of stomach acid problems, drinking tea was one drink I cannot do anymore, however, the green tea does not bother me.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
17 Jul 17
I drank a big fountain drink with caffeine earlier which I think may be the cause of my chest pain, since I've noticed a pattern of getting very bad chest pain anytime I drink large fountain drinks. I mostly avoid caffeine but once in a while I cave and will have a Cherry Coke. I guess I either need to stick to a kid's size (which doesn't bug me) or stop drinking them all together. Oddly, though, drinking soda from a can doesn't bother me. Neither does drinking it from the bottle. Maybe it's something to do with the amount of carbonation in it.
@TraciDavis (355)
• Mesa, Arizona
18 Jul 17
It is always difficult to have conditions that trigger panic attacks, and taking medication is usually a target for negative comments, but if it helps, I'm also going back on medication for mine as soon as I get a new doctor since mine doesn't listen to me. I've been on and off medication for years, partly from medical reasons and partly for situational reasons. I have graves' disease, and it shuts down the ceratonin receptors in my brain. I went to the hospital once, thinking I was having a stroke, turns out it was just a pinched nerve. But I was also told that I have an inability to relax due to my graves'. So I definitely understand. Good luck sweetie, and keep us updated on how you're doing.
1 person likes this
