GERD feels like I'm having a heart attack!! How do I know I'm not having a heart attack?

So, I've been to the Emergency Room 3 times in the past month because I thought I was having a heart attack. I wasn't having a heart attack at all, each time my heart looked great. My blood pressure was great.

What they say I have is GERD. I was taking Zantac for it, but the doctor told me to stop taking Zantac and start taking Prilosec, which I've done and I've been taking the Prilosec for a week now. I'm still feeling strange feelings in my chest.

When I feel these spasms and pains I IMMEDIATELY think it's my heart, even though the last 3 times I thought it was my heart it wasn't my heart, how can I be SURE it's not my heart this time?

I feel like I'm crazy. I'm trying to quit smoking. I'm dieting. I got a Primary Care Physician and my appointment is on the 30th, so I hope she can help me too. Any advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Quitting smoking should help. Strictly monitor your diet to keep GERD under control. Avoid all aerated drinks and caffeine (esp. tea) related drinks to keep GERD under control.

There is no sure way of differentiating between two so it is always GOOD to be a bit over-cautious.
Some symptoms that might alarm you as it being heart related-
1. Chest pain radiating to left shoulder
2. Excessive sweating and/ or urination during/ after chest pain episode
3. Pain not relieved by ur normal Meds.

Also, complications of high BP can mimic the pain so you really need a combination of life-style modification and prescription Meds to keep all health ailments under check.

If you ever think your symptoms feel different to normal you should get an ambulance immediately. It's better to be sent away from a hospital being told it is relating to your GERD than to never get to the hospital due to a heart attack. Speak to your doctor, have you any risk factors or family history for having heart disease? If so you could perform an exercise test, at least this would rule out significant coronary disease.

oh my god thats so scary well my first advice would be to look it up on the web like search google and my second advice is i think that when you have a heart attack you have shooting pains up and down your left arm...i've seen that in numerous TV shows so not a great source but you never know but i would seriously just search google or yahoo something like thatt. you could also ask people in the hospital

hope you feel better !
xoxo,
Mimi

well heart attack symptoms are dizziness,pains in the upper body and shortness off breath so next time if you dont have any of those then you probably shouldnt go to the emergency room lol,and if you do get them then you should go ,i hope you get well soon

well, here is how to tell if you are NOT having a heart attack.
1) if you're still alive
.....
stop bothering the doctors, they probably think your insane.

does it happen right after you eat? Could be your gallbladder.

Eat smaller dinners and don't eat late.

unfortunately it is still hard to tell appart a heart attack from a simple indigestion. Even in the ER they will always work you out first for heart related problem. The best way to deal with that is to control and manage your GERD, that way you will know the extent your heart might be troubling you. In ANY CASE, if your antacid does not prove to relieve the pain think it your HEART there is nothing wrong with that. The ''save a heart' program was started in all emergency rooms to deal with this kind of dillema. Good luck

1. chest pain is the most common complaint for an emergency room visit, 6 million a year.

2. only a fraction of which are heart attacks.

3. no symptom will clue you in that its GERD, so assume the worst and be happy your wrong.

Anybody rattling off common heart attack symptoms apparently hasnt seen many heart attacks becasue its all to common to have strange symptom.....many frequent paints with anxiety or GERD also get heart attacks. So this is off no help.

My preceptor (instructor) told me ...your paitent hasnt read the book. meaning classic symtoms cant be relied on ..its not black and white.

Your heavy?
Your a smoker.
And your probably over 30...

Be glad your hearts checkout so far.....but so did Tim Russerts.

When I had my first (and only so far) heart attack, the pain was actually in the middle of my back. The pain resembled pleurisy, which I had when I was younger. Pleurisy actually feels like someone has your heart in their hands and they are squeezing it. Since the pain in my back resembled this, I put a heating pad on it, took some Excedrin and forgot about it. The next day at work, the pain came around to the front of my chest. They were very sharp pains that brought tears to my eyes but I didn't feel the need to clutch at my chest. No pain down the arms, no tingling, just the sharp pains and they were intermittent. Even after I had called someone to take me to the hospital, I still wondered if it was necessary. Anyway, it was a heart attack but because I was taking Excedrin for the pain, it kept the blood flowing, which is why it wasn't a traumatic experience. I was calm although my co-workers were not but I also knew it wasn't going to kill me. Later after they placed a stent in me, they told me why the pain had started in my back...it was because the artery that had the blood clot in it was the one that loops around the back of my heart. Will I know if I'm having a heart attack next time? Probably not. The pain was so minor that if I hadn't been at work, I probably would have still just put the heating pad on it and forgot about it. So go, even if you have doubts, go cuz' the longer you wait, the more damage your heart will incur.

With gastric reflux, many people feel like it could be a heart attack. You're not alone. Because the stomach acid is coming up into your esophagus (really close to your heart), where it isn't supposed to be, you're going to feel pain. The esophagus isn't made to withstand the acid in your stomach, which is the burning you'll feel.

It's important to stay away from foods that increase the risks of reflux, like spicy foods, fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine, acidic foods. Try not to eat close to bedtime. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. After you do eat, make sure to stay in an upright position for at least 2-3 hours so your food has a chance to get digested and not come back up into your esophagus as easily. Wearing loose-fitting clothing sometimes helps (especially avoiding tight pants, belts, etc.). Stop smoking if you do. Lose weight if necessary. If you're having problems at night, raise the head of your bed 6-8 inches by propping wooden blocks under the bed posts (extra pillows will not do the trick).

http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/life...

Heart attack symptoms aren't always in your chest they can be jaw pain, arm pain, tingling, do a search for symptoms of a heart attack you will find there is alot of information out there to help you better understand. Perhaps you are having serious Gerd , is there any possibility that you may be have panic attacks they can trick you into feeling as though you are actually having a heart attack~~do a search on panic symptoms~~~good luck!!! Keep going with exercises and diet it can bring you great changes and relief of many things!!!!