chest discomfort/palpitations (especially after eating)

I'm not overweight. Nor do I have any other problem except that my eyes sometimes burn (all the time, on some days..i'm assuming it may be because of my computer job and not related to my chest discomfort)...

And also, my chest discomfort is clearly on the left side of my chest...

It could be one of many things, from GI problems, to cardiac, to simple anxiety. But you don't know which one it is. I think that you need to see a cardiologist, who will put you through some other tests specific to the heart, like an EKG, and/or stress test.

Rule #1- Don't ever fool around with chest pains. Always check them out. If you are wrong, you may feel stupid, but if you are right, you might save your life.

Rule #2- Be very leery of a doctor who rules out cardiac problems by checking blood pressure.

Nowadays one cannot count on doctors to be on top of everything. Patients need to be detectives and advocates in terms of their own health.

Agreeing with Phoenix...

I got tested. No GI problems. I'm neither anxious or stressed.

They did some heart tests yesterday and detected nothing. The thing is, as i was going thru the test i didnt have palpitations....I told them so. He gave me calcium tablets to take everyday.
Right now, I do. And it's so damn uncomfortable to concentrate and work with my heart fluttering like this. I have lost hope with doctors. They're useless. They just blame all my ills on my "stressful, IT job"...I DONT get stressed at work....nor am i getting stressed at home right now...I'm certainly getting stressed going to these doctors...

What might be considered is holter monitor.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003877.htm

In this test, you wear the monitor for 24 hours, and note what you are doing when you feel any irregularities in your heart rhythm. In that way, people who have intermittent irregularities in their heart rate can be evaluated.



What tests were you given? Did you have an endoscopy? A cat scan, or MRI of your digestive system? Recently, my husband would have chest pains in his upper abdominal area. He said that he felt that the food was just "laying there", and would not go down. One doctor took an ultrasound.
He found gallstones, but assured my husband that the stones were not causing his problem.

We went to another doctor. Apparently it WAS the gallstones. After the gallbladder surgery, the pain is GONE.

If you don't get a reasonable answer from one doctor, see another, until you find one who knows what he is talking about!

They didnt do an endoscopy. CAT scan, yes. They also scanned for PCOS, which I don;t have. Checked for thyroid problems again. Came out normal.

The chest pain I have (at times) is certainly not abdominal...my breast bone kinda feels a pressure...and i feel butterflies along with that.

They also see that my sugar levels fluctuate strangely, causing me to be drowsy at times. craving sugar/food at other times etc...i wonder if i'm going to get diabetes. I asked them that, they say they don't think so. They did a stress test today. And some other cardiac tests. Apparently, it all came out negative.

The one thing that they did say, that my pulse rate is higher than normal but I do not have high BP or some other heart problem...

So, who are you seeing, as to type of physician? I liked Phoenix's idea about the monitor.
Not that I know, but I'd listen to yourself. This is unusual for you and I'd like to see it tracked down.

Hm, sakhi, you could be hypoglycemic and the heart palpitation occur after meals due to the body producing more insulin as needed. Do you feel more
discomfort after having eaten a meal that contains sugar?

Also with hypoglycemia, the pancreas malfunction and produce too much
insulin when white bread, white rice, sugar and caffeine are consumed.
So the overproduction of insulin drives the blood glucose levels down,
adrenalin goes up, and you feel the heart palpitation, dizziness, and
other symptoms. Hypoglycemia can also lead to internal yeast infection
contributing to the discomfort.

Perhaps a diet change would be your first option to alleviate some
discomfort, but have your blood glucose levels checked.

Hmmm, that makes sense. Anyway, don't just drop the matter (not that you would, sahki.)

You could have mitro valve prolapse which is extremely common in women and is aggravated by a large meal. If you have an EKG, it is very rare that such a condition, even irregular beats will show on this test. In order for it to show, it would have to happen during the 15 seconds the test is run on you. Even a stress test ie.on a treadmill or with nuclear injection may not show what is causing the fluttering/ racing hearbeat.

A heart monitor is worn for 24-48 hours, sometimes longer (i speak from experience) there is a button on the monitor that you press whenyou feel the "flutters" and then this recording is reviewed by the cardiologist to determine what the cause may be.

If you have not had this done, I would ask your cardio as soon as possible, and if all is fine, then you can be certain it's not your heart and look at other explanations.

Do you currently take any medications -- over the counter or prescription?

Yes, I do feel more discomfort after I eat rice (I don't usually eat a sweet after a meal at office). It also happens if I eat a very big meal (big at least by my standards).

I have been diagnosed earlier as being hypoglycemic but they have not found the underlying reason. Thats why they checked for polycystic ovaries(twice) but nothing.

The doctor did not suggest any kind of heart monitor. I will suggest it myself...thanks all of you, as usual...will keep you posted on the developments.

I googled for mitral valve prolapse - will ask my doctor abt it and if he will put me on a monitor,


None, except the calcium tablets they prescribed.

Osso, I'm seeing my general physician and a cardiologist she referred me to. I'm yet to find a doctor I'm really comfortable with...

I have the same problem but found a solution
I have an IT job also where I sit down all day. Your symptoms match my symptoms. I when to the doctor and he found nothing also.

However, I found the solution to my problem myself.
It is GAS.

I used Gas-X SoftGel and the problem when away. Every now and then I get the feeling again and I simply use Gas-X and it goes away.

I am not sure what causes it, but it could be due to the fact that I sit down all day and I may not be breathing right because I concentrate so much.

Let me know your thoughts.

Andrew

Thanks for the post, andrewk. That was the first questions i asked my doctor...she told me i wasnt suffering from gastritis or any other GI problem....

what was the outcome?
I am here because of having similar symptoms. I have gone through all the tests/monitor etc and each one was a negative.
Did anyone find out exactly what was causing it? I will definitely try andrewk's suggestion. After all this, I am inclined to think it has to be something simple. Although my GI, gall and other tests came negative, the fact that it happens before and after meals (when late) and every time I am having a drink, makes me think that is has to do with gas unable to escape or something like that.

I have had similar problems, on and off, for a few years. I went to a cardiologist who did not inspire confidence but ruled out any heart conditions.

My general practitioner then suggested I take medicine for acid-refllux, or GERD. Other synonyms include heartburn, indigestion. The medicine has helped.

In my case, I would suddenly get very hungry, and that's when the palpitations would occur. It was REALLY SCARY. Every day I was sure I was going to die. I would eat, which eventually settled the problem. However, eating a lot would cause palipations in the middle of the night.

Eating large meals, or fatty meals triggers or exacerbates GERD. For some people, the symptoms simply mean a burning sensation in the chest, an acid taste on the tongue. For others it results in chest pressure, difficulty swallowing.

Might be worth exploring.

i had a bout of acid reflux for the 1st time last week.
scared the buh-jeezus outta me...

****.
Garg,, you just described my chest problems.

Im stil WAITING on getting in to see the cardio..