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Suggest Treatment For Pain In Chest
Question: My husband had pain in his chest Thursday morning. I called the ambulance and he was taken to V.A. emergency. After many blood tests, several EKG, lung scan, and more they were unable to find a cause. In the end he was sent home with an antibiotic in the event it was an infection in the lung, a precursor to pneumonia! His pain has continued and watching him, it gets intense after he's eaten. Could this be hiatal hernia or gall bladder related? What would you recommend? I am very concerned and on the verge of calling the ambulance again.
He has mild Alzheimers and takes related meds
He has mild Alzheimers and takes related meds
Brief Answer:
mostly related to GERD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, thanks for your question on HCM.
I can understand your situation and problem.
Since your husband's extensive cardiac and pulmonary tests are normal, no need to worry much for cardiac and pulmonary problems.
He is having chest pain after eating.
So GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is the possibility.
It is due to laxity of gastroesophageal sphincter.
Because of this, the acid of the stomach tends to come up in the esophagus and cause the symptoms of burning chest pain.
Alzheimer's drugs can also cause GERD.
So possibility of GERD is more in his case.
So less likely to be due to hiatal hernia or gall bladder related and more likely due to GERD.
Better to consult gastroenterologist first.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
mostly related to GERD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, thanks for your question on HCM.
I can understand your situation and problem.
Since your husband's extensive cardiac and pulmonary tests are normal, no need to worry much for cardiac and pulmonary problems.
He is having chest pain after eating.
So GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is the possibility.
It is due to laxity of gastroesophageal sphincter.
Because of this, the acid of the stomach tends to come up in the esophagus and cause the symptoms of burning chest pain.
Alzheimer's drugs can also cause GERD.
So possibility of GERD is more in his case.
So less likely to be due to hiatal hernia or gall bladder related and more likely due to GERD.
Better to consult gastroenterologist first.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thank you for your helpful guidance. Would GERD also explain the on going, non-stop pain? the pain when he gets up to use his walker? the pain even when he's completely upright in his lift chair? What Alzheimer meds would contribute to GERD symptoms?
I note that you did not address the questions in my second, additional memo. Perhaps it did not go through to you. Specifically, I'd appreciate your opinion on the high level of heart blood enzymes. They said he'd had it when he was in the VA Hospital after a fall last May. They said that this would indicate that it runs high regularly as some people do.
There was also a second question in the memo. Thank you again
I note that you did not address the questions in my second, additional memo. Perhaps it did not go through to you. Specifically, I'd appreciate your opinion on the high level of heart blood enzymes. They said he'd had it when he was in the VA Hospital after a fall last May. They said that this would indicate that it runs high regularly as some people do.
There was also a second question in the memo. Thank you again
Brief Answer:
need to know few things first.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, thanks for the follow up question on HCM.
And sorry for the late reply. I was a bit busy in the weekend.
I got only one query from you. I have not received anything related to high enzymes level.
This might be due to internet issues.
Now I want to know few more things about your husband.
1. Does your husband smoke?
2. How was the fall? I mean was there any muscle tear or internal organ damage present?
3. Which enzymes are raised in his case? Was it CPK?
4. Which medicines he is taking for Alzheimer's disease?
And GERD pain is not constant. It is episodic, burning type of pain. But if it is chronic then constant pain can be seen.
So reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
need to know few things first.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, thanks for the follow up question on HCM.
And sorry for the late reply. I was a bit busy in the weekend.
I got only one query from you. I have not received anything related to high enzymes level.
This might be due to internet issues.
Now I want to know few more things about your husband.
1. Does your husband smoke?
2. How was the fall? I mean was there any muscle tear or internal organ damage present?
3. Which enzymes are raised in his case? Was it CPK?
4. Which medicines he is taking for Alzheimer's disease?
And GERD pain is not constant. It is episodic, burning type of pain. But if it is chronic then constant pain can be seen.
So reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Frankly doctor, you have not answered the question about what the name of the Alzheimer meds are that you referred to in your commentary, nor did you explain how the GERD relates to high heart enzymes that they found in the hospital tests.
Brief Answer:
Memantine is known to cause GERD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear,
Thanks for your follow up question. You have totally misunderstood my answer.
I want to know which drugs he is taking for Alzheimer's disease. Because memantine, commonly used drug for Alzheimer's is very well known to cause GERD. So if he is taking memantine then possibility of constant pain due to memantine induced GERD is high.
Anti psychotic drugs are also given in Alzheimer's. And they can also cause GERD. So I just wanted to know if he is having drug related GERD or not. So I asked for the drugs he is taking for Alzheimer's.
And I never said that GERD is related to the raised cardiac enzymes.
You have written that he had fall in last may. So if he had muscle injury then CPK (enzyme) could be raised because CPK is in the muscles and raised in muscle injury. CPK is also used for the marker of anginal pain (heart related). That is why I asked for type of fall and the name of cardiac enzymes you were talking about. Because there are other cardiac enzymes also like Troponin T, troponin I etc.
Hope, I have clear my point now. I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
Memantine is known to cause GERD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear,
Thanks for your follow up question. You have totally misunderstood my answer.
I want to know which drugs he is taking for Alzheimer's disease. Because memantine, commonly used drug for Alzheimer's is very well known to cause GERD. So if he is taking memantine then possibility of constant pain due to memantine induced GERD is high.
Anti psychotic drugs are also given in Alzheimer's. And they can also cause GERD. So I just wanted to know if he is having drug related GERD or not. So I asked for the drugs he is taking for Alzheimer's.
And I never said that GERD is related to the raised cardiac enzymes.
You have written that he had fall in last may. So if he had muscle injury then CPK (enzyme) could be raised because CPK is in the muscles and raised in muscle injury. CPK is also used for the marker of anginal pain (heart related). That is why I asked for type of fall and the name of cardiac enzymes you were talking about. Because there are other cardiac enzymes also like Troponin T, troponin I etc.
Hope, I have clear my point now. I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your husband.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
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