Dull Ache in chest when eating or drinking

[Bex1517]

Hi there. So for around 3-4 weeks now when I eat or drink I get a dull ache in my chest and heartburn... I eventually called the dr and have been given omprezole and gaviscon she said it sounds like inflammation... I'm a worse case scenario kind of person and keep thinking is it cancer or my heart! I did have my heart check a few months ago and all was ok... I'm overweight and very aware that I need to loose a good few stone. Anyone else experience this?

Sounds like a hiatus hernia.

Bump

It does sound as though it could be reflux caused by a hiatus hernia, OP. I've been in the same situation recently (I do have a hiatus hernia), and while my symptoms were more of a flare-up after a couple of years of no problems, the GP thought it might just have got a bit bigger.

I don't know how much omeprazole you've been prescribed but if it's two doses a day, I was told to try taking the whole lot in the morning as one dose. That seems to have largely solved the problem. Perhaps worth giving that a go, if possible?

H. Pylori?

@Cedilla hey. I've been given omeprazole 20mg for a month to see how I get on. The heartburn has gone but still getting this ache in my chest. Maybe not as severe as it was. It's annoying.

Right, OP, good news that the heartburn has gone, then. Has it been a month since you started on the omeprazole? The full course might calm things down. And tbh if you're anxious I find that doesn't help either. I've been there...!

Easy to say and more difficult to do, but if the GP isn't worried and is happy for you to try the omeprazole, perhaps try and stick with it and you may find the pain gradually eases off, especially if it is inflammation and needs to heal.

@Cedilla I've only been on it for 5 days (I always think things should work immediately) haha! Thank you for your reassuring words. I just hoped it the ache would have gone already. So impatient. So yeah I've to take them for a month and see how it goes

Good plan. Hope it does settle things, it's a really miserable thing to have and can be surprisingly painful, but hopefully it will calm down and I'm sure you'll be fine in another week or two. Best of luck with it.