I've posted here before, but thought I'd post again with some updates. For backstory about 6-months ago I started experiencing some light chest and abdominal pain. In the chest on-and-off I was experiencing a stabbing like sensation in the ribs, almost like I was being jabbed with a pin. It could be on the left or right but favored the left, and sometimes I would get a sense of soreness in the center of my chest. More often that'd be felt if I was bending over or if I had a hard cough or sneeze. One time I went to the ER with center chest cramping that woke me up, but they couldn't find anything wrong. As for the abdominal aspects just at my rib line I would have a dull ache, again on-and-off and again would jump left to right. Over the course of the 6-months the symptoms have gotten worse but seem to have stopped increasing in severity. Some days I notice it more and some days very little. The pain is considered chronic but it hasn't impeded my life. If anything they're just annoying and I overthink them at this point. I've had 2 chest x-rays and 2 EKGs a month apart, complete bloodwork including the one that tests for a chest clot, an abdominal ultrasound and an H. Pylori test. All 100% normal. I have an abdominal ultrasound scheduled for next week that'll also look at the bottom area of my lungs. My GP is clueless and says if the abdominal CT is normal, which he thinks it will be, there's nothing to be done and it's just one of those things I have to live with. Since I started this journey the Urgent Care, ER and my GP have circled anxiety even though I'm not anxious. He seems to think it really is just that. He doesn't think it's gastritis or IBS as I have no history of that and antacids or the like haven't helped. I'm a 36-year old white male that doesn't smoke, drinks occasionally and while I'm out-of-shape I only have a few extra pounds to lose. I have nothing in my health history to point to anything and while cancer does run in my family I do not have the BRCA gene. Any thoughts out there would be appreciated!
Hi,
The chest pain and on/off dull ache below the rib line could be due to GERD.
I’ve been diagnosed with GERD and have the same symptoms but I don’t have chronic chest pain- it’s occasional for me.
As for the dull ache in the upper abdomen, I have it almost everyday but it varies in intensity. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel it at all or even when I stand or walk, I feel completely okay but when I sit down, it starts again.
Like you mentioned, it doesn’t actually interfere with my life physically but it’s just very annoying and I’d like to get rid of it soon. I sometimes end up questioning if it’s just me overthinking it lol
Medications don’t really make any difference. It’s been four months now. I’m just trying to make some diet changes.
GERD can get hard to deal with sometimes and it gave me anxiety.
Drinking lots of water, light exercise everyday and healthy lifestyle habits do help considerably.
Good luck.
Hi,
I hope you’re feeling better.
I’ve written a long post that got deleted by mistake 
Ok, long story short:
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do an endoscopy! I’m surprised it hasn’t been done already, because it’s the basic test that allows the doctors to SEE what’s going on.
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check your digestion, maybe you lack digestive enzymes, if using supplements helps you, that may point to this problems. BUT, reacting well to supplements doesn’t say WHY you lack them in the first place.
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Clean up your diet and eat only easily digestible foods. You can find lists of such foods, but you’ll also have to see if some of them can trigger the episodes of pain.
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address the stress. It’s always connected to these issues. ALWAYS. It’s either a contributing factor or a trigger. Sometimes even both. Bot don’t let the GP just send you away with this “it’s a stress” thing. NO. It needs to be dealt with on all fronts.
5.Check your habits. You’ll be surprised how good chewing practices can help. The same goes for NOT drinking or eating food or beverages that are too hot. WHen you take pills you need to take them with a decent amount of water, unless your doctor says otherwise for some specific meds.
- problems you describe may be cause by the LACK of acid and not too much of it. YES. It may sound counterintuitive, but check it out and you’ll see why.
Thanks for the reply! I think an endoscopy hasn’t been mentioned only because of my age and health history. At the moment I’m waiting on abdominal CT results that were done with contrast. I do hope that gives me some answers, but my doctor is pretty positive it’ll just be normal. I’ve had nothing in all my tests to point to anything. I’m “normal” on paper.
I’ll check out your suggestions! It’s much appreciated.