Heart palpitations, chest pressure, numbness in my arm, and burping... what could this be?

Hey everyone 🙂. Since I’m new here, I was hoping someone who’s dealt with something similar could weigh in. Over the last three months, I’ve ended up in the ER four different times. Out of nowhere, I get hit with this intense shortness of breath, my heart starts racing, I break out in a sweat, and my whole body—especially my arms—starts tingling. There’s this crushing discomfort in my chest that just feels wrong. Every single time at the hospital, they run an EKG and check my lungs, and everything comes back perfectly normal. Once the chaos dies down and I finally calm off, I spend about half an hour dealing with constant burping. It isn't exactly sharp pain, but more like someone is twisting or squeezing my chest, and I suddenly feel incredibly hot. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just a panic attack hitting me out of the blue without any trigger, or could it be something else entirely? What should I be asking my doctor to check? Thanks a lot

mellowviper162 said:Hey everyone 🙂. Since I’m new here, I was hoping someone who’s dealt with something similar could weigh in. Over the last three months, I’ve ended up in the ER four different times. Out of nowhere, I get hit with this intense shortness of breath, my heart starts racing, I break out in a sweat, and my whole body—especially my arms—starts tingling. There’s this crushing discomfort in my chest that just feels wrong. Every single time at the hospital, they run an EKG and check my lungs, and everything comes back perfectly normal. Once the chaos dies down and I finally calm off, I spend about half an hour dealing with constant burping. It isn't exactly sharp pain, but more like someone is twisting or squeezing my chest, and I suddenly feel incredibly hot. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just a panic attack hitting me out of the blue without any trigger, or could it be something else entirely? What should I be asking my doctor to check? Thanks a lot

You’re describing textbook symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, or basically a shortened version of GERD. This isn't a heart issue; it's your stomach and esophagus. Specifically, the sphincter that acts as the gatekeeper between your stomach and your esophagus has weakened, allowing stomach acid and contents to splash up toward your sternum and heart area, which creates those sensations.
Google some info on GERD. Regardless, you need to see a gastroenterologist and schedule an endoscopy. Don't brush this off—acid reflux can cause lesions in the esophagus that potentially lead to cancer. On the bright side, it's very manageable and treatable. For immediate relief, stay away from heavy meals, alcohol, soda, chocolate, and especially anything with menthol for at least two hours before bed. Also, try sleeping with your head elevated.

Angela Wright said:You’re describing textbook symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, or basically a shortened version of GERD. This isn't a heart issue; it's your stomach and esophagus. Specifically, the sphincter that acts as the gatekeeper between your stomach and your esophagus has weakened, allowing stomach acid and contents to splash up toward your sternum and heart area, which creates those sensations.
Google some info on GERD. Regardless, you need to see a gastroenterologist and schedule an endoscopy. Don't brush this off—acid reflux can cause lesions in the esophagus that potentially lead to cancer. On the bright side, it's very manageable and treatable. For immediate relief, stay away from heavy meals, alcohol, soda, chocolate, and especially anything with menthol for at least two hours before bed. Also, try sleeping with your head elevated.

Thanks so much for the help. Honestly, today was just the breaking point. I finished lunch, sat down in my car to drive, and suddenly I'm drenched in sweat, gasping for air like I can't catch a breath, my heart is racing, and my whole body feels tingly. It happened right near the ER, so I just pulled in. They did an EKG and checked my lungs, and everything came back fine. But now my left arm is feeling a bit sore. That's why I wanted to post here, to see if anyone else has dealt with this. I've been reading up on GERD, though it seems like they mention a burning sensation which I haven't really felt. The worst part is definitely that feeling of suffocation and the tingling while I was driving... thanks again for the info.

mellowviper162 said:Thanks so much for the help. Honestly, today was just the breaking point. I finished lunch, sat down in my car to drive, and suddenly I'm drenched in sweat, gasping for air like I can't catch a breath, my heart is racing, and my whole body feels tingly. It happened right near the ER, so I just pulled in. They did an EKG and checked my lungs, and everything came back fine. But now my left arm is feeling a bit sore. That's why I wanted to post here, to see if anyone else has dealt with this. I've been reading up on GERD, though it seems like they mention a burning sensation which I haven't really felt. The worst part is definitely that feeling of suffocation and the tingling while I was driving... thanks again for the info.

Don't mention it.
That could be weakened by poor posture from sitting wrong. Grab yourself a lumbar pillow for the car to keep your spine aligned so you aren't slouching, and start working on your core and back muscles.

mellowviper162 said:Thanks so much for the help. Honestly, today was just the breaking point. I finished lunch, sat down in my car to drive, and suddenly I'm drenched in sweat, gasping for air like I can't catch a breath, my heart is racing, and my whole body feels tingly. It happened right near the ER, so I just pulled in. They did an EKG and checked my lungs, and everything came back fine. But now my left arm is feeling a bit sore. That's why I wanted to post here, to see if anyone else has dealt with this. I've been reading up on GERD, though it seems like they mention a burning sensation which I haven't really felt. The worst part is definitely that feeling of suffocation and the tingling while I was driving... thanks again for the info.

To me, this sounds exactly like a panic attack, which has a nasty habit of showing up without warning and absolutely terrifying whoever it catches.

redranger2 said:To me, this sounds exactly like a panic attack, which has a nasty habit of showing up without warning and absolutely terrifying whoever it catches.

Exactly. You start worrying about your heart, which triggers more anxiety, and then the whole thing just spirals out of control... my husband went through that exact same cycle.
The Republican Party is a mess.

I've dealt with this myself—gastritis, taking Pepcid constantly, and even the lowest dose of Propranolol because my heart rate spikes whenever I get worked up. Plus some calming meds...

Honestly, what you’re going through sounds like panic attacks. You really need to;

- go see a private doctor (I'd suggest an internist)

- get an EKG, an echocardiogram, an abdominal ultrasound, full blood work, and a thyroid ultrasound plus hormone levels

- those are just the basics to rule out anything actually physical. Once that's done, you'll either get a prescription or they'll tell you if you need more testing..

I had almost the exact same symptoms last year. Ended up in the ER twice, then on heart meds, then on a million different things until I finally found a solid private specialist who ran all the tests properly..

I know it sucks, though. That feeling where you're just totally wiped out is awful. Try to relax when it hits—just breathe slow and deep. And maybe keep some anti-anxiety meds on hand so you aren't constantly running to the emergency room..

You can get all these tests done at a private clinic in a day or two, whereas if you use the public healthcare system, expect to wait like 3 or 4 months..