Can heartburn just feel like chest pains?

By HappyBaker Dec 4, 2014

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and yesterday started feeling a pretty severe pain in my chest, it feels like its just to the left of my breastbone, behind my left breast.

Could this just be heartburn? I've never had heartburn (lucky I know!) and I don't feel any other throat / stomach issues at all. It just feels like this crazy tightness and pain in one spot that will not go away. It hurts more when I sit / lay / move a certain way or take really deep breaths, and has caused me to move really slowly today because it hurts so much.

It doesn't feel any better 24 hours and a bunch of Tums later!

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18 comments

ValentineMommy
pomelo / 5791 posts

Dec 4, 2014

I have never had heartburn that hurt when I took a breath and I've had some bad heartburn. Mine usually feels like actual burning in my esophagus.

I would call your doctor. I hope everything is ok!!
Bao
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts

Dec 4, 2014

I'm not pregnant but I get this a lot. I went to the doctor for it a month or so ago and she said anxiety/stress can cause it or it could be I pulled some type of muscle. However, with any chest pain I'd call your doctor to be safe!
2PeasinaPod
pomelo / 5524 posts

Dec 4, 2014

That doesn't quite sound like heartburn to me. Usually my heartburn is around chest level, but it's right in the middle and nowhere near my breasts (unless I just have really saggy boobs). It's closer to the top by my esophagus like @ValentineMommy: said.

I'd call your doctor just in case.
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 4, 2014

Sounds like that is heartburn. I've had it for years and recently I've had it so bad that my doctor actually diagnosed it as acid reflux so I'm on Nexium which helps a huge amount. I don't think that's safe when pregnant but I had heartburn during pregnancy so I wouldn't worry. If you have left arm pain associated with it then I would definitely go to the doctor otherwise I think it's just simple heartburn
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@HappyBaker: try tums!
HappyBaker
nectarine / 2242 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@2PeasinaPod: The saggy boobs comment made me LOL at work, thanks

Going to call my doc now just in case but hoping its just like @Mrs. Bum's heartburn!

Thanks for the help.
HappyBaker
nectarine / 2242 posts

Dec 4, 2014

Sooo I just called and my OB said to go to the ER? She basically said if you mention upper left chest pain and that its feels worse when breathing that she is obligated to send me there to get checked out just in case.

Sort of wishing I didn't call because I'm going to feel like an idiot if they say its heartburn!
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 4, 2014

Ooh no. Aw. Geez they can't get you in to see you?
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 4, 2014

how about your PCP? That's who I went to when I was pretty sure I had that acid reflux, granted I wasn't pregnant but all of the symptoms I described to him made him check my chest and give me a mini EKG for the chest. Try calling your doctor and seeing if they can get you in instead of the ER. What a pain in the butt for you
Radish
nectarine / 2079 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@HappyBaker: Oh no, I hope everything is okay. I would also hate going to the ER in that situation.
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 4, 2014

I'm definitely not trying to talk you out of the ER don't get me wrong if you feel it's an emergency situation definitely go I just think the OBGYN sometimes has a full list and doesn't know how to answer questions all that well. Been there done that
pui
bananas / 9899 posts

Dec 4, 2014

I got that while I was heavily pregnant. My doctor said it was probably just the position of the baby.

If you're concerned, see a doctor. I would avoid going to the ER because the ER sucks lol.
Anagram
eggplant / 11716 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@HappyBaker: I had that pretty severely a couple of years back. Found out I had undiagnosed GERD (I knew I had heartburn, but didn't know it had progressed to GERD) and that I had a stricture in my esophagus that was causing the pain.

I had to have a small procedure where they put a balloon thingie in my esophagus to open it back up, plus a lifetime diet of acid inhibitors. =)

Tums never touched the pain (too much acid). Only stronger acid reducers and a low-acid diet helped (no coffees, teas, carbonated beverages, citric fruits, tomatoes , dairy).
HappyBaker
nectarine / 2242 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@Mrs. Bum: I called my PCP and he said to do whatever my OB wanted!

Already got an EKG (normal) and talked to a doctor. My blood pressure and heart rate were too high for her to stop at that so I'm getting blood work and a leg ultrasound (I think?) to check for clots. Luckily our Hospital is small so it doesn't take too long!
Anagram
eggplant / 11716 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@HappyBaker: did you find anything out?
HappyBaker
nectarine / 2242 posts

Dec 4, 2014

@Anagram: Thanks for checking! Just got home, some super craziness started going down in the ER so I got forgotten about for quite some time.

Everything checked out ok except my blood pressure and heart rate were high, so they gave me two bags of fluids and just had me rest for a while. The only thing the ER doc could think of that it could be besides just "general pregnancy pain" would be a blood clot in my lung, but she said to test for that would be too much radiation for the baby / the chances of it really being that were slim to none. So I decided to just come home.

I have to check in with my OB tomorrow, but at this point I feel like I should just say the pain is gone even though it feels the same because I definitely don't want to go back to the ER or get more tests!
Mrs. Bum
cherry / 160 posts

Dec 5, 2014

@HappyBaker: hang in there! What a day you had. I'll say a little prayer for you and baby ♡
Anagram
eggplant / 11716 posts

Dec 5, 2014

@HappyBaker: I wouldn't tell your OB that the pain has subsided if you are still having pain. Seriously, one super common pregnancy complication is heartburn, and tums is not enough for serious heartburn. When you have heartburn often enough, your esophagus becomes inflamed from the constant acid reflux, which causes pain.

A stronger acid controlling medication that is safe for pregnancy will help, and your OB should be able to tell you what to try.

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Can heartburn just feel like chest pains?

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