Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Dawnp on May 08, 2022, 06:23:04 PM
-
I don’t know if this sounds odd but does anyone else get a feeling of pressure in their chest/stomach with their hot flushes. I don’t get flushes as such but I burn up for hours at a time, and then I start to get a feeling of pressure in my chest and stomach. It’s really uncomfortable to say the least. In fact it’s really worrying me. I’m not having any success with hrt and the specialists haven’t been able to help. Has anyone experienced anything similar?
-
Could it be anxiety? If the hot flushes make you anxious then this could cause the pressure feeling in your chest.
-
I don’t think it’s anxiety because I’m used to that and this feels really different. The pressure also goes down to my stomach, which doesn’t feel like anxiety either. I’m even starting to wonder if it’s being caused by the hrt! 😞
-
I see. Hopefully somebody will post soon with some advice. I am sorry this is happening to you. It sounds distressing.
-
Hi Dawnp
Sorry to hear you haven’t had any luck with your specialists. I was only thinking about you today and how your doing, so sorry to hear things no better.
In regard to this tight feeling in the chest, just a thought it might be acid reflux? My sisters step-daughter got this feeling and often thought it might be a heart attack but turned out to be acid reflux.
Also sounds like GI as you get the same pressure in your stomach. X
-
Hi Marchlove. I guess it’s a possibility. It feels really extreme for acid reflux but if it can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack then anything is possible. I do take omeprazole quite often but doesn’t seem to make a difference. I also don’t seem to be bringing up any acid. Or would I not necessarily bring any acid up?
-
Hi Marchlove. I guess it’s a possibility. It feels really extreme for acid reflux but if it can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack then anything is possible. I do take omeprazole quite often but doesn’t seem to make a difference. I also don’t seem to be bringing up any acid. Or would I not necessarily bring any acid up?
I find omeprazole needs to be taken daily for it to work. It has to line your stomach.
-
I was taking it daily for a while but I’ll try again.
-
It’s the omeprazole causing this!
Sisters step daughter was on omeprazole when this started happening, ended up in A &E thinking heard attack.
Opposite to mainstream belief, acid reflux is caused by low stomach acid.
I had the same problem. 5 years on omeprazole and acid reflux/GI issues got worse, not better.
For me, slowly weaning myself off of omeprazole and slowly increasing my stomach acid made a huge difference.
Why is it, time and again, I’ve found a lot of things I’ve been told by Gp’s are actually the wrong. I’ve lost count…
X
X
-
Oh! Crikey. It’s hard to know what to do for the best isn’t it! I haven’t taken much omeprazole in the last couple of weeks because I didn’t think it was working anyway. Should I try something else instead to see if it makes any difference to the chest pressure?
-
It’s a balancing thing. When you come off omeprazole it can have a rebound effect for awhile. Takes a bit to settle.
Google coming off omeprazole, what to expect. It’s a change in the ph of your gut. X
-
Yes isn’t it crazy Marchlove, a lot of what we are told just isn’t right. It’s true, it’s low stomach acid, not high. I have this issue and I’m burping a lot with tightness or pressure in my chest. It’s a real nuisance. I find it hard to figure out if it’s a perimenopause symptom or something related to my thyroid meds. I’m doing a quick check of my levels this week. But I find regular apple cider vinegar in water before meals can help. Also A Vogel have a remedy called Digestisan they recommend and they have some info about this issue in menopause, it’s related to low estrogen or falling estrogen and I tend to have it at the luteal phase.
-
Thank you both. This is really interesting. Apart from the pressure I also seem to be getting indigestion as soon as I eat anything. I didn’t eat much yesterday because I felt so unwell. I have just had some porridge this morning and I immediately have painful indigestion that isn’t shifting. I assume I can’t live on Rennies all the time so I’ll have to look at other things. I wonder if Buscopan would be as bad as omeprazole. I’ll certainly have a look at the Digestisan though because I can’t go on like this. x
-
Hi Dawn,
Give the Omeprazole another go but this time buy two months supply as it takes about four weeks to take effect. Take it in the morning on an empty stomach and 30 minutes before eating.
If it doesn’t make a difference then at least you tried, above advice was from a gastro consultant.
The stomach can play some nasty tricks on us as we age and yours sounds like another symptom of it. Buscopan is good for IBS which is another very complicated condition.
Hope you get it sorted soon because anything to do with stomach conditions is depressing!
-
Well for me it’s definitely the estrogen causing it.
Scroll down this to Possible side effects of Oestrogel and GI issues is the first one listed.
https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/a7261/oestrogel-estradiol/
I now take my progesterone in the morning, breakfast and lunch no issues but as soon as I add in the estrogen before supper off it goes!
Of course as you say ATB there could be a thyroid connection.
-
Marchlove, It is so hard for me to figure out which issue is causing this! I think it’s more like it’s oestrogen because it’s at the time of the month when it’s lowest. My doctor and I are considering adding a little more oestrogen at that time but waiting a few months to see if it settles or not- also my heart palpitations. I’ve had a recent thyroid test of just free T4 which is too high so I lowered my meds and it’s still happening so I’ll test thyroid full panel this week just to check again so I can have more info at my next meno appointment. It’s a very common menopause symptom and I agree, the stuff they give you to lower stomach acid makes the problem so much worse and is the opposite of what needs to happen.
-
Yes very hard for you to figure out, it amazes me how people in peri do it as it’s bad enough post for some.
Good idea to do full thyroid again to check how it’s going.
Yes the omeprazole thing is amazing, the cynic in me makes me wonder if it’s all about profits for the pharmaceutical companies as apple cider vinegar and the like can’t be patented!
The damage caused taking it long term just isn’t told and folk are completely unaware that without sufficient stomach acid you do not digest your food properly and you end up with mineral and vitamin deficiencies, especially magnesium and b12. That is actually mentioned on the enclosed product information but no one is told it should only be taken short term.
Anyway found this link regarding side effects, the list is very long!
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/omeprazole-side-effects.html
x
-
If you read the side effects written in the leaflets on medicines and a condition causes potential damage that could be life limiting some people won’t have a choice but to take the medicine.
As Dr Whitty said at one of his many Covid press conferences, if we read the leaflets we would never take the medicine.
Some of us have no choice, we have to take the meds that make our life bearable. I am a total fan of modern medicine, I rely on it and I thank the scientists every day for their amazing research work.
What I despair of is the people who take their statins, diabetic meds but continue with their old lifestyle that caused their condition in the first place, when you get diagnosed with an illness you have to change your old life style.
-
They don’t write the leaflets just for the fun of it Gracie, it’s based on trial results and long term use reporting. I should think the manufactures would much rather not put side effects in their leaflets but I for one am glad they do.
All drugs cause side effects, including hrt, and it is up to the individual to research, way up the risks and then make an informed decision.
PPI’s are a short term fix and do not treat the cause of acid reflux. No one has ever claimed they do. X
-
Unfortunately PPI’s can be long term and even for life for some patients. People shouldn’t be put off by not taking them because of any side effects, they are an essential drug for those it has been prescribed for.
-
That depends on the side effects! People here have worse GERD in the end from then so long term use is known to make the actual GERD worse for a lot of people. There are other options.
This from NHS
Long term use of PPIs has been linked to serious adverse effects such as:
o Clostridium difficile infection
o Increased risk of bone fractures
o Increased mortality in older patients
o Acute interstitial nephritis
o Hypomagnesaemia
o Vitamin B12 deficiency
o Rebound acid hypersecretion syndrome o Community acquired pneumonia
o Hyponatraemia
PPIs should be initiated ONLY where clearly indicated and for the shortest duration that is appropriate, in order to minimise adverse effects.2 By stopping or reducing treatment when appropriate, the risk of serious adverse effects will be reduced.
-
Absolutely ATB!
Acid reflux mainly caused by hiatus hernia, inappropriate diet and as a result of medications.
My DH developed bad acid reflux from a blood pressure medication. GP wouldn’t have it, so we gave him research, he reluctantly agreed to change the medication and within a few days it was gone and has not returned in a year.
If you discover the cause in most cases it can be fixed. x
-
Acid reflux and other stomach events can happen out of the blue with the ageing process, even after having a lifetime of healthy eating.
For those people who have no choice but to be on PPI’s long term I would advise taking supplements to counteract any possible side effects. Vitamins B12, Vitamin D and Calcium are some of the supplements suggested whilst taking this type of medication.
-
Ah Gracie, it’s nice to see you acknowledge that mineral and vitamin deficiencies can occur from taking PPI’s.
I am surprised but delighted that you have this information as to what supplements to take, so readily to hand. Especially as you said earlier that it was unnecessary to read side effects leaflets given with medications because if we did nobody would take them.
-
Oh, but you forgot one- magnesium.
Probably more, so if you know of any Gracie, please let us know.
-
You do have a way of twisting and taking out of context my words to suit your own agenda don’t you!
Your last comments are nothing short of vindictive and nasty but I will now exit the forum and leave you to no doubt harass others who might have a differing point of view to your own.
-
:( Oh that’s a shame Gracie. I don’t think anyone wanted you to leave, Marchlove was simply sharing an opinion I don’t see a nasty intent. It’s just that official recommendation is NOT to use long term and so many have worse GERD from them that finding an alternative is a really good idea!
The thing about not reading the inserts, good old Chris Witty! is that while it’s true they do have to warn us about side effects that can be minor and not as big an issue as the one medication is for, if you do have side effects it’s good to know that they are caused by the drug you’re taking so that you can find a different solution or factor them in, as in the case of supplements.
Sometimes it’s hard to read tone and intent when someone writes instead of a face to face chat, I try and bear that in mind on a forum. Marchlove is always so helpful to me!
-
I am sorry Gracie, my only excuse is that I was feeling so irritable last night (hormones) and was frustrated that you would not acknowledge initially that these side effects are real.
That is no excuse though and I apologise unreservedly for my attitude. I do hope you read this somehow and come back to the forum. x
-
You did nothing wrong, her last comment was much worse than anything you said xx