yeah - I have GERD - or gastroesophageal reflux disorder - and a LOT of people who have this are convinced they are having a heart attack (including me).  It does resemble - but in reality it is due to stomach acids going up into the esophagus and burning the daylights out of the lining there.  A lot of folks think that this is no big deal - BUT if it continues, it erodes away the lining of the esophagus - and you can very easily end up eating pureed foods between now and forever!  Antacids make it worse because folks pop those like candy.

 

Once this is diagnosed - the doctor may prescribe Zantac or Tagamet (neither of which I can take - T makes me nauseous and Z rebounded on me giving me worse symptoms than the original problem).  Prilosec is also another one that is prescribed - and there is an over the counter version (yes, there is also a generic form which costs about half as much!).  Do check with your pharmacist to make sure there are no medication interactions. 

 

Things that HELP - not cure - GERD include weight loss down to your ideal weight, an elevated head of the bed (stand the top of the bed on bricks), NOT eating after 8 PM as in NO evening snacks!, and watching to see which if ANY of the foods eaten may trigger the likelihood of an attack (for me - it is green peppers in stuff)