Submitted by Dr T on November 23, 2010 – 6:21pm
in
Question:
Hello Dr.T.
First, let me say, thank you for donating your time and efforts to this wonderful website.Since I was about 13, I’m 36 now, I’ve had these bouts of chest/arm pain…here’s the weird part, it usually only happens when I drink soda early in the day or late in the evening or night hours. I say “usually” because recently it has been happening during the middle of the day. I know what you’re thinking, gas, but I’ve actually had people pat my back, much like you would to an infant and I’ll pat my chest but this has never helped or even produced a belch. The pain is very intense. I’d rate it an 8 on a 10 scale. It’s all I can focus on when it happens. It radiates across my chest and down both arms. It can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. While I realize I could possibly eliminate this problem by simply not drinking soda, I’m just curious as to why this is happening. Any insights you may provide will be greatly appreciated. Again, thank you for your time.
First, let me say, thank you for donating your time and efforts to this wonderful website.Since I was about 13, I’m 36 now, I’ve had these bouts of chest/arm pain…here’s the weird part, it usually only happens when I drink soda early in the day or late in the evening or night hours. I say “usually” because recently it has been happening during the middle of the day. I know what you’re thinking, gas, but I’ve actually had people pat my back, much like you would to an infant and I’ll pat my chest but this has never helped or even produced a belch. The pain is very intense. I’d rate it an 8 on a 10 scale. It’s all I can focus on when it happens. It radiates across my chest and down both arms. It can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. While I realize I could possibly eliminate this problem by simply not drinking soda, I’m just curious as to why this is happening. Any insights you may provide will be greatly appreciated. Again, thank you for your time.
You already provided the answer: if this consistently occurs when you drink a soda, the obvious solution is to stop! Sorry, but I do think this is “gas”.
The best treatment is always to remove the cause; only if that is not possible should other therapies be used as an alternative. Why don’t you stop drinking sodas for a while and see what happens. That should provide you with proof about what you need to do.
Read more about the various causes of chest pain here:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/ca-blog/chest-pain/
You can evaluate your risk for developing coronary artery disease here:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/app/risk-assessment.php
Hope this helps,
Dr T
https://www.cardiachealth.org/