From the Guidelines
Gastrointestinal chest pain is most commonly caused by conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal spasms, peptic ulcers, gallbladder inflammation, pancreatitis, hiatal hernia, esophagitis, and esophageal motility disorders. The causes of gastrointestinal chest pain can be broken down into the following categories:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 1
- Esophageal spasms, which are abnormal contractions of the esophageal muscles 1
- Peptic ulcers, which are open sores in the stomach or duodenum 1
- Gallbladder inflammation or gallstones, which can produce pain in the upper right abdomen that sometimes extends to the chest 1
- Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, which may cause severe pain that radiates to the chest 1
- Hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach pushes through the diaphragm, often causing reflux symptoms and chest discomfort 1
- Esophagitis not related to reflux, which may be caused by medications, underlying infections such as candidiasis, or radiation injury 1
- Esophageal motility disorders such as achalasia, distal esophageal spasm, and nutcracker esophagus, which are less common but can present as squeezing retrosternal pain often accompanied by dysphagia 1 These conditions can be managed with medications like proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, or antacids for symptom relief, as well as lifestyle modifications including avoiding trigger foods, eating smaller meals, not lying down after eating, and weight management 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Causes of Gastrointestinal Chest Pain
The following are some causes of gastrointestinal chest pain:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Motility disorders of the esophagus 3
- Structural damage to the esophagus 3
- Diseases of the upper abdominal organs 3
- Peptic ulcer disease 6
- Gastritis 6
- Functional chest pain, which may be caused by altered pain processing, esophageal hypersensitivity, and mental comorbidities 3
- Reflux disease 3, 6