Q:

The other day I started having stomach aches. It feels like my stomach is in a knot; it's tight and painful. It hurts whether I'm sitting or standing or even laying. It comes in little throbs, and doesn't stay long. This morning I woke up at nine and had a tight pain in my chest and it came in short throbs as well that weren't aligned with my breathing and they seemed to emulate throughout my entire upper torso.

I'm twenty years old, five foot one, weigh 102 pounds and don't eat very often, not because I don't want to but because my schedule is hectic and I'm a little lazy. But the other day when I ate a sandwich, hoping it would stop my stomach ache, it only made it worse. I don't know what's wrong, and my mother says I've had stomach aches since I was little but I'm wondering if there's something - aside from the obvious- that I could do that might help.

 

A:

This is pure speculation as you aren't saying if the pain is located at the top, middle or lower part of your abdomen, but the chest discomfort does suggest this is stomach discomfort, not intestinal (or other abdominal organ).  Ulcers can feel like this so you are best served by coming in for an evaluation.  You can certainly try an antacid for a day or two on your own--we recommend ranitidine (zantac) 150 mg twice daily--but this kind of pain should not be allowed to go on unevaluated.

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