Yay! Not going to die!
Finally got seen by a real doc, got a Rx for hypdroxyzine and prednisone. Chest pain probably stubborn heartburn - since tums/zantac not working, graduating to prilosec. Will see if that's it. So far the theory is allergy to something (most likely not drug-related) causes hives + predisposition to heartburn. Or going hypo which can lead to hive, + mysterious heartburn.
I think I'm allergic to hard work, since the last time this happened was 4 years ago while in school. Too bad there's no scratch test for that!
Heartburn
As someone who has suffered from heartburn for 4 years now, I've tried a number of things.
Prilosec works okay for me. Something I've found recently that works well is Apple Cider Vinegar 1x day (not straight though... usually 2 TBSP to 8oz of something... I like Gatorade - do not take it straight... it burns horribly).
Its seems to help. Plus is supposed to have other benefits.
***
A more expansive, but less accurate allergy test is the IG Rast allergy test. They draw blood and test that for allergic reactions. Its supposed to be really good at finding out anything you are currently exposed to and allergic to, but it is not as accurate as the scratch tests. It can false diagnose and miss diagnosing actual allergies, but it can find some things not the scratch tests wouldn't.
finally
I'm glad that you finally got real meds to help with the allergic reaction (yea, I was right with prednisone). I got stomach pain/heartburn last year after having to take Aleve for my back/hip pain and I did two runs of omeprazole (Prilosec), the first for 8 weeks. It didn't help right away, but over the months I seem to be better. Now, I just take ranitidine (Zantac) on an as needed basis and it works way better than tums for me. The funny thing was I didn't have heartburn originally, but after I ate I felt like my stomach was too big and I had lots of pain and pressure (and after alcohol I would spend 24 hours in excruciating pain). I didn't get heartburn until I started the prilosec, which I thought was ironic. Just keep in mind that any drug that lowers the pH of your stomach could reduce the effectiveness of your other drugs so you need to space them out. I find it helps to eat smaller meals, avoid spicy/acidic/onions/garlic, don't eat before bed and raise up the head of your bed by 6 inches. Hope you feel better soon!
*cheers*
Yay! It's good to hear :)