- Patients may be treated as if the NCCP was due to acid reflux:
- Acid blocking drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be used to treat NCCP, since the most common cause of NCCP is acid reflux.
- PPIs should be taken 30 minutes before breakfast for 2 weeks. About 80% of patients with NCCP due to GERD feel better after trying PPIs.
- If the patient improves, the treatment can be continued for several months.
- It is important to know that other treatments are available. These drugs act on the nerves that travel through the esophagus to reduce pain.
- These drugs can also be used to treat depression, anxiety or panic attacks. The doses used for NCCP are much lower.
- If patients do not feel better with the above treatments, or they suffer from depression, anxiety, or panic attacks, they should seek further help. This may include seeing a psychiatrist.
- Talk therapy, hypnosis, and coping skills training can improve NCCP.
- New studies are being done to find new treatments for NCCP.
Author(s) and Publication Date(s)
Sami R. Achem, MD, FACG, Mayo College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL – Published February 2009. Updated July 2013.
See Also
Can I Go To Urgent Care For Chest Pain? | Portland Urgent Care - Portland Urgent Care BlogPain that can be mistaken for a heart attack | Hospital Clínic BarcelonaHow to give first aid for someone who is experiencing chest pain?Reducing Chest Pain Caused by AnxietyJennifer X. Cai, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA – Updated June 2022.
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