Acid Reflux/ Stomach pain>?

Digestive health
1

Hey everyone, sorry if this is posting in the wrong section but I'm really desperate for help now. Also, this is a really long post because I've been dealing with this for a while now and have had so many problems with it!

Back in late June, I went on holiday with my partner. It was only South England so not too far from home. I started waking up with burning all in my throat and in my chest. It had happened a couple times before so I tried to ignore it, but later on in the evening it felt like I had a lump in my throat which led to a panic attack. This repeated every single night of my holiday - until the last night when I went to A&E because I was so scared my throat was closing up!

She told me it was just acid reflux and to start taking Omeprazole 20mg, twice a day. I did, but it wasn't helping, so I went back to my GP. She 'upgraded' me to Lanzoprazole and gave me Propranolol for my axniety - both started helping at first but eventually I was waking up with intense stomach pain from the Lanzo (had to cramp into fetal position every morning for 10 minutes or so till I managed to get myself up). I came off the lanzoprazole, and the acid reflux wasn't there so much, just occasionally. The Propranolol gave me heart palpitations (which it's meant to get rid of), and so I was having panic attacks again from that and decided to come off that too.

I went a while just having Gaviscon at night, and my granddad gave me this Honeygar thing which is meant to help with reflux, and it has a little. But then I started getting a lot more symptoms. One day I was leaving work and I was spinning so much I was ready to collapse, I had to call my mum to meet me all the way in central london as I didn't think I'd make it home and wanted to go to A&E. I slowly calmed down as the night went on but it was such a horrible nasty feeling.

So the heart palpitations are still there, every night. I'm not sure if that's just my anxiety or what but it's really freaking me out. The GP said not to worry as I've had an ECG in the recent past and my blood tests came back fine (we checked for everything). I keep getting a little shortness when breathing and it's so hard to tell if it's a real problem or I'm just anxious...

So I've been booked for a 'Upper Gi Endoscopy' for the 20th and I'm struggling to make it till then. I'm trying to tell myself to carry on but those two weeks feel like forever and it's only getting worse!

Other symtoms I've had but forgotton to mention: Bad stomach, (bad constipation for days and then when I do go it's not much or not healthy). Chest pain, I assume just a form of heart burn. A feeling in my throat like it's a little sore. A feeling like I've got gas or some pressure stuck in my throat? Dizziness, sometimes when I'm eating (the other day I was sweating all over and pracitcally spinning from a Pret wrap). Aches and pains all over, specifically in my wrists and back (could be because I'm so underweight, around 50kg- but I can't eat much because of reflux!)

I had to call in sick yesterday and today because I'm not sleeping at night and at work I'm just so anxious about my throat, and in pain from a burning chest.

I'm hoping I just have acid reflux and my body is being sensitive to it, or my anxiety is making it worse, but it just feels like I have all these symptoms and problems and my GP wants to overlook them because she knows I have anxiety. Please help with any advice, I really don't know how I can make it to my endoscopy! Last night I was in bits because my throat felt horrific!

Thanks a lot in advance for anyone who replies or even reads this. My life has just been a wreck for months now and I can't even be myself!

 

2

Sorry I'm rushing out at present but will discuss this with you further later.

In the meantime, the free book / website www DownWithAcid org uk may help.

3

Sorry to hear your troubles, such things just get thrown at us at times out of the blue.

You seem to suffer panic attacks and be assured a 200 and more pulse can be well tollerated as a young and otherwise healthy person (I have them all the time and I am older than you, not full blown panic attacks since I stay absolutely calm, no hyperventilation or anything, but SVTs with high blood pressure spikes, my roof of head pulsates strongly and loudly too and yet, here I am.

==> Cold water or sucking on an ice cube does the trick for me to get the pulse down, one way of vaslava manouvre, and yes: distraction, I play some game on my child's ipod touch! biggrin).

Now, the other 'lump in throat' issue could very well be just an irritation due to reflux (irritations do that, typical GERD symptom) up to a real physical narrowing of oesophagus or webbing or other physical partial clogs.

Good that you will get a gastroscopy and will give an answer and treatment.

It sounds very much acid irritation related by description.

Have your thyroid hormones been checked? If elevated, they can cause palpitations and a struma can cause a 'lump' feel.

All the best!

 

4

valsalva manoeuvre! not vaslava.

I cannot do this typical manoeuvre, it feels worse for me personally, but the 'diving reflex' (face into cold water) is good for me, hence an icecube in mouth or rubbing over face enough. Maybe it's just the distraction from noise and noticing high pulse rate, but who cares if it helps coping. 

5

Hi.

I think your problems are more to do with reflux than acid.

Omeprazole and lasoprazole are both acid suppressants. (Both are as good as each other when taken in equivalent doses (20mg ome = 30mg lanso) ) . I don't know why your doctor changed it.

However, reducing the acid may make the reflux less dangerous but the medicines are not so good at controlling the reflux which s a mechanical rather than a chemical problem. Hopefully the burning sensations will diminish as the acid suppressants do their job and th einflammation slowly reduces.

The lump in the throat sensation ("globus" ) is due to the cricopharyngeal muscle, at the junction of the oesophagus and trachea, tightening in an attempt to prevent extra-oesophageal reflux.

Your scope in a couple of weeks' time will see if any permanent damage has been done to your oesophagus ("Barrett's Oesophagus" )  and provide indications of how to proceed with the management of your condition.

Meanwhile, you'll have to start work on managing the reflux.

Eat small amounts and more frequently. 5 or 6 half sized portions spaced through the day will ensure you do not overfill your stomach.

Avoid exercise after food that would constrict or tile the stomach causing the acid to spill out of the top. Likewise avoid tight clothing.

Leave at least 3 hours between your last meal and retiring to give the stomach time to empty. Raise the bed head by 6 inches on blocks and sleep on your left side so gravity will help keep any residual stomach contents in place.

If you have managed to view the www DownWithAcid org uk book, check out the section on reflux but particularly the chapter on extra-oesophaeag reflux.

 

6

No thyroid hormones haven't been tested but if the endoscopy doesn't reveal much I'll need to ask for more tests so? 

Anyways thanks for the reply so fast! Sorry for your problems but it is nice to know someone finds heart pulpitations as bad as you, everyone I talk to has this "yeh it's normal I deal with it a lot get over it" attitude and I'm just there feeling stupid haha.

All the best with you too!

7

I don't know why she swapped me either, the omerprazole wasn't helping that much but at least it helped a little and I had no side effects. The lanso caused me so much pain! 

Thanks for the advice. Yeah I just need to make it till the 20th for my scopy but till then it's so hard! I was even having a panic attack this evening just eating because I felt the food wouldn't go down and block me up and I'll stop breathing. And now I can actually feel my nose burning how can I have acid reflux in my nose? It's actually irritated all the way up there now I'm starting to feel hopeless...

But thanks a lot for the advice and reply so soon.

8

Yes, first stop: endoscopy,

if nothing found, symptoms persisted, doc should actually automatically ask for more tests. (Thyroid check is usually a basic routine test just to be sure.)

Nope, heart palpitations can be very different (in pulse rate, rhythm) and cause and in which situation.  There is no general 'brush off' that fit's all.

It needs to be mentioned and ECG done as it was in your case.

It's a relief when nothing obvious is seen.

If the spikes come and go consantly and are really high, you will get an event monitor, either 1 day or for a few weeks and a stress (sport) test.

Just as peace of mind or finding the reason and help.

I always said I rather have a fast beating heart at times for no good reason than no beating heart.... ;-)

Hope you find an answer to your discomfort soon!