Hi all, I'm 20 and I have had on and off digestive issues for years but about 3-4 months ago, I started having severe bouts of reflux and indigestion including belching, bloating, lump in throat, shortness of breath, chronic cough, abdominal pain but it used to come and go so I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. Until about 2 months ago when I had to go to the ER with really bad stomach pain and shortness of breath. They told me I had GERD and prescribed pantoprazole for 30 days. The next day, I had a terribly sore throat, stiff neck and difficulty/pain swallowing along with all the other symptoms - tried to swallow pills and had horrible shooting pain in upper back and arm. Saw my GP too and she told me to continue taking the ppi but it seemed to make all of my symptoms worse and then i started experiencing muscle spasms, pain/tingling in legs, arms and back, chest pain, heartburn (never had it before), tinnitus, facial stiffness two weeks into the med - thought I was having a heart attack. So my gp switched it to Prevacid instead and ordered a blood test, barium swallow test and thyroid and abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasounds came back normal and the blood test came back negative for h.pylori and was fine overall except my vitamin D is low so I've been taking pills for that. The barium swallow showed a small esophageal stricture in the neck region and moderate acid reflux so doctor referred me for an endoscopy. But I haven't been able to get that done yet because of the covid-19 situation and I'm also terrified of the procedure so I don't know how i'll be able to go through with it. I am just really worried because I don't know what could cause the stricture even though my gp doesn't think that's really causing my symptoms. So, I've been on Prevacid for about a month now but I haven't seen much improvement in my symptoms. My throat feels less sore and its easier to swallow but I still have cough intermittently and I can't seem to take a 'big' swallow or gulp. My jaw feels tender and my neck has been constantly stiff and hurts at certain points when I swallow too so I don't know if that's related. I have been constantly bloated and my abdomen feels very tight for over 2 months now and I feel like I can't take a deep breath at all, especially when eating or walking. I constantly feel the need to belch or burp and I haven't eaten properly since I've started the ppi's - I've mostly been on a soft food diet and have avoided all trigger foods. About 2 weeks ago, I also noticed a white coating on my tongue and burning sensation in my mouth which hasn't gone away so I've been taking nystatin for oral thrush since past 3 days but haven't seen improvement yet. I have random burning/pain sensations radiating to my abdomen and upper and lower back usually in between meals or while eating and especially at night. I also feel really cold sometimes and get chills down my back and chest. I am just really miserable and don't know what's going on. I am worried it might be something serious and I have no way to get a proper diagnosis soon because of the current pandemic situation which is making my anxiety go through the roof.
hello
is it safe to say youre getting yourself anxious over everything? i ask because i had alot of symtpoms last year but had every test dont in book (all normal) … but during this process i got myself worked up (going on google , thinking worst)… so worked up i started having many sytpoms you have (oh is my throat sore? my legs hurt , etc)
youre doing right thing getting checked out follow through but dont let stress make it worse 
Hello. Well it looks like your big problems started when you went to ER and they prescribed this medication for 30 days. At your age Gerd is easy to take care of . A pinch of baking soda in a cup of water on an EMPTY stomach every night for a few weeks depending on how bad it is. Mine went away within a few weeks. Your other symptoms could be due to stress and I know it’s hard not to worry so do some stress relieving!! Get outside and walk…YOGA…play with an animal…hot baths. Exercise will work all that stress out of your body so you can really see and focus on what your body is doing and what’s really hurting. Hope this helps! Trust God…no worries!
Hi, don’t be afraid of the procedure, for an endoscope you are put to sleep and don’t feel anything until you wake up and unless something was done while you were asleep you should feel fine when you wake up. They just take a tube down your throat and look and take biopsies which are very small and don’t bother you. Don’t fear this test.
An esophageal stricture refers to the abnormal narrowing of the esophageal lumen; it often presents as dysphagia commonly described by patients as difficulty swallowing.
People with a benign esophageal stricture may experience the following symptoms:
swallowing becoming difficult or painful. food feeling stuck in the throat. food returning up to the mouth from the stomach.
Esophageal stricture can be caused by:
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).
Eosinophilic esophagitis.
Injuries caused by an endoscope.
Long-term use of a nasogastric (NG) tube (tube through the nose into the stomach).
Swallowing substances that harm the lining of the esophagus. …
Treatment of esEpidemiology.
Esophageal stricture formation is not common. There is an overall low disease prevalence for the condition. … Strictures due to caustic esophagitis or eosinophilic esophagitis, however, are more common in children and young patients esophageal varices.
Soft diet tips
Take small bites of food and chew foods well.
Avoid tough meats, fresh “doughy” bread or rolls, hard bread crust, and abrasive foods.
Sip fluids when taking solids at meals and snacks to moisten foods.
Stop eating when you start to feel full.
Eat slowly in a relaxed atmosphere.
How do you treat esophageal stricture naturally? (Only until you get treatment for it.)
Avoid foods that may increase reflux. …
Use good pill-taking habits. …
Lose weight. …
If you smoke, quit. …
Avoid certain medications. …
Avoid stooping or bending, especially soon after eating.
Avoid lying down after eating. …
Raise the head of your bed.
After reading all of this info, I think until you can get the test done, eat the soft foods, small bites, take your time eating, Drink Max protein ensure if you feel you are not getting enough nutrients. It has a not so bad taste and makes you get all you need. You can drink it 3 times a day if you want. Talk to your doctor by phone, set up a phone appt or a telemed appt to talk to them more.
Also at this pint I would suggest you be seen by a Gastro specialist and not the GP. Until you can get the endoscope and see what is going on do things that are relaxing, and try to keep your mind off of it. Watch funny movies, turn off the news, we know what is going on and what to do to stay safe, or just watch it once a day. Use progressive relaxation, which you can find on the internet, there are cds and music for it. With your vit D being low, when you can you should also check your blood calcium level and PTH level as well. They make chewable Vit . d and liquid D too. Stay away from breads, meats or other dense foods, if you do eat them, eat very small pieces, make sure that is all the way down before taking another bite, but soft foods are your best choice. Veggies are soft when cooked, fruits, apple sauce etc. Eat slowly. Eat in a relaxed environment. And above all relax.