Ill for 2 months, no diagnosis, pretty much ready to give up

Digestive health
1

Hi. I'm not sure which section to put this in, as the subject says, I haven't a clue what's wrong with me. I've picked what the last doctor I saw told me it could be, and 1/2 of the results I get when I check my symptoms online. If it's wrong, sorry, please move.

Symptoms are basically:

My heart feels like its thumping hard and fast, sometimes only hard but normal. 24/7.

Insomnia. I've probably had like 2 hours of sleep over the last week.

Shaking, as if I'm cold or anxious.

A throbbing swollen throat (it feels like when you get choked up during a good cry, only it doesn't go away). It was getting better but it decided I needed to suffer more, and now its a struggle to swallow.

Acid reflux.

Rubbish appetite. What little I do eat due to taming the acid reflux is difficult to eat.

Occasional stomach pain, like heartburn

Chest pain, the left is all the time while the right is sometimes. It feels sore and tender, surface area pain but sometimes I feel like a stabbing ache deeper inside

Lightheadedness

Neck pain

I've bothered doctors, the 111 and when I was at my worst (felt like a heart attack) 999 services, about this and the guess is always panic/anxiety or GERD (acid reflux). I'm taking a tablet for the latter, which did at first help with the stomach/throat related symptoms until yesterday, now not so much. Now I'm just pig sick of being sick. I wanna get back to normal; eat, sleep and live. I can't do any of those things. I'm scared that it's something else entirely, or if it is anxiety, I can't seem to cure it.

Some background just in case it's relevant: I started the new year suffering from constant migraines. Went to the docs and was prescribed a beta blocker called Propananol (something like that!) 80mg. It seemed to work but I started losing a lot of sleep and constantly had pins and needles. Doc doubled my dose despite my complaints and that's when everything went downhill. I was getting little to no sleep all while suffering from panic attacks all the time, chest pains, nightmares etc...

About a month ago I asked another doctor about this, she suggested giving them up cold turkey after going back to my remaining 80mg tablets. First few days I was fine, then the same symptoms came back with a vengeance with the added bonus of having no appetite at all. I lived on tiny crackers and water for a week.

When it did start to settle down a tad, and I was able to eat again, my back started to hurt a lot like someone was grabbing my spine and choking it (though to be fair, I've had chronic back pain for 10years so doubt its related), so I took ibuprofen for a couple of days. My throat started to throb, and I got a cough so bad it felt like I was hacking up my lung. I assumed it was a simple cough so got some medicine. Seconds after taking that my stomach was burning, my headache came back with a vengeance. I knew then it was more stomach related.

Went to the docs again to get checked out. She guessed it was some sort of stomach infection, but the tests have come back normal. So, back to square one and not feeling any better.

2

Hi you have just described my symptoms since December 

i have had an endoscopy which showed stomach and gullet inflammation

been taking two nexium a day for weeks now 40mg dose

got sibo test was positive and took flagyl for a week .

the nexium i think are totally throwing my system all over the place 

loose stools and insomnia 

really hard beat of my heart when trying to sleep

 

3

also i have requested a 24 hour ph manomtry test .

i think my problem is my stomach acid is too low

never feel hungry anymore 

pale tongue too 

4

Marill, more than one problem, one answer? Anxiety and stress! Regards acid reflux? Do the home test, no PPI's or indigestion meds for 4 days, first thing in the morning small glass of water, heaped teaspoon of baking soda powder stire it up neck it back, and time how long it takes to burp, belch? 3mins and less enough acid, after 3mins low acid levels, giving the same symptoms heart burn etc, because the food is not digesting but fermenting giving off gasses, and the latest thing I read was a condition called candida!!!  A yeast infection, again in the morning full glass of water, mouth full swallow it down, then gather saliva in your mouth and spit it in the water, not mucous, just saliva, and watch it float in the water, if bits dangle, in the water like tentacles or bits sink to the bottom? A seriously yeast infection, not sure of the INS and outs of it, only just discovered it myself, regarding the soda test? I don't burp at all, and the candida test loads of tentacles hanging down, and their treating me for to much acid. 

5

I'm sorry to hear that. Did any of the meds help or are they just adding to the list of problems?

Did the gp do the tests or did you have to get referred? Nothing like that was suggested to me.

6

Thanks, I'll give that a go. Will have to go shopping though smile

7

Its very important that we know  if the acid in our stomach is to much or little, taking PPI's if your acid is already love is asking for trouble! I'm in my 3rd day of no PPI meds, just had 2 very spicy pasties, no reaction, go to a health shop ( Holland and Barrett)  penny sale is on and get digestion Enzyme tablets, take them with a meal see if they help? 

8

Acid low! Not love! 

9

Hi Marill

i got the test myself 

the nexium i think are making me worse

and on the package side effect list is insomnia

so i think my problem is low acid 

the sleep is my biggest chaLLENGE now 

10

Hi Fred

I THINK PPIS ARE MAKING ME WORSE.

11

Hi Fred 

Will ph 24 hour manometry test for both low or high acid 

12

Well taking the ibuprofen was a bad move if you have digestive problems you need to relax more for a staff off and try taking a different medication for you acid and indigestion problems get Zantac and Gaviscon Advanced see if that  helps and eat soft easily digestible foods nothing hot or yo cold don't drink coffee or tea unless it's decaf and no fizzy drinks  or alcohol also no spicy  foods or chocolate ear healthy foods like fish vegetables 

13

Mike! They will if your stomach acid is already low! A pharmacy told me straight????  Those things will kill you! 

14

Mike what is 24hr monometry test????? 

15

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, maybe you might want to find a specialist , internal medical specialist ?  They are few and far between it seems but maybe if your doctor writes out your symptoms to a specialist , he/she might know what test to give you to find the end result … good luck!

16

PPI's alone will give you SIBO.  Once SIBO is active your whole body can tun into a mess.

17

It will tell you if reflux is high or low. GI's don't believe in low acid.  I took the Heidelberg reflux test which tells you if you have low or high acid and came out low.   My GI will say he knows nothing about it in order to avoid the conversation or look for a remedy because all they know is how to give you more PPI's and low acid means NO PPI's. ;-)))

18

PPI's alone will give you SIBO.  Once SIBO is active your whole body can tun into a mess.

19

hi fred its a ph acid 24 test 

20

It will tell you if reflux is high or low. GI's don't believe in low acid.  I took the Heidelberg reflux test which tells you if you have low or high acid and came out low.   My GI will say he knows nothing about it in order to avoid the conversation or look for a remedy because all they know is how to give you more PPI's and low acid means NO PPI's. ;-)))