My Reflux Hell!!

Digestive health
1

I just wanted to let everyone know about my story and just how ill this reflux can make you feel. I gave birth to my second child and 4 months after began to feel tired and drained, general lack of appetite, shortness of breath, chronic rhinitis and sinus pain and an odd feeling down my upper left!

i began getting pains in my stomach, and my weight began to drop. It was difficult to say what was related to post baby weight loss and what was abnormal. I felt dreadful. Then i started suffering with a lump in my throat and difficulty swallowing. Food was getting stuck in my throat and I felt utterly dreadful.

After many visits to my Gp, who suggested I had post natal depression, followed by anxiety. Then the sickness began. I couldn't eat, felt nausea 24 hours a day! It was hell.

Despite my protests that I was happy it was just the feeling of lousiness everyday that was wearing me down, I ended up been put on diazepam tablets first. They over prescribed the dose, I couldn't get out of bed for weeks! I didn't actually know they were valium, and that they should not just be stopped. I stopped them and ended up in hospital for a week. I was vomitting daily. I had an endoscopy in hospital which I had begged for as I was feeling so ill. It showed nothing! They tried 12 different anti-sickness drugs to stop my vomitting....non of which worked! By this time, I had lost 2 stone in weight and was convinced I had cancer. All the blood works I had done showed nothing, apart from low calcium?

They sent me home from hospital and told me to take some more diazapam, I was horrified! I was so weak I could hardly walk from the weight loss and sickness.

I continued to be sick every day for four months, I laid in bed too weak to move around. I felt so utterly dreadful i cannot explain!

Finally, out of sympathy for me, my GP sent me to an ENT specialist to apparently 'prove' to me that there was nothing wrong with my throat and the difficulty in swallowing i was experiencing was 'all in my head'

I recall his 2 line letter to the ENT specialist. \"this woman is suffering from anxiety please reassure her there is nothing wrong with her throat\" He smirked at me, numbed my throat and shoved a camera down it. As a precaution he sent me for a barium swallow!

This swallow was the key to my diagnosis....the minute they laid me back on the bed...my whole stomach contents came straight back up on their screens. I was diagnosed with Gross Reflux and am now waiting to see the Consultant. I paid privately for the following:-

Ultrasound scan of stomach and pelvis

Colonoscopy

Ultrasound of Throat

Chest X Ray

I was put on diazapam, anti depressents (in the end I volunteered to see a pyschiatric nurse just to prove to them I wasn't suffering from PNDepression, Anxiety and anything else!)

I had a week in hospital where blood tests and endoscopy showed normal..therefore I was sent home suffering from anxiety - because their little minds could not stretch past test normal test results!

I actually began to doubt myself in the end, despite my screams that there was SOMETHING WRONG!

I am on 600mg Ranitidine daily and have Pharmeceutical Gaviscon. It helps but i'm still suffering! I also take Fortisip nutritional drinks daily to ensure vitamins are absorbed more readily. My GP hasn't apologised, but now at least he can't blame PND or Anxiety!

I sleep with my bed head raised 6 inches, and eat small regular meals. I drink copious amounts of bottled water only! I have more of an appetite now, haven't been sick for 3 months. I still get nausea, chest pain and problems with my throat and swallowing. I think back to how bad I felt and I can now manage in comparison.

Don't underestimate how bad this dreadful Reflux can make you feel. I was convinced i was going to die I was so weak and poorly!

2

[quote:72700898bd=\"Mich37 \"]I just wanted to let everyone know about my story and just how ill this reflux can make you feel. I gave birth to my second child and 4 months after began to feel tired and drained, general lack of appetite, shortness of breath, chronic rhinitis and sinus pain and an odd feeling down my upper left!

i began getting pains in my stomach, and my weight began to drop. It was difficult to say what was related to post baby weight loss and what was abnormal. I felt dreadful. Then i started suffering with a lump in my throat and difficulty swallowing. Food was getting stuck in my throat and I felt utterly dreadful.

After many visits to my Gp, who suggested I had post natal depression, followed by anxiety. Then the sickness began. I couldn't eat, felt nausea 24 hours a day! It was hell.

Despite my protests that I was happy it was just the feeling of lousiness everyday that was wearing me down, I ended up been put on diazepam tablets first. They over prescribed the dose, I couldn't get out of bed for weeks! I didn't actually know they were valium, and that they should not just be stopped. I stopped them and ended up in hospital for a week. I was vomitting daily. I had an endoscopy in hospital which I had begged for as I was feeling so ill. It showed nothing! They tried 12 different anti-sickness drugs to stop my vomitting....non of which worked! By this time, I had lost 2 stone in weight and was convinced I had cancer. All the blood works I had done showed nothing, apart from low calcium?

They sent me home from hospital and told me to take some more diazapam, I was horrified! I was so weak I could hardly walk from the weight loss and sickness.

I continued to be sick every day for four months, I laid in bed too weak to move around. I felt so utterly dreadful i cannot explain!

Finally, out of sympathy for me, my GP sent me to an ENT specialist to apparently 'prove' to me that there was nothing wrong with my throat and the difficulty in swallowing i was experiencing was 'all in my head'

I recall his 2 line letter to the ENT specialist. \"this woman is suffering from anxiety please reassure her there is nothing wrong with her throat\" He smirked at me, numbed my throat and shoved a camera down it. As a precaution he sent me for a barium swallow!

This swallow was the key to my diagnosis....the minute they laid me back on the bed...my whole stomach contents came straight back up on their screens. I was diagnosed with Gross Reflux and am now waiting to see the Consultant. I paid privately for the following:-

Ultrasound scan of stomach and pelvis

Colonoscopy

Ultrasound of Throat

Chest X Ray

I was put on diazapam, anti depressents (in the end I volunteered to see a pyschiatric nurse just to prove to them I wasn't suffering from PNDepression, Anxiety and anything else!)

I had a week in hospital where blood tests and endoscopy showed normal..therefore I was sent home suffering from anxiety - because their little minds could not stretch past test normal test results!

I actually began to doubt myself in the end, despite my screams that there was SOMETHING WRONG!

I am on 600mg Ranitidine daily and have Pharmeceutical Gaviscon. It helps but i'm still suffering! I also take Fortisip nutritional drinks daily to ensure vitamins are absorbed more readily. My GP hasn't apologised, but now at least he can't blame PND or Anxiety!

I sleep with my bed head raised 6 inches, and eat small regular meals. I drink copious amounts of bottled water only! I have more of an appetite now, haven't been sick for 3 months. I still get nausea, chest pain and problems with my throat and swallowing. I think back to how bad I felt and I can now manage in comparison.

Don't underestimate how bad this dreadful Reflux can make you feel. I was convinced i was going to die I was so weak and poorly!

hi dear,

I have acid reflux all th

3

Hi i've never been diagnosed with acid reflux but I do get similar symptoms where i feel i cant breath through my nose properly due to sinuses and I get a whole heap of weird symptoms ranging from chronic tiredness, a sense of breathlessness and major headaches to indegestion and strange pulsating feelings in my stomach which then causes weird sensations through my body mainly on the left side. These make me feel completely spaced out and i have constant pain in my left shoulder and through my back. I have been through loads of scans xrays and mri even had a lumberpuncture to rule out multiple schlerosis This happened after the birth of my 2nd child. I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic migraines but i just wondered if acid reflux could actually cause all these other symptoms. The worst is that i feel that just under my chest to the left it feels really heavy or that something has caved in and thats when i get breathless and the strange sensations happen. They tried to tell me it was post natal depression too or that I was anxious so i had to confront my old gp and midwives and put them straight on a few things. They finally came to the conclusion that i was completely in control and I ended up telling them what I felt would help. Usually i take gaviscon as this does ease the heaviness and ease the weird symptoms but if I dont catch it in time i do get really dizzy and feel extremely tired. So i'm glad you were able to stand up for yourself and put them straight because it does cause exteme hell for people who suffer with it and also their families too.

4

Hi Mags,

You sound exactly how I was and still am, feeling as though you are banging your head against the wall, I had my little boy in 2006 by c section and since then I haven't been the same since!! I have continuous joint pain and feel lethargic even if I have had ample sleep and had sinus problems, trouble with breathing etc, just like you......

I had blood taken in 2007 and the doctor at the time said I had inflammation but nothing serious.......anyway I had seen a Rhuematologist whom said I needed to loose weight and was the cause of my pain...... anyway of course this so called professional was talking rubbish as I was the one that was feeling like I had been dragged through a bush backwards or in the boxing ring.... anyway after enough was enough I decided to change Surgeries as the doctor I was seeing didn't believe me and so I moved to the Surgery my hubby was at...... this very kind doctor said to me he couldn't treat me until he took my file home...... and to this he said he was referring me to the top Rhuematologist at our local hospital, anyway the Rhuemo said I had Polyarthrits and was doing further blood work to rule out other things....... this is when my diagnosis began...... The Rheumatologist referred me to a liver Specialist as like my new doctor had seen I had Raised SED Rate for 4 years and so the AMA test was done which diagnosed me with PBC, and now I have to have tablets to slow down this auto-immune disorder.

I am not saying you have the same as me as there is a lot of illnesses have overlapping symptoms, but like you I had symptoms like yours and if it wasn't for my present doctor now I do not know what may have happened I dread to think...... Please ask for your blood work to be done and ask to see a Rhuemotologist as they can only do these specific tests to rule out all disorders and then you should receive the correct medication to help your complaint. I was diagnosed in Dec 09 so all this is new to me and is still a shock to the system, I just hope this may help you get to the route of the correct diagnosis.

Regards

SES x

5

im so glad im not the only 1 i aso started 2 suffer 2 months after having my daughter docs jus tell me its anxiety depression i suffer all the time feel breathless docs say thats astma but inhalers dnt help ,now ive had enuf of bringing it up at the docs my second home , cos the do nothing anymore ive had the camera down me n alsorts so fed up now been nearly 2 years n no help

6

Hi Phebs,

My present doctor said that acid reflux can cause breathing difficulties too so get help off your GP, and if he or she doesn't listen see someone else as it took me a long time to get a decent doctor, as I changed surgeries two years ago as I felt I was banging my had against the wall!!!!! last Surgery said I had inflammation in my blood due to anti-flammatories I was on due to joint pain.... I knew I wasn't imagining things!!!! so changed surgeries all together, and it was the best move I did!!!! Have they done blood work with you? like thyroid and things like that, as I believe I never had asthma, I just think it is the thyroid gland that kind of clams up when I am stressed, if that make sense... I had lung capacity tests done and they said my lungs were healthy 2 years younger for example lol...... I would ask the doctor for blood tests to be done. You shouldn't be suffering xx

I hope you get the answers soon xxxx Take care x.

SES x

7

Omg....I know just how you must have been feeling. There were days when I would feel so weak and tired. My weight dropped also. I had what they called Racoon eyes because I felt so exhausted all the time. i was convinced that I either had cancer or some type of heart problem. I can't count on my fingers and toes the number of times I have made trips to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I still haven't actually been diagnosed with any type of acid reflux, but they told me at the ER that's what it was. I also have pain in my face and severe sinus problems. I am relieved just to hear someone else has experienced the same thing and I wasn't losing my mind. There are times of the day when I just literally feel like I am going to pass out and fall asleep because I am so tired. That feeling usually lasts about 10-15 minutes, then all of a sudden it just disappears. I didn't start feeling these symptoms until after I had my daughter who is now 1. But I am 5 months pregnant right now and the symptoms are worse, although now, I have kind of learned how to cope with them, because STRESS only makes the situation worse. I hope you feel better and please feel free to ask me any questions, because I know just how you feel and what you were going through........

8

I'm a 48 year old male that's been experiencing most of the same symptoms.I've had numerous test from xrays,ct scan,endoscope,ultrasound,so many blood test that I feel like a pin cushion.I've had 3 different types of stress test,which all came back okay.the feeling is so bad that I've been in & out of the er so much,it seems like they're tired of seeing me & takes their own sweet time in seeing me.The only answer they keep giving me is gastritis and reflux.the meds that they give me,help for a day or so but always seems to make things worst than before.The one thing I've noticed is,the meds given &  my inability to want to move,causes constipation.which makes things worst.I've discovered that if I can get my system close to a normal cycle,it helps greatly.The same same meds that's prescribed to give us relief actually adds to our problems.I've lost weight because of changes in my diet ,which helps,but tbere has to be a med that will relieve the symptoms without causing constipation and further problems.if anyone knows of something that will help,please let me know.

9

I have also had a lot of these same symptoms....I had them a few years ago and was told then that it is anxiety attacks....BUT... a doctor also told me that if there is any irritation in the stomach it affects the vagus nerve which goes from the stomach ...to the heart...to the brain....irritation to that can cause what look like anxiety attacks and depression because 90% of seretonins are actually in the stomach...I was sent to a Gastroenterologist who discovered I had an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine...I also had hlicobacter....these things can cause stomach irritation and thus affect the vagus nerve.....Now I have it all happening again but since all that I have developed reflux and a hiatus hernia....I am going to see my chiriopractor tomorrow because at one stage he helped the hiatus hernia.....dont rule out asking for test for hiatus....or helicobacter...and even see a chiroppracter to see if there are pinched nerves connected to the stomach and vagus nerve... A good chiro will know all about the vagus nerve... Hope you and ll the others get answers... this is frigtening and jol;ly annoying as well....I sympathise with all of you...

10

I hve the same symptoms and keep bringing up bile they done test after test and I am loosing weight feels like a slide lump in my throat but I have a hernia hertis and stomach pain ans keep been sick with bile and unresolved stomach issues ans I feel atrocious tired all the time and weaker than normal I get shakes but the hospital won't do a camera ans I keep bringing up acid I have gaviscon and zoton and nothing helps and I keep feeling weaker and light headed And my blood pressure keeps fluctuating and its high them low I do have a fatty liver as well. But I feel full all the time and am getting acid and one of the Dr said I don't have acid reflux ans the other one says I do and no camera but send me for all other tests and all the other specialist say you need to go back to the dr that referee you here for this test and he has sent me a letter for an appointment saying he dosnt know whay to do now because he feels he has exhausted Al options but still no camera any help 

11

Hi I've suffered years if chest pain had all heart tests done all clear I've drunk gaviscon like water for years a couple if years ago had camera down I. To tummy have his it hernia esophgus spasams sinne then chest pain shoulder pAin in between shoulders I have been ill for about six months tired pain all over really down so I went to docs had blood tests followed by more I was told I had pernious anima very low iron and some thing else that I have to take folic acid for also very very low vit D I am now having to have B 12 jabs every ten weeks which are for life I take a natural iron as iron meds made me so I'll I take vit d what doc gave me not over counter med I was given lanzoprole which gave me worse chest pains and just feel in we'll I stopped taking them a few weeks ago and chest pain not as bad but my tummy is paying the price it hurts all day changes in size when I eat feel sick acid all the time at night my throat makes strange noises fell the acid coming up I'm due to see GI doc this week I want the camera put down my doc says every thing points to celiac dieasese but blood test for it come back clear I will let you all know out come because I really feel that all my tummy probes and reflux has caused every thing else I have 

12

just wonderining   why  mucus in throat and around sternm area can  make you feel so  bad. i can breathe ok  but i still fee air hunger. can;t eat  fod comes up in mouth . only  weigh 97 can;t afford to lose more. my stomache  is always feeling full . I have no energy or  a desire to do anything.  I feel more dead than alive. what  in the dickens is wrong with me. I feel like i have to force my self to  talk much. left side of my chest feels hollow. chest heavy. nausea. constipation. can;t under stand  why i feel  so  bad. i also have post nasal  drip. clearing my throat all the time. no urge to cough.this isalot  but I hope  someone can understand me

13

hi Guest i can totally understand i am at this moment having problems i cant put anything in my mouth without burping i have pain in my diaphrame and on my sides i have lost some weight and i am very very worried anyway i am sent for a camera down next week and i am streesed out . i know the stress is not helping but i am just scared. i dont even feel like talking  cause all i can think about is what is going on . i pray that we will all fine relief soon .

14

Hi, about a year ago I had similar issues with Heart burn, Acid Reflux, Feeling Nauseous, Getting bloated all the time. I felt miserable. Anything I ate or drank would end up making me feel like i wanted to throw up.

I Ended up going to the Gastroenterologists. They performed various tests, I had-

1- 2 endoscopies- the first showed damage of the oesophagus because of acid and sliding hiatus hernia.

-the second showed damage of the oesophagus and an ulcer in the stomach but no hernia

2- CT scan of the abdomen- Came out to be normal

3- Colonoscopy- Came out to be normal

4- Most of my blood tests were normal

The final diagnosis was I had those symotoms because of ulcers and too much acid in my stomach. the hernia isnt that significant. Most people have a hiatus hernia but newer have any symptoms.

What really helped me-

-Avoiding gluten, milk( I have yogurt), Eating lots of vegetables, Meat. Basically gluten free diet.

- Pantoprazole, omeprazole. for 4 months. They start to show effects after you've been on them for atleast a month. Make sure you have enough calcium with these medications because they tend reduce the calcium absorption in your body.

- Probiotics- I used ALIGN probiotics. You can get it on Amazon

- Multivitamin, Omega 3

Basically cleaned out my diet. And I am fine now. Sometimes still get heartnurn but It only happens if I had some junk food.

I hope this helps.

 

15

Thank you Monty for giving out hope that there can be a life after this! I've been battling trying to get some diagnosis for nine weeks and see in this conversation thread everything I've done so far and more and folks still with no definitive diagnosis or treatment plan... I am having a CT abdomen to pelvis this afternoon and I'm hoping that it will show something fixable! My symptoms are the same as all of you on this thread including the lump in the back of the throat and difficulty breathing especially if I lay down... Some of the posts here are quite old a year ago and wondering how people are now? Did things get better for you all and if so how?

16

Ive been having all these symptoms for eight months. Started out with burping after eating or drinking anything, a blocked ear, blocked sinus and felt like a lump of ohlem in my throat. I've been to two ENT s and had a CT scan. Shows nothing so in two weeks I'm booked for an endoscopy. My neck always feels sore and I've kinda lost my  zest. We are going on a cruise on Sunday to Asia and I'm just not looking forward to it. I like Monty12345 story x he makes me feel positive

17

Let me know how you go Jodie

18

I have my symptoms as all of you guy's I have the off and on chest pain,shoulder pain left arm pain,lightheadedness can't breathe dry stuffy nose, when I wake up in the mornings I have to clear my throat and my chest of thick green mucus jaw pain back pains stomach pains not as much all my pains are on my left side neck pains radiate down to shoulder then arm then when all these stuff happen oh yea my throat have. Constant lump/swelling in it on a regular basis I have anxiety because of it,now for all my test I have received and done endoscopy,colonoscopy,abdomen ct scan 2 stress test,saw a pulmonary dr he said it was ok ,saw ENT dr he said I had a little redness in my throat probably the cause of acid flowing back up in my throat had a barium test 2 of them was clean ok had a swallow test done to see if I had achalasia that came back ok seen a neurology to see why my arm were burning and tingling that came back that I have a little carpel tunnel in my wrists did a Mri of my brain because I had the dizzy lightheadedness that came back fine blood test all came back fine I had low not too low but. Had to start taking iron supplements I started of taking emprozole for a month I didn't see any improvement so they gave me pantoprozole I took that for about 6 months I still was having the throat symptoms and all so my gastrointestinal dr change it to nexium I have on that for about a mont now but No improvement I am trying to give the nexium a chance when I have my attacks I get all the symptoms I am like incapacitated or incoherent for a while I am focused on what's going on when people talk to me I give short answers don't socialise Too much when it happens I get the weird feeling in my chest hard to breathe I try to calm myself down and ride it out but I am a mess I cry on a regular basis I am scared and nervous about leaving the house to go to work, couple months ago I was missing a lot of days from work or leaving early when I get my attacks I have been going thru this since May of 2014 and I am really scared and in my head I am saying is this really acid reflux/gerd or my usual thinking is it cancer or a heart attack or ibs or or or or that's what I think about all these or's my mind goes crazy everyday this affects my life I pray on a regular for God to help me out i mean I read all these post and people get relief some what when they take their meds or change diets I have changed my diet about 80% cut out sodas alcohol chocolate don't drink coffee don't smoke I eat smaller meals try try my best to stop eating at around 8pm at work but when I get off I am hungry as heck so I snak on some peanutbutter the other thing is it doesn't bother my sleep and that's weird not saying I want it to but I see it bothers a lot of people,sorry that my post is so long I just need some help feed back comfort something thanks in advance

19

Hi

I have been having all of the symptoms you all have mentioned. Looking back I think it started quite a few years ago but was never picked up. I would go to the doctors with a list of symptoms and most of the time they would dismiss them. I have been sent for a heart scan, brain scan, lots of blood tests. Monitored my lung capacity, chest x ray and all came back fine. Yet I was atill feeling so unwell. I thought I was going mad and the people around me were getting fed up of me always saying I felt ill. I think they thought I was going mad. Then the anxiety started along with panic attacks. Stress would kick them off and panic for not knowing what was wrong with me. On one hand I felt like I was going crazy but on the other I just knew there was something actually wrong with me. I was told I had general anxiety and also health anxiety. I went for cbt and have just finished counselling both of which helped me control my anxiety better. It wasnt until recently, well the last 6 months, that I started getting severe

Heart burn really burning my throat up to my mouth. I kept losing my voice or it becoming hoarse. I got a cough and sore throat most of the time. I went to the doctors (new surgery) where they said I had acid reflux and hiatus hernia. I think before the heartburn symptoms I had silent reflux. I am now on Omeprazole for the next two months then if no improvement I will go for further tests. I have done a lot of research about this condition and also how the vagus nerve relates.This nerve being trapped or pushed on can cause a number of problems. I also plan to see a chiropractor if these tablets dont work as I have heard they can help with the hernia. I constantly feel unwell, achey, sick, feel like I havent got the energy to do much. I am off work today as spent most of last night awake with a chronic headache which I still have as well as painfil sinuses and jaw. I have had ringing in my ears for years and been for tests on them and it all came back clear. What I didnt realise is that the acid can actually travel up into your sinuses and middle ear. So the ringing and fullness in my ears is probably due to acid as well as my headaches which can be so severe I cant get out of bed. Shortness of breath or not feeling like you are taking in enough air. It can all be related. Now I just need to get it under control to stop these symptoms. I dont think people realise how much this can affect your life. And how depressing it is. I think there are still some people in my life that think im mad and also focused on being ill. But it really does interfere with everyday living. I hate taking time off work and feel like im letting people down. In someways I am glad I know or hopefully know what I am dealing with. It was the not knowing that was driving me crazy. I dont need to pay more attention to what I eat as I think this will help. Im sorry that you are all going through such horrible symptoms too but it is nice to know im not alone in what im experiencing and feeling :-)

20

Sorry that was meant to say 'I do need to pay attention to what I am eating' doh