New to Gerd

Hey there, I'm a 22 year old male who thinks he has GERD. I seem to have a number of the symptoms at least. Here's a little bit about me and why I've come to these forums.

about four or so months back I was enrolled in a program called Job Corps (Free education, free dorming, and they feed you.) I had a small cough every now and then for a time back then and towards the end near November of last year, I was ill with most likely the flu. I was coughing a lot more and had an increased heart rate for some time, which I assumed to be flu symptoms. It also accomanied small , infrequent pinching type chest pains which freaked me out something fierce.

Over the next few months I have since left the program and have spent my days seeking employment. I don't have much money, and the small amount that I do goes towards rent and the like so I can't spend much money on heavy prescription drugs. I also, or atleast I thought, couldn't get much medical attention for the chest pains that I had been having.

As the months from last november up to now went along, I started feeling less well, the chest pains got a bit more frequent and my cough wasn't going away. To add to this, I had a rolling/rumbling/fluttering sensation in my chest especially at night. After having sensations that felt like heart palpitations (including one actual heart palpitation) I had enough of it and went to the ER not out of emergency, simply because I Had and still don't have a physician (I can't pay for that.) The visit was free near as I have been informed since I am currently unemployed.

It was determined that my symptoms were either the cause of allergies to pet dander/pollen/mold/dust (all the good stuff) or acid reflux that I wasn't feeling. After all, a burning sensation would have been a dead giveaway, and I was not and still do not feel that.

So I went on Claritin for a week and it almost seemed that my symptoms were improving. As the week progressed it became more and more apparent that the Claritin was not doing the job. I recall that on the last day I was supposed to be trying the Claritin, I enjoyed a nice buffalo chicken breast for dinner. Well, it was not so nice when I woke the next morning feeling like I was having heart palpitations. I woke up, felt it, and startled, I sat up and stood up. The feeling stopped.

So I went on Pepcid for a week and here I am at just about a week of Pecid (20 mg) twice a day. I still get occassional chest pains and some times it's worse than other times. I barely eat, or at least hardly like I used to, and still end up coughing a fair amount. I'm not sure If I have GERD, but a number of people I have talked to suggest it to be so.

I guess I'd like to know if anyone else has had the same kind of pinching chest pains that I have, with a dry non-productive cough. Any tips or tricks would also be very welcome too. I'm getting sick and tired of being ill and would love to go back to not feeling like I'm going to have a heart failure so I can just go to work and get on with my life.

Thanks in advance.

It was determined by a doctor. I went through a triage nurse, a standard nurse, and an x-ray. The two nurses and the doctor checked my breathing with a stethoscope, and the doctor did the standard ear. nose, throat check as well. The only thing that seemed out of place was my tonsil, which she said one was inflamed. I just assumed that if it was bad, she would have said something about it.

How long does it usually take for people to start feeling the effects of being on Pepcid? It's been almost a week and I really don't feel much better if at all.

You're young...have you looked into the state SCHIP insurance programs? While each one is different, in New York State, we have something called "Healthy New York", and it offers reduced insurance prices for children and young people in your situation. I think it's a kind of "pay as you can afford" situation. I know that Congress just passed/President signed, additional funding for this type of program in the states.

It is important that you look into some type of coverage...either a state program, or even medicaid. You need to find a consistent doctor to help you with this issue. Please look into what's available.

Sometimes Pepsid type medicines don't really work, and you need something more powerful. Please look into what types of insurance might be available to you in your time of need.
Good luck!