HI JUST GOT BACK FROM DR

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble.  I agree with Bea.  If you're still having trouble, and don't feel comfortable with what your GI doc is telling you, seek out another opinion.  Yes, reflux can cause asthma.  I had severe asthma and even hospitilization as a result of the reflux causing lung inflammation.  It's very common to have GERD and asthma.

You do sound pretty panicked, and keep in mind that the more you worry and fret over what's going on, the worse you'll feel.  If you can find some help for your anxiety, it will definitely help you feel better.  Stomach acid is increased with stress. 

I have had internal hemroids that bleed from time to time.  It's not at all uncommon.  I understand that you're worried, and want to make sure there isn't something more going on with your GI tract.  Anxiety can turn to depression, ITSJUSTME.  You don't want to let your worry and fear move you to that downward cycle.  Do you have a good primary care physician?  That is the person who deals with the whole you.  Specialists don't see you.  They just see your parts.  I would highly recommend you go back to your primary care doc and tell him/her all that you're experiencing--be open about your fears. 

Good luck to you.  I hope you find the answers you're looking for.

We're here to support you until (and after) then!

Denise

Hi Michelle,

My asthma doc does the blowing/sucking air back in test (spirometry), and often my breathing seems pretty fine when I'm still feeling tightness.  My family doc will listen to my lungs and hear no wheeze, but I'm still feeling tight and short of breath.  I can blow a pretty good peak flow in my own meter, and still can be tight and having problems.  When I was in the hospital for severe asthma and GERD the oxygen test (on my finger) was always about 99%.  (My asthma was bad enough that my asthma doc thought it was life threatening...it was so inflamed by the GERD that he couldn't get it into control, (even the nebulizer didn't get rid of my wheeze) so he put me in the hospital and I ended up there for a week.) 

You can see that those tests don't tell the whole story.  My doctors know me well enough to believe that i am indeed suffering from lung tightness/shortness of breath, even when the tests come up okay.  I've actually needed antibiotic/prednosone with lungs inflammed and filled with mucous, and my peak flow was still pretty near what I always blow.

Now I'm not diagnosing your lung problem/shortness of breath, but as you can see, the tests don't always tell the whole story.  It is also true that anxiety can cause shortness of breath.  My husband has ended up in the ER more than once with an anxiety episode that felt like a heart attack.

I'm glad you're going to see your regular doc.  Hopefully he can help you get things straightened around.  This too will pass!  You'll be back to your old self. 

Good luck, Michelle!

Denise