My story...

Hi all. I dont exactly know where to start this post, so Im just going to get into it.  Let me preface this by saying I had a Lap-Band surgery in August 2008. Since that time Ive had very little problems with the procedure and have lost over 100lbs... Fast forward to this year...   Starting earlier this summer (July/August 2011) I began having bought of burping and nausea.  At first I assumed it was a heart burn issue and began taking Zantac when the symptoms were especially bad... One day in October, while at work, my symptoms started getting worse... Constant nausea, but no throwing up, as well as excessive deep burping and bloating with no relief. After 3 days of nearly constant nausea (literally every time I breathed out I would get  a wave of nausea) I went to the emergency room.   I was held there for nearly four days, while they took CAT Scans, GI Tracts, and various other tests… all coming back fine.   I even had a visit from a Lap-Band surgeon who took all the remaining silicon out of my band port,   thinking maybe something had become obstructed… no luck.   Eventually, after days of purging, IVs, and not eating I felt good and was released.   They diagnosed it as GERD and told me to start taking a PPI.   Since that time the symptoms were minimal.   Fast forward two months to January… The symptoms come back (again at work) with full force…   And Im back in the emergency room.   This time theres no pain, but still constant nausea…   They give me an IV and medicine for the nausea and send me home, this time with a RX for a pepcid (which I have been taking since)   My problem is that the symptoms are still there…. Ive pretty much cut anything bad out of my diet, I mean I don’t drink soda, I don’t eat sweets, no red meat, and STILL I’m almost constantly bloated, and burping and uncomfortable.   It doesn’t matter if I take any antacids, nothing helps.   Im irregular and uncomfortable.   Ive had to leave work several times, and its EXTREMELY frustrating.   I’m wondering if anyone else has gone through this as well?   Ive lost about 10-15lbs since October. Im beginning to get VERY frustrated (beginning to get? BEEN.) I feel like if there was an obvious reason for this, then they would have found it during my two trips to the ER in two months.   I don’t have insurance, so I don’t have an everyday doctor… making the experience even worse…   I feel like maybe my anxiety about the situation is actually making the situation worse? I cried on the train home from work last week… lol. Im pathetic, but its so hard to feel so bad and look the same. =\   My usual symptoms are burping and bloating, constipation, near constant nausea with no actual vomiting, and almost a total loss of appetite.       Thanks so much for listening. In a city of so many people, its hard to find some who know how you feel. I can't wait to hear other stories, and hopefully learn something new!   Linz

Linz

sorry Linz, its plain you are in a lot of pain

welcome to HealingWell...people here are very friendly and this is a great place to get support....

first let me observe that nausea is a common symptom of GERD

however the constellation of symptoms you describe are also possibly indicative of very high stress

GERD not only causes nausea in a direct fashion, but as well can cause substantial anxiety

and in this world we live in there are also many other substantial contributions to our very high stress levels

im no doctor and i cant diagnose and wouldnt if i could.... because.... if you name 4 symptoms i could find at least 10 diseases that are known to exhibit those 4 symptoms...but...

i have personally experienced high anxiety and the physiological symptoms that can result from stress (false cancer diagnosis etc)

i can tell you that stress can be expressed in the most substantial, real, serious and profound of physical symptoms

maybe its time to develop a professional relationship with a primary care physician and talk about whether or not work or gerd or other issues could be a major contributor to the symptoms you are experiencing

maybe my ideas here are all wrong so seeing a doctor would give you a broader perspective as to other possible contributing factors

im sorry you are in such a tough spot

hang in there
hoping you get better answers

mock turtle

Post Edited (mock turtle) : 1/30/2012 10:29:00 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks everyone for responding!

Mock Turtle - I completely agree! I know from experience that my body is capible of creating pain from stress. and that's what's weird... Im not stressed. Anxiety though - definitely. However, I dont think that my paranoia about being sick is really whats *starting* the symptoms, but I DO think its making it worse.  The past two days Ive made sure to breath, slowly, with my mouth closed. and its actually helping me from feeling nausea/gas.

Bruce - Ive thought that could be a possibility. Like a lot of females, Ive experienced numerous IBS symptoms.  Maybe I assume that IBS would be an intestine pain more than a stomach issue.  They're all connected, I could definitely be wrong. 

Denise -- Thank you for the info! Unfortunately, its some times hard to afford living in this city and affording things like insurance at the same time. =\ Im looking around for a sliding scale kind of clinic, but not having much luck.

 

Linz-

The others have give a lot of great info. I just wanted to say again that anxiety can definitely magnify and issues you have going on. We do have a anxiety forum here. Might be worth a peak over there.

I deal with constant anxiety and depression that goes back to 1990. They are geat people over there and I have gotten a lot of great ideas from them.

Take care,
Bill