Hi I'm new and have questions about GERD and Anxiety

Hi I'm new to this forum and I have questions about GERD and Anxiety.  I have had anxiety issues for many years, now in the past two years I developed GERD. From reading some of the post on here I have dicovered that there may be a link between the two.  Thanks to the information posted in this site I will be contacting my GP to learn more about what I need to do. 

I haven't taken anxiety meds for a long time and didn't realize my GERD flare ups could be caused by the anxiety.  I was able to eat most anything until about three weeks ago, since then my GERD has been in full blow attack mode, nothing I do has been working, but also my anxiety level has been thru the roof (ah huh moment)  I take Omeprazole once daily but it hasn't been working so I was going to try the Koufman diet to see if that will help but I guess I better learn more about the connection between GERD and anxiety first.

Thanks to everyone who post information here it has opened my eye to other possible causes of my GERD flare ups.

Nana,

Hello and a warm welcome to you.  From published articles I have read there is the thought that suggests  an association between anxiety and GERD symptoms such as heartburn and chest pain. However, objective documentation — endoscopy (looking at the esophagus via a small internal camera), radiographs (X-rays), and motility studies (looking at how the upper GI tract moves) hasn't definitely proved this link. 

In patients with anxiety, GERD symptoms may be worse but successful treatment of anxiety has not been proven to decrease the symptoms of GERD.

From my own experience, I have had anxiety for many years and I also have GERD.  I do not get heartburn or reflux when I am feeling anxious but I do if I eat certain trigger foods. The reflux will cause me to feel more anxious especially when it strikes in the middle of the night when I am sound asleep.

Glad you found us and keep on talking with us.

 

Hi Nana, I have suffered from Axiety and Gerd for years now. I think I joined this forum a couple years ago, but once again started visiting while searching for answers after I had reflux surgery 7 weeks ago. My family doctor thinks there is a link between my Gerd and anxiety and was happy that I was having the surgery. However, I tend to agree with Kitt. I think having Gerd just makes anxiety worse, not that one causes the other. Love my family doc, but I can tell he has that link wrong, I still have every bit the anxiety I had prior to surgery. Though.......the jury is still out relative to how well the surgery worked. I am still experiencing some reflux and still have to take Nexium. I am supposed to take it 2x's per day, but my insurance will not pay for double doses. I see my surgeon this Thursday. It is early in my recovery, and I think i am a bit impatient, but I feel I will be very disappointed if I went through this surgery only to still have to take pills, and watch everything I eat - what would have been the purpose????

I am sure I am just being impatient with recovery, not realizing it takes much longer than I had thought. I knew people that had the surgery and have not suffered one day of reflux since, but everyone is different. I think I am fooling myself if I think I will not have to change my lifestyle habits regardless. Unfortunately healthy foods cause reflux with me; tuna, bananas, herbal teas etc. So it's frustrating.

Anxiety is very frustrating as well. I have a job in which I am in front of people all the time giving presentations and a ton of one on one interaction all day long, so I am trying to find ways to rid myself of this terrible afliction. I wish you well because it seems we have both been cursed with similiar issues, which really impact the quality of our lives.

Nana,

Good Morning.  To answer your questions, yes, I do take meds for anxiety as well as for depression.  I was first dx with Anxiety and depression 30 years ago so these disorders have been a part of my life for a long time.  I really did very well until the past 6 years which have been a struggle for me but I keep on pushing through the anxiety. I also have a really great Dr. and a therapist to help me in learning new ways to deal with my anxiety as well as helping me understand that I can control my own feelings.

I take Zoloft 50 mg once a day as well as Buspar 15 mg twice a day .  I also have Valium for times when I am in high anxiety and just need some extra help.  Meditation works well for me as does deep breathing and self talk.

My mantra - I have anxiety, anxiety does not have me 

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt

 

I too get severe anxiety, but I believe it's directly related to my GERD, or at least, the hiatal hernia coming up. When I have an attack, it's like a tightness under the breastbone that is severe, and makes me feel like my whole body is vibrating. I swear I can even feel it vibrating. Due to such tightness in my mid-section, I simply cannot relax. It feels like my heart is pounding, and I can feel my aortic artery pulsing. I am generally not that anxious and I ONLY have these attacks when the digestive system is acting up, so for me, it's directly related. The only doctor-prescribed medication I take for it is Xanax, which helps with the mental anxiety, but doesn't relieve the physical pressure symptoms.

Another GERD/Anxiety sufferer here.

Moonbalm, you sound like me except my pain is probably less severe as Im on medication. One thing is apparent to me, when my GERD is worse my anxiety gets a lot worse. GERD pain is a massive trigger for me and I have to deal with my anxiety when I get symptoms.

Talk to your doctor about increasing the dose of your omeprazole. I was originally started on 20mg once a day which seemed to help, but soon my anxiety got completely out of control and it no longer helped. Im now on 40mg twice a day (so 80mg total) and it's much more effective than the 20mg was. I've also got a much better handle on my anxiety which really helps.

I had to battle with doctors for months who insisted my pain was caused by anxiety, but in the end I sorted out my anxiety and the pain was still there. Then I insisted on seeing a specialist and finally I had tests done and they found a large hiatus hernia. Would you believe it though I still had doctors telling me my problems werent from GERD!

My anxiety has been so bad in the past that I have been terrified to even eat, and having to force feed myself while shaking and sweating because Im afraid of the pain eating causes. I really do sympathise with everyone else that has to deal with GERD and anxiety (and depression) it is an awful thing to go through and seems very common for doctors to think you're just crazy. But we know the truth, at least we aren't alone.

Finally, the best thing I have found that helps me is autogenic training. It is a form of relaxation that you practise a few times a day. It helps with anxiety, and also pain! Sometimes this is the only thing that eases the pain of my heartburn and mentally calms me, I cant reccomend it enough for people suffering with GERD and anxiety.

FOR ALL!!!

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19810&name=PRILOSEC

Anxiety is the NUMBER ONE side effect for PPI's!!! If you don't believe me (or the link) stop taking it for a a few days and then you absolutely will!!!

If the PPI's are NOT working (you still have reflux) it is NOT acid reflux that is your problem. My guess is it's bile reflux (gall bladder) that NONE of the reflux meds OR surgeries (Nissan) will help. The ONLY thing that will stop bile reflux is having your gall bladder removed!

I had to learn this all the hard way. Hopefully none of you will have to!