Menopause and GERD

I first noticed a lump in my throat about ten months ago a my GP diagnosed it as a 'globus hystericus' and told me it was caused by anxiety.  Approximately four months later I noticed a foul toxic taste in my mouth but wasn't sure what was causing it although I don't experience any heartburn pain.  I lost my Dad in September and I believe the greif I was experiencing worsened these conditions.  My periods have become very irregular during the last year and I have had the odd hot flush.  I am nearly 44.

It is only after reading people's posts on this forum that I am now able to piece together the parts of the puzzle.  I too believe that my group of symptoms are related to being perimenopausal and I think I'm experiencing symptoms of GERD.  I feel worse in the evening and the lump in my throat seems more highlighted when I feel stressed or anxious.  I have phoned my GP recently, only to be told by somebody on the phone that my symptoms are due to stress after losing my Dad, to take Gaviscon for the foul taste in my mouth and that it is not possible to treat stress and it's a part of everyday life.  I was livid!!!  I intend to go back and be a bit more PUSHY!

Sorry if I'm waffling on a bit but I would like to mention a few aromatherapy oils that I have used and have helped.  I am an aromatherapist and have studied the properties of many oils.  Geranium is good for helping to balance the hormones, lavender for helping with anxiety and generally helping to calm the body, Ylang Ylang is especially good for helping with problems sleeping at night, Bergamot for anxiety and Clary Sage is excellent as a sedative and is great for those times when the anxiety takes hold and you just need to feel calm again.  I've used all of them recently and believe they all help.  The best way to use them is in a room burner or a couple of drops on a hankie and then to inhale.  DO NOT use them if you are pregnant though.

Hope you all start to feel better soon.  Neet xx.   

Post Edited (Neet) : 1/11/2013 4:16:11 AM (GMT-7)

So glad I found this website. I started having pressure in my chest about a year ago. Went to the doc and he said acid reflux. Tried Nexium, Prilosec and Omeperazole. None of which worked. After describing some other symptoms was sent for a HIDA scan and was diagnosed with a lazy gallbladder which was removed shortly thereafter. Hoped that would solve my problem but no such luck. Have tried several other meds since then and am currently taking 40 mg of pantoprazole every night. Still not doing the trick so I call my gastro doc and what does she say? Of course, take more drugs. Is there ever any other answer? I believe I'm peri menopausal. Started having hot flashes, nausea, dizziness about 3 years ago. Hot flashes are better and dizziness better for a while but now bothering me again. Periods are somewhat irregular but not missing any yet. I am really hoping that I'll make it through the pause before too long and maybe start feeling better. Hate to think that this will permanent. Am getting tired of being a medication guinea pig. Kind of get the feeling that the doc doesn't really want to be bothered by me. Seeing my obgyn in April and hoping that she can offer some help. Honestly though, am just getting tired of going to the doc and never feeling better. I am only 52 and feel more like 80 some days.

The worst part is figuring out what tipped a somewhat elusive discomfort into a downright and neverending , or so it seems, pain.I am trying to cope by straightening out my diet, did a food allergen test, and all the remedies for an irritable bowel syndrome. figured this should solve most of the acid reflux and help repair the damage.

I too would like to know how many of these women are doing today and if their GERD subsided or even just went away..would that be a blessing. I am 50 now and my GERD got extremely bad at around 48-49 as well. I think that it has gotten a bit better so I want to say that once most of the hormonal fluctuations ease so does the GERD... i am hesitant to say this but i think that mine peaked at 49 and as i move closer to 51 it has gotten better. I do take a zegerid everyday though and watch what i eat quite a bit so i think that has helped as well. Best of luck to you and i hope it eases for you soon as well.

Not to be too personal but you say you have been in menopause for 5 years now so does that mean that you don't have periods anymore or are you irregular? I know that my GERD problems correlate specifically to my hormonal fluctuations so please don't get scared because many women get the same symptoms once they reach peri/menopause.
The pain between the shoulder blade can be gallbladder. I had this pain almost every day last summer, had an ultrasound and everything was fine..chalk it up to good old perimenopause AGAIN. I too get the wierd sore/burning throat, again another symptom of peri..it goes on and on. I am soon to be 51 and wonder when it will all end but it does help knowing that this is fairly normal.
I do take one zegerid everyday to help with the burning stomach. I also noticed that certain exercises made things worse too like stomach crunches are a no no for me and anything that puts pressure on my stomach area too much.
Hope some of this helps...good luck!

HI everyone, I think stumbling upon this forum is the only thing that keeps me sane right now. Gerd started 3 weeks ago out of nowhere and won't abate. I'm burping and having heartburn. And strangely, the day before this happened I had this strong adrenaline rush all day and all night, and couldn't sleep, even though I still felt fin. The next night the gerd was there. Any relation between those two symptoms? Pepcid works, it's just I'm not sure whether I believe there is a link between menopause and GERD. I WANT to believe it, but when I asked my gastroenterologist, he said he had never heard of that. It would make it easier to cope if I could feel confident that this is what the cause is. Please help me believe!

Hi everyone - I just stumbled onto this site and am glad I did.  I am 49, and for the past year and a half have been going through hell.  Within two days of my periods stopping - going from perimenopause into menopause, I started getting acid reflux with no pain, my digestive system stopped working so well, I developed food senativities that I didn;t realize.  I had a hystorectomy due to a fibroid.  After the surgery all of my symptoms continued to get worse, to the point that I was having chest pain, I could breath - it felt like all of my organs were being shoved upwards onto my diaphram.  I was also getting very weird sensations in my chest at night, or I could run my fingers lightly over my belly and get a rippling sensation in my chest.  When things were at their worst I felt like my heart was in a trash compactor and  I felt like I was actually having a heart attach.  I have seen 11 doctors - had every test imaginable and nothing showed up.  I finally discovered that I may have Visceral Hypersensativity - Has anyone ever heard of this before??  It is extremely painful and unlike anything I have ever experienced before - it is linked to perimenopause/menopause.  I am now on HRT- the bio identicals and it is helping.  I am waiting to be tested for Visceral Hypersensativity.  the HRT is also helping with the acid reflux but not completely.  I still find that somedays the acid reflux is extremely bad.  I'm on meds for it but it is not helping what so ever.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

For everyone having GERD/reflux: Please try ENZYMES!!. There are lots of brands, but the Vitamin Shoppe Multi-enzyme pills are really good, and inexpensive. Take them WITH food for reflux/heartburn, take on EMPTY STOMACH for arthritis pains. Enzymes are very safe, take 2,4 or 6 or more at a time, whatever you need.
We have given these to lots of people with heartburn and are on presc. meds for it or not, and they ALL say these enzymes helped so much. And they have NO bad side effect, only good one.
PLEASE try this, men or women, menopause or not.

As we get older, the enzymes our body produces greatly diminishes. Hence, more reflux, arthritis, HBP, blood clotting, etc. Look at this website: http://www.losethebackpain.com/inflammation5-LBP212c.html
I'm sure their product is good, but I buy cheaper enzymes such as the Multi-enzyme from Vitamin Shoppe. Wobenzym-N is a name brand version.
I am excited to think how many people may see this and find great relief and improved health.

scriptures said...
bummedbyGERD , I recommend that you check out the National Osteoporosis Foundation Support Community before you start an osteo drug for your osteopenia. Check also my Nexium free thread to see the help that is suggested when getting off omneprozole or a PPI.
I hope you find relief .

I'm not finding a link to your thread.

I'd like to find an alternative to Prilosec

Hello everyone, I'm new here and have been reading all the posts and some sound just like what I'm going through. I, too, am suffering from what I think is GERD. I'm 51, and my FSH blood test showed that I am definitely menopausal (getting close to the end). I had no period for about 5 months late last year and felt pretty good despite some minor symptoms. Then this January I was having horrible heartburn with tightness in my chest and burping, which isn't normal for me. The pain sort of travelled down to my stomach in early April and I have a burning pain just under my breast bone on and off, but can be bad during the night. I also have some burning in my throat and episodes of nausea, which can be severe, almost like morning sickness, but no vomiting. My mouth is often dry despite the fact that I drink a lot of water. I'm very well hydrated according to my blood work. I've had blood work done and all is normal. I also had an H. pylori test which was also negative. I am now waiting to see a GI doctor (July) to see what could be the problem. My clothes feel looser on me and people have commented that I look like I've lost weight. Yet when I stand on the scale, I'm the same weight, so I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe I'm not absorbing what I'm eating. My appetite is not what it used to be. I'm very stressed out about this, worrying that I have something seriously wrong. I'm also driving my poor family crazy because I'm obsessing over this. I've also read about SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overload) and how this infection might be a cause of GERD. I told my family doctor about it but he's never heard of it so wouldn't think of ordering a breath test to determine if this is what I have. I feel very helpless right now. And going to work is not easy either. My period came back this January, February, and March, none in April and a small one in May. I'm having bad hot flashes and night sweats. And my anxiety over this is through the roof.
I'm trying now to eliminate certain foods from my diet to see if that helps, although giving up coffee and sweets hasn't been fun.
So sorry for the venting, but I don't know how else to handle this waiting and wondering what's going on. Has anyone else noticed weight issues with this?
Good luck to everyone and pray that we all get through this menopause thing and maybe even "laugh" at this one day.

This is first time posting and I am hoping someone can shed a little light on what I am feeling.   I am going to through menopause since 2012.   I am 48 years old.   I have experienced a panic attack, anxiety and room spinning, which this seems to happen twice a year.   When it does, I just feel so sick.   My doctor put me on hormone and estrogen pill. I haven’t been comfortable taking since it can cause breast cancer.   My poor husband has been there for me.   Has anyone gone through the following systems.   I feel like I am driving myself crazy.   Last year, I developed some bleeding and my doctor removed a polyp.   He said that will stop the bleeding.   Mid last year, I had some spotting.   I was good since. As of two weeks ago, I experienced a period like bleeding.   Cramping, bleeding and just feeling crappy.   Heavy bleeding for 3 days and light for 2. Now, I am bleeding again. I am feeling frustrated because I don’t have any kids and I wanted too.   I am feeling confused.   If I want to see blood it better mean I can conceive a child and not this whole menopause stuff.   Is this normal?   I feel so stupid and feel like I am going through this alone.                

I can not tell you how thankful I am to have read this. I normally LOVE and crave spicy food, now I cant eat cheese with out heart burn. It has come in the last month or two. My cycles are lasting about 2-3 weeks too (is that normal, I thought they would slowly get farther apart, not closer together.

I am very active (play roller derby), 43, and thought I was loosing my body to this mysterious phase of life. It seems like everything is harder now, just to get moving. (again in the last few months).. sigh I guess a Dr visit is in order. 9i am just coming off of a knee injury, I was hoping to not have to see the Dr for a while)

Perimenopause and GERD here too!!!! So glad to know I'm not going crazy. I too have thought I was going to die from this after googling too much about heartburn and pain I've been experiencing the past couple months. Makes me anxious which probably makes the GERD worse - a viscous cycle.
Silent signs were probably there prior to that, like feeling a lump in my throat. Also starting to have more food sensitivities...wondering if it's due to low acid (which is more often the cause of hers than too much acid like someone mentioned!) - with low acid you're not digesting your food properly and then lots of domino effects from that. Waiting for h pylori test results to rule that out.
In the meantime I'm drinking 6oz of warm water with 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar before meals. Then warm water with some manuka honey after meals. Sometimes this helps.