GiProbs said...
Hi all,
I am a 21 year old woman - last October I contracted Giardia - I was treated right away with antibiotics, and even though the parasite infection was cleared, I haven't felt the same since.
Suddenly, I was having IBS and GERD symptoms - a whole host of symptoms - but the most concerning symptom is by far the sensation that I cannot get a full breath - it feels like my lungs or diaphragm cannot expand fully. For a long time, it was actually excruciatingly painful to take a deep breath (sharp stabbing pain right under my diaphragm). Now the stabbing pain is gone but I just can't take a deep breath.
I also have had chest pain (a deep, aching pain) 24/7 - it is on both sides of my chest, usually lining my breastbone. Sometimes I get the sensation of tingling on my back (like nerve endings going off, or ants walking in my left shoulder blade).
Other symptoms: clogged ears, sinus inflammation, severe fatigue, depression/anxiety (never diagnosed, just feel depressed), hoarse throat, brain fog.
I have had every test in the book - ekgs, lung cat-scan, multiple chest x Rays throughout this year, endoscopy, barium swallow, ultrasound, blood, stool, etc....all clear except:
I was found to have esophagitis and gastritis from the endoscopy (last January) - I was treated with PPI's - probably every one known - none of them have relieved my symptoms. I was just diagnosed with SIBO and am being treated for that - while I am less bloated/gassy now, I am still having chest pain and trouble breathing. I am being tested for gastroparesis next week.
Could GERD possibly be causing the chest pain and trouble breathing?
Did Giardia or inflammation of my stomach paralyze my nerves and cause nerve damage perhaps?
Has anyone dealt with trouble breathing with GERD?
My quality of life, needless to say, has been severely decreased. A lot of beautiful moments were taken from me this year, as I finished my last semesters of college - miserable.
Anything you have to say or any advice on where to go from here is so, so appreciated.
Hi GiProbs,
So sorry you are going through this. I also am currently dealing with my 2nd bout of gastritis and a grade B erosive esophagitis. Yes, I've had times where I've had trouble breathing to the point I had to be rushed to the ER.
The first time it happened I thought I was having a heart attack because the pain in my chest was bad and I could barely breath. I also had my blood pressure checked and it was over 160/100, though part of it may have been caused by the pain and my anxiety level at the time.
Yes, esophagitis, gastritis, and GERD can all cause breathing problems and NOT all gastroenterologists know this or are afraid to acknowledge it. It all depends on how they were trained and what they were exposed to. There are many, many different reasons on why some people experience problems breathing when they're dealing with this.
In some people, like myself, I will get an esophageal spasm which can irritate both my diaphragm and my vagus nerve. This has caused difficulty breathing as well as SVT (rapid heartbeat). My last GI doctor didn't think that my esophagitis and my SVT were related, which is one of the many reasons why I went out to seek a new one.
There are a lot of nerves in your digestive area and when they feel pain it can cause side effects to your other organs, so I'm not surprised you're having breathing issues. GERD can also cause your esophagus to tighten or move which can also cause breathing issues.
I don't have all the answers, but I have been obsessed these past few months in finding out more information about what you've brought up (along with the SVT) and sadly, there just isn't a lot of information out there.
I think it's critically important to elevate your bed at night (using a wedge pillow or pillows won't cut it). It's also important to allow your body to heal which means staying away from all foods that might trigger your GERD symptoms. Definitely stay away from chocolate, anything with MSG in it, Gluten, Dairy, alcohol, fatty foods, caffeine, and maintain a food journal. Dr. Daniel Twogood recommends staying away from all these items for at least 90 days and then slowly introduce one at a time at the rate of one per week.
Since you've been diagnosed with SIBO what advice did your doctor give you? Generally it's a good idea to stay away from all sugars for awhile so you don't feed the bad bacteria in your gut, slowly introduce a daily probiotic regimen, and make some home made bone broth and drink at least 2 mugs of it daily (up to 4-5 mugs after 2 weeks).
What this will do is help kill off the bad flora in your gut while replenishing your good flora. It could take a few weeks before you start feeling better though.
Antibiotics are great at killing all bacteria, so it's important to get on some type of probiotic regimen asap. Just make sure you introduce it slowly so your body can get used to it. I do have a caveat though: when adding a probiotic your symptoms may get temporarily worse before they get better. So it's important to discuss this with your doctor.