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Posted 8/27/2015 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Im 28 , healthy female. I recently been suffering with panic attacks and GERD. Ive been to the ER more than enough and now im a hypochondriac. I always think im dyinf from a heart attack because for the constant pain in my chest but the dr did every test imaginable and im fine. Now my arms and back and neck gets soooo tight that it throws me in panic mode. Pls help! Ive seen therapist and did acupuncture as well as on meds. I go see a GI dr in a week and a neurologist in 2 weeks. Am I crazy or are the symptoms coming from the things I created.
Posted 8/27/2015 11:26 AM (GMT 0)
Gerd and anxiety can be related, if you are getting such pain then you need to perhaps try some different medication, are you on a PPI? And are you taking it 30 mins before food on an empty stomach?

I used to suffer with both very badly, as soon as I got that chest pain then my anxiety would flare and it makes your chest hurt even more and feel like you can't breathe, so I know exactly what you're going through. There are two ways that I know of that anxiety can physically contribute to gerd, I have read that stress actually relaxes the sphincter at the top of the stomach allowing contents out. Another thing is the physical tension in your body as a result of stress and panic can put pressure on your stomach and either cause a hernia or just reflux. So tackling the stress and anxiety can have a positive impact on the Gerd, it may not eliminate it but it shouldn't feel as if you're dying at least. One thing that greatly helped me was progressive muscle relaxation tapes, there are some on YouTube you can try. It is a process of physically consciously relaxing your body to alleviate the symptoms of stress and can also help reduce pain levels. Anxiety causes us to become more sensitive to pain so relaxing has the opposite effect.

If it is so troublesome I would also suggest some medication for the anxiety, having panic attacks is no way to live and there are a lot of medicines that can reduce it that will complement relaxation exercises well. Once I started both of these I noticed a profound difference in my mental state. It took longer for the actual pain to die down though so don't be disheartened if you don't notice results fast, but once you learn how to consciously relax it helps you deal with everything better. Whilst it isn't possible to force the mind to relax, it is possible to force the body to relax and this has a knock on effect on the mind.

Now for the Gerd itself, make sure your diet is bland and clean, even if anxiety is causing your Gerd diet will still make a difference to how you feel. Be careful with the quantity of food and liquids too. It is a bit of experimentation at first but things to definitely avoid are alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, soft drinks, milk, chocolate, mint, citrus fruits ,onions, garlic, spicey food. You'll probably find other things that make it worse, be sure to take note of what you eat and what makes you feel bad.
Posted 8/27/2015 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much. I don't feel as crazy now
Posted 8/27/2015 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Your not crazy, I've been where you are and unfortunately I had no one to tell me what was happening, I went for 5 months with Drs telling me it was all in my head and anxiety before I finally had an endoscopy and it showed my hiatus hernia, which after reading up a bit I found out about GERD and realized that was what was causing all my symptoms. Them telling me it was anxiety gave me a really serious anxiety problem itself, I was terrified of feeling anxious because I thought if I did I would never get better, which obviously is a vicious circle and fear of fear just leaves you constantly afraid.

Tackling the anxiety is important of course, but don't let them tell you its all in your head, its the standard answer a Dr gives when they really don't know whats wrong. A friend of mine had a Dr tell her for years her pain was in her head until fibromyalgia became more widely known about and she was diagnosed with it. All Drs are the same tbh.
Posted 8/27/2015 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
Scary and crazy that they get paid that amount of money to tell us NOTHING.
Posted 8/27/2015 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I did too was told it's anxiety. Most doctor's say the same. I was diagnosed with GERD June 14 but after that my regular doctor told me this need to stop and I have to take Anxiety pills. When your doctor says so, you start feeling it is anxiety. It's sad knowing that after all these years, most doctor's just don't know how to cure GERD. GERD has a horrible feeling that caused me to be anxious. It's associated with breathing problems and all kind of discomfort. The pain is so different that you do not know what to do. My doctor did not even care that most anxiety medication can cause acidity in the stomach. I read the side effects on my anxiety meds. and If I have taken it, could cause me no good in the long run.
Same thing with Andy1986, I feel same way about some doctors now on tackling GERD.

Sad but it's true, paid so much money on the insurance but they will find a way to find something else.
God Bless.
Posted 8/27/2015 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
But why does my arms always hurt and feel tight. I don't have any health problems but GERD and anxiety, so why do I think its always heart related. I have so much gas and acid its ridiculous. I'm tired of pain and feeling panicky
Posted 8/29/2015 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
I used to get panicky all the time from it too. The arm problems are a bit puzzling, but the anxiety will ease over time, at least it did for me. At some point u get used to these odd feelings and they no longer worry u because uv been through them before and u just know nothing bad will happen.

Try doing some progressive muscle relaxation when it happens, hopefully it will relieve the symptoms of u as it often does for me.
Posted 8/29/2015 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
I used to get panic attacks before a speech, or going over high bridges, or on long road trips. Turns out it was stomach acid and gerd. Now when I feel a twinge coming on, I pop an antacid or two and it knocks it right down. I also saw my doc and worked out some lifestyle changes (diet, exercise). I'm functionally cured, never had to go on any med stronger than tums. Haven't had a single episode in almost 6 months.
Posted 8/29/2015 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
As for your arms and tightness, you have to realize that the vagus nerve bundle controls a whole bunch of functions in your chest, abdomen, and upper body, and it's the nerve bundle that gets most affected by acid reflux. I used to get heart palpitations and tight breathing. Not any more.
Posted 8/30/2015 12:16 PM (GMT 0)
Wow thanks guys you all made me feel so much better. A whole lot better
Posted 8/31/2015 8:16 PM (GMT 0)

Sweetred said...
But why does my arms always hurt and feel tight. I don't have any health problems but GERD and anxiety, so why do I think its always heart related. I have so much gas and acid its ridiculous. I'm tired of pain and feeling panicky

Middleaged is correct, not only about the vagus nerve but there are a much a nerves that intertwine that connect your heart and your digestive system.  There is a clear cardio-esophageal connection that medical science is just barely beginning to understand. 

When I had my first esophageal spasm I thought I was having a heart attack and I was rushed to urgent care.  When I had my first bad GERD attack I also thought I was having a heart attack.  Needless to say, I've been to the ER 6 times since 2011, though now when I go, I know I'm not having a heart attack.

In some people, when GERD strikes they develop symptoms that can feel very much like a heart attack because whatever is irritating the nerves down there can impact the nerves that go through our upper body, including our arms, head, chest, etc. 

This is why when you have these symptoms you should always get it checked out and make certain is it not your heart.   Once it's established that your heart is fine, then they should check other things.

Posted 9/1/2015 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Have any of you experienced light headedness from this? I started a conversation about the drugs they use to treat esophagitis and would love your input there.
As far as the chest pain, i know that i have been told that the inside of your body doesnt know how to "feel", so pain that feels like it is your heart may very well be your esophagus.
Posted 9/1/2015 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Yes ligheadednss always happen to me
Posted 9/1/2015 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
Lightheadedness is very common with anxiety, its possible to hyperventilate without having the shortness of breath normally associated with anxiety, do you find your fingers or toes get tingly or numb as well?

Make sure you do get the anxiety side of things checked as well because some of the stuff you've described sounds like classic anxiety, and it can get very debilitating if left unchecked. Also anxiety can have a MAJOR impact on your digestive tract.

When I first started having anxiety attacks they came on hard and fast, a few times a day. I would have hot flashes, start sweating, get crippling stomach pains and instantly feel the need for a bowel movement, it got so bad that any time I had to go out somewhere I was mentally mapping out where the nearest toilets were at each point along the journey and if there was the potential to be any times where I was more than 5 mins from one I would just stay home. Naturally when I did go out this made me more anxious worrying that I would have an anxiety attack (though at this stage I didn't know thats what was happening). At its worst point I was essentially a shut in, was malnourished because I was too scared to eat anything thinking this might help (it didn't) and exhausted.

Once anxiety was found to be the cause, and I got treated (yes I chose medication as well as therapy) I haven't had anxiety attacks to that level again. I'm also acutely aware of when I am anxious, still get a little belly niggle, so I know to focus on my breathing and try to rationalise what is around me and why I am anxious. A big part of anxiety is that it sets off the flight/fight response, so your body gets into a state to do either, and one part of that is that it reroutes control of your digestive tract so having problems like mine or in the form of nausea, vomiting, increased acid etc. are all really common.

The other reason to get it conclusively checked is that doctors will continue to attribute things to anxiety unless proven otherwise. In saying this though, if you are diagnosed with anxiety you really need to get in tune with how you are feeling, because they will be quick to blame it for anything they can't immediately diagnose. Some of my LPR symptoms - shortness of breath, lump in throat - as well as the still unexplained tachychardia I have were all attributed to anxiety at first, but the LPR was conclusively proven to have irritated my airways to the point of asthma-like symptoms, and the tachychardia was witnessed while I was under anesthetic, and as my dr reluctantly confirmed after trying to pass it off as anxiety, it is IMPOSSIBLE to experience anxiety while under a general anesthetic.

Sorry if this has got you worried about it, but it is for the best in the long run that you address the potential of anxiety as well as continuing to investigate GERD. Both can really ruin your life if left unchecked.

If you have any questions about my experience just ask, I'm happy to answer anything about it.
Posted 9/2/2015 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Yesss thank u so much and im and was all the above. I did exactly the same things and keep chanting "my faith is bigger than my fears" your absolutely right. In too intouch with my body and thats the problem. To avoid ER visits I turn to dr google in which makes it worst. I definitely improved over the weeks and ive seen my GI dr and my neurologist. ..and cardiologist just to make sure they haven't missed anything.
Posted 9/2/2015 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Oh dr google is the worst. I try to resist but its so hard when you are waiting for appointments or results!

I'm glad you have gotten improvement, sometimes it just takes answers, waiting to find out whats wrong is awful it stirs up anxiety in even the most calm people.

You sound just like me, I'm way too aware of whats going on in my body and I've had to learn not to freak out at any odd things that happen.

You've seen the right trio of doctors who can check all the important stuff for you. I hope you are getting some good help from them.
Posted 9/2/2015 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Do ever feel like its always your heart.? Knowing good and well your not sick? Yea thats me. Smh
Posted 9/3/2015 4:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all, I am new to these forums but have found all this thread interesting. I have been having constant chest pain for almost a year now. My symptoms are similar to what most of you have said. But the main ones are constant chest pain( some days worse than others), feeling that my breathing is restricted and discomfort with my skin on my lower back, it is like the nerves just under the skin is really sensitive. I have had chest xrays , stress test on my heart everything shows up fine. Are these the symptoms you all have for LPR?
Posted 9/3/2015 9:29 AM (GMT 0)
desy, it could be GERD, but could be other things as well. You say it feels like its near the surface, does it hurt to touch or press on your ribs? This is not typical of GERD which is pain inside the rib cage which can radiate through to the back as well, but usually the skin isn't sensitive to touch. What you're describing could be costochondritis. If you are just referring to the skin on your lower back then I would think that is a separate issue to the chest pain as I've never heard of GERD causing that kind of symptom.

If they have ruled out heart problems then GERD and costochondritis are the only real two causes of prolonged chest pain that I can think of, but I'm not a doctor.
Posted 9/3/2015 9:33 AM (GMT 0)
Sweetred, I at times get actual stinging pains in my heart from GERD, like a big needle is being stuck in. That's in addition to the skipped beats or palpitations. Luckily PPIs help a lot with that for me and now it rarely troubles me, but GERD can have all sorts of effects on the heart. It used to bother me a lot and I would always be stressing about my heart, but over time that has eased a lot and it barely crosses my mind any more.

So don't worry, it will pass, just need to accept you will have anxiety about it for a little while and try to do what you can to stay relaxed and not let it have too great an impact on your life. Over time the worries will fade and hopefully the symptoms will ease too.
Posted 9/3/2015 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the feedback Andy. It doesn't hurt to press on my ribs. It is just the skin on my lower back area that feels sensitive. I am really interested to know if gerd causes constant chest pain or if it just comes and goes in other sufferers?
Posted 9/3/2015 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Mine varies, sometimes it is constant for a few weeks, other times it comes and goes during the day. I think both are quite normal. I think the back thing is probably something separate to GERD.
Posted 9/4/2015 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
Mines is possibly cervical radiucolpathy . My neck chest shoulders and arm hurts like hell. Hopefully the MRI reveals something that causes this pain
Posted 9/4/2015 10:03 AM (GMT 0)
Both my LPR and anxiety can feel like its coming from my heart. I hope you find some answers from the MRI
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