CONSTANT Belching- Driving me Nuts!

Hi guys.

I've been having chest pains and belching for the past year or so. I've had IBS for many years. I've finally figured out most of my IBS issues and I eat a very strict diet which is dairy, sugar, gluten, red meat and processed food free.

My IBS is mostly under control (pains and constipation is 90% better) however my troubling symptom now is the CONSTANT belching as well as the shortness of breath and chest pains I experience with it. Sometimes I feel like the trapped air is choking me. A few times the air has bubbled up and left me unable to breathe for a short time. That was scary.

It doesn't matter if my tummy is empty or full, the belching is an every day, nearly nonstop thing. Sometimes after a meal I will not belch for awhile but it doesn't last long.

I have seen a GI and had an endoscopy. It came back fine. He checked for h pylori, no infection.

I'm not on any meds because I'm really hopeful I can treat this with diet. I'm starting to lose hope though.

Once I belch I sometimes (but not always) feel a bit of relief. It doesn't last long. I also have shortness of breath where I can't get that deep relieving breath. I have chest pains as well that was diagnosed as costocondritis but I believe it is more related to the GERD. I also get random pains in my shoulders.

I do not get heartburn since I quit eating sugar and wheat (I used to get it when eating these foods). Every day I have a lump in my throat but it is not constant.

The air often feels like it's "leaking" up my airway. I never used to burp before and to burp I often have to outstretch my neck in a strange way to let the air bubble up.

I believe it may be related to my gallbladder?? I had what I believe is a gallbladder attack in September after a night of heavy drinking and a morning of fatty food. The belching has been so much worse since then. After the gallbladder attack I was unable to eat for 5 days and could barely talk as I would run out of breath.

THey found an 8cm polyp in my gallbladder but no stones. Every day my gallbladder feels "tender" but its not outright painful.

Does anyone else have GERD without the typical heartburn and reflux? What has helped? I am going CRAZY. Apple cider vinegar seems to help when its really bad but I don't want to rely on that every day.

If you are getting any relief from the apple cider vinegar, then you are probably dealing with low stomach acid. Low stomach acid can cause excessive belching and GERD. If the stomach acid is too low it causes delayed gastric emptying where food is staying in your stomach too long.

You can always be tested for delayed gastric emptying. It is an out patient procedure.

I constantly burp almost as often as I inhale and exhale. I'm told some of that is the body compensating for re-fluxing. When my nissen fundoplication was a success for about a year and a half, the burping problem went away completely. When I started refluxing again, the burping stated again. At least that's how it was for me. I find sucking on hard candy, or anything that helps swallow constantly helps a little bit. Obviously doesn't solve the problem in the least. I also enjoy the apple cider vinegar.

Post Edited (Diaas2) : 10/6/2015 11:56:25 AM (GMT-6)