GERD and anxiety

aajohn390

New Member

Joined : Mar 2017

Posts : 1

Posted 3/6/2017 1:50 PM (GMT 0)

Hello all, thought I'd finally post my story. I'm a 27 year old female who has had stomach problems and panic disorder since I was 19. I've had every test imaginable. When I was younger they thought it was my gallbladder because of where the pain was located, but it turned out to be birth control pills messing with my body. I then developed heart palpitations that I take .5 mg bystolic for, which definitely works. I was told by my cardiologist and multiplied other doctors when I was younger that I was having panic attacks and needed to seek mental health help. I've been going to therapy and taking a low dose of xanax ever since then. My panic attacks can be paralyzing, but in general I now know how to keep them under control... unless my stomach starts acting up.

When I was 23 I started having ibs issues. I felt horrible everyday and no doctor could figure me out. I went off of a hunch from an allergic reaction to almonds that I had that maybe this was all allergies. Turns out I'm allergic to EVERYTHING. I immediately cut out all of my allergens and when I had a colonoscopy/endoscopy done I was told everything looked normal, with mild inflammation.

I started to feel somewhat better until about a year later when I started getting horrible gnawing pains in my upper stomach. I was bent over in agony and missing work. I went to our employee doctor and he gave me sucralafate for gastritis. I used it for two months and went through anxiety, stomach pain hell.

I had a second scope done when this pain wouldn't go away and was diagnosed with esophagitis I. I modified my diet, some, since then and have tried to be more aware of my limitations with food.

Since then I have developed acid reflux from hell. I haven't had a good night of sleep in a month. Waking up with a gnawing burning pain regurgitating stomach acid. I take some pep to or tums and sit up straight for hours drinking water, then comes the extreme pain in the upper stomach. Usually this is followed by a large bowel movement and it takes all day to start feeling better. On bad days I have pain in my chest that never subsides. I take 2 150 mg of ranitidine daily and have been back to my doctor who is stumped.

Any suggestions?

RefluxPT

New Member

Joined : Jan 2017

Posts : 6

Posted 3/6/2017 6:13 PM (GMT 0)

aajohn. Real familiar, both the symptoms and lack of control. Great to see there is nothing serious wrong. Doesn't keep us from worrying doe sit.

This is a downward spiral that may or may not start from injury on illness, stress leads to lack of sleep, which reduces our ability to control our stress, we dont exercise so we have even less energy. Then we sensitize, to everything. Cant explain the palpitations but mine have come and gone for 25 years.

This is a reflux forum but his self perpetuating cycle has to be addressed at every point in the cycle.

First, the reflux. Here is an article I recently quoted at a national conference. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26227494. Its the first long term study on reflux control. Its as simple as abdominal breathing often. Which happens to be the same exercise recommneded for.....

2) relaxation. Mindful breathing also has been shown to help reduce stress levels but when done with abd breathing, again, refocuses off stressors.

3) IBS. Look up "central sensitization" anywhere you can. IBS is basically fibromyalgia of the gut. And it has a love of overlapping symptoms with fibromyalgia: lack of sleep, depression, pain, no energy. All sorts of tests are done that show nothing in either case, which should relax us, but doesn't. We are now learning its not muscles, or stomach, its a central nervous system reconditioning. And it can be reconditioned if we quit feeding the fire.

4) dont miss work. Getting to work will keep your mind off your symptoms at least to some degree it will also reduce the deconditioing issue that can accomany this. Will also help with sleep cycle if you can avoid naps during the day. This leads to...

5) sleep enhancement. Look up tips for this and follow them. A few good nights sleep may be the quickest way to you seeing how quickly to reduce your symptoms and give you more energy.

6) they are sensations really, more than symptoms. but nothing appears to be wrong from all the testing you have had done.

7) no crazy execise, just walk, with your favorite music.

thats too long a list.

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