New GERD Patient Advice

Hey all, I'm CatMan92 and I've just recently been diagnosed with GERD recently and would like some tips from fellow people if that's alright.

For me, it started about a couple weeks ago when I was starting to feel a sore sensation between my shoulder blades and at my chest. I work in a warehouse, so I thought I was just sore and let it be. Soon after that I started to feel pressure and pain at my chest, not knowing exactly what was going on. I took ibuprofin (not the best idea in hindsight) to deal with the pain and went about my buisness. Soon after, my symptoms only got worse and I wound up in the hospital last night with chest and back pains, belching, a lump like feeling in my throat, and a lack of an appetite. They ran a EKG test on me and my heart was fine, as was my blood. However they noticed my reflux symptoms and came to a decision that I had GERD.

I'm going to be seeing my primary in a week, and a GI doctor in about 3 weeks to discuss a endoscopy. The issue with waiting for this specialist is that I can barely sleep with the symptoms that I've been having. Whenever I try to sleep, I can feel my heart jump after a while, which wakes me up in the night. It's been this way for 2 nights, and I was wondering if someone has had the same expereince as me with the palpatations? I do have some anxiety, and this situation is new for me, so I'm hoping I'm not going crazy!

SharonZ said...
Heart palpitations are very common with GERD. You can start by following a GERD-friendly diet and keeping a food diary to see if you can pinpoint your trigger foods. As you probably know, anxiety can cause/make your symptoms seem worse. Your primary doctor may prescribe some medication to get you some relief. Since you've only had symptoms for a few weeks, you may not need an endoscopy yet. You could try and take something like O-T-C Pepcid before bedtime.

Hang in there,
Sharon

Well its nice to know that its common, luckily when I took some medicine last night I was able to get it under control just enough to get some rest. So far I've figured out my trigger foods are butter and cured foods so far. Unfortunately you're absolutely correct about the anxiety aspect of it, unfrotunately for me I already have a preexisting anxiety disorder that sometimes drives me mad with all of this. Not to mention I also have pre-existing asthma, which the GERD weirdly likes to replicate, even if my lungs are fine, drives me crazy. When I went to the hopsital the dcotor there perscribed me the stronger dose of zantac, and that's been working pretty well. If I'm lucky, it might just be a case of esophagitis and I might be ok in the long run. I just wish the back and chest tightness would give at times lol.

I've been an anxious mess over this new development honestly, but I'm coping with it day by day and slowly starting to get my hunger back. Thank you for the reply Sharon, its much appreciated. Have a wonderful night
-Robert

Ive been having very similar symptoms. Having the chest pains, asthma, bad throat pain from inflammation, tight throat as well. I initially thought asthma, allergic type reaction which is horrible for my anxiety. I went to the ER too and they didnt see anything wrong on a neck CT. I finally had an ENT appt and she found redness near ny esophagus. I just started on Protonix and hoping this goes away soon.

Try looking up a GERD Diet. Elevate your head for sleep. Try not eating 2-3 hours before sleep.
Those ideas may help enough before you get to see your Gastrointestinal Md.
I hope you feel better! I know what the burning chest pain feels like. 😞