Hello,
I am new to this forum and found it out of a sheer act of desperation. I'm 22 years old and was diagnosed with GERD about a year ago. I returned from a trip to Europe with a persistent sore throat and was told by an ENT I had acid spilling into my larynx. After that I was put on prilosec, which did nothing. I made an appointment with a gastro doc and that was the beginning of what has become a very difficult journey. So far, I've had two scopes, which have both shown severe inflamation of the esophogus and esophogitis. My throat is "fire engine red" as my doctor puts it, yet he could find no evidence of any ulcers, hernias, parasites, or anything wrong with my LES. It seems my only problem is an extreme overabundance of acid. The doctor says that he has been seeing more and more young patients who have no other symptoms other than the acid and esophogitis. He's also told me that many of his young patients are resistent to the usual drug therapy used for GERD. For instance, I have taken Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, Zegerid, Reglan, and Carafate. Not a single one has done anything to improve my symptoms. Every single holiday this year has been ruined by my acid reflux. At Christmas I drank champagne and threw up in my mouth for three days. I live in New Orleans, and my Mardi Gras ended with horrible pain and vomiting. My sister's visit (who I hadn't seen in a year) was marked by a throat pain so severe that I could barely speak the entire time she was here. I'm just so tired of being in pain. Lately I have been trying desperately to avoid the foods that cause my acid reflux, which basically consists of anything citrus or spicy. Also no caffiene (thats the worse). Whenever I am no eating those foods I still have a persistent and never ending sore throat. However, if I even so much as LOOK at one of the trigger foods I get horrible horrible flare ups. My throat will swell to where it's hard to breath and most of the pain is located in my tonsils and larynx. (Upper esophogus) The other night I ate a dish I made that happened to have some spices and a little bit of curry in it. The next day I woke up in severe pain. A look at my throat revealed swollen-red tonsils and yellow and white pus. Although this may look like a throat infection I am convinced that the acid reflux is making it easier for such things to occur. There has not been a day when I have not been in pain and I literally am having nervous breakdowns from this disorder. I've cried the past three days from the pain and the sheer hopelessness of my situation. The doctor can find nothing particularly wrong with me and he insists that he doesn't believe that GERD in stress related. I somewhat disagree however. I'm 22 years old, graduating from college this year (which means I have to decide what to do with my life), I'm also buying a house, getting married, and I have a 2 and a half year old son. My stress level has been immense since I got pregnant, so much so that last year I broke out in shingles from it. Yes a young woman broke out in horrible shingles for no apparent reason. I have suffered from severe anxiety all of my life and I can't imagine it doesn't have SOMETHING to do with this. I'm very scared and I feel very alone. NO ONE seems to know what this is like, and no one seems to have the same horrible horrible throat afflictions I am having. I'm scared to eat and this is ruining my life. When I get married in May I have no idea where my honeymoon is going to be because I can't go anywhere where the food may be too irritating. I'm scared. I'm scared that this will ruin all the special moments in my life and that the doctor will never be able to control it and someday I'll get cancer and die from this.
I understand if no one can help me but I would love to just hear from someone who has experienced somethign similar.
Thank you,
dvh