I'm getting rather desperate now. I'm only 22 and I've never had a long running history of problems until just 10 months ago, I developed serious hypochondria about
my heart. Once that was cleared up, I began getting symptoms of acid reflux 8 months ago including:
- Burning throat even after drinking water or following diets such as Dr Kouffman's Reflux Diet
- Constant throat clearing
- Occasional sore throats/heartburn
- Sheer depression
- Constant belching if I so much as wiggle.
Tests taken include:
- Barium Swallow (clear)
- Endoscopy (clear)
- ENT scope (clear)
I'm on Cimetidine and Gaviscon Advance which stop the burning but nothing else, and what scares me is the moment I stop them, everything comes back. Worst of all, the Cimetidine is only 400mg and it doesn't last all day. I'm on edge all day worrying what foods will make me worse, or when the symptoms will return. Sometimes they happen at the start of the day, before I even eat or drink anything. Sometimes they don't happen when I eat bad foods, other times they happen one day but not the other, even if I eat EXACTLY THE SAME foods at exactly the same times. I already undertake all the lifestyle changes too, and I can't afford the 24 hour pH test, let alone the £8000 LINX surgery; I can barely afford medical insurance.
What can I do? Can anxiety/stress alone CAUSE reflux issues? I don't mean can it worsen them, because that is obvious in its own right, I mean has anything proven that stress can cause GERD and/or LPR? Is it guaranteed to be a lifelong problem? I'm really scared that it is, I don't want to suffer for over 60 years ;(
Post Edited (Daxter) : 9/2/2013 10:03:48 AM (GMT-6)