Posted 12/30/2013 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone, I know it's a lot to read and if you don't want to, there is a list of questions below.
I have been having reflux issues for the past 6 months or so and have been back and fourth to doctors trying to figure out what is going on. My symptoms started in the mid summer, after I developed a rather bad cough that lasted a week or two. Not sure if they are related at all. My symptoms were really bad in the beginning, I had severe nausea, throat issues and burped constantly, I lost a little over 20 pounds in under 2 months. I tried omeprazole that my doctor prescribed and it made my symptoms worse, I would reflux large amounts into my mouth after eating, and my nausea would get more severe. Is it weird that my reflux is very rarely acidic? I often have very mild tasting reflux.
My current symptoms are excessive burping, and reflux constantly coming up to my upper esophagus (it feels like it is hitting a wall, which i assume is the upper esophageal sphincter, and waits there. It is at a point that I can easily force it up). When I lay on my side and bend up and prop myself on my arm I almost always reflux. I have very little pain.
I was sent to a GI doctor who has made me take all sorts of tests and has been mainly focusing on my gallbladder and the tubes around it. My gallbladder empties a little bit slower than normal too, but not that much. They have found a spot on my scans in my biliary tract and I am now currently awaiting results from another scan that is supposed to look more in depth to find out what it may be.
Anyways I have a handful of questions:
Can my gallbladder or biliary tract be causing reflux this severe? Is it most likely not related?(let's say at least 50 times a day)
Is it weird having reflux that is not very acidic? What could be the cause of this? Sometimes it is acidic, but for the most part it is very mild.
If this is LPR, will it get worse or better as I age?
I seem to have more trouble with raw vegetables that produce gas (brussel sprouts, kale, etc.) than the normal foods that are on the "don't eat this" lists. Does this mean anything?
I will not have insurance soon, so I don't know what I'm going to do as they have been very focused on deciding if I need my gallbladder out or not, but that might not even be the cause of the problems I am facing.
When I tell my GI that the reflux and burping are my biggest complaints and that I am not sure it is the gallbladder, he implies (without saying directly) that it is pretty much all in my head if it isn't the gallbladder. He has mentioned in passing a few times that these things can be caused by depression or anxiety, but I don't think I was depressed or anxious until I started having these particular problems.
If anyone has any insight on my issues and what I should do, any advice or opinions are welcome.