Posted 6/5/2017 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hello!
A little bit of background:
-19 years old
-Had GERD for around 2 years
-Slightly Sedentary lifestyle from studying
-Easily stressed
-Chest pain near sternum, primarily on left side
-No family history, no known congestive illnesses
I'm 19 years old, had GERD for around 2 years and I'm noticing some rather disturbing new symptoms. See, it used to just be chest pain and belching, but I'm starting to have tachycardia during times of GI distress. Whenever I feel bloated or horrible, it seems to directly correlate my stomach with sinus tachycardia(90 and up to 140 during severe events). It later regresses into a bradycardia when my stomach is empty. There are times when my stomach seems to just stop moving and the tachycardia lasts indefinitely and disappears at a later time(gets worse if I eat during the tachy).
I've never smoked, I obviously don't drink, but if anything, I've been rather sedentary from schoolwork. I'm a rather anxious person and since GERD took over my life, I have been very tired all day, get random bouts of brady or tachycardia through the day, lightheaded and in a rather bad mood.
I've done EKGs, echocardiograms, blood tests, x-rays, endoscopies, 24-hour holters...
Nothing showed up whatsoever. Not even PVCs or PACs.
I feel horribly for my parents as I feel as though my illness is causing them much distress and difficulty. No one seems to know what's wrong with me.
The breathlessness comes and goes, so does the tachycardia and it's entirely paroxysmal. Sometimes it's horrible, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. It seems to depend on how I feel after eating. My body reacts really sensitively to adrenaline so it kind of throws my whole system off for a few days.
The only option I could possibly think of is autonomic dysfunction, but I don't have a history of any disease, let alone diabetes. I took a blood test and EKG while my heart was racing, but nothing showed up aside from a lowered amount of testosterone and sinus tachycardia.
The anxiety and emotional difficulty that comes from this is worse than the symptoms themselves. I find myself hoping that my racing heart would just stop and it'd be all over. My parents have given up and think that the whole issue is anxiety.
I haven't touched any drugs aside from nexium and omeprazole(which made me feel worse and belch even more).
Every morning is sluggish(and I keep waking at after 6 hours of sleep) and I suffer chest pain from esophageal spasms.
I wanted to attend university this year, but I can't help but watch as my entire future collapses before my eyes.
I can't study from the brain fog, and constant fatigue. Eating just makes it worse. I have no idea what to test for or what to do. Feel as though I have to just wait until the symptoms get bad enough that I collapse and get hospitalized for "anxiety".