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this GERD thing !!!!

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 4/3/2006 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
 Hey Everyone

I Know you lot are a very supportive bunch so I am hoping that I will get a lot of replies to this one. :-)

I have been bothered on and off for several years with my stomach, just for short periods at a time and usually when stressed. However in December after several months of anxiety/depression my doc put me on prozac and after about a week on it my stomach really started to give me serious grief, the burning at times made me feel like i was on fire, doc gave me zantac which didnt touch it, some days i couldnt even bear to eat, (you will all know what i mean). After 8 weeks on prozac my doc changed me to mirtazepine and my stomach settled down a whole lot. My symptoms now are not so bad and zantac now helps me, and i can go several days without taking anything,if i watch what i eat etc etc and other times i have mild indigestion/acid heartburn no matter what, but no where near as bad as it was over x mas. My doc reckons i have acid reflux and or a hiatus hernia and has arranged a scope for me to settled my anxiety. the problem is my anxiety,i have myself convinced that these symptoms i am suffering from must be something  nasty, either gastric or eosophageal. I want to make it clear to you all that i am not posting on here so that you guys can tell me i havnt got anything sinister coz i know that you cant do that, what i am hoping for is that you can tell me that some of you people have felt symptoms similiar to mine and that you dont have anything going on at present, so i guess that means that i am looking for just a bit of support, sorry for long post i hope you have managed to bear with me.

Nell

ps

this one is for Norm,I do find it does help when i cut down on carbs

Posted 4/3/2006 10:19 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry to hear your having such problems . Iwent through the acid reflux & anxiety 5yrs ago . I drove my DR. & everyone around me crazy . I really feel for you if you are getting the responce that I got from DR's husband &friend's.Hang in there I was on meds 6mo. & it stopped as fast as it came. Don't fool yourself though I thought I could stop all meds & never worry about it . 5yrs. latter I'm back on meds & wished I would have started them sooner.I just had gallb. removed . diagnosed with IBS & gerd. but I know it will get better just can't believe it is worse this time!!!
Posted 4/5/2006 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for your reply, its funny how some posts get more replies than others,i guess its just your luck or how interesting your post is, anyway thanks for taking the time to reply,i have been so much better since starting on a small dose of ppi,just have the worry know lol
Posted 4/5/2006 5:40 PM (GMT 0)

Nell, sorry you're having such a rough time.  My heartburn started 5 years ago when I was going through a very stressful time (and also bending over and lifting a lot), and I began having stomach pains, fatigue, nausea, etc. etc. over a year ago, again in a stressful period.  I'm sure anxiety is one of the causes of this disorder. It's hard to explain how awful you feel to someone who doesn't have these symptoms.  I'm much better since starting a low-carb diet, and I'm now finally off prescription drugs.  I've heard that anti-depression drugs can aggravate the condition.  Don't know that first-hand, though. 

For sure, relaxation techniques help.  I find a good long walk is the best therapy for relieving my anxiety.  Cheap, too.  I also take magnesium supplements, which help me relax and sleep at night. The low-carb diet seems to even out my moods. I'm much calmer now -- no more sugar highs and lows.  I don't know if any of this will help you.  Everybody is different.  Hope you get some relief soon.

Seagal 

Posted 4/5/2006 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nell,
May I ask how old you are?
All my problems started when I began going through menopause. I was on HRT for several years, which seemed to make the GERD worse.
Yes, I had the severe anxiety too. No matter what symptoms I got, I thought they were terminal. I guess after a few years of that, I realized that it hadn't killed me yet, so I wouldn't freak out as much.
Anyhow.....just want to give you a hug, and tell you that yes, I've been through what you're going through and I'm still here! But I still do go through spells where I get severely panicked over symptoms.........I think it's hormone fluctuations.
You WILL get through this. You just have to find those things that make you feel better, and accept that there are times when you feel like poop.....but they will pass too. Hang in there!
Posted 4/5/2006 9:03 PM (GMT 0)

 Cathy

im almost 41 so am at the age when things are starting to happen hormonaly and i think your right that it can make things worse.

thanks for the replies folks i really appreciate it.

Nell

Posted 4/5/2006 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Nell -

I'm 46 and going through the same thing. I have GERD/Gastritis and terrible anxiety. This started mid December with what I thought was an allergic reaction - felt like my throat was closing. I ended up in the ER twice in 3 days because I got so panicked Unfortunately, they ER doc listened too much to my description and didn't look at the symptoms (like no swelling in my throat even though it felt like it was). I didn't start getting GERD treatment for a week or so (and was on prednisone which made me a crazy woman).

Since then I've been having lots of problems with the GERD/Gastritis and all the meds. I'm anxious and neurotic about the whole thing. This morning I had vision problems (zig zagging lines, couldn't read the words on the screen,shimmering) and woke my poor husband up from a sound sleep demanding he take me in to the Drs NOW! It improved after 45 minutes and we went to the Dr later. Found out it's a migraine aura. I spoke with another friend this afternoon - she's having them too. Her doc said it's classic for the start of menopause.

After reading your posts, I think that the GERD/Gastritis must be hormonal too. Makes me feel so much better to know it's not just me! The anxiety is almost as bad as the pain.

about 6 weeks before this began I started having episodes of flushing. Not hot, not sweating, just turning bright red. My Dr diagnosed rosacea but I've wondered from the beginning if this is hormonal.

Thanks so much for posting - it helps to know this may just be a hormonal storm....

Take care.

-Karen
Posted 4/6/2006 10:14 PM (GMT 0)

CathyA said...
Yes, I had the severe anxiety too. No matter what symptoms I got, I thought they were terminal. I guess after a few years of that, I realized that it hadn't killed me yet, so I wouldn't freak out as much.


Cathy, you sound like me. My mind would be my own worst enemy. If I had a sudden headache, I'd think it's an aneurysm. A muscular pain in my arm automatically became a heart attack. I don't understand why I got so panicky.

I'm trying to train myself not to worry so much. :)
Posted 4/10/2006 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all
its good to know there are so many people out there that feel the same way, i am so convinced that mine cant be GERD it has to be something more sinister, i get a touch of a sore back with mine but im not sure if its just muscular due to all the tension that i get from always holding my back and chest muscles so tense. All will be revealed when i get my scope. Mind you you would think that if i had something really serious i wouldnt be able to eat all that i eat (im gaining wght not losing), hope you are all coping
Nell
Posted 7/4/2010 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
I'm 47, very fit and out going...my life has drastically changed. I originally thought I had alergies and/or athsma. Doc gave me Advair. Then the MAJOR panic attacks because I couldn't breath. Then we suspected that I had GERD and aspirating into my lungs. My hormone levels had dropped so they put me on HRT. Several trips to ER and 911 called. They all said hormones do the weirdest things. Then the yeast infection in my mouth flared up from the Advair and the HRT kicked it into full force. I thought it was the HRT prempro and stopped it. Rollercoaster effect w/the panic attacks doing that! They xrayed my lungs (which I was sure I had cancer) they were clear and put me on Nexium and Diflucan for the yeast. My stomach TOTALLY blew up and hasn't been the same since. I stopped the Diflucan after 2 days and swiched to Nistatin swish. When back on the HRT patch and 25mg zoloft. Panics have now settled but this GERD is out of control. To the point where I feel I can't go anywhere afraid I will have a bad attack and can't breath. I have also been switched to estrodial and progesteron. The Nexium almost killed me. My stomach hurt so bad, rummbled all the time, made my lungs feel heavy and tongue soooo dry. I switched to Prilosec and it's not much better. I seem to do the best (which isn't much) with Maalox liquid. Thinking of trying Zantax tomorrow. I don't think I can do the PPI's.
Now that I've seen all these posts, I really don't think this GERD thing was this bad until I started the HRT.
I'm not sure if the HRT or zoloft is helping w/the panics and anxiety and I'm sort of afraid to stop the HRT.
This has been soooo depressing and frustrating. Everyone looks at me like I'm a nut, but my body seems to be sensitive to these drugs.
Has anyone tried just zoloft instead of the HRT - or is there an HRT that is less causing of this terrible GERD?
Posted 7/4/2010 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW,
Sorry you're having so many problems. Stress does cause GERD to flare up worse.
What kind of testing have you had? Barium swallow, EGD, Motilty, or BRAVO (aka: ph test)?
H. Pylori testing might be needed to see if the advair caused it to develop.
Some people have to try different PPIs and H2 blockers to find the right mix. There are some people who can't handle them and have to go forward with surgery.

We also have a great anxiety forum here. Feel free to post there, too.
I'm one of the ones who have had the surgery and am doing very well.

Please post an introduction thread, because this is a very old thread and the people posted here are long gone. Your posting maybe ignored because people may think they have already read it.

Joy
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