New Here and Miserable!

Hi - I've been reading this forum for a couple weeks now and its helped to see that I'm not alone with GERD but everyday has been a struggle and it seems to be getting worse. Originally I went to the ER in January b/c I was having a hard time breathing. My chest was tight and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. They said my breathing was fine, chest x-ray and soft tissue of neck was fine and prescribed me steroids and antibiotics for supposed post nasal drip - the steroids did seem to help after a week or so and I was feeling back to normal. Then about 6 weeks ago and started again and much worse. I was experiencing the difficulty breathing, tight chest, lump in throat and constant clearing my throat and burping was the only thing that would relieve it. In fact it feels like it just keeps welling up until I make myself burp and relieve some of the pressure, if that makes sense. But, also when I burp whatever I ate or drank seems to come back up and bending over makes it happen to. I've never been able to burp in my life except during my pregnancies and after my last one in 2004, the burping never went away. It wasn't bad though (or so I thought) and I was a bit proud that I could burp now! But it clued me in to find this message board and start reading up on GERD. I went to my doc and she prescribed me Nexium which I've been taking for 5 weeks and honestly, I don't think it's any better and seems to be getting worse. At first I was on 40mg in the morning. She told me to wait until about 11am before my lunch before taking it, but I couldn't stand it so I started taking it before or at breakfast. I saw her two weeks later and she upped my dosage to 40mg twice a day, which I've read is not great to be on for very long. Still, not a lot of relief. I told her that I was bending over drying my hair and up came acid into my nose and left eye...so she suspects a hiatal hernia, which I have an appt with a Gastro doc this Thurs. My primary doc wants me scoped right away and this doc wants to see my first and possibly change my meds or do a barium swallow first, which I almost want to get scoped to get an answer.
So, I'm here because I am so miserable. Is there an end to this? I'm 45 and the mom of two (6 and 2) and my life is being taken over by this. I don't sleep well - straight up or I wake gasping for breath sometimes. When I get stressed, it gets so much worse. Sometimes I ready to call 911 b/c I just can't breathe and I have to talk myself into realizing that I'm panicking and to slow down and breathe. I've given up chocolate, caffeine (1 sip of coffee sends me into full blown GERD) fast food, spicy food (I'm in New Orleans, so given up spicy food is tough!), carbonated drinks, etc. etc. What I want to know is how did this happen so suddenly? I was drinking wine, beer, diet coke, coffee! just 2 months ago with no problem. Now, I'm slamming water to try to burp (the Nexium is making it hard to burp) and eating granny smith apples (is that just a myth?) hoping to calm this down. Any suggestions, advice would be so appreciated. Right now I'm sitting here with the feeling of a huge lump(?) in my throat wondering if this is going to get any better. Will exercise help? Are there people out there that Nexium did not work for that another med did, Prilosec or Previcid? Oh, and I NEVER get heartburn! I know that is a symptom of GERD, so maybe that is what is throwing me...no heartburn ever..just bringing up everything when I bend or burp and this sensation of a lump and hard time breathing.
Thanks!
Karen

BTW Porcelain Doll and Duchess are the same person me!!! I had a problem registering and I guess it took both names.  So when I post I don't know which one is the Porcelain Doll and Duchess.  Hope it makes sense.....

Hi Karen I'm in the same boat as you. I'm a 60 year old women, very active, happily married and this hit me with no warning. A few weeks ago I got a serious sinus infection with a swollen lymph node behind my right ear. The doctor put me on antibiotics for ten days, but I wasn't getting better. Then I started to notice a tight feeling like a tight band, squeezing feeling around my stomach, up close to my ribcage. And I felt like I couldn't get my breath, like you I never had hearburn. My doctor did an ekg and my heart was normal. So, I went to an ear, nose throat specialist and discovered I had laryngitis and GERD.Up to a few weeks ago I was eating all kinds of food, drinking lots of fresh orange juice, fresh fish, pizza nothing bothered my stomach. Now I'm afraid to eat anything but liquids, yogart and soft vegetables becuase I start choking if I eat even a tiny amount of food. I can't breath well at night, have to set up straight because I start coughing when I try to lie down, so now I'm on the couch and can't even sleep in my own bed. I've always been thin and now I'm losing weight and don't know what to do with this eating problem. I have my first appointment with a GI specialist next week. This has consumed me, my life changed overnight and all the symptoms you described I have too. I'm so glad to find this support group because I'm really scared but not alone. Jan

Friendly Gal My ENT took a look down my throat and it was very swollen and red, this was due to the sinus infection and severe post nasal drip. So, I developed laryangitis and with my other symptoms of the tight bloated feeling in my stomach, choking when I tried to swallow and thick mucous feeling in my throat, also I felt like something was coming up my throat from my stomach she suspected GERN and put me on pepcid, medrol steroids to reduce the swelling in my throat and sinus and Claritin for the post nasal drip. I never took alot of medications, so this is totally miserable, because of my age I have all kinds of side effects. I'm scheduled for my first visit with a GI specialist next week. The post nasal drip has completely stopped taking the Claritan, have you tried anything like that, it's such a relief not to have that nasty stuff running down my throat every day. I'm sure my GI will run all the tests you mentioned, how awful is the barium swallow, or is it not as bad as I'm thinking. I freaked out when I was trying to eat and started choking, but the swollen throat was mostly to blame, so hopefully I'll be able able to get back to a more normal diet, at least eat some solid food. I've been flat on my back for three weeks, never been so sick and miserable.

I hope you're doing better and your message was a real help.

Hello, Karen.

Just letting you know that there's a really good forum on here for Anxiety/Panic sufferers here at HW, too. Anxiety or panic, of course, can aggravate GERD like crazy.