Posted 7/12/2007 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
Just wanted to get started by introducing myself... Name is Shawn and have been diagnosed with GERD this past January. A little history first, would be in order. Since I was early to late 20s I had very severe, bend-over-in-agony heart-burn, waking in the middle of the night gagging on acid. A pepcid or zantac would clear this heart burn up in no time.
Forward 5-8 years...
Now I have 0-Zero burning sensation, but I've been to the ER 3 times with chest pains that I thought were certain to be a heart attack. I've had 2 chest X-rays, EKGs, and a nuclear stress test and my heart has been "cleared". Also have had a CAT scan of my neck and head (they wanted to be sure it wasn't a stroke I guess when I came in dizzy).
After being in the ER I'm directed to go to my Dr ASAP, for a follow-up. He diagnosed me with GERD, but I've told him that I have zero heart-burn, and he insists I have GERD. But the more that I read about other people's experiences with this, the more I believe that I have GERD.
I have/had an extreme pressure feeling like my insides where going to push right up through the top of my head, would get nauseous, dizzy, felt like I was going to faint, but no heart-burn. Pains fluttering around my chest, but no heart-burn. Lump in my throat, phlegm (usually the color of what I ate last [note: don't ever eat twizzlers before bed, you'll surely freak yourself out first thing in the morning], or clear), tightness in throat, and sometimes hoarseness.
Also have an uncomfortable feeling right at the base of my throat where my collar-bones meet, but this could be from my increased exercising 'cause it feels more like a muscular/skeletal discomfort, something like a strained muscle. We'll see...
I will have to say, the "pressure feeling" I have not had for a couple of weeks now, hopefully something is working to cure my GERD, the Nexium in AM and a 150-Zantac in PM, or the mad-man exercising I've been doing.
I'm scheduled for the GI specialist 17JUL. I'll post what is/was discovered.
On a side note, I just got back from vacation with my family over the 4th week. I was up every morning 5am and jumped on the tread-mill for 20 mins and was upright and walking/running/swimming all day long for a week. I haven't felt that good in a really long time. The first day back to work and I feel like crap again. :( Maybe I need to new job.
Thanks for listening to me ramble. And nice to meet everyone and know that I'm not alone.
-Shawn