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GERD issues
I am 22 years old. I don't smoke or drink. Growing up I can remember having a slight hoarse voice in the morning if I ate to late at nights. But never anything too miserable. It would go away within a hour after drinking water.
March 2011 on a Wednesday. I woke up with a hoarse voice that never went away. After a few weeks I started to get slightly worried so I went to my family doctor. I went 3 times over a course of 5-6 weeks and they had no idea after giving me multiple steroids and antibiotics that did nothing. I also had no pain in the beginning my throat didn't hurt at all. My only symptom was the voice. So they sent me to a throat specialist. (Audiologist) He did a throat endoscopy and told me I have GERD. He prescribed me omeprazole 20mg once a day. I changed my diet. I stopped eating hours before I went to sleep. I have never been a soda drinker, I am not a fan of fatty foods. The fattiest thing I like to eat sometimes is chocolate.. So I gave that up. I don't eat big meals. I have always been a snacker. But I didn't seem to get that much better so back as planned in 6weeks. He told me to start taking it twice a day. my throat started to hurt and become really sore around this point. I would wake up in severe pain, and it would hurt through out the day. I would take 2- 20mg omeprazole and I would also drink baking soda mixed with water whenever I couldn't handle the constant burn anymore.. I wouldn't drink the baking soda/water at the same time as taking the omeprazole. I made sure I did that hours apart from one another.
So about 10-12 weeks later my symptoms got much worse. It wasn't working. Nothing seemed to work.
So I went back to the doctor. They did another endoscopy and my throat is more swollen than the first. It's starting to swell up even higher around where my thyroid is.
I started having chest pains and it has become hard to swallow anything.
My heart rate gets insanely high in random occasions.
I feel a knock/thump whenever I swallow.
My throat is always hurting.
I am nauseous when I eat.
It's painful to eat or drink anything; I have lost almost 30lbs because of it.
So I have had a endoscopy twice now,
I got a barium swallow done and he told me I have acid reflux. probe test done,.,Blood work....How many more test need to be done?
I haven’t heard my voice in a year now. It's to the point where I am becoming depressed and I ignore talking to people. I ignore hanging out with friends, because if I talk to much my throat becomes incredibly sore to the point where I won't be able to sleep. I can't yell or whisper. I have one tone. If I yell then I’m pretty much out for the rest of the day because my throat hurts so badly.
I am thinking about going to the Mayo Clinic. Has anyone else been through this? Do you think they will be able to help? Could it be something else?
Im desperate.
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Was on a cruise and ate and drank everything. From fried foods to 6 or so drinks a day. No gastritis or gerd issues at all. Felt great. Yes, I could drink and eat bacon and fried foods all day, but now that I am back home and watching myself, I don't get it. Ideas? Yes, could go back on vacation. Thanks.
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1 ReactionCut out caffeine, soda, do the other suggestions of not eating a few hours before bedtime and elevate the head of your bed (blocks under the feet of the bed at the head or an adjustable mattress). Maybe try taking famotidine (or similar H2 blocker) at bedtime. What medication were you taking, and did you stop it or did it stop being effective?
I know that cruise food is usually given out in small amounts. Perhaps you ate less at each sitting?
Thanks but I ate at least 10 pounds on the scale worth! lol
So maybe stress and tension bring on your GERD. Did you do more exercise on the cruise? Think of the activities you did on the cruise. Try to relax, and especially when eating don't slouch and move around after eating. Do stretching exercises and open up the area around the sphincter. Pressure on the sphincter can cause it to open (like those old coin purses that you squeeze to open the slit in the middle)
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1 Reaction@buffy143 the best way to elevate the head of your bed is putting risers under the two legs/casters at the head of the bed. You can find the risers on Amazon or any bedding department of a store.
I recently bought an adjustable bed from Amazon (mattress is not included in price) and I find that better than having my bed on risers because I can adjust the head of the bed to any elevation with a remote controller. But if buying an adjustable is not possible the risers work fine.
Have you been diagnosed with a hiatus hernia? Sounds like that is what you have, which is causing your GERD.
I eat only between noon and 8:00 p.m. If you go to bed before midnight, you may need to stop eating and drinking earlier - you need to stop at least four hours before you go to bed.
Also, try not wearing clothes that fit snug around your waist and abdomen.
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1 Reaction@msw yes, I do too and it definitely is from acid reflux! Also, I avoid bending over. Avoid exertion that puts pressure on your stomach as well as bending. I can’t even use a vacuum cleaner without getting chest pain caused by reflux.
@mikejjb123 Stress can exacerbate GERD. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could live on cruise ship permanently, on doctor’s orders? Especially if you could write it off as a medical expense? ☺️
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2 Reactionsgot that right! lol
got that right lol