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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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Hi everyone,
You may notice that I combined your messages into one discussion as I thought it would be beneficial for you to connect or reconnect with members who are discussing much of what you are experiencing.
If you click on VIEW & REPLY in your email notification, you will see the whole discussion and can join in, meet, and participate with other members talking about their or their loved ones' experiences.
@jadillow
I think there are several medications that are triggers for bradycardia (low heart rate/pulse). My 91 year old mama was taken off of PPIs a couple of years ago. She was changed over to Zantac. She was not in my care then and the most I could get out of my brothers was that she had a heart problem and each time I asked what it was I got a different answer. Her doctor (we had same dr, but my oldest brother did not like him so he took her to a different dr nearer to them.. not a good dr in my opinion) happened to mention to me one day at my appointment he was worried about her afib, but would not say more because I was not on her talk to list. Last June she started living with me and my husband because my brother she lived with had an emergency health problem. We started taking her back to her old dr and we got on her talk to list. We had to take her to emergency room the first week of January. She was diagnosed with Type Two Mobitz. She was confused and disoriented ontop of the usual mild dementia. They took her off her statin which can cause Mobitz. Things are better, but her heart rate still drops into the 30s. It usually climbs back up within a minute or two. Sometimes she has chest pains too, but they go away quickly too. She gets confused and disoriented when she gets too tired. During her hospital stay in January for a few hours she had no idea who I was or who she was or any family member.. except for Ziggy. Ziggy is her dog. I guess one can tell who she loves the most 😁
@miliangy First, let me welcome you to Connect. I see that you did post within a different group and I hope you can get some answers from one of your postings. I have nothing to help you with, none of this is familiar to me at all. I do have Barrett's Esophagus but your problems are totally different yet both have GERD components. Oddly, I never actually felt GERD but apparently it generally precedes Barrett's.
I just want you to know that your post is being read and I hope that someone who reads it will know something that can help to lead you in the right direction.
My only comment is, are the doctors you are seeing associated with a major medical center? I had non-alcoholic cirrhosis and went undiagnosed for almost a year and half here in the Manchester area of southern NH. When I finally did get it diagnosed I had to go to Boston for treatment and an eventual liver transplant. If you have not been to a major medical center, preferably a teaching hospital -- my hospital is Mass General in Boston -- then please go even if it is inconvenient. They see so much more than the doctors do in smaller areas. I now know that if I ever have a problem again that is not immediately diagnosed up here, I will be headed down the highway to Boston. I pretty much go to Boston now for everything except my PCP.
If you do get an appointment with a doctor at a major medical center I hope you will post about it. The fact that you have not had responses really is indicative of the rarity of your problem.
JK
Thanks for reading my post! It really means a lot, I really wish someone can help me. I’m from Puerto Rico, but here there aren’t a lot of pediatric gastroenterologists. I have attended with every single one, and with whom I am attending now was the only one that found all this, the others told me that what I have is emotional. Yet, I’m seriously considering seeing doctors associated with a major medical center. I hope you get well, with the Barrete’s Esophagus thing. I’m really glad you found the help that you needed in Boston, I hope you stay well.
Thank you for your response.
P.D. : Along with all of the symptoms above I have abdominal swelling and blood in the beams (this last one not so frequently).
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1 ReactionHi! I’m an 18 years old girl. I’ve been diagnosed with GERD when I was eleven. I have a very severe reflux along with severe nausea, no vomiting since a long time though, cough (sometimes severe), snore, acid taste in the mouth, and muscle pain (sometimes severe too). I’ve been visiting gastroenterologists since eleven. I’ve had multiple hospitalizations. The reflux sometimes cause cough exacerbation that leads to hospitalizations. When I turn 16 my gastroenterologist made me a gastrin level lab which results were high. He reapeted this test like four times, and in every single one came out high. Then I went under a whole bunch of studies: MRI, CT Scan, Sonograms, Octreoscan. In almost all of them, a small lesion appears on the pancreas, which they think can be a gastrinoma. Their not sure though, ‘cause they couldn’t do a biopsy because it’s too little. I’ve been taking Baclofen 10mg, Prilosec 20mg, Prilosec 40mg, Zantac 300mg, prescribed by my GI, as for seven years. Among all of this, since I was eleven, more or less, that was when all this started, I feel a pressure on the upper part of my belly button. And I feel immense relief when I pull the top of my belly button. I just wish that someone can help me out to figure what is happening to me, since I’m very desperate. This last week, at least, I’ve been having moderate to severe stomach pain right after eating. I’m just scare that doctors can’t really figure out what I have and keep getting worse. I just wish someone relate to my symptoms and help me with this.
Thanks in advance,
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2 ReactionsI have GERD diagnosed by the ER
Since the 7th of December 2020.
1 month now that I know of.
However my swallowing issues started in August of 2020. With an inability to swallow completely or strongly rather. ( * That was around the same time I was perscribed Ativan for sleeping. )
Now January 2021 my swallowing has gotten worse. Now it also has clicking and popping sensations. My throat feels like it has a huge lump inside.
I also have a burning dry mouth & tounge.
Burning dry sinus.
Burning dry throat.
My sinuses are inflamed and my throat.
Which comes and goes.
I've lost some of my senses of smell but have gained incredible abilities with some smells especially sweet and floral.
I have also gained incredible taste buds. I'm tasting wayyyyyy too much.
It hurts so much when I breathe.
My lungs hurt resting, breathing in or out.
I'm talking omeprazole, sucralfate, and pepsid compete. I am also still talking Ativan .50 ( down from 3mg a day.)
I cannot help but think Ativan is the cause of all my problems... idk
I have been to the ER AND DOCTOR in this small city about 16 times since December 7th.
I really need support and answers badly.
When will this go away? Is this all normal?
Has anyone had GERD this bad and they fully recovered?
*I also have an endoscopy scheduled on the 21st. ( I'm scared. )
*And a pulmonary testing tomorrow.
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2 Reactions@ewalkercece about 6 years ago I had GERD .. my local GI doc recommended that I have a Nissen surgical procedure.. That was a life changing surgery for the WORSE.... during the surgery they injured some of the small hairnet like system of nerves that empty the stomach.. so I have Gastroparesis.. it is NOT fixable.. I had GERD and it got worse... Eating habits.. make the big difference with GERD,,, eat small meals .. chew your food very well ... do not get prone for at least 2 hours after eating.. raise the head of your bed at least 6"... Gravity has to work ..
There is a time limit on how long you can take Ativan.. Do your research... be your own advocate
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2 ReactionsI was diagnosed with gerd. No symptoms except coughing up clear stuff. Taking omeprazole 20 mg and was scoped to confirm gerd. Worst part seems to be wheezing in the middle of the night and trying to fall back asleep. Others suffering from same ? Any remedies. Tried gargle and hot tea. No real help. Thanks
@rkuz- Hi. Did your provider give you any education on GERD? Or was it just a diagnosis and the omeprazole?
I ask because GERD is a diagnosis but not the cause of.
The omeprazole will cover the symptoms in the mean time, but not get to the cause. Have you assessed your over all diet/nutrition. Are you eating a low inflammatory diet, free of processed foods and sugars? I would start with an anti inflammatory diet. Cut out Caffeine/Alcohol. Do not eat too close to bed time. Anything that adds acidity should be reduced to lower inflammation. The wheezing at night is the silent reflux that backs up into the throat area while laying down. If you can start by making changes to low inflammatory state, this means food as well as stress, this will help you. All inflammation starts in the gut. With too heavily processed diet and stress, this can cause GERD. The best person to work with for this is a Functional Medicine/Natural Path Doctor to get you on the right track. Otherwise the omeprazole will just cover up the cause and you now have a medication that you are dependent on for symptom relief. You can make the adjustments to heal your gut to improve homeostasis.
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1 ReactionHi @rkuz, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I do agree with @rkuz that changing eating habits to lower inflammation is a great start. You will notice that I added your comment to a discussion on Gerd so that you can connect with a couple of members going through similar situations. I would also like to invite @alleycatkate, @ginak, @rosalynclifton and @rits to the conversation.
Have you found that any type of food makes your symptoms better or worse?