Anxiety and GERD

[jazoon]

I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder about 5 years ago. I've worried about every part of my body I think for the past 5+ years and have had all kinds of strange anxiety attacks. I constantly worry about dying at times, until I can get the will to convince myself that nothing is wrong with me.

I also have GERD/IBS which I've known about for 2-3 years now. Over that span it has seemed to get progressively worse to the point now that I keep telling myself I'm having heart problems. More so than not I have a feeling of something being stuck in my chest in about the mid-upper area to the left. I also get the same feeling in my throat often. The pressure is usually released by a very long belch. Other times my stomach feels very nasty and makes alot of noise, usually release of gas curbs that feeling. The reason I'm putting this all together is that it's seemed to trigger some pretty bad anxiety attacks. I have heart palpitations atleast a few times a week, and lately when the anxiety gets really bad I start to feel like my heart is going to stop. I get this tingling sensation in my chest radiating into my back and I'm so afraid that at that point I'm just going to fall out. When it's at it's worst I just start trembling all over. After about 10-15 minutes of this, and taking a Xanax, I'm able to calm down.

Another thing I experience on a daily basis is a gurgling or growling sound/sensation coming from either that area in my chest, coming up from my stomach or sometimes even in my throat. I've had an EGD and ultra sound done by my gastroenterologist. On the EGD was found 4 esophageal furrows (rings) and a small hiatal hernia, both of which he said were not of concern. At first he thought the furrows could be from a food allergy but later ruled that out. The UltraSound came back and he found that I had over a dozen gallstones in my gallbladder and he seems to think that this is the root of all my problems and wants me to get my gallbladder removed but thinks there no rush in doing so. From what I've read on gallstones I can't seem to find much in similarity to my symptoms, besides indigestion.

I apologize for such a long first post and I hope someone can give me some insight into this or atleast to hear from someone that's gone through some of the same experiences. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

[bobbybingo]

Jazoon,

I somehow missed your point about the gallstones.  Hey, there is no doubt that gallstones can cause digestive problems.  How to proceed with that you will have to figure out what to do.  But what I want to point out is what I have found out after years of anxiety and looking to find out what is "wrong" with me.  I have found that digestive problems, especially gas, can somehow cause pressure to where my heart will have irregular beats.  The combination of the feeling of the digestive problem along with the irregular beats convinced me I had something major wrong, when it really wasn't.  And then worrying about it caused more digestive problems that caused more irregular beats and more symptoms.  Plus, worry pumps adrenaline in your system which also causes irregular beats.  You said you have heart palpitations a few times a week.  That really is nothing, very common.  Don't get caught up in the cycle of symptoms causing worry which causes more symptoms and more worry.  Worry in itself can cause all your havoc.  But also gall problems can cause some symptoms which may scare you and lead you to create more problems.  Good luck with it!

[bobbybingo]

Hello Jazoon.  Just 2 days ago I had a CT scan of my coronary arteries?  You know why?  I had chest pain, pain in the back, pain in the jaw;  all signs of heart disease.  Guess what they found?  NOTHING.  I am absolutely clean, no buildup, nothing.  I was very concerned because I have very high unchecked blood pressure.  You know why? Because I am AFRAID to take medication!   had a cardiac cath done 5 years ago for nearly the exact symptoms, only they were different enough to concern me and I thought with my unchecked hypertension I might have clogged up.  I am now 53.  Since I was 15 I have feared something awful is wrong with me.  My heart, my mind, a tumor in my abdomen causing extreme gas and associated pain, or a tumor in my head causing throbbing, something wrong with my heart casuing irregular heartbeats (which I have every day although they say my heart is in great shape).  I have spent tons of $$, my insurance has spent tons, and (fortunately) they have found NOTHING, in decades of looking.  NOTHING!  I kept hoping they would find what was "wrong" and fix it overnight.  Been thinking that for 38 of my 53 years.

I know I have anxiety and panic attacks.  But now I am finally (I think) ready to accept it and do something about it.  As late as even this morning I was afraid I was dying of some strange thing they can't find.  I have spent 38 years of my life - all of my adult life - WORRYING.  That is no way to live.  And it has not been fair to my wife who is sick of it.

I am convinced my latest problems started with stress, then I had a bad cold with sinus drainage that upset my stomach.  The stomach upset led to a tingling in my chest.  Then I started worrying, and the stomach got worse, and then the chest started aching worse, then the back aching, then the jaw and tongue aching.  I am afraid to take medication because i fear side affects.  I am a basket case.  I am sure my fears just kept building my gastro problems, and that caused more pain feeding my fears.  An endless loop, unless I take some different action after 53 years.

The same is likely happening to you.   I would not ignore problems that might be heart disease, you pretty much have to have it checked out.  But if they find nothing, accept that your anxiety is causing things to get much worse and END THE LOOP like I plan to do.

Good luck, hope things work out for you and I hope you get help sooner than I did.

[Paxiled]

Well, you've got anxiety and some digestive troubles.  Some therapy is probably called for here, some breathing exercises, relaxation techniques.  In the meantime, you can try drinking a few ounces of aloe juice every day, a supplement called DGL, and some peppermint oil caps, which should help you with your digestive problems in the meantime.  Chew slowly if you can, avoid foods that you know bother you -- most likely culprits are dairy and wheat, and perhaps soy and/or corn.  In other words, work on what you can right now, work on the long stuff over time.