to Toccoah - important

[r1ngo]

At last someone with the same weird symptoms as me. You don't know how long I have waited for this.

My principle symptoms are - if I stand for any length of time, walk, especially uphill, I get a pulling , tightness that gets progressively worse, at the top of my stomach, just below - as in further down - where my ribcage ends - in the centre. It feels sometimes like there is a hard knot or golf ball that needs to be ripped out. Sitting down quickly relieves the symptom. I'm a bit luckier than you in that I can last about 10-15 mins in an upright position while walking and about 20-30 just standing. I also get stomach spasms which are not that painful but a horrible sensation.

I have had the following investigations: endoscopy 1 - found only reflux but no gastritis, esophagitus, or Hpylori. Am due to have another endoscopy soon. Meanwhile have been on losec 10mg a day - for 1.3 years but frankly not sure if it makes a big difference.

Also had investigations to discount angina because of the tightness on exercise (I'm 38 by the way).  

Have discoverd some interesting things. 1 - when I took nitro-glycerine in an experiment - it relieved the tightness symptoms. All my cardio tests have been fine - my Dr thinks it is because nitro relaxes the muscles. My theory is that it is either the stomach problem causes some muscular knock on effect or vice versa. For example typing makes my symptoms worse because of the position. Also recently after symptoms had improved fro a while I had a perios of complete relief - which ended after a big stomach spasm.

[r1ngo]

continued....

Toccoah, I am very interested in where exactly you feel these synmptoms and your comment about antibiotics .. because the improvement I felt coincided with a course of antibiotics I recieved for another infection.

Do you get reflux? I'm sure in my case there is some muscle thing contributing because after the stomach spasm - which felt like a rubber band snapping inside me - I was back to the burping, sour taste in the mouth etc,. and the pulling, tight feeling came back. Yet in the period of remission I manmaged to run 1.5 miles - without symptoms and for the first time since this all began in December 2000 and it felt great - if exhausting.

please post back maybe if we are suffering from a similar problem -certainly our symptoms at least sound similar , maybe we can put our heads together to find an answer.

[Lynn28]

It's strange isn't it? The kind of pain I feel in the pit of my stomach is sort of like a dull ache. It almost makes me feel as though I want to go into the bathroom and vomit. Like this would relieve the pain/pressure. I find it very strange that you have reflux, yet your esophagus was ok? Normally reflux will cause the esophagus to get irritated, it's acid churning up, which is called, "Esophagitis." Especially if you can taste the acid in your mouth. I don't have this problem, (Knock On Wood.) I just have chronic gastritis. As for the spasms, I had this too, but after taking the PPI's it went away. It's definitely good that you are having another endoscopy. Having these a few times a year are good. You want to be sure nothing's changing. Are you able to eat ok and eat as much as you want with no problems what so ever? I'll keep you posted as to what my GI says on wednesday. It's also important that you trust and like your current GI. If not, it's ALWAYS a good idea to change, especially if he hasn't been able to help. I've changed three times. Third times a charm ;) Best one yet! Please keep me posted. It stinks to have to suffer like this at such a young age. I'm 27 and it's the pits! Feels as though your life is over in a way......Keep me posted.

-Jennifer