Acid Reflux with Unknown Causes

Hello Everyone!

I'm new here, and I'm extremely happy to have found a forum open to health discussion. I joined because I've been having issues with a strange form of "acid reflux" for approximately 11 months. I've been treated symptomatically since diagnosis but to no resolve. Doctors have not determined a cause. Perhaps you guys can help me out. I'll review my diagnosis, treatments and symptoms to help you better evaluate my situation. And note, I'm 22, in perfect physical shape (160 lbs), jog weekly, weightlift, and have no record of previous medical complications.

**On-set Symptoms: burning sensation in throat (no sour taste, no gastric fluid), which occured with or without meals and worsened by any food or beverage including water.
**First Doctor Visit: Diagnosised with GERD. Suspected H. pylori. Ordered blood test for H. pylori. Prescribed 5-day Antibiotic Z-pack, Zantac 150mg (twice daily) and Protonix 20mg (once daily).
**Second Doctor Visit (2 weeks later): Blood test for H. pylori negative. Advised to continue medication.
**Two months: Symptoms showed minor improvement, then symptoms returned and worsened. Personally added Maloox to soothe symptoms. Did not help burning sensation in throat, water made it worse.
**Three months: Personally discontinued prescriptions (tappered off).
**Symptom Change: burning sensation in throat (no sour taste, no gastric fluid), which occured with or without meals and worsened by any food or beverage including water. Now, variations in fecal matter (extremely soft to extremely hard), burning sensation in upper and lower abdomen. Gas and constant belching.
**Third Doctor Visit: I told the doctor medication worsened symptoms. Prescribed Nexium. Did not begin taking as ordered.
**Fourth Doctor Visit (Forth Month) - Gastro Specialist: Suspected Barrett's or laryngeal esophageal reflux disease. Scheduled endoscopy.
**Upper Endoscopy (Fifth Month): Results for esophageal area normal and healthy. Stomach showed signs of mild chronic gastritis. Biopsy pulled for second H. pylori test and celiac disease test. Diagnosed with NERD.
Fifth Doctor Visit (SixthMonth) - Gastro Specialist: Symptoms continue. H. pylori test and celiac disease test both negative. Prescribed Carafate (coats stomach) and Kadipex (PPI) 30mg (once daily).
**Tried using probiotics and garlic for one and half months. Extremely strict diet. Did not help.
**New Symptoms: adding to list - occasional burning sensation after defecation. Gas, abdominal bloating, and belching worsening (after every meal and beverage, including water).
**Sixth Doctor Visit (Seventh Month): Tells me to take Nexium. I declined stating PPI, H2s made symptoms worse and covered issue. Ordered stool test.
**Seventh Month: stool test came back negative.

I stopped going to the doctors after much frustration and continual treatment of symptoms and NOT cause of problem.

Things I've NOT specifically been tested for:
**bacterial overgrowth
**low or insufficent production of vital digestive enzymes, acids or salts.
**nerve compression
**allergies
**hyper- or hypo- acidity

So, am I desperate? You bet! Doctors and I have yet to solve this thing. The cause is still unknown but I refuse to give up searching because my digestive tract was perfectly healthy before this. Any information or open discussion helps. Thanks for your time guys! God Bless...

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to  the GERD forum.

Well, u have been tested for alot, but....it can still be right under ur nose and u did mention u were not tested for low acid...it can cauase the same symptoms as sensations as too much.

Also, have u had ur Gall Bladder checked?

My father had similar issues with teh bloating and all...no meds helped, but he also had severe attacks in which he would vomit....went to the ER had all the tests done and they could ot find his problem even tho he said he felt it was his GB....finally after months of ER visits he got a diff dr and found it waas his GB and it was affecting his liver by this time.....push for answers.....and keep us posted.

"selma"

[LazyMoose]

Well, you seem persistent and educated in finding the cause!  

If PPI's dont work and make you worse (happened to me too) low acid can be suspect like Selma already said. Some people with low acid do better by taking some apple cider vinegar to help digest. My low acid was from thyroid.

Do you have bad neck or back pain - nerve to stomach? (rare)

Bacterial overgrowth tests are sometimes more accurate when ordered through a chiro or naturo doctor.

Have you done the "spit test" in a glass of water first thing in the morning?  Fifteen minutes, .....sinks - bad, floats -normal. Detects bacteria in digestive tract. Google it.

time will tell