Acid reflux - severe belching ?? Please help :-(

Somebody please help me, I am becoming more and more miserable by the day!!
Two and a half weeks ago I started feeling really gassy in my chest and felt like I had a huge bubble of air under my rib cage/my tummy and kept burping but not normal burps, it felt like trapped wind stuck in my oesophagus and they are constant.  And kept getting an acidic taste in my mouth.  Also my upper tummy was/has been making the most awful noises, it sounds like I have gallons and gallons of water in my stomach when I don't after I eat or drink something! So a few days later I went to A&E about it (couldn't get a GP appt as I was working night shifts at the time), and she did blood tests for my gall bladder and a rectal examination which all came back normal, so the doctor put it down to an acid reflux (I am 22 years old by the way).  Prescribed me lanoprazole and said to keep an eye on it.  Took them for a few days, helped the symptoms for a few hours but kept happening so went back to A&E, saw an absolutely useless doctor who couldn't wait to get rid of me who also said acid reflux and said the lanoprazole will take weeks to kick in.  Anyway symptoms persisted over days, I tried everything - assilone, peptac, drinking water/milk, which helped for a short time but not long enough! So went to my GP and he thinks it's my gall bladder and has referred me to have an ultrasound of my upper abdo this week (it's on Wednesday 28th April).  Anyway a couple more days passed and I kept having the constant belching, all the time, and like I say they are like trapped wind burps, constant!! Driving me insane and my tummy keeps making the wishy-washy noise so I went BACK to my GP and saw a different doctor, who thinks it's IBS (irritable bowel syndrome - been told I have that before), as when she examined my tummy it hurt in certain places that she pressed, and I have been opening my bowels more than normal - no diahorea at all, just soft stool - normal colour also.  So she said my bowels are inflamed.  I requested to have a gastroscopy so she has sent off for me to have one done.  I also told her that where I am constantly burping all of the time, it has made it feel like I have a lump in the back of my throat, she said that is caused by stress (I have been stressing over it BIGTIME and been crying almost every day cos it's so so uncomfortable and ruining my lifestyle), and she said the acid also causes it as it aggrevates my throat.

Please can someone who has these symptoms talk to me! And tell me if all this constant belching is normal.  I am going for a blood test tomorrow morning to check my pancreas is all okay and that will rule out any problems.  

Please help I just find myself crying all the time cos I dunno how to control it :-( and I am such a paranoid person I keep thinking worst case scenario which obviously isn't helping as stress makes it worse... but I can't help it :-(

[Jangela]

  Oh Siobhan,
       I so feel for you. I went thru this with my husband and his acid reflux problems. To see him so worried, sleepless, the relentlessness of the symptoms, He was sure he had a life threatening disease. I was a wreck myself! If you do have GERD, which it very much sounds like you do, here is what my husband did to control his symptoms and get his life back.
     His doctor put him on Prilosec for 2 weeks to help his burned esophagus heal. He tried several other meds with no success, but this seemed to work well enough that he could stop taking them when his throat was no longer injured, then we moved on to these natural remedies:
    1) Take a broad spectrum digestive enzyme with each meal, every day.
    2) Drink aloe vera juice to soothe and help heal your digestive tract.
    3) When heartburn or reflux threatens, he takes 2 activated charcoal capsules. These soak up excess acid and gas really well. As a matter of fact, I had to take some yeasterday, because MY stomach felt sour, and an hour later, I felt noticeably better.
    Go to a health food store for these. You can also drink wheatgrass juice to help alkalinize your belly. Read up on these things. They all do wonderful things for your digestion.
    Ah, the burping! That is the calling card of poor digestion. My husband had horrible belching, and I was like, "This can't be normal!" That's when I learned about pH balance and alkalinizing foods. The wheatgrass or aloe juice have greatly reduced his belching because they neutralize the gas that causes it. Give it a try
   The lump in your throat is also very much a symptom of reflux.
       Good luck.

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the GERD forum.

Many have used remedies like Jangela has mentioned...not all work for everyone, just like meds do not work for everyone.

Keeping a journal of how u feel and what u ate can help narrow down ur own triggers food wise and  even stress wise.Modify ur diet and lifestyle using the Health pages tips to help reduce some of ur symptoms.

IBS can affect ur reflux ..talk to ur dr about using a product like Mirilax....the burping is caused by the bloating and pressure when u do not eliminate ur waste.

Below is a link to the Health Pages :

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=236

"selma"

[Siobhan87]

Thank you for your quick replies, I appreciate that.

The thing that is getting me down the most is the constant belching.  But they aren't like your normal average burp! The only way I can explain it is, it feels like I have a big ball of trapped wind in my throat (just below adams apple area) and it comes up in phases, but the 'burps' aren't smelly, just windy! And I constantly have this feeling of trapped wind in the back of my throat which is a 'lump sensation', feels a bit like phlegm, which I can't seem to bring up. It is driving me insane!!!

[Jangela]

       I don't know exactly what causes the sensation of the lump, but I suspect it's a combination of excess mucous, irritated esophagus , and trapped gas. Maybe your body is producing the extra mucous in an effort to coat and protect your esophagus from further damage. The esophagus lining may have also constricted and now between the smaller passageway and the phlegm, the wind is having trouble escaping. In any case, it sounds miserable and I wish you success.

[Siobhan87]

Ah it is so miserable, seriously the amount of times I've been in tears over it the past few days... think I am driving my boyfriend mad! As soon as the belching stops, it just feels like a tight sort of muscular pain under my rib cage - my upper abdo, think it's where it's been straining so much.  Also have a lot of trapped wind at the moment.  Think it could be a combintation of my IBS as well.

[selmaS]

Hi...I totally understand how u feel, and I am sure if u get the OBS under control u may get rid of that burp/bloated feeling.

AS I mentioned b4...whenever my IBS flares, I too, have many of the issues u mentioned, plus I do have a hiatal hernia.....

Hang in there and do see a GI dr about ur IBS....keep a journal in case u have food allergies.

"selma"

[Siobhan87]

Well some good news! Had my ultrasound scan today which reveals all my organs are fine in my tummy, and the past few days i've felt alot better, still got a bit of belching and the 'swallowed air trapped in throat' sensation but i'm just learning to ignore it and I haven't had to have any of my lanzoprazole pills for 2 days now... watch this space!!! xx

[selmaS]

Congratulations !!

So glad to hear u r feeling better : )

"selma"

[Siobhan87]

Thank u so much :) my gastroscopy test is at the end of May, i'm gonna have it done anyone just to be on the safe side, but I feel so so much better and still haven't had to take any of my medication for about 4 days now :)

[selmaS]

Good luck and I pray the need for the meds does not return : )

"selma"

[Koveraine]

Hiii,

I'm 20 and experiencing this exact incredibly uncomfortable "air-stuck-in throat" sensation too! Its really upsetting and uncomfortable :( I also notice that when i do try to spit out this supposed phlegm, its usually comepletely transparent but thick in consistency. Was it one of your symptoms too? I just went to see a doctor again this morning and have been referred to the hospital for an upper endocopy. What did your doctor pinpoint the issue down to? This has been going on for weeks already and the peviously prescribed Omeprazole did not really help at all! It has already messed up my exams revision and my plans to gain weight!  :(

P.S. I hope you're feeling better
P.P.S. I hope this isn't serious :(

[Siobhan87]

Well I was fine until my fiance and I went to Mexico together two weeks ago and my god did I suffer when we were away! Probably didn't help that the only drinks they had in our hotel was either alcohol or fizzy pop.  So all I was drinking was coke or sprite for two weeks straight plus eating all sorts of different foods.  I couldn't stop belching, I had trapped wind in my throat, I kept coughing up phlegm, and it constantly felt like everything I ate was coming back up. I was even sick one night when it really flared up.  To top it all off, I didn't have any medication/rennies/assilone with me so just had to stick it out!!! It calmed down after a couple of days but it really messed my holiday up for a few days.
I've got my endoscopy on 15th July.  I'm dreading it but I know it's just going to be an acid reflux cos of the amount of belching/trapped wind/phlegm I have coming up all the time and when it flares up, my 'lump in throat' feeling comes back where its aggravating my throat.

[selmaS]

Hi, so sorry u had a return of symptoms...but MEXICO ..yikes, the water is off limits, but soda and that spicy food it is no wonder u feel as u do...

But,m u know what u need to do to calm it down...and I hope this flare doesn't last too long.

Feel better : )

"selma"

[Siobhan87]

Well last night I ended up in an ambulance on the way to hospital because I was in such a state.  I couldn't stop belching (but not just your ordinary burp - it sort of starts from my stomach and I can feel it coming all the way up and it is really 'airy' and lasts about 5 seconds the sound - really loud) and get the acidy taste in my mouth.  I laid down trying to sleep and had to sit up immediately because I had what was like 'trapped wind' in my throat and I was wretching for about 30 seconds trying to get it out when I suddenly vomited my dinner - which I couldn't eat much of at all. I felt so sick and my stomach (under my ribs) felt like I had been punched in it about 10 times.  Even drinking something basic like water makes me burp within seconds!! It's really really getting me down.  In A&E they gave me Peptac liquid to take 4 times a day after meals and the doctor said it sounds like bad indigestion - but seriously, ALL the time? I can't stop burping all the time even after drinking water! Thing is I have completely lost my appetite and I think it's mainly a psychological thing because I am so terrified to eat anything incase it 'gets stuck' half way down because as soon as I eat I start burping within seconds.  I'm getting myself in such a state over it.  I'm only 22 and the doctor said it's VERY unlikely to be anything serious as I am so young (and there's NO family history at all).  My Dad suffers from acid reflux.

I have my endoscopy in 2 weeks but I really am at my wits end and I was in tears for hours last night.  Any suggestions? :-(

[Jessicuh]

I know exactly how you feel because I have been going through the SAME thing for almost a year now actually...it comes and goes and sometimes isnt as bad as others. I constantly burp, even after water just like you said. I also burp constantly when I haven't eatten OR drinken anything. After reading your post about having to go to the hospital I'm starting to worry myself. I've had these symptoms for a while but I don't have any insurance so I've just kinda dealt with it. It's very uncomfortable and embarrassing. I get heartburn in my chest really bad sometimes, and then just keep burping. Sometimes I do have to swallow some air to try to help the burp come out because I can feel it in there. I also had the same symptom as you when you lay down in bed. There are times at night I'll go to bed and lay down and then have to sit up immediately because there is a horrible burning sensation in my chest and then I'll just sit there and burp like 5 times. It really *****! What ever happened after you went to the hospital? Did you get diagnosed with anything?

[Iantt]

I've lived with this condition on and off for nearly 40 years since i was a child with no help from any of the dozens of docs i've seen, just more pills that never work, Instead of making me cry it makes me freek out and i end up smashing everything up and even self harming by punching things like brick walls and even my own stomach, as of now if i don't move at all i'm ok but as soon as i move i start burping and throwing up a bit, my throat is getting worse and I'm not sure how long i can put up with it any more, 15 hrs of this contantly is too much, please post if you come up with something. Just out of interest diet makes no difference what so ever, i've tried everything ever suggested and nothing fixes it, and it's not stress related either.
Do you have sleep problems as well? I have Cacadium rythum disorder apparently (nocturnal basically) i wonder if there's a connection between the 2.

[Rob179]

I have been having the same constant trouble since 2007. I'll never forget it. One day, all of a sudden I couldn't burp like I normally could. I didn't think much about it until after a few days, I realized it isn't going away. so, naturally I goto a doctor they do blood tests, ultrasound everything besides an endoscopy and colonsocopy They said take hydrogen pump inhibitors. I slowly but surely learned how to push opn my stomach to help myself burp and I have to do this to this day. I burp hundred if not about a thousand times a day. Last year though, I went to see a different doc who afgter trying acid reflux meds decided to put me under for an endo and colonoscopy. The colono was fine but my endo showed the lower part of my esophagus was ripped up and striated with injuries. They said its a combination of stricture, hiatal hernia and acid reflux. I fear I'll never be able to get rid of it at this point. its destroyed the life I once had, nothing has been the same. I'm lucky i got a girl who can put up with it, but I'm convinced there's nothing I can do now. it's so terrible, and I've never seen anyone have this problem like I do. Every single activity of every day I live is affected by this condition and I burp hundreds of times a day, being careful not to do it too hard for fear of vomiting up anything thats in my stomach. we should communicate more if you're still enduriing this like me. I feel like there may be hope, but I also have serious doubts. The docs treat me like they've never seen anythihng like this before. I know that if its happening to me there must be someone out there who's going through this like me. email ***@****... lets talk

[nicest]

My wife had this burping problem on and of for sometime now and we recently found that taking pickled ginger that we bought from a japanese market helps.

[templar112]

That's interesting!

I'm 27 now, but for my whole life I've always been "gassy" in my stomach and had stomach pains. Some would have me bent over in pain. Usually burning or bloating. I'm 186cm, 67kg with pretty much zero fat and well not that much muscle either. I don't smoke, I don't drink more than a glass of wine per week average, I eat home cooked meals, cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch.

In my 20s I developed a constant belch that could last from 30mins to 2 hours at a time. It would usually be after eating. I've tried to connect it with certain foods, but it's not easy. I noticed now that tea causes it to happen almost instantly.

As you describe, I can feel "something" in my thoat or a bit further down. I flex a specific muscle (I've learned how to do it over the years) and the air comes out. I can now almost let it out on my will. I'm sitting here right now and it's literally every 30 seconds or so that another gust of wind comes out my mouth with no after taste. A little bit of burning around the solar plexus area.

My wife calls it the "Elk" because it sounds like an animal noise. While this is happening I often have some discomfort around the ribcage and the middle of my chest/stomach. So I mean it looks list it's pretty obvious that it's some form of chemical reaction going crazy.

I looked up why tea might be cauing it and it seems to be linked to acidity. Tea apparently raises acidity pretty quickly (coffee is the same for me). It appears that I shouldn't drink tea.

I've had Nexium before which is supposed to slow down acid production so I'm going to take it again now for a few weeks and see what happens. Over time it might reduce it again.

I looked up a list of acidic foods to avoid and unfortunately almost every bloody food is on there!! I'm trying to switch to soy milk now, but I was tested for celiac disease and lactose intolerance and there's no issue there. I think I should probably go try some food allergies and maybe strip my diet down to some bare minimum until I find something that works.

There is one spanner in the works. I was on my honeymoon for two weeks just a month ago and I have to be honest I ate so much food but didn't really have a problem!!! Isn't that weird? The only thing different on the honeymoon is for breakfast I mostly had cooked food instead of cereal, we probably did a lot more physical activity.

I think one problem for me may also be the physical activity. I work in an office 9 hours a day so I really need to get off my butt. On the honeymoon I was always doing something whether it be in the pool, trecking or whatever. I even drank quite a few cocktails but it didn't seem to affect me there. As soon as I get home, 2 weeks later getting stomach pains and burping.

Maybe I should try bottled water for a few weeks as well since that's what I drank there. I can't think what else was different really... definitely had some fatty foods there which didn't affect me.

Still the mystery of my life!