how long for atypical symptoms to improve?

Hello,
I'm a 37 years male and I've had reflux for several years, taking Prevacid 30mg daily on and off.
About a year ago I had some stomach pain and went for a barium swallow and ultrasound which came back negative.  I took Nexium for a few weeks and it improved after a week or so.  Since that time I've had a few minor recurrances but nothing significant and I switched back to Prevacid since the Nexium seemed to cause gas.

About 8 days I developed nausea, severe diarrhea and fever which lasted until about 6 days ago.  During this time I ate nothing but liquids, with a little bit of fruit.  For my first meal after feeling better I (unwisely) ate a large cheesy bowl of spaghetti and began experiancing severe chest discomfort about an hour later.  The pain was under the sternum and felt like a twisting, spasm-like pain as well as burning.  I could feel the burning as high as my sinuses.

I saw my physician the next day and he recommended going back on the Nexium 40mg twice daily for a week and then daily for 2 weeks and then returning.

Since that time the heartburn is much less but I've been experiancing a tightness in my chest that feels like a bronchospasm.  It's similar to the sensation of suddenly breathing in very cold air but it's fairly constant.  
My chest aches but when I exersized the other day, I experianced no true shortness of breath, just this sensation.

Could this symptom be caused by the reflux caused it or should I go back to the doctor sooner for more tests? (and what should I ask for).  Is only 5 days on the higher dose PPI too soon to expect improvement?  My doctor also mentioned "nutcracker esophagus", could this be causing the ache or is that more intense pain.

Thanks

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
I would suggest you undergo esophageal manometry, 24 hours pH monitoring. These tests will confirm GERD or nutcracker esophagus if present.
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The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.