can i still have esophagitis without heartburn?

[virgo star]

i have been diagnosed with gerd since thurs..and i am taking protonix once a day..i have had reflux in the esophagitis for a week now and was wondering if its still possible to have it without heartburn as i rarely seem to have heartburn...
sometimes i no longer experience a lump from the acid but a tightness in the side of my throat that will sometimes go from right to left.. what is that??
also how long will it take before the protonix eases the pressure and tightness in my throat? this is day 3....
i am thinking of going back to the dr to have more tests done if the awful throat feeling will not go away..sometimes i dont have heartburn but more like a pressure and bloat in the upper stomach.. and the feeling of being too full when i have ate three bites of something
sorry to be so longwinded..but im 24 in good health not overwight and very nervous as to how to handle this problem:( any info would be greatly appreciated!!:)
xoxoxox
virgo star

[Lynn28]

Absolutely!

I've never had heartburn in my life, nor did I ever get the acidic taste in the mouth so many talk about with reflux. I had an endoscopy lat year which showed esophagitis and gastritis and I was also treated for H-Pylori, which causes a lot of the above. I thought I was doing GREAT, but had another endoscopy three months ago which showed esophagitis grade 2. SO hard to believe when you DON'T have heartburn, but that's what they call, 'silent' reflux. I also take protonix. I take 40MG in the AM and 40 in the PM and you must take this BEFORE you eat. (Empty stomach) and than you eat a half an hour later!!! Otherwise, it will not work. Esophagitis takes 6-8 weeks to heal, sometimes longer, so make sure you take your meds correctly and follow that diet. Otherwise, the esophagitis could turn into 'Barretts' esopahgus. Something we don't want at such a young age, or at any age for that matter. I also have been getting a very sore throat. I starting seeing an ENT (ears, nose, throat doctor) so we'll see what happens. Take care of yourself and to learn more about your condition, go to google.com and search, 'esophagitis'. And again, diet is key!!

Take care,
-Jenn

[JackieG]

Toccoah (Jenn) is right on. Although my case doesn't apply to your situation, I had GERD and Barrett's esophagus for a long time. The heartburn had stopped, and much to my surprise, I was diagnosed in 7/01 with esophageal cancer. I recall my first words when told of the diagnosis: "But I've been feeling so much better....". My gastroenterologist said that in cases like mine that a sudden ending of the heartburn can actually be a warning sign because so much damage has already been done that the pain stops.

Very unlikely to be the case for you, though, given your age and the symptoms you describe. It can't hurt to keep in close contact with your doctor, however, if you don't feel relief from your symptoms in a reasonable period of time.

Good luck.

[virgo star]

thank u so much for taking the time to reply to me..i have been very nervous as i live by myself and its alarming to have these types of symptoms on my own:)
xoxoxoxo
virgo star

[astraea]

HI virgo star...Im a virgo too, and I am also the same age as you. Im a healthy woman, active, not overweight and have never had heartburn either. I have been experiencing a tightness in the right side of the base of my throat for just over a month. It is a sensation like I just want to pull my right collarbone over just a little bit, like that would help the feeling. I thought it was a structural thing, until Ive been reading these posts!  At first I thought I was having a panic attack because I have been having those off and on in differing ways for the last couple years. I thought I was going to die when I felt the tighness in my throat. The nurse at the clinic thought I had either post nasal drip, or reflux...I kinda thought "that doesnt sound like what I have"...I havent really had any relif except when Im very into something, and involved in a project...I have mostly been experiencing what you feel when I seem to be doing nothing...So, Im not even sure what triggers it...I kinda thought it had something to do with the anxiety, but I really think that the feeling in my throat is causing me anxiety now.
I DO eat a LOT of chocolate chips...have been for the last couple years. I dont eat any other form of caffeine or carbonated beverage, which someone said that was something we shouldnt eat.
Ill keep this post updated, as I would like to hear from any news you might come up with too...seeing as we seem to be similar health and age.
Do you find its not helping to stress about it too? I find that when Im very relaxed, it doesnt matter where I am, and I feel like Im going to be fine.
I too, spend a lot of time alone, and have been worried about this at night when I m alone. But its nice to hear that this seems to have nothing related to the trachea...
hope you find a solution
~Jenny