desperate and scared...acid reflux?

I am a male of 38 years. I have always been very healthy. About three months ago, I began to notice a mild pain at the center right of my chest, near or under the lower part of my right ribcage. When I use my laptop at home, I would usually have it sitting next to me on the left on the couch which means I generally twisted over to my left to use it. The pain seemed to emminate in the general area where my body would twist so at first I just thought maybe I had aggravated or pulled a muscle under my right ribcage. However, it never got better. Gradually, I noticed the pain more and more until finally after a few months, it got bad enough that I went to my regular doctor. Based on my family history of gallbladder problems, I was almost positive that I had a gallbladder problem. My doctor said he did not think it was my gallbladder based on the fact that I was still walking around and he instead prescribed 40 MG of the generic for Prilosec. To ease my gallbladder concerns, he also scheduled a sonogram. I was so sure it was my gallbladder that I did not start taking Prilosec for about another week when the pain became almost unbearable and because the sonogram came back normal. The doctor said stay on prilosec for 3 weeks and if I still had pain, go to a gastroenterologist. 4 weeks have passed and I am still in pain...3 times it has gotten so awful that I almost went to the emergency room. Currently, I am waiting for some sort of x-ray that has been scheduled by the gastro doc while stayin on prilosec and watching my diet....but I am getting no relief.

Here are my symptoms:

-burning pain (sensation like someone is putting a lit cigar butt out on the inside of my lower right ribcage)
-sensation as if someone has just punched me in the solarplexes...this pain goes all the way through to my back in the center between my shoulder blades
-bloating
-gas pain
-gas with very foul unusual odor
-feces lighter color than normal
-a few episodes of nausea

I am VERY scared, because I am starting to believe I am going to be in severe pain for the rest of my life. There is always pain at some level. Some days there is less pain, but they are few and far between.

I have read about so many things including acid reflux, GERD, ulcers, hiatal hernias and I think I could have any or all of them...I just don't know. It doesn't look like a hiatal hernia can be cured so I am really beginning to believe I am doomed to a miserable existence for the rest of my days because I am taking prilosec and am getting no relief.

I ask that you please tell me what your best guess is as to why I am suffering so much. Thank u very much for your time and any advice you could provide. This is so frightning.

[CalGal]

Many of the symptoms you're relating could apply either to gallbladder or to acid reflux issues. You should also ask to have a HIDA scan with CCK injection done to check the ejection fraction of your gallbladder, in addition to checking for acid reflux issues. Since you mentioned a change in the odor of your stool, ask the doc to do some stool testing.

In the meantime, you may want to follow a low fat GERD diet. Meds aren't the only thing that can help if the problem is acid reflux. You can find suggestions for a GERD friendly diet at gicare.com. Diet won't make you feel better overnight - neither will the meds - but over time diet and meds can help if it is GERD.

[tigerfan7]

Thank you for your response. I am waiting on some sort of scan to be scheduled and I am thinking its parobably the HIDA scan you are referring to. Today, I woke up with less pain and then within an hour of eating it escalated for several hours and started to come back down again. Then I ate a few bites of food every hour for a few hours and the symptoms escalated but not nearly as much as when I had eaten a full meal earlier in the day.

Unfortunately, I also have panic attacks so this whole situation is even worse than the physical pain. Needles make me pass out not only because of panic but because I have bad vagal response. I don't know if I spelled that correctly. Anyway, I think what ever scan they are going to run involves an IV and blood tests so I know this is going to be tough all the way around but I have no option because this is so painful.

[crambone]

gerd can bring on gasteritis,,,i have the sae thing,thought i was dieing or something!,,matter fact,im having some pain right now!!
i ate something tonight i shouldnt have,and im paying the price for it.
i have had everything checked 2 fold,and its nothing like my liver,gallbladder,or pancreas,so thats the good news!,,,no ulcers,or hernias either.
i get reflux here and there,and heartburn/bas exct.
i think ,,,,well i know that gasteritis,,,,and also esophigeal spasms are directly related to gerd.
put iy this way,,,im 35,,been hainv this weard pain on and off for 10 years!,,,yes 10 years and im still kicking!,,,,,i think you will be alright too.
meds dont seem to help much,but diet,and not eating too late does.
i quit drinking alcohol and slowed down on the soda.
elevated head of my bead about 4-5 inches helps a little too.
drinking a glass of milk,,somthing that coats the lining also seems to help when it is starting to come on.

[tigerfan7]

Thanks for writing. I will find out more this week. For some reason the last two days have not been as bad. I just can't find the rhyme or reason to it. I ate bad food yesterday and it hurt but not near as bad so I really can't identify what triggers it to get worse or better. I have also read about biliary sludge that often isn't picked up on sonogram so this may be a possibility is well. I just pray I can find some answers. Again, I appreciate the response.

[Milo99]

This sounds like an ulcer. Gallbladder disease is much more common in women than men. A simple ultrasound can shed some light on that.  The damage from acid reflux and ulcers can take months to heal. It surprises me that your (or any) doctor would tell you to just try prilosec for 3 weeks. Read the label or the insert that came with it, 3 months is more the time period. Please don't drink milk for suspected a ulcer that is a wives tale. Milk actually stimulates your stomach acid more than most beverages which is the very thing you are trying to avoid. Take CalGal's advice and go on a GERD diet and most importantly be patient with the medication, give it time to work.

[tigerfan7]

Well, I can't believe it but I am feeling MUCH better (knock on wood) for now. My doctor still has me on prilosec...so its been about 5 weeks but he told me if I didn't feel some relief after 3 weeks then I need to see a gastro specialist. So at week 4 on prilosec I was still in extreme pain but now on week 5, I have been feeling much relief for 3 days now. Thank God! But, I think the Gastro still wants me to go through with an HIDA scan because his assistant told me lots of times the problem comes back if it is a gallbladder issue such as sludge which could have been missed by a sonogram. I still feel a small amount of pain and discomfort, but so much less than 7 days ago. Anyone think the HIDA is something to go ahead with or would it just be a waste of time and money.

[tigerfan7]

Bad news, the pain is back....feels like I have been punched in the diaphram in upper right abdomen all the time. HIDA scan came back normal. I am really scared now because I think it is a paraesophageal hiatal hernia and I am reading that they can be deadly and without warning if your stomach is strangulated. God help me.