Desperate to explain my blaoting and gerd.

[braeseven]

Just over a year ago, at age 44, I started noticing abdominal bloating. I had never had this before. Then after a couple of weeks I started getting a pinching sensation below my sternum. I finally got a doctor to prescribe me the antacid ranitidine, and for the time being the pinching went away but the bloating continued. Then I started having stomach pains and I was put on the antacid pantoprazole and a stool softener for constipation. After about a month and a half I was feeling so good I stopped taking the  pantoprazole after consulting with my doctor. A week later I was having bad GERD and went back on it. I still don't know what initially caused the bloating, why it ramped up to GERD so quickly off the medication, and how damaged my LES is now.  I've read that the damage can be irreversable and I could have this for the rest of my days. Getting information out of doctors has been like pulling teeth, and after seeing a GI three times I have only been diagnosed with IBS-C (constipation). Would really
appreciate any insight or advice. Thanks.