Dizziness, feeling confused, and Gerd

[palmettochick]

Over the past 4 months I have been diagnoesed with GERD. However, almost exactly to the day, I have had dizzy spells over the past year. Along with the dizziness, there is tension in the back of my head and neck. I have had a MRI- which came back negative and I have had many blood tests which were negative as well. I also recently have started feeling confused at times (its weird) and a shakey feeling. Last week I went to my doctor and they did more blod work (negative) and I had an ultrasound on my gallbladder which was negative. In a couple of weeks I am having the endoscopy test. (Which i am scared about). Also at times I have heart palpitations that scare me. I will admit that I am very stressed out at times due to work and such.


Does anyone have any of these similar symptoms?
What do I do..??

[noggin7717]

I was first DX'ed w/ GERD in Jan '07. I've had an endoscope done which was negative for anything serious. Don't be scared about the scope, it'll be over with in a jiffy. If you're doctor is half way decent, you will hardly remember the procedure.

The last month or so, I've had dizzy / hazy spells, not every day, but enough to cause concern. My doc (had to switch docs cause the last one wasn't living up to expectations), said that I may have a referred pain that may cause the dizziness, something about the ears and throat sharing nerves and such, I didn't really follow everything he said, but at the time it made sense.

Last year I went to the ER cause (I guess it was my GERD) was acting up really bad and I got so dizzy I thought for sure I was going to pass out. They did an MRI on my neck and head, probably for stroke, but it came back OK as well.

I will say this about GERD, many people have many, many different symptoms. It's a weird disorder/disease and can be very frustrating. Stress is a contributor, IMO, to GERD.

imaximus at insight dot rr dot com

[medicalrep]

dont worry these symptoms persiste because of the acid in digestion doesnt process well so trigger and to eliminate such problem take a pinch of salt in full glass of water or common soda atleast 250ml ..use these remedies ur main point is to run the digestion process.once this happens ur aim is to get stools this should happen a quite after sometime u do these.im also a sufferer same as ur symptoms with any change all that persists in me especially at nights panic attacks..keep having ginger after every meal.dont use lemon at any cost.use ajwain seeds in a hot water steam them and strain and drink the syrup.all these wil help ur main aim is to stool out the left out stool.ul be okay..follow ur food material whatever your eating be careful with them.search on google and come out with your diet plan dont worry im here like you

[stephnewmom]

I'm not sure,.. never had GERD..BUT i've had the same dizzy spells, head and neck probs.. etc.. and it turned out to be severe anxiety and stress.. dr said that stress can cause really weird symptoms... hope this helps.. could you be worried about something?  I even had numbness in my arms and legs sometims.. had all the tests and ended up being diagnosed with anxiety.  I swore the tests were wrong and kept going back for more but they kept coming back negative.  Maybe that's a possibility..

[tayl3r]

hey.. can you tell me if you still feel this way?  if so what are you doing about it?

I have felt a bit like this for a few months now, have had blood tests and all came back fine... i find its really the confusing feeling that is then giving me the anixety because i know i dont feel 'right' and yet i dont know why not and no one can explain why not...

[shurooq_00]

Just to share my experience about GERD.   The one thing that has affected me the most is dizziness and inability to eat for days.  Every three to four months, for whatever reason, my GERD acts up very severely, I'd stay in bed for days, extremely dizzy, having to hold on to things to be able to stand up and unable to eat anythign at all.  I would loose easily two kg (four pounds) in a four day period.  Doctors are not giving any straight answers. I have taken Mutillium but doesn't seem to do much. I guess it is something I have to live with and expect.  
Wishes fo good health to all

[emmapop]

yeah i have the same dizziness/lightheadednes for about a year every day u lot are describing .....do or did n e of u think u have a brain tumour or think their dying? i feel this way every day and its very stresful in itself. iam only 25 and i think not knowing what the problem is makes the situation worse!
its a kind of not with it feeling ...tierd ....lightheaded and sometimes shakey with neck tension all my blood work came back peachy,iam just working on my doc for an mri or cat scan but thats like getting blood out of a stone lol., i think really in the back of my mind it is stress or anxiety as i have a very busy life of 5 children hehe.
things i have found that help are cutting out all aspartame produts and taking vitamin b complex..n  e one else care to share how they manage? thankyou ure all in my prayers x

[emmapop]

yeah i have the same dizziness/lightheadednes for about a year every day u lot are describing .....do or did n e of u think u have a brain tumour or think their dying? i feel this way every day and its very stresful in itself. iam only 25 and i think not knowing what the problem is makes the situation worse!
its a kind of not with it feeling ...tierd ....lightheaded and sometimes shakey with neck tension all my blood work came back peachy,iam just working on my doc for an mri or cat scan but thats like getting blood out of a stone lol., i think really in the back of my mind it is stress or anxiety as i have a very busy life of 5 children hehe.
things i have found that help are cutting out all aspartame produts and taking vitamin b complex..n  e one else care to share how they manage? thankyou ure all in my prayers x

[Louieboni]

I have been undergoing through the same experience. I have been diagnosed with GERD recently and was given proton pump inhibitors and anti asthma medicines because GERD apparently could aggravate asthma. before i was diagnosed i was having chest pains and getting dizzy most of the times. I have been through a battery of tests like ECG, stress test, echocardiography, stress echocardiography, holter monitor, MRI and MRA of the brain, and CT scan of chest and they all turned up negative. Emmapop, I know what you are saying. I really thought i had a heart disease or brain disease and it really creates more anxiety because no one could really pinpoint the exact causes of what i am feeling. Having read some your experiences, it is a bit comforting knowing that there are others experiencing the same. It creates a sense of security that what we are feeling are not as serious as it seems

[Louieboni]

I just have a question to those with GERD. Do all of you also feel pain or discomfort in your left arm?

[Allisonc78]

I have been getting dizzy spells that last for a few hours since
I was diagnosed with Acid Reflux (GERD). Do you think it is from the meds and not the GERD. Dizziness is a side effect of Zegerid which is what I'm taking. This PPIs have a whole lot of side effects. Pretty scary, almost would rather get surgury than be on this medication forever. There is that feeling in my throat like something is stuck in there and the indegestion. You would think the meds would help that feeling. I have trouble breathing as well and pressure in my breastbone area. Yuck.

[helptohusker]

I too have been diagnosed with severe GERD and pre-cancerous stage of Barrets, and I'm only 23. When trying to diagnose mine I too went through the battery of tests that included a stress test to asthma tests and even 3 HIV tests, all negative. The heart palpitations that you describe may not be your heart but rather your esophagus, which is what happened to me. I swear to you I thought it was my heart, felt that way and everything, turned out to be esophageal spasms. These spasms and the GERD also seemed to cause sleep apnea, which was discovered by pure luck during the surgery that I had. After that my anxiety, dizziness and even weight-gain seemed to disappear. It took awhile. Some food for thought, and maybe some questions to ask your doctor when you get the endoscopy, and dont worry its not bad.

[helptohusker]

Yes. Sometimes the pain that you feel may not be where you would expect it. It can radiate down your arm, up your neck and even into your lower jaw.

[jo_jrhutch]

hello everyone,

its so helpful to be able read what everyone has been experiencing.  i've been having a lot of nausea and dizziness along with heart palpitations for the past few weeks now. think i had the palpitations for maybe the month previous to that but i kept putting it to the back of my mind hoping it would go away, but still really worried that it was maybe my heart. over the past maybe year or so i would every now and then have the feeling of something stuck in my throat.
a few weeks ago a had two scary driving experiences where i felt lightheaded, nauseous and my arms and legs went really weak,it was horrible, i thought i was going to faint at the wheel! i work in a hospital and i got one of the doctors to check me out and he said he thought it was gastritis, i was like what?! how could my acid from my stomach be making me feel this dizzy, and what about the palpitations? but he said that these could all be linked so put me on some gastro resistant tablets for 4 weeks and told me to drink lots of water and eat bland foods. 2-3 weeks on my nausea has eased slightly but not completely, but its the dizziness thats really frustrating me, one minute i'm fine and the next i feel like i just need to lie down, i'm also quite tired all the time! i hate going to the doctor, this is the frist thing ever thats really bothered me and scared me thats made me need to go, so i wouldn't call myself a hypochondriac, but sometimes i do think to myself, is all this just in my head? is this dizziness some kind of panicky symptom triggered by anxiety or something...i don't feel overly anxious about anything other than the usual mundane stuff like money and day to day life! i think i'm really starting to confuse myself and worry myself. i just want this horrible dizzy thing to go away!
does this sound similar to anyone else's experience?

Jo

[atsjas]

hi all i all ways feel confused and really weak every day   i  have been to the doc and there alway say there nothin wrong its all in the mind i also feel like i am not here and in a world of my own does any feel like that?

[atsjas]

can any one help

[janie60]

I can see how dizziness could be r/t gerd.  Your inner ear affects balance, so acid regurg up your throat could be causing the nerves in the inner ear to become inflammed leading to dizziness,  Has anyone out there developed asthma, bronchitis, or other respiratroy issues r/t gerd?
I've been experienceing several of the gerd symptoms...lump in the throat, nausea after eating, coughing, stangling easily on drinks, now suddenly I've had a severe cough, wheezing, laryingitis for about 2-3 wks and the doctor says I'm having asthma...I'm thinking it's probably another symptom of gerd...so now I have inhalors and am on a steroid dose pack...anyone else have this experience?

[pogicdn74]

Hi everyone I have had some of these symptoms for the last 10 years on and off and it just really drives you crazy. the one thing i found helps me is to force yourself to do the things you are affriad of doing or feel to sick to do.. I know alot of the times i want to go for a walk but feel to dizzy but if u can force yourself to try not to feel dizzy and just enjoy what you wanna do it might help to relieve some stress you are feeling. i find the more i lie around the more i feel sick and the weaker i get.  

One funny thing i notice here is everyone has said they dont really know of any stress or anything they should be anxious about ...its seems to be a common theme with this problem which made me come to the conclusion that its life period... I dont think you really need to be worried about anything conciously  to have these symptoms. we tell ourselves a millon negetive messages a day without realizing it ... and to not really have  a name for what makes us suffer makes it alot worse.  I cant really give anyone any answers but i know all this that i experience is just going on in my head and body and I havent died from it yet. Ive called it heart attack  Ive called it brain tumor and every other name in the book... Ive been to a few doctors and never really had any serious tests but they have all said its stress related... my advice to myself and all of you is to get the test if you feel you need them and try not to get hooked up into to much pills and try to make the best of your life and think more possitively. i know you all feel sick and so do I and i just want my "Normal" life back.  Anyway fresh air and alittle excercise by going for a brief walk will never hurt anyone I know it always helps me to feel a little better.

I always try to listen to what my body is going thru and can usually feel one of these spells coming on and if u can its good to stop thinking about all your symptoms....

The funny thing with me is that i got alot of these symptoms after a stressful period like moving house or changing jbs or worrying about bills... They come the worst at a time i feel its should be time to relax or they come after having a cold or a flu in my case.

Anyways thanx everyone for sharing your experiences because it helps to know your not the only person to feel this and that you dont have some unknown illness that knowone has ever experienced before.

[Toots519]

Me too.  Sudden onset of fatique and dizziness comes on randomly, alot of days I too feel like I am not here. Confusion portion is VERY frustrating....simple tasks become difficult tasks.....typing for instance.....suddenly I can't spell or reverse letters and I've been making a living doing it for 25 years!  I have no train of thought.....and concentration is basically a thing of the past.  I had this on and off for a number of years, but now it's pretty much everyday.  This must be related to anxiety....but I didn't know it could reek such havoc in one's everyday life!  All med tests come back negative.

[leigha769]

Sounds all too familiar... I also have Gerd was diagnosed a little over 6 months ago. I get the dizzy spells, the chest pressure, the constant throat clearing, pains in the neck, arms, and face, also the heart rate feels like its way up there I also have tingling sensations all over my face.. I have heavy eyes due to lack of sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow it feels like my tongue is swollen as well as my throat is just awful to deal with every night and day which I am sure you already knew..... nothing seems to help the symptoms.
Have had all the tests everything is just fine except for the fact that I feel I am falling apart, blood tests come back just fine as well as MRI's ..feels as if pressure just builds up in all the muscles of my face and neck and just sits there isn't a nice feeling..... nothing seems to help

[armeniangirl]

Hi I am suffering about 15 years from  sinus problems and recently got worst, whenever  i  get a little flu situation my had  being dizzy, can't concentrate, my legs are shaky, what you gays thing is there some connection between sinus and and brain-body function?

[victoria42]

I want everyone who reads this to know that there is a real cure for all of this. I have been ill for years, I also have a mild but dangerous heart condition (it can become dangerous if a domino effect takes place). After a solid year of bleeding ulcers (undiagnosed) and gerd with severe dizziness, and other symptoms that led to neck paralysis with complications, here's what I discovered.

I saw a Chinese gi qong master who is an energy worker and acupuncturist who has worked with all the top hospitals in my large metro area for a decade or two. I had a major nerve being pinched in my neck which was slightly displaced (a vertebra in my neck). It is called the Vagus nerve, Google vagus nerve issues, there will be a lot of related issues listed. I have esophageal spasms happening, but with treatment, the heartburn was almost eliminated, now I am down to just coughing, sore throat, and the spasms, and difficulty breathing which is from stomach acid getting in your lungs. The feeling of the pressure is subsiding as well. I receive acupuncture treatment for the esophogeal spasm of the sphincter, for my neck to relieve the pressure on the nerve which runs through your sinus node of your heart as well as through areas of your body that are commonly affected by GERD, numbness in arms/legs/sometimes lower back, ringing in ears, dizziness because you start to lack enough oxygen to the brain, etc. Dizziness can also occur if stomach acid is getting in your lungs because any fluid in your lungs can reduce the proper oxygen intake to your brain.
I also receive acupuncture for stress, which is apparently almost all of what is causing my esophageal spasms at this point, except I notice that it can get worse if I eat too much cheese, chocolate, or drink alcohol, or eat a large meal really late at night.
I don't have to sleep propped up anymore.
I don't have heartburn anymore.
With another four months of treatment and avoidance of major foods that worsen the condition, my doctor says I should be back to normal.
I think the nerve, and stress, are just as contributing as foods.Salt seems deadly to my condition but that is also because I have a heart condition, but salt taxes your kidneys, and can cause asthma symptoms. I also discovered my favourite herbal tea had a lot of peppermint in it, though that wasn't the flavour, so I stopped drinking it and that helped a great deal.So did my breathmints, and when I stopped those, I felt much better.

I will occasionally eat organic aloe vera gel, NOT JUICE, from the health food store, although I have to leave it in a cup for 20 minutes to warm up, as very cold things will cause esophageal spasms and worsen digestion, (the aloe has to be stored in the fridge so it doesn't spoil, so I only leave it out to warm for a little while). My chinese doctor has okayed this practice of eating the aloe for a few months, in order to speed the natural healing of the entire digestive tract, but recommends it not be a permanent treatment as aloe is known as a 'cold food', and most people with these conditions (gerd, digestive issues, overstressed, adrenal issues, blood pressure issues, excessive bile, and lung issues) should consume mostly warming foods in order to strengthen the body and spleen and keep things running smoothly.

I am not able to take any synthetic medicines as I am deathy allergic to so many of them, so I never was able to take antacids or prescription meds, though I am told they will not cure, and will eventually worsen conditions such as these. I highly suggest acupuncture for GERD, and to have your neck/spine/nerve bundles examined by a chinese holistic acupuncturist/gi qong worker, the Vagus nerve especially if you are getting dizzy spells or having any issues with bowel movements, cold sweats, weight loss, or inability to eat, all of which I went through for the first ten months I was sick with no idea what was happening. Getting checked for anemia is smart, and being checked for ulcers is smart as well.

Even some citrus fruit can make all these symptoms worsen, esp fruit juice of any kind. Orange juice and coffee used to be my normal breakfast till I discovered this.

There is a natural cure for GERD and related heart, lung, and digestive issues. Seek one out. Look in the yellow pages for a chinese practitioner who speaks english and has credentials to check. My doctor is famous, so I didn't have to question much, but there are qualified gi qong practitioners/acupuncturists all over the US.

ALoe vera gel consumed daily is a miracle cure.
I had half a teacup full 2-3 times a day between meals when I was REALLY sick, now just every once in a while, usually because I haven't watched my food choices or had to eat out a few days in a row. I also had to stop eating garlic and ginger at first, but now I am almost healed, so I can have some moderately spicy foods throughout the week if I am smart about it.
For me nights were the worst, I went without decent sleep for 4 years, but my habit was to work all day and into the night, and eat one big meal late at night.

Now I sleep through the night. I was bedridden and wanted to die I was in so much pain for a couple of years till I found my Chinese doctor and he started these treatments.Luckily I avoided surgery because of my heart and allergies to drugs.

So that's my two cents. There is hope without drugs and surgery. And I did have the many visits over half a decade to the ER thinking I was dying of a heart ESVT,(tachycardia) which I have suffered from in the past, but it was always my esophageal muscle spasming (they would tell me I was having anxiety and offer me valium instead of a real exam). So after years of medical debt and no real help, I now am being cured by my chinese doctor. It is a good thing! Sore throat and fever and itching cough are the first warning signs for me that I need to really watch what I eat, avoid acidic food, eat before 7 at night, rest well, breath well, and take good care before the esophageal spasms start up again. Eating dairy esp sugary cold dairy is also a killer for me, like an instant plague in my body. Give up ice cream if you have GERD please, lol. WHen you are well again, try Rice Dream, or Soy Ice Cream in tiny helpings early in the day, not late at night.

Good luck. Stop taking antacids, eat aloe gel from the health food store, avoid acidic food, unhealthy fats, cold dairy, and caffeine, and be wellRead the book 'You Can Heal Your Life"!!!!! That helped me stop thinking like a sick person, which is half the battle, folks. Just because a doctor tells you you are doomed to be sick, doesn't mean you have to take their word for it. Go see a holistic doctor, read Deepok Chopra's books, seek alternatives, meditate, think positively about yourself, see yourself well. Watch the film 'The Secret". Don't discuss your ill health with other people if it isn't to solve your problem (don't complain). It will make a world of difference.

[Jake738]

I've had similar symptoms for the past two months; started as a cold last week of Aug., sinus infection then post nasal drip, a cough that would not end, an inflamed voice box & throat and chest ache/pain.  Finally the ENT diagnosed reflux but could not explain the weak shaky feeling, the tiredness or the weight loss (10lbs.).  However, after finding this site it seems as these are all symptoms produced by GERD.  I started Prilosec and finally am starting to feel better - hang in there!

[db7597]

I just read your post about dizziness, GERD, etc.  I have the same problem and like you.  I have been to the ER twice in the last four years thinking I was having a heart attack since I had chest pain, arm discomfort and dizziness.  But each time, everything came back negative and the symptoms eventually went away, which doesn't happen if it was heart or head problems.  I think it is the reference pain. Nerves are strange things and if they cross at certain points, they can cause all sorts of problems.  I had a terrible episode yesterday while I was at work.  I ate breakfast in the car on the way to work.  When I got there, I leaned over to plug in the Christmas-tree and didn't think anything of it.  About 10 minutes later, I got dizzy to the point I had to sit down.  Then came the burning and discomfort that made me wonder if it was heart or stomach.  It's very scary because you see all the articles telling you "if you think you are having a heart attack...don't wonder...get to the ER".  But of course when you get there, it costs a fortune and you feel like a nut case when they do all their tests and find nothing.  I had a stress test twice, MRI of the head once, EKG's, cardiac ultrasounds and the good news is - they say I have a great heart and brain.  The funny thing is, not one of them told me to see a gastro doc so I went to one on my own.  He wanted to do an endoscope and I wouldn't do it just yet.  I told him to treat it first like it's GERD and then if I still had the problems, I would have the test.  He thought that was fair and put me on Nexium 40mg.  It worked great for about six weeks, but then I started realizing that I had joint and muscle pain from it and terrible fatigue.  I stopped it and the GERD returned.  So I switched to famotidene, which is basically Pepsid.  It works great.  I take 10mg in the morning and 10mg at night.  The problem is, I got stupid for a couple days and ran out of it, but didn't rush out and get it.  That's why I had the problems yesterday.  So, in a way it confirms everything is in fact GERD and it confirms that I'm a moron for letting myself run out of famotidene!  That will never happen again.  I bought a 100 day supply at Wal-Mart for $8 today which is a fantastic deal if any of you use it or if you are thinking of trying it.  Please keep in mind, I am not a doctor, just a guy like you all who hate GERD and found something that worked.  Ask the pharmacist about famotidene if you are taking any other drugs.  Good luck!

[Nux]

To those who feel confused/disoriented/not-really-here and have GERD, it is possible that there is a connection to your inner ear which controls coordination and balance. Just an idea.

[Nux]

I notice that I get disassociated/confused after eating certain foods. If it were a matter of anxiety, it would be constant. I think it is GERD-related. I also have some trouble keeping my balance and dizziness.