I feel scared and helpless!

[etherealsinger]

Okay. I'm a 20-year old female, 5'4" and 150 lbs. Back in March I was diagnosed with GERD. In the past 3 months alone I've had about 7 ER visits, and I've seen 3 different doctors multiple times. I was put on Nexium twice a day, and am still in the process of getting tests done. My gallbladder is slightly abnormal but the doctor's aren't sure whether or not it's whats causing my symptoms, which are as follows:

-fleeting chest pain around sternum- feels tight, like someone is pressing on my chest
-horrible acid reflux, no matter what I eat
-constant pain under left and right armpits, around sides and ribcage; occasionally shoots into my back. the pain in my armpits is also brought on just by touch, like the muscles are tender
-the occasional heart palpitation

I have developed horrible anxiety problems, as well as headaches that are from stress, I assume. I smoked for about a year and quit a week ago- so far so good! Unfortunately, quitting smoking hasn't helped as much as I'd hoped it would with my reflux and chest pains.

I honestly have forgotten what it's like to really feel FINE. To have NO pain at all. I will admit I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, but I am easily scared and I don't feel like the doctors really understand the pain I'm in.

I just wanna know, does anyone else have these symptoms? What did you find relieved them, if anything?

[Caridadshop]

Hello,
I know it’s been a long time but how are y doing ??
I’m going through the same thing and it’s horribly.
Best wishes.
Gaby

[Maan1995]

Hi all...last February I woke up at 5 am....feeling really weak and discomfort in my chest...I thought I was going to die...my panic attacks started that day...since that day I have seen many doctors and went to ER twice...they told me I have gerd...but I didn't believe them I felt like I had something much serious...and that came out to be my problem for the future..for about a month I panicked everyday...feeling like I was suffering from something serious...my dear friends you must all know that once gerd symptoms doesn't have to be the same for all...I mean I rarely feel heart burn...what I feel is chest pain!...I burp alot...I have gas sometimes and I feel like there is food stuck in my throat plus I have difficulty breathing...it is okay for us to get stressed after suffering from all these symptoms...I read a comment here by someone saying that if a doctor experiences what we experience the doctor will be more serious haha....I have done ECG many times the readings are all normal...one doctor gave me nexuim and a medicine for stress called seroxat...I felt better for couple of days...but then side effects of the medicines started to kick in..felt extreme tiredness along with palpitations I got afraid I said this can't be gerd...HE GAVE ME SOMETHING WITH SUCH SIDE EFFECTS!!...my panic attacks got worsen..stopped taking both medicines and thank Allah palpitations stopped...got afraid of taking new medicines...settled with gaviscon for a month..it helped a little bit..but wasn't that good for me...so I was like trying to ignore my gerd...after period of time I started to feel tired and weakness for a short period of time and then it would go away...started to feel muscles of my body move by themselves...the palpitations came back...tried to ignore it...till one day the tiredness and weakness was really strong it hit me out of no where...I panicked went to a hospital right away...they noticed that my BP  was high(145/92) did many tests with my blood you name it...from H.pylori test to HIV test...all tests were negative...my ECG is good..... I am not over weight lost 10 kg since February.....everything is good other than my BP...fyi I am only 23 y....told them that I have gerd...since that day I started using Rantag tablet and Moxal in liquid form...it helped with my gerd alot I am not worried about gerd like before....and thanks to Allah I controlled my BP naturally by eating healthy and doing sports...but It took sometime along with patience ..and now if I ignore my gerd or ignore my BP....I feel the symptoms of both....to conclude..gerd is really common it won't kill you...but if ignored it leads to other serious diseases..try as much as possible to not panic it doesn't help at all.....what helped me was eating healthy, exercising, treating my gerd and get close to Allah...educate your self on this matter...look at my story and learn...I have a high BP now because of my gerd, stress and panic attacks. May Allah guide you all

[Osine]

Hello I have just in the last month developed most of these symptoms I am looking into Hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid as a lot of these symptoms fit. I have swollen armpits, and pain there and in my sides under armpits, and in my chest too. Massive bloat and indigestion and gas. You can do a home test for this with Digestive enzymes (Betaine Hydrochloric acid tabs)  I started today . Worth looking into if only to rule it out good Luck.

[Kristov33]

I have the same set of symptoms,what helped me was a change in diet and working out.At present my symptoms come and go as they never really went,they just was subdued for awhile then they come back again.

[mikey42356]

Quit taking nexium. It did the same to me so did prosaic try Zantac and Tums. It killed my underarms and they wld itch. Please try this.

[jockojohnson]

sometimes certain stds bring on gerd did you have any type of contact with any one within  a couple of weeks of the gerd ?kissing oral ,etc. infection or diet? that is the question.i have gerd not sure if it was brought on by recent scare {nerves}.

[bluethman]

You might want to investigate Dr. Koufman's work and try this diet since the other docs seem to be getting nowhere...

http://www.voiceinstituteofnewyork.com/

[jlyvo]

Hi there,

Did you ever find out what it was that you had? I have the same exact symptoms you have listed:

fleeting chest pain around sternum- feels tight, like someone is pressing on my chest
-horrible acid reflux, no matter what I eat
-constant pain under left and right armpits, around sides and ribcage;

I have tried different doctors. None of them seem to know what is wrong with me.

Let me know if you can!!

[magusfey]

Hello. I have been having similar problems, strangely enough, also since March of this year. It's been one thing after another, and I'm getting fed up with it all. I've only been in the ER twice so far. I will relate to you what I experienced.

- Started out with gagging in the morning that went away after a few days.
- Developed a cough, which also went away.
- Pressure under sternum, which occurs on and off.
- Occasional chest pains.
- Acid reflux.
- I also get the pains under my left and right armpits and around the sides of my ribcage.
- Pain/stiffness between my shoulder blades, and sometimes in the shoulders themselves. The pain can sometimes be described as "burning".
- Periods of excessive abdominal growling.
- Frequent belching, especially during meals and after drinking liquids.
- Very mild, short lived pains under my right and left ribs. Happens more so under my right ribs lately, near my gallbladder and colon.
- Occasional excessive mucus in throat.
- Muscle spasms all over various regions of my body (probably unrelated to all of this, or brought on by stress from this crap)

My appetite is fine. I have no nausea/vomiting. No weight loss. No bloody/tarry stools.

Tests I've had done:

- 3 CBCs (all normal)
- Liver function test (normal)
- Pancreatic function amylase/lipase (normal)
- Diabetes test (negative)
- H. Pylori test (negative)
- Cholesterol levels (normal)
- Blood thickness (normal)
- Endoscopy (showed grade 2 GERD)
- Ultrasound of Liver, Kidneys, Gallbladder, Pancreas (all normal, with the exception of a "slightly fatty liver")

I'm having more tests done soon, such as a HIDA scan. Will let you know how they go. Please keep me updated as well. I'd like to know if you get a diagnosis that goes beyond GERD. It just feels like there is an underlying cause for the GERD that the doctors are overlooking. Thanks and good luck!

[nickles66]

It could be a Hiatal Hernia, search it up.....
The reason I speculate is because you have acid reflux with every thing you eat.

Or it could be Gastritis like the other person said...

Have you changed your det at all?

[Gustav85]

You might has GERD, Gastritis, and possible Gastroparesis caused by the gastrtis. It took me 3 and half months to get it under control until the doctor told me to take antibiotics which really messed me up.

Suggest you get a endoscope done if you have not already. And ask for ALL reports, the doctors don't tell you everything. I had severals scopes done, they failed to tell me I had gastritis. Also get a bilruban test for for gallbladder, if its high then you have a blockage.

I been in the same exact situation, and actually back in it as well, I was told to stop a PPI and now I cannot even drink water. If you ever need support please contact me...

God Bless,
Gustav