Hello community

[K---7]

Not sure if this is the proper forum, but my doc says I have acid reflux. The thing is that over the past week, I have nonstop had bloating and I seem to get full faster. I am not constipated but I feel short of breath and tired. I also get chest pressure and heart burn. I also haven't slept in about a month because I would wake up gasping for air and recently it has been the bloating, nose congestion and just the feeling of food in my stomach that keeps me up till 5am where I feel less short of breath to sleep. Does blaoting cause that? I also have anxiety. I am taking 150mg zantac once a day. I am only 17 and I feel like this intruding :/

[Mentalmicky6]

Go back to your doctor and insist on full investigations into your problems , make yourself a nuisance and don't take no for an answer.

I wish I had this advice when I was your age, my doctor used to send me off with a few indigestion tablets for heartburn which is not normal, it means the valve into your stomach is letting digestion acid back up into the oesophagos which is extremely damaging and in my case resulted in a tumour at 62. I know no one wants to hear stories like this but since I was successfully treated five years ago, I haven't met anyone who knew that acid reflux over a long period of time can result in Oesophageal cancer for anyone who is predisposed to it.

I hope this message has got your attention and all the best

[Rmichelle in reply to Mentalmicky6]

Hello i am going through similar symptons for over a month, i know i have a hiatus hernia and acid reflux discovered from a endoscopy 5 years ago, i am getting food lodged in my throat and i can even feel it in my nasal cavity,coughing nauseus, breathlessness ,burping and tired out. Originally doctor gave me inhalers!! Nothing has helped, prenisone. Went on opramzole but after a month i felt dreadful on this with muscle aches, anxiety and more chest tightness, it stopped the food getting lodged but i felt quite anxious with them and plus side effects of this tablet in the long run. I was taken to AE just over a week ago who said it was a blood clot!! Had all bloods taken, chest xray, Had blood thinned and ct scan - showed nothing"you can go home now" felt very upset and so went back home feeling rubbish, and very breathless. I now have a barium swallow meal app this wednesday at hospital so im hoping it picks up something, just wondering if it is aspiration also effecting my windpipe. Just not hungry feels like i have already eaten all the time. I am a very frustrated 47 year old woman. Any afvice would be great!!

[feebee1993 in reply to Rmichelle]

hello , i can really sympathise with you ,its so frustrating trying to convince some medical people that there really is something wrong with you . once they go down the anxiety route everything seems to be down to that . fifteen years battle to prove i did have a blockage of my oesaphagus ! great you are getting a barium though as these seem to show up things that endoscopy dont always show . good luck and hopefully some answers .

[Rmichelle in reply to feebee1993]

Hi feebee1993 good advice given to k-7. Just wondering what was your blockage?

[feebee1993 in reply to Rmichelle]

hi rmichelle , my oesophagus is compressed from the outside by my right subclavian artery . its called dysphagia lusoria.its very rare aparantly but i had all the symptoms you have mentioned and i wonder if anyone else on here will be diagnosed with the same . there are no help sites for it on the internet . but people on this site who have blockages from other conditions seem to have to deal with the same symptoms . i am more or less on a liquid very soft puree diet now and the advice for diet on here has been very usefull . i like you have ended up in casuilty several times and come out with no diagnosis except panic attack when i actually know now that my oesaphagus was blocked with food ,but it didnt trigger the sick reflex and still doesnt which i dont understand , and my palpitations were triggered by i think oesophageal spasms ? but im still learning , only diagnosed may this year .

tomorrow and friday will give you answers i really wish you well

[Rmichelle in reply to feebee1993]

Wow! Many of my symptons are like yours, i to have palps with mine, how did you get yours diagnosed was it picked up by a barium or endoscopy or another procedure ibam very interested to know. I know other medical conditions have the same symptons as well.

[Rmichelle in reply to Rmichelle]

I am sitting here now trying to digest my food that ii can feel in my throat and if i put my chin down i can feel where the food is and seems to cut of my oxygen slightly. Did you have something similar.

[feebee1993 in reply to Rmichelle]

a barium diagnosed mine , i had an endoscopy years ago that aparantly did not show anything but i supose if they just pushed past the compression it wouldnt show .the barium was very clear .i then had to have a ct scan to check it was an abherrant artery , basically in the wrong place , and not something else pushing the artery onto my oesaphagus .

the feeling you say you are getting now , no i didnt feel that i think the blockage is futher down , for me , so i could get food down and then it just couldnt get through the little passage left ,so i think it then started to spasm ,it took me a while to associate the palpitations with food ,as it wasnt always straight away and i just thought certain foods gave me them , too much fat too spicy etc so over the years i just ate less and less . i think my breathless ness was caused by the food being in my expanded oesaphagus , and now could be lack of proper food .i do have the lump in the back of my throat which i assume could be acid reflux .

[Rmichelle in reply to feebee1993]

So many people have similar symptons but you have been a wealth of knowledge to me , yes i do think mine is lodged further up and pressing on my windpipe? Thankyou so much and i eill keep you informed of my progress, i think the worst bit is not knowing what is wrong.

[Rmichelle in reply to Rmichelle]

Hi there had my barium swallow yesterday so i am waiting on results, just feeling bloated and sicky today, i also have endoscopy for 2 weeks time.just hoping they pick up on something!!

[K---7 in reply to Mentalmicky6]

Thank you. I have gone to nonstop and went to a walkin where one of the doctors hlhave me zantac then a few days later went to another walkin where a doctor basically said it was anxiety that is causing this and to take mylanta with the zantac. My real doctor has asked authorization from insurance for a barium x ray but it has been a week and I honestly don't know how much longer I can take this

[louncolcol in reply to Mentalmicky6]

Hi there , but what can be done for the acid reflux ?cause i have lost weight , changed my diet , stopped drinking and smoking (advice fro doc) and i still get it. Also raised head of bed on bricks. Its night time worse its actually damaging my teeth and i feel shortness of breath. I have tried the ppis ,rantadine zantac ant acids , gaviscon , acv , endoscopy which they just said take ppis to help night time reflux !!

Sorry to hear about your tumour . Are they able to operate on you

[kiddy]

Hi there, did the dr put you on Omeprazole or lanprazole? This should help you. Are you stressed? If so try meditation in the form of an App like headspace. You should also have blood tests to rule out anemia that can make you short of breath and tired.

Good Luck

[K---7 in reply to kiddy]

I am taking zantac. The only thing that is making me worried is the physical symptoms and my doctor doesn't seem to get that because I deal with anxiety

[Rmichelle]

K7 dont be fobbed off with docs putting everything down to anxiety it is not always so, i have been fobbed off with asthma, a virus , basically doctors dont know, demand and listern to what your body is telling you, my symptons are slightly different to yours as i mentionef in my previous post to you, i took antacids for years anf originally took omprazole for nearly 2 months and yes did stop the food lodging in my throat and stomach but did nothing but make me more breathless. Muscle ached and very emotional because ppi's change chemicals in the brain, i decided to come off them and also the fact as many other people have said that they surpress all the acid in your stomach, yes great but really in the long run its not good, it could be masking a problem like one of the other people said in this post, doctors dish these meds out cos its easy, instead of investigating the real issue!! I am due for a barium swallow this wednesday and also a endoscopy this friday. I am in the uk.

[Rmichelle]

Forgot to say also k7 kiddy mentioned your iron levels, demand a blood test for that aswell and also thyroid that can also cause alot of symptons regardless of age. Can you talk to anyone about this parent/friends.

[K---7 in reply to Rmichelle]

I took a blood test in april and everything came back normal

[feebee1993]

hi k 7 ,

sorry to hear you are having such a frightening time . its very posative that your doctor is taking you seriously and asking for the tests . the barium test is ok , just a thick shake liquid to drink and x rays taken . it shows up a really good picture of whats going on and can rule out quite a lot of conditions so a reasuring test .

when you are having anxiety treatment its very easy for that to be blamed for every symptom .and often we are only anxious because we have something making us ill we cant get answers for and a viciouse circle is formed . but your doctor sounds like you are being taken seriously and im sure you will get some answers soon . some anxiety forums can be a great place for support with the stress side while you get your answers .

wishing you all the best

[Rmichelle]

Hello there k7, i have to agree with feebee1993, hang on in there and keep pushing your doc, i have barium swallow meal tomorrow at 4pm, i am hopeful something will show on there as i have plenty of symptons and if not endoscopy is my next port of call. I think we know when it is anxiety but i think we know our bodies best and we 0have a inkling when something is not right! Hope you get your barium meal soon and try not to worry and stay strong.