claireypoo
23-06-14, 20:50
Can anyone help or talk me down from the sofa?
I was diagnosed with GERD /GORD, in February, although I have been suffering symptoms since October 2013. I am having a very hard time believing my symptoms are GERD not something sinister or heart related. I suffer with severe health anxiety and have trust issues with doctors, which doesn't help. (I know I need help with this and am having therapy). Mostly I am terrified of the symptoms and finding it all very overwhelming. I feel like GERD rules my life. On the few days in the last four months with minimal symptoms I am so relieved, but most days it is so distressing. On waking I am fine, then even a glass of water will set it off, burning. On bad days the pain in my back is awful. By lunchtime the pain is horrible, then it reduces in late evening. I sleep fine, but have nightmares, I also have tinnitus. The jaw pain is scaring me silly. I think about my symptoms constantly. I can't relax or enjoy myself any more.
My symptoms are
RIB PAIN (right)
- Feels like something is stuck under it, sometimes it feels full, sometimes it just hurts, sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes in my back and side. Sometimes it feels sore. Worse lying down.
BACK PAIN , between shoulder blades mostly on right side of spine. (boring pain, hard to get rid of) Better lying down or with heat bag. Gaviscon really helps this.
BURNING IN LOWER CHEST/UPPER STOMACH. Feels like a flooding battery acid sensation, a sensation of sudden actual heat in my middle and chest. Uncomfortable rather than out and out painful.
BURPING (excessively)
IRON TASTE in mouth. Thicker saliva.
OCCASIONAL SEVERE CHEST PAIN . like a spasm.
PRESSURE IN THROAT, like a burp stuck there. Sometimes there is, massage throat and I burp.
NECK MUSCLE PAIN & tightening painful on left side
CHEST PRESSURE , needing to cough, almost like I have phlegm on my chest and need to cough, like how a chest infection feels... but nothing comes up. Chest pressure, like mucus.
SWING THROAT , stings when I eat vinegar/drink wine.
MOUTH ULCERS
Sudden weird YAWNING bouts late evening along with restless legs often.
SLEEPINESS in the evening. Falling asleep on sofa after eating dinner.
HEART RATE DECREASE (from resting 68-90 bpm to resting 49 - 58bpm. Increases on exercise, GP not concerned as oxygen sats 98-99% said it could be decreasing because I'm getting fitter, giving up smoking & losing 3 stone) still worries me though. The heart rate decrease started at the same time as GERD (Oct 13 not after exercise began Dec 13)
'SKIPPED' HEART BEATS (mostly after exercise)
RECENTLY, scarily, JAW PAIN (under left side lower jaw)
Tests I have had so far, ultrasounds, xray, bloodtests x 2 - fine, stool sample-fine, helicobacter pylori stool test negative, gallstones negative, referred to gastroenterology for Endoscopy but couldn't go through with it, consultant diagnosed me based on my symptoms with GERD "probably with a small hiatus hernia"
I take Domperidone before I eat and Gaviscon Advance after. It helps, particularly the gaviscon. Was prescribed Ranitidine (made my muscles ache!) and Omeprazole (made me anxious).
I have cut down on fatty foods, drastically cut down alcohol (didn't drink anything alcoholic at all for first 3 months) I lost 3 stone in weight over 6 months (My Fitness Pal app), 5 mile walks daily, and raised the head of the bed. I take supplements of acidophilus and aloe Vera juice (yak)
When I am having a bad bout, I get yellow/tan poo (sorry TMI) with partially digested food.
I also get IBS. Acidophilus really helps that.
I saw my GP today and he wants me to have an Endoscopy (and go through with it this time) and another chest xray. He says he is just being thorough, but when I asked him what he was looking for with the chest xray he said 'you don't want me to tell you and you'll l look it up anyway then rattled off a lot of illnesses I hadn' t heard of and some scary ones I wish I hadn't. :( I get the feeling he was trying to scare me to persuade me to have the tests, but I am beside myself now. So utterly scared I am literally in a ball on the sofa trying to not panic, trying to keep myself together. I can't go through more tests, I just can't. :( I'm at the end of my tether. I feel like crying. WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF :(
---------- Post added at 20:43 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------
I am shaking now. I can't seem to think coherently. My thought are a whirlpool of crap. :(
---------- Post added at 20:50 ---------- Previous post was at 20:43 ----------
Forgot to mention been given Lanzaprazole melt on the tongue tabs, but as usual. I can't take them because I am so scared of taking new meds. :( Sorry to go on.
I was diagnosed with GERD /GORD, in February, although I have been suffering symptoms since October 2013. I am having a very hard time believing my symptoms are GERD not something sinister or heart related. I suffer with severe health anxiety and have trust issues with doctors, which doesn't help. (I know I need help with this and am having therapy). Mostly I am terrified of the symptoms and finding it all very overwhelming. I feel like GERD rules my life. On the few days in the last four months with minimal symptoms I am so relieved, but most days it is so distressing. On waking I am fine, then even a glass of water will set it off, burning. On bad days the pain in my back is awful. By lunchtime the pain is horrible, then it reduces in late evening. I sleep fine, but have nightmares, I also have tinnitus. The jaw pain is scaring me silly. I think about my symptoms constantly. I can't relax or enjoy myself any more.
My symptoms are
RIB PAIN (right)
- Feels like something is stuck under it, sometimes it feels full, sometimes it just hurts, sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes in my back and side. Sometimes it feels sore. Worse lying down.
BACK PAIN , between shoulder blades mostly on right side of spine. (boring pain, hard to get rid of) Better lying down or with heat bag. Gaviscon really helps this.
BURNING IN LOWER CHEST/UPPER STOMACH. Feels like a flooding battery acid sensation, a sensation of sudden actual heat in my middle and chest. Uncomfortable rather than out and out painful.
BURPING (excessively)
IRON TASTE in mouth. Thicker saliva.
OCCASIONAL SEVERE CHEST PAIN . like a spasm.
PRESSURE IN THROAT, like a burp stuck there. Sometimes there is, massage throat and I burp.
NECK MUSCLE PAIN & tightening painful on left side
CHEST PRESSURE , needing to cough, almost like I have phlegm on my chest and need to cough, like how a chest infection feels... but nothing comes up. Chest pressure, like mucus.
SWING THROAT , stings when I eat vinegar/drink wine.
MOUTH ULCERS
Sudden weird YAWNING bouts late evening along with restless legs often.
SLEEPINESS in the evening. Falling asleep on sofa after eating dinner.
HEART RATE DECREASE (from resting 68-90 bpm to resting 49 - 58bpm. Increases on exercise, GP not concerned as oxygen sats 98-99% said it could be decreasing because I'm getting fitter, giving up smoking & losing 3 stone) still worries me though. The heart rate decrease started at the same time as GERD (Oct 13 not after exercise began Dec 13)
'SKIPPED' HEART BEATS (mostly after exercise)
RECENTLY, scarily, JAW PAIN (under left side lower jaw)
Tests I have had so far, ultrasounds, xray, bloodtests x 2 - fine, stool sample-fine, helicobacter pylori stool test negative, gallstones negative, referred to gastroenterology for Endoscopy but couldn't go through with it, consultant diagnosed me based on my symptoms with GERD "probably with a small hiatus hernia"
I take Domperidone before I eat and Gaviscon Advance after. It helps, particularly the gaviscon. Was prescribed Ranitidine (made my muscles ache!) and Omeprazole (made me anxious).
I have cut down on fatty foods, drastically cut down alcohol (didn't drink anything alcoholic at all for first 3 months) I lost 3 stone in weight over 6 months (My Fitness Pal app), 5 mile walks daily, and raised the head of the bed. I take supplements of acidophilus and aloe Vera juice (yak)
When I am having a bad bout, I get yellow/tan poo (sorry TMI) with partially digested food.
I also get IBS. Acidophilus really helps that.
I saw my GP today and he wants me to have an Endoscopy (and go through with it this time) and another chest xray. He says he is just being thorough, but when I asked him what he was looking for with the chest xray he said 'you don't want me to tell you and you'll l look it up anyway then rattled off a lot of illnesses I hadn' t heard of and some scary ones I wish I hadn't. :( I get the feeling he was trying to scare me to persuade me to have the tests, but I am beside myself now. So utterly scared I am literally in a ball on the sofa trying to not panic, trying to keep myself together. I can't go through more tests, I just can't. :( I'm at the end of my tether. I feel like crying. WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF :(
---------- Post added at 20:43 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------
I am shaking now. I can't seem to think coherently. My thought are a whirlpool of crap. :(
---------- Post added at 20:50 ---------- Previous post was at 20:43 ----------
Forgot to mention been given Lanzaprazole melt on the tongue tabs, but as usual. I can't take them because I am so scared of taking new meds. :( Sorry to go on.