clarrie
20-10-18, 15:57
Sorry for a long post but need to give a few years of background. I was diagnosed with acid reflux and gastritis after an endoscopy in March 2014 and have been on Omeprazole ever since althouh it seems to have little effect - doc says it is protective so I stay on it. I have also had IBS since my late teens (I’m now in my early sixties) but have mostly learned to live with that.
The acid reflux has got a whole lot worse recently and I have horrible nausea with it most of the time. In fact I am beginning to think that my problem is LPR because I’ve never had heartburn- my original symptom was stuff coming up into my throat when I bent over, a lot of mucus and a lump in the throat and acid pains in my chest and shoulders. Those things have got a lot worse, coupled with constant frog in the throat and croakiness, excessive frothy white spit, clogged ears, and the sometimes overwhelming nausea. Another clue that I might have LPR rather than classic GERD is that I have been unable to sing for the last 15 or so years but never made the connection with possible throat/ vocal chord damage or irritation from acid, believing it to be an age thing. Also I always had hayfever and nasal congestion, catarrh etc and thought my problems there were from that.
My doctor dismisses all of this (he gets quite irritated when I self-diagnose)and tells me to up the dose of omeprazole which does nothing to help. My anxiety levels have increased because of the nausea and that sure isn’t helping either. Since I retired five years ago I had to move away from London and back near to my family to be on hand for my Dad who had Alzheimer’s, as did my Mum before him. He was in a Care Home for a few years until he died in June.
Anyway, I ‘m living alone, although I have my lovely 3 year old dog, and have too much time to think. My friends are scattered around the country and now that I have the dog and no car (I don’t drive) and public transport outside of London is pretty poor, plus I’m always poorly and so decline invitations to go and stay with friends, I’m pretty isolated. I do have a lovely group of people, other dog-owners, at the park where we all walk our dogs together, but we don’t socialize away from that setting.
The trouble is this. All the things that gave me pleasure and kept my anxiety under control are now problematic. Gardening, the best anti-anxiety therapy going and my favourite activity, gives me an immediate dry throat, cough and reflux. I feel so sick I rarely want to go out apart from to walk the dog. Housework that involves bending over or kneeling down makes me worse but it has to be done. Even brushing the dog or putting on her harness, picking up her poo, gives me grief. I have to do these things!
Also, I’ve tried various dietary adjustments but what helps the reflux makes the IBS worse and vice versa so I eat a little and often and pretty blandly. I’ve never identified a culprit food other than hot, spicy stuff and tomatoes which I avoid.
I’m not depressed but I am miserable because the only time I’m symptom free is when I wake up in the morning. Although my throat will be clogged with thick mucus it doesn’t make me feel sick until I get up and move around. My sister says it’s all anxiety induced. Could it be? I have to stay on top of it as I have a dog to care for.
Thanks for reading. Anyone else having this sort of problem and any ideas as how to alleviate the symptoms?
The acid reflux has got a whole lot worse recently and I have horrible nausea with it most of the time. In fact I am beginning to think that my problem is LPR because I’ve never had heartburn- my original symptom was stuff coming up into my throat when I bent over, a lot of mucus and a lump in the throat and acid pains in my chest and shoulders. Those things have got a lot worse, coupled with constant frog in the throat and croakiness, excessive frothy white spit, clogged ears, and the sometimes overwhelming nausea. Another clue that I might have LPR rather than classic GERD is that I have been unable to sing for the last 15 or so years but never made the connection with possible throat/ vocal chord damage or irritation from acid, believing it to be an age thing. Also I always had hayfever and nasal congestion, catarrh etc and thought my problems there were from that.
My doctor dismisses all of this (he gets quite irritated when I self-diagnose)and tells me to up the dose of omeprazole which does nothing to help. My anxiety levels have increased because of the nausea and that sure isn’t helping either. Since I retired five years ago I had to move away from London and back near to my family to be on hand for my Dad who had Alzheimer’s, as did my Mum before him. He was in a Care Home for a few years until he died in June.
Anyway, I ‘m living alone, although I have my lovely 3 year old dog, and have too much time to think. My friends are scattered around the country and now that I have the dog and no car (I don’t drive) and public transport outside of London is pretty poor, plus I’m always poorly and so decline invitations to go and stay with friends, I’m pretty isolated. I do have a lovely group of people, other dog-owners, at the park where we all walk our dogs together, but we don’t socialize away from that setting.
The trouble is this. All the things that gave me pleasure and kept my anxiety under control are now problematic. Gardening, the best anti-anxiety therapy going and my favourite activity, gives me an immediate dry throat, cough and reflux. I feel so sick I rarely want to go out apart from to walk the dog. Housework that involves bending over or kneeling down makes me worse but it has to be done. Even brushing the dog or putting on her harness, picking up her poo, gives me grief. I have to do these things!
Also, I’ve tried various dietary adjustments but what helps the reflux makes the IBS worse and vice versa so I eat a little and often and pretty blandly. I’ve never identified a culprit food other than hot, spicy stuff and tomatoes which I avoid.
I’m not depressed but I am miserable because the only time I’m symptom free is when I wake up in the morning. Although my throat will be clogged with thick mucus it doesn’t make me feel sick until I get up and move around. My sister says it’s all anxiety induced. Could it be? I have to stay on top of it as I have a dog to care for.
Thanks for reading. Anyone else having this sort of problem and any ideas as how to alleviate the symptoms?