Atypical GERD symptoms
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hey guys. I'm new to this forum and I was interested if anyone has similar GERD symptoms. I'm 44, about 40 lbs overweight and male. Don't smoke but struggle with smokeless tobacco and use but not abuse alcohol. My diet could be better but it's not terrible. I have a high stress job (ambulance for over ten years) and I'm a full time student.
I started having chest discomfort shortly before my divorce and has continued since. That was 5 years ago. I'm remarried and so happy I'm stupid. I figured once things stabilized my chest tightness would go away.
Ive been seen by my cardiologist (family history of heart disease) and everything checks out. I was able to corallate some of my chest discomfort with food intake but what has changed is that I have episodes of left shoulder pain as well as back lower teeth pain and frequent palpitations. My doctor diagnosed me with gerd, told me to loose 30 lbs, stop drinking, quit chewing and relax. Oh ya, exercise more. Full time job, full time student, full time family...no time for much of anything else if the weight and my vices remain.
20 mg am and pm of Prilosec 2 years ago relieved a lot of my symptoms but now they are back.
It sucks to know, with what I do for a living, the symptoms I'm having are very classic cardiac symptoms.
Anyone have similar issues?
3 likes, 6 replies
Guest Scotty33d
Posted
Do you have much stress?
Anexity and stress make acid reflux worth
Scotty33d Guest
Posted
Yes I do. Once I finish my degree I'll be able to slow down and relax a bit. Thanks.
Guest Scotty33d
Posted
Everybody is under stress today but I wouldn't just make an easy conclusion that stress is the ause of your GERD. You've literally got people with panick attacks daily ( extreme stress) which never had heartburn...
Genetics, foods also play a part here. You say that you are 40lbs overweight, well that is a lot. reduce your weight. You say that you are not abusing alcohol but you are drinnking. stop it. Did you do a gastroscopy procedure to find out what is your problem. Correlating somehting to a disease is really really bad. First do a dagnosis then we can talk...
Guest Scotty33d
Posted
I have rhinit allergy.i find when i take antihistamine my reflux decrease.
Barretts Scotty33d
Posted
Hi Scotty,
Your symptoms are far from atypical. Reflux often presents as being similar to heart. But it is important to always get heart checked first. (My father had reflux and died of a heart attack at a young age probably thinking it was indigestion again. )
There are two elements: acid, which can be controlled with medication like omeprazole (Prilosec) and reflux which must be controlled by lifestyle or surgery.
Reflux is permitted by a malfunctioning lower oesophageal sphincter, most frequently due to a hiatus hernia pushing some of the stomach into the thorax. There are many reasons for a HH which is very common and most people live with OK, but one of the main ones is excess adipose tissue (ie being overweight) .
Lifestyle: Lose weight. Do not overfill your stomach - eat little and often, chewing your food well and not rushing meals and keeping your trunk vertical. Avoid exercise after food that compresses, tilts or shakes the stomach; walking is good to aid peristalsis of food through the stomach.
There are many propagated myths about foods. Acidity and alkalinity of foods makes no difference to the acidity in your stomach nor exacerbates reflux. However, you may identify trigger foods which make your condition worse. If so, these are the foods to avoid. They're more likely to be fatty foods that do not dissolve easily in aid and reside in the stomach longer. But everything in moderation.
Stress release the hormone adrenaline which can also trigger histamine 2 which signals the stomach to make more acid.
joyce_01483 Scotty33d
Posted