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Is this really Acid Reflux i'm experiencing?

Posted , 101 users are following.

Tinkerbell32
Tinkerbell32

Hi, for the past 4 months I have been suffering daily severe symptoms with breathlessness, burning and pressure sensation in my back and chest, pressure in my throat which makes me want to cough, burping and most recently tiredness. These don't necessarily occur after food, i have the breathless and pressure feeling all day every day.

I went to a private hospital for tests under my medical insurance as my NHS GP couldn't give me all the tests i wanted for peace of mind as i'm an extreme worrier and after Googling my symptoms i was in tears! So 2 weeks ago i had blood tests, allergy tests, a CT scan on my heart and lungs, a lung function test and an Echocardiogram. I had the results last week which thankfully shows my heart is absolutely fine but i have mildly inflamed airways in my lungs and the doctor advised the most likely cause is Acid Reflux and this is causing the breathless feeling. The doctor has advised i take Lanzoprasole 30mg daily and a steroid asthma inhaler to reduce the inflammation for 3 months.

To be honest, i'm concerned that this isn't caused by acid only because most of the threads i have read on here are from people who only experience symptoms from food. As soon as i get out of bed and start walking around i start to get the pressure feeling in my chest and i've just had enough of it. Does anyone else have symptoms like me? I'm constantly thinking about what i could have wrong or if it is acid, what damage it is doing to me! I know it's only been a couple of days on the medication so shouldn't expect it to work straight away but can anyone tell me of any other self help medications that i could take to make it go away quicker? I'm really at my wits end and it's all i think about.

Thank you

10 likes, 256 replies

256 Replies

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  • Tinkerbell32
    Tinkerbell32

    Posted

    Hi Sourtongue8

    You have the exact same symptoms as me. The only relief i have is when i go to sleep and wake up in the morning, the rest of the day is miserable. I'm getting to the point where I'm scared to eat because i know that anything i eat or drink starts it off and then i have it all day. I actually don't know what its like to be symptom free anymore and have resigned myself to the fact it wont get better. I burp all day and the feeling clears for about a second then its back.

    The Lanzoprasole doesn't appear to be doing anything now. I take them out of habit. I suppose I'll have to go back to the doctors but not sure what else they can do. Don't feel alone. I am in the same situation!!!

  • Sourtongue8
    Sourtongue8

    Posted

    Thank you so much for your reply, the doctor prescribed all those anti acids to me

    But none of them made any difference. I worry about the long term damage it will

    Do, surely there's something that can be done, I have tried all The diets potions

    Given up mostly everything now, I brought some Zantac today I'm going to give that a try.

    Like you I will have to go back to the doctor but just like you stated what can they do.

    I will keep in touch with you to see if there's any thing to relieve this condition, it's horrible

    To have to live with it it's so uncomfortable most days I can't wait to lie down and feel a bit comfy.

    It's strange first thing in the morning I feel ok. I really hope you find something to help you it would

    Make all the difference, everybody is different what works for one person does not necessarily work

    For the other. Also I've resigned myself to the fact that I may have to live with it , (that's if it doesn't

    Kill me off lol ) take caret

    • ndanswrs46580
      ndanswrs46580 Sourtongue8

      Posted

      I just found out that I am vitamin D deficient. I think that might be the answer for my constant acid reflux.
  • Tinkerbell32
    Tinkerbell32

    Posted

    Hi, I just wanted to let people know that I went back to the doctors last Friday because I was suffering so bad with the reflux so my doctor has increased my Lanzoprasole to 30mg morning and night which (touch wood) is massively helping. He is also referring me to another gastro consultant to investigate further as he doesn't want me on this high dose of pills for too long.

    I admit it's so good not to be suffering the way I was, 4 solid months day in and out of the reflux. Just hope now the horseness in my voice improves and my lung inflammation can now start to heal. There is hope out there, my doctor promised me that as I was crying my eyes out to him in the surgery last week! It's just finding the right treatment for each individual.

  • Sourtongue8
    Sourtongue8

    Posted

    Hi,

    Tinker bell so pleased you have found some relief from this horrible condition

    I went back to the doctors yesterday because my throat was so painful also earache

    And my voice is so hoarse I'm struggling to speak. She just looked at me said they have

    Done all the investigations and there's nothing they can do. I explained what an impact on my

    Life it is creating I do not socialise anymore so she suggested I go on social networks

    Face book, twitter etc , so I don't have to speak I'm so upset I feel totally alone. I'm not sure

    Where to go from here. Keep in contact and let me know how you are getting on.

    • john94486
      john94486 Sourtongue8

      Posted

      So sorry about your pain! I recently cured my LPR. Can I ask you if you're still going through this problem?

    • carmwoman
      carmwoman john94486

      Posted

      Hi John,

      I have been suffering burning heartburn for years, Laryngitis, now I am continually breathless. And when I bend over I cannot breathe, have been continually fatique and miserable because I cannot do much, It has occurred to me it is due to Acid, because each time I have to bend over I cannot breathe at all.

      I have just started taking Cider Vinegar in water 4 times per day and pray that it will help me.

  • zudi__k
    zudi__k

    Posted

    Hi Tinkerbell,

    I just wanted to share my experience with acid reflux and gerd. I was diagnosed with gerd and my doctor had started me on protonix wich worked for a while and then just stoped working.So he said double the dose and he had also told me I was going to have take the medication for the rest of my life.That didnt really sit we;; with me so I started researching on internet.I stopped drinking caffeine, no coffee.no soda none of that,also I started drinking more water and drinking licorice tea.Lots of licorice tea.Couple of month after I had started drinking licorice tea I stopped taking any medication.It has been about seven years now.no heartburn,no gerd.That worked for me so I just wanted to put it out there maybe it will help someone else too.

    • lennie1
      lennie1 zudi__k

      Posted

      HI zudi_k where did you find the licorice tea
    • JennyWren8
      JennyWren8 lennie1

      Posted

      I spotted liqcorice tea on Amazon while looking for chammomile &  some fennel tea.  Made by a company called Clipper.  I already have chammomile and it's helped me a little.
    • teswanson
      teswanson zudi__k

      Posted

      Your GERC could have been the result of an Ulcer as well, and Acid blockers allowed the Ulcer to heal over time.  Thus when you dropped the acid blocker, no more reflux.

      Or, it could have been the Tea!  smile

  • rochelle16005
    rochelle16005

    Posted

    Hello

    I'm new to this site but after suffering for over a year with reflux and acid in my throat at night which I ended

    Eating ice cubes to cool my throat down.

    The doctor prescribed Omeprazole and 600mg Zantac. Unfortunately this has not help at all and I went back

    To him this morning as I now have a 40 a day smokers cough (never ever smoked) and am constantly

    Being sick during the day and night.

    He has now prescribed me Domperidone 3 times a day, Lansoprazole 30mg twice a day

    and to carry on the Zantac 300mg twice a day...he also told me that my Hiatus Hernia is 10cm with polyps

    and because of the swelling under my breast and the pain it gives me I may need surgery

    but to see him in 3 weeks time.

    I am so scared and worried...can anyone give me a light at the end of this very dark tunnel ?

  • Bissa007
    Bissa007

    Posted

    Hi all. I am so happy to find this discussion. I have been suffering for almost 2 months now. It started with acid reflux and then one day I started having trouble swallowing food. I had an endoscopy and all came back normal. They decided to put me on an anti depressant which I refuse to take. It's frustrating having someone tell you it's just a panic attack. I didn't wake up one day being afraid to swallow. My boyfriend did research after realizing that every time I had a bad episode I would ask him to rub my right shoulder. He found a rare condition called omophydroid muscle syndrom. It states that most doctors miss diagnose it. I am going to asky doctors Monday. It's worth a shot.
    • lee_flavz
      lee_flavz Bissa007

      Posted

      Hi just came across your problem on here.I have the same thing acid reflux and really bad pains in my shoulders,I got to to stage were I couldn't lift my right arm up at all 

      I went to the hostpital and I was told I had a viral infection in my muscle !

      Didn't  believe it at all .

      Then started getting dizzy spells went to see my gp,he told me they were panic attacks.He gave me Betta blockers

      anti depressants !!

      I also refused to take them,it's all acid reflux

      Related I have posted a reply to tinkerbells

      Post on here with my full story worth a read

      There's a few tip that may help you out

      Thanks and take care

      Regards lee f. 

    • Tinkerbell32
      Tinkerbell32 lee_flavz

      Posted

      Hi Lee

      thanks for your response. I'm still suffering 10 mths on but am learning more and more to cope with it every day and what triggers it, especially the breathing problems and coughing. I'm taking Nexium currently but not sure if this is actually helping or just a placebo now. I'm too scared to stop taking it in case it gets worse. I've just ordered a book about candida diets as heard an overload of candida can cause acid problems and I'm willing to try everything to try and get rid of it for good!! I have raised my bed and stay away from caffeine now completely. I think mine definitely stemmed from my sugar and chocolate addiction, all those years of eating it everyday and now I'm paying for it!! Anyway lets hope there's light at the end of the tunnel for all of us.

    • tbier
      tbier daniel56090

      Posted

      Good question. To add to this:

      ​- Are there cases of people with LPR who have been cured? If yes, where can we find more about these people?

      ​- Does surgery help for LPR? I've read in most of the researches that for LPR there isn't much success (yet) with surgery.

    • john94486
      john94486 tbier

      Posted

      Yup! My LPR got cured! LPR surgery works some of the time, so I'd urge caution. I have heard of people getting this surgery and then the surgery getting "undone" by their body several years later. 

    • carmwoman
      carmwoman Tinkerbell32

      Posted

      Hi Tinker bell,

      Hope you are still on this site, I have severe breathless attacks when I bend over, that I cannot breathe, I have had severe Gerd for many years, but the breathless is frightening.

      Just any relief for this condition ?wondering Tinker bell, or anyone else on this site, have you had any

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