Reflux or something else?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Hi everyone,

Just looking for some advice here. Last year in around august time I started with a bad pain in the left hand side of my chest. I was due to get married so pushed it to one side and went to see the doctor in November of last year. I was only able to get an appointment with a student doctor who diagnosed constipation. The normal GP came in for like 5 minutes after and agreed that’s what it was. I was given laxido and sent away. The laxido didn’t help and in fact ended up giving me extra digestive issues first with diahorrhea and then after I stopped taking it chronic constipation. I went back to the doctors and was told I had IBS. Even though I had no issues until taking the laxido. I was also advised to try fibogel. In around February/early March this year I stopped taking Pregablin for anxiety which I had been on since august of 2019. After that I didn’t have the chest pain anymore. So I put it down to a potential side effect.

I started getting it on and off again in May so I did some research online and thought it seemed more like GERD. I rang the GP and had a telephone consultation and she put me on lansoprazole 30mg for one month. After the course had finished I wasn’t having the chest pain anymore.

Moving to September I started with an issue where I was finding it hard to swallow like there was a lump in my throat which was getting worse and worse. I rang the doctors and after 5 days waiting for a call back explained my symptoms said I thought it might be GERD and was put on lansoprazole again. This was on a Friday. By Tuesday the symptoms were much worse so I rang back again and actually managed to get an appointment to see a doctor. She examined my neck and stomach and did some bloods and referred me for a gastroscopy. This was great but nothing was still done about the symptoms and by this point I felt like I couldn’t breathe the globus sensation was so bad I had to come home from work on the wednesday. I managed to speak to another doctor over the phone who gave me diazepam to relax my throat muscles and although this helped it was only a short term course to see me through to my endoscopy.

I had the endoscopy one week ago and was advised that everything in my throat, stomach and duodenum look fine although they took 2 biopsies just to be sure. I rang the GP and was told that I should just carry on with my diet (just for some background I’ve lost 18.5 pounds now and was not overweight to begin with and I’m still loosing 1/4 - 1/2 a day) The day after the endoscopy I had terrible stomach pain so had to ring back again by this time I’m getting pretty stressed out with not being able to get any kind of support from the GP and was told it was probably IBS and put on mebeverin and buscopan. This is without a doctor even seeing me and the stomach pain only started after the endoscopy! They also asked me to take in a stool sample.

I’m sorry this has been a fairly long story. Where I’m at, at the moment I have at least another few weeks to wait for the biopsy results, I’ve also not had the results of my stool sample yet which considering it was dropped off on Friday I’m guessing it’s fine or they would have rang me. I’m awaiting an appointment date for some therapy over the phone to try and manage the stress because I read that can make the sensation worse. I’m eating very very clean and pretty much acid free, I’ve cut out dairy by a lot, haven’t had caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, anything nice basically! In nearly 8 weeks, I’m drinking only water, eating small meals, taking 30mg of lansoprazole 30-60

Minutes before food, taking gaviscon advance after meals and before bed, I’ve elevated my bed and also tried a wedge pillow, I’m making sure not to wear tight clothes, not eating 3-4 hours before bed, I’m an ex smoker but haven’t had a cigarette in nearly 4 years, I’m exercising regularly but nothing strenuous, not bending, slouching or lying down after eating, eating small meals 3-4 times a day to avoid big filling meals, taking mebeverin and buscopan. Yet even though I’m doing everything right nothing is working. I still get the globus sensation for most of the day and now this horrible stomach pain on top of it plus pain in both sides of my chest now instead of just the left hand side. I feel at my whits end and darent phone the GP anymore as their attitude towards me has been so poor they’re making me feel like I’m being annoying when I’m just in pain and want help. The last couple of days even gaviscon is burning my throat and I’m getting the acid taste in the back of my mouth even when drinking water even though I’ve never had the acid taste before and suspected ‘silent reflux’.

Can anyone help or advise, is this even reflux if nothing is treating it?

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

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1 Reply

  • Posted

    Your story sounds a lot like what I am currently going through. I have the globus sensation, tight throat, burning stomach sensation, and I also have what feels like a bubble of something in the back of my throat. Super weird sensation. Anyways, they haven't been able to figure anything out for me either. I have done two endoscopies, colonoscopy, heart testing, and an esophageal manometry. Everything is coming back normal. I tried the medications that you tried too, with no such luck. I am now on some anxiety medicine because this whole thing is driving me crazy. Hoping you can figure yours out soon! Best of luck!

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