This ongoing for a year, but I seem to develop new symptoms.

In fact a very good friend who has been indispensable to help me through these times has kept encouraging me on the use of meditation. It definitely helps, there is no doubt about it, like anything though it takes time, and discipline.

I am starting to think that the depression I have experienced over the past years since she died created me more problems than I originally thought. 

Thank you for your response, and I too hope you feel better. I am sorry about your mother, the one thing that has helped me very seriously is the realizing we are spirits, and that it is only our body that dies.

my two cents is have your gastroenterologists perform a bravo test or impedance test to rule out reflux. If it turns out you don’t have reflux find a highly recommended therapist to work with you so you learn how to manage your stress and keep you from thinking the worst. I’m not insensitive to your anxiety issue but it’s hard for me th understand why anyone always assumes the worst instead of the better. Ones worst worries are hardly ever realized so don’t go jumping off the deep end. I have taught myself not to let my mind go to those dark places, I tell myself often that I’m don’t have any diseases and that I’m not going to concern myself as to what it could be as I accept that it’s not serious until some professional proves to me it is, then it’s time to investigate options but again assume everything will work out and stop think8ng the worst. You have two choices pick the good one

Hi Kate,   I agree, the doctors think based on symptoms that I have Gerd....but I believe mine is brought on more by anxiety because my diet leading up to this was extremely alkaline, I drank fresh celery juice every morning, drank alkaline water, ate fish and chicken, fruits and veggies.......I also took a daily probiotic......then all of a sudden one night I was in severe chest pain that left me rolling on the floor clenching my chest.....that was the beginning of the constant tests......I was shocked when they concluded gerd...because I don't drink alcohol, nor smoke, I don't drink pop or caffeine and avoided chocolate.....I limited my sugar intake.   I still think I have more of nerve and muscle spasms related to anxiety, but there are times I feel a bit colicky like there is air trapped.  I don't have heart burn or regurgitate......I was given a 20 day Ppi but didn't take it because the h2 blocker sent me into more chest spasms......I question for me if I man not producing enough acid....it can give you crazy pain too as things are no time digesting well.   Ppi's are not a cure or meant long term, so finding the root is key.   That is why I am going to try and get my anxiety under control.  I have heard stress and anxiety and gerd all go together.   If tests don't find anything and there are symptoms, I would say stress is a factor.

Add to that my concern for the kidney issue backlash, and I am trying very hard to just get control of my diet, exercise, and anxiety issues. Thank you for your response.

I lay down to do my meditation rather sitting up. 

I know that there is more to the mind body connection than the health industry has given credit to but it is catching up, in fact many health care providers are recommending meditation and even yoga for those that suffer with this, and other maladies.

I am definitely suffering on a regular basis with the anxiety of it all, but am working on getting that under control. It is a work in progress.

Hope you are doing well.

Did you have to go to a professional to learn how to meditate? How does it work

No, the form of meditation I practice is not quite the same as is taught by Eastern Philosophy, though I think the results are close to the same.

I started because my friend who is now 86, who has been practicing meditation I guess you could say he developed for himself, for over 30 years. He took what he found from others experience a stayed with worked for him. Some of his experiences have been being able to pull his own teeth through deadening his jaw like they would with novocaine. He also had a hernia operation without any pain medication by using meditation to deaden the area they were working on. 

Again, he is very disciplined and has been at it for over 30 years.

The way I learned from him, and have been practicing at, you could say is somewhat of a form of self-hypnosis. 

I lay down, getting comfortable on my back, spread out and as loose as possible, no music, in a quiet room with the shades drawn. Then I do some deep breathing exercise to start off (which this is lots of info on line about those). I do the breathing about 4 or 5 times. (By the way I have read more then on place that deep breathing has been studied by the mainstream services, and has been found to have long term benefits for Reflux sufferers)

Then starting with an area that is easier, say my hands, arms or feet, I intentionally begin giving full mental attention to those areas relaxing, I do not force myself, but coax myself into relaxing. As you get more able you will find that you can cause those areas you concentrate on to deaden as though they are going to sleep, without the sensation of cutting off blood when say your foot goes to sleep.

I do not stay on one area too long, I keep myself moving, scanning with my mind to find the areas needing relaxed. Then I move to my eyes, and nose, and face, and start to really pay attention and work my way down. 

You will feel the relaxing because even your sinuses will begin to open up and want to drain, don't even be surprised if you drift in and out of a deep sleep especially if you are not well rested to begin with. (Some of the most refreshing sleep I have experience over the past year has been in short spurts i enter while in this mediative state), you may even wake up and find yourself still in the meditative state.

It takes time, and a determination with your spirit, and mind to take that kind of control of your body, and thoughts to allow your whole self to really relax. But, even doctors toady are coming to realize that as you bring your body into this state, and your central nervous system relaxes it allows the healing hormones of your body to move throughout your system, and to begin healing you. 

I have gone to bed at night, or laid down during the day, feeling pretty bad, and begin meditating and doing it as long as time will allow me, I have woken up feeling really good in comparison to where I was with the reflux stress.

I know this is long but if you have any other questions about it let me know.

PS. I have alos found as I incorporate more greens, especially warmed cooked ones, and green leafy lettuce into my diet it helps. My friend also grows wheat grass, and we juice it. I really think when I stay with it and alkalize instead of all of the acid junk foods I feel much better.

By the way my friend Charlie, who is 86 (who in his 50's started getting serious about applying the truth to his health), he still works for his son as a tile tender for a setter. He mixes the mortar, and grout, gets him his tile, and cuts for him. He is very active.

He believes how he has eaten has made a huge difference but tells me always that he believes it is the meditation that has made the real difference in his health, and kept him going.

Really appreciate your reply, I totally agree with you about stress causing a lot of Gerd, I was perfectly fine up to April 2016 when I got a bad health scare and all this reflux started and I just cane get back to any kind of normality, I think with out people like yourself to talk to on this forum I would go mad, I just hope someone offers me an operation soon

If you find out anything more on the anxiety or stress related part of what you are experiencing, I would sure like to know about it.

I understand what you are going through. Having searched the web now for over a year there are many others who are having the same experiences. I think this is one of the reasons that so many are being looked at as though the problem is only mental in nature. Doctors seem to be having a hard time finding anything with the current testing regimes.

I told the general surgeon when all of this began for me that I did not want to be written off as a nuts just because he could not find anything, he told me he did not see me that way.

I really think there are a lot of environmental issues going on today that are new to this generation, and the medical industry has not caught up to the problems yet.

However, I also think that stress, and anxiety is definitely an underlying factor. 

I tried PPI's they make me sicker than the reflux.

I went back to my gp yesterday, and like you say she believes my problem is mainly anxiety related

because my hernia is so small and my manometry test came back showing slight night time reflux,

she wants me to start cognitive behave therapy, for myself, I cant see that this is the problem but

Im two years now on ppi and she wants to try wean me off, its like being caught between a rock and

hard place, seemingly ppi can as she put it put pressure on kidneys long term not to mention other rotten things.

Kate

Hi Kate

Aside from the fact that the PPI's, and the products such as Zantac make me feel miserable when I take them, I had done extensive reading about them before hand. I wanted to know what I would be taking, and as you say the information all comes back that they have a history of putting a heavy load on the kidneys.

At least it sounds like you have a doctor who is looking out for your longterm interests, and is not just feeding you pills.

I would like to hear back from you to know how the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works out for you.

Kate

Hi Kate

The first set I was give with my antibiotics to prep me for killing the pylori they found I was feeling very weak, could hardly make myself get out, and do anything. However, by about the time I was done with the 2 week regime, the acid had really slowed down, and I felt better. 

Then when I stopped I had a rebound feflux that was not a good thing. I can not remember the name of the PPI, and to be fair some of the misery could have been the antibiotics at that time.

Then when my PC doctor put me on omeprazole, I took them for 2 weeks before I quit them, as I recall they made me feel weak, and I don't really know how to explain the rest of the sensation other than an all over blech. I could tell my system was not moving correctly. I am pretty sensitive to what is going on in my digestive track, and when it is not moving correctly I almost know it immediately.

Then my brother in law told me I should try Zantac to try and get the acid under control so I bought a box(it is still in my desk), I stopped at one of those because the acid rebound from taking it, and the stomach ache was more painful than what I was experiencing already.

Michael

To be fair though the reflux also makes me feel miserable some days. I guess my reasoning is it comes down to a choice. I can be miserable with the reflux, and work to control it through diet, and the rest, and chance the side effects. 

Or I can be miserable with the PPI's, and chance the side effects from them.

Your doctor may have told you this already, but it is pretty well known by those on PPi's that it is wise to cut down slowly because the chances of rebound reflux is there too. 

Not wanting to scare you, more of a heads up if you where not aware of it already so that you can discuss it with your doctor. 

I almost hate to say too much on here because I know most here are suffering from the anxiety already, just like I am.

What comforts me though is knowing that many have conquered this mess in a huge way, and it can be solved.

Take care of yourself. and feel free to contact me anytime.

Michael.

Sounds so familiar, strange thing with me was I had to come off ppi last May as I needed to be off them for 12days prior to going for 24h manometry test which was done in June, showed up night time reflux, I stayed off them until September as when I stopped take them I started to feet well again and was delighted but then I got worried about silent reflux and went back on them, I've been feeling basically rotten since, I'd love to come off them again but am terrified of the rebound, plus if I'm not on them is my oesophagus unprotected, it's a total nightmare, every day I feel a low grade sore throat, can't fill my lungs, headaches, chest pain and burning, weakness, hoarseness, my docetold me yesterday that the surgery is way worse than open heart surgery

Hid Kate

i think you are in need of the same as me, and that is to not stress over the things we have no control over. I was told I have the beginning of barret's esophagus when the endoscope was done. Makes me think back over the past 5-8 years and think that some of the problems I had was reflux, and just did not know it.

I was fearful for sometime about the cancer consequence, but I am determined at this point not stress over something I can not see or know for that matter. Instead I intend to put my energies into what I can do something about. My health, relaxing, and doing the things for myself I know to do.

I am really starting to think that stress, and anxiety may be actually harder on our bodies than some of the symptoms of the disease. Stress really is a killer.

I know you have probably heard this a lot, but I definitely encourage you not to stress. That is really one of the main reasons I joined this page. For the info. and the encouragement.

Michael.