Unexplained nausea/gagging and throat tightness truly related to GERD?

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Hello to everyone, i am a 19 year old guy and for about 3 months now (soon to be 4) i have had a very strange problem with constant nausea and gagging. Could this truly be related to GERD or LPR? 

This might become lengthy as i will try to explain everything in detail, but i would very much appreciate any thoughts. This interferes with my daily life and i am so frustrated with it. 

Before all of this started i was very active, not overweight at all.

I refer to my feeling as "nausea" because it sometimes feels likely that i am close to vomiting but more than often i actually really only feel like i need to gag and i usually do. 

I will list as many of my symptoms as i can before i get to the part about GERD. 

When this all started i did not experience any other real symptoms during the first month. But my "nausea" and gagging was very intense. i would gag during the day almost every 5-10 minutes and it would last for a few hours until it eventually died down, only to return without explanation during random hours of the day. It would happen regardless of what i would be doing and it would interfere with my daily activities. At first i thought it was related to eating, but later i realized i would feel it regardless of whether i was eating or drinking anything. 

I tried to ignore it for one month but then i couldnt anymore and decided to check it out at the doctors. I had an echo scan done on my entire abdominal area and i was told nothing appeared to be wrong in terms of swelling or lumps etc. 

Around this time i suddenly started experiencing a tight feeling in my lower throat, on both sides of my neck. 

Also a feeling as if something was stuck in the middle. I mostly felt it when i swallowed. 

I explained these things to a few doctors including my nausea and gagging but most of them said it was due to anxiety or stress. I was given antibiotics (amoxicilin) for my throat because i was told it appeared a bit red or irritated. It seemed to help a bit but the tightness remained. 

Eventually i kept checking and i was finally given multiple blood tests, urine tests, and even an upper endoscopy. 

All of these tests i was told returned with good results and nothing appears abnormal. I even had a biopsy done with tissue samples from the endoscopy and those returned with good results as well. I am constantly being told that this problem has nothing to do with my stomach, as all appears to be fine. 

About 3 weeks ago i started feeling better and worse at the same time. My gagging and nausea reduced dramatically. i would only feel it maybe about 2-3 times a day randomly with no explanation, but at the same time my throat started feeling a lot worse. The tightness increased and it would feel randomly itchy/scratchy. I then would experience a burning sensation in my throat and chest. The burning was terrible and after the very first night of experiencing it, i visited a throat specialist and she diagnosed me with GERD. I was prescribed a proton pump inhibitor. 40mg of Omeprazole. After that i didnt experience a burning sensation in my chest again. So yes, basically i experienced what my doctor thought was heartburn, but for literally one night only. I had never in my life, ever experienced anything similar or any form of heartburn and could basically eat any and everything i wanted. 

The itchy/scratchy throat lingered for a while longer though. 

So currently i am still suffering from random nausea and gagging. But it is very minimal and random. Sometimes if i relax the entire day, i can go 24 hours without a single gag or nausea feeling. But i notice that my nausea and gagging reflexes come on a lot stronger and intensely while i am active. (long walks, basic house chores, moving around for a while etc) after my gagging has subsided, and i begin to rest, i notice my body feels a bit shaky. only a tiny bit. as if it has been weakened from the gagging experience. But during my rest my nausea and gagging subsides almost completely for the day or until i begin doing more "strenuous" activities. 

Over the past 3 weeks the tight feeling in my throat has become a lot less. i definitely still feel it a bit, but it is not extremely uncomfortable as it was 2 months ago. I am currently on a second round of antibiotics as well, prescribed by my throat specialist. there is no more burning sensation in my throat either. 

The one other troublesome symptom i have (this one is the most uncomfortable and "painful") is that i cannot speak with a normal tone of voice for more than 20 minutes without feeling discomfort. If i continue speaking my throat feels suddenly very tight and contracted. My neck itself feels stiff and numb around all sides and there is pain in my throat area until i stop talking and rest my voice for a long time. 

So that is basically it. I am still taking the proton pump inhibitor medication, along with antibiotics. I havent experienced any other symptoms apart from everything i described here. I have no coughing, and i have never once actually vomited through all of this. My throat specialist says apart from some redness and simple irritation which is was prescribed antibiotics for, nothing else looks abnormal, no scarring, swelling etc. in my throat. 

These feelings are rather uncomfortable though, and makes me nervous at times since it has yet to be 100% confirmed what my problem might be. I was planning to take up my gyming activities again this coming month but i am nervous how i might feel since my gagging and nausea increase so much from simple activities and chores. 

If there is anything anyone can suggest so that i can look into it, i would very much be thankful. I cannot even speak to people at a meeting or get together without having to stop due to the discomfort in my neck from it. 

Could all of this really be GERD or LPR even though i have never experienced it any other time throughout my life? I have so many doubts about that and i worry at times if there is an underlying disease that i should know about. Doctors have told me the fact that i have never vomited throughout all this or experienced any form of bleeding is a sign that nothing is too serious at the moment, but i would like to figure this out before it might get to that point. 

Thank you to anyone in advance.

5 likes, 125 replies

125 Replies

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  • Posted

    Today I started getting the gag back, it doesn’t help when I go to eat and I cant because I feel the gagging. I think it has to do with my allergies.
    • Posted

      It must be worse as yous constant thinking about it, that’s what my problem was too, when I took my mind off it I was fine 
  • Posted

    Been messed about by doctors for 3 months now and found this and so happy I have because with a month between appointments and no idea what's happening I'm not sure how long I'd have been waiting. It was interesting to see that other people have had the swollen lymph node as a part of this condition, I went to the doctors for that 18 months before going about everything else, could that be a trigger of it all? Also does anyone else struggle with temperature changes? Every day when I get in to work I have to sit down and take 5 minutes to compose myself due to the breathing difficulties, and I'm almost guaranteed to be gagging down the street if I go outside in the cold. Also, the reason I ended up going to the doctor was because I was burping constantly for 2 days, I'd had gagging symptoms for a year before but this appeared one day which at first led us to believe GERD but after reading all of this it's definitely a lot of LPR too. 

    Not adding much to the conversation but if anyone comes up with a miracle cure feel free to help us out

    • Posted

      Dan, I had the throwing up feeling for days u TIL I got acid reflux pills from the docs, I only took them for a couple days and I haven’t have the feeling since. Don’t actualy know if it was all in my head due to my anxiety, or if it was just reflux, as stress and anxiety can cause that. See about getting some pills that might help gagging and reflux? 
    • Posted

      I got them when I first went to the doctor, from my symptoms he thought it could be GERD or a bacteria in my stomach so he put me on medication and I cut all the acidic food out my diet that I could but I was still experiencing symptoms, less severe but enough for him to think I should have a breath test for bacteria in my stomach. Unfortunately to do that I had to stop the tablets for 2 weeks before to clear my stomach, then it was another 2 week wait for the results which came back negative a couple of days ago. Now I’ve got to wait a month to see my doctor because he’s got a 2 week waiting time and then he’s off on holiday so I’ve got to get by with a massive diet change until then 
    • Posted

      Hi Dan,

      From my personal experience I can say that the PPI's (stomach acid reducers), were as useless as if I'd been taking sugar pills.

      I was at one time prescribed 80 ml per day over the standard 40 because my symptoms were so bad..especially the nausea.

      That almost constant feeling that I was going to throw up was also leading to anxiety and stress which made the symptoms even stronger. The lump in the throat sensation was about the worst.

      I would take the pills the Dr gave me twice a day..40 mg in morning and another 40 at night. And absolutely no relief at all.

      A miracle cure like you mentioned is about the only way out of this living hell as far as I can see.

      I hope it comes soon lol.

    • Posted

      Hopefully something fixed it soon for you as it’s a horrible feeling. Try not to get stressed about it, as I know it is hard. And hopefully they can give you something that will take the feeling away 
    • Posted

      Hi Dan, Im really sorry to read of your struggles.  My son has had all these symptoms for most of his life.  I have been searching for an answer.  Doctors have shut the door on us so many times.  But all I can say to you is don't give up.  My son has surgery next week.  They found that the muscle at the top of his stomach was weak and when he relaxed it would allow the contents of his stomach to come back up.  I just cant believe the doctors have put basic symptoms down to mental in most cases.  His gagging, not being able to move after eating, nausea, nasal drip.  He has become a recluse because of the embarrassment of gagging.  Anyway the surgeon could not believe the doctors did not refer him earlier.  So I am praying this will help.

    • Posted

      Dan just a question have you had your thyroid fully tested.  Not just the standard blood test there are about 6 different test, plus an altrasound of the throat.
    • Posted

      Hi Wendy,

      Thanks I can’t imagine how bad it would be after so long. I’ll definitely make a note of that for when I see my doctor thank you. I’m 21 but left therapy at 18 so I’m hoping it doesn’t lead back there. My doctor was good and immediately booked my in for an ultrasound when I went about my thyroid but they told me it was just swollen and should go down in a few months, at the time I was just glad that’s all the lump was. 

    • Posted

      HI Dan, keep an eye on the thyroid and always get a second opinion.  My son is 22.  he is taking Somac to help reduce the acid.  but he was diagnosed with GERD.  But still ignored and sent to a psychiatrist.  The surgeon couldn't believe that he had been ignored and not helped.  This is in Australia. The Somac does not stop it like you said it was just like a sugar tablet. 

    • Posted

      Hi Wendy, I’ll make sure I mention it again thanks, it was an in and out job the first time I wasn’t too confident. I feel like my doctor would’ve been stuck around GERD so I’m glad I’ve found this to at least mention other things to him and the results. 
    • Posted

      Update on Hayden my son, he had surgery today. to tighten the top of his stomach.  Called a Nilsen Lap Fundlopcation.  This is the last ditch to stop Gerd when all else fails medication, lifestyle and so on.

      The first thing Hayden said is the nausea has completely stopped.  You see we found out Hayden had a weak sphincster not sure on the spelling at the top of the stomach it allowed food to come back up. Plus water brash.  He used to walk along and all this water would just come out.  He became a hermit, because he found it embarrassing.  What Im saying is keep trying to find an answer, always get a second opinion. 

    • Posted

      That’s brilliant I’m so happy for him and it’s nice to know if it comes to it there’s a possibility it can be stopped! I can see how easy it would be to withdraw from everything, I’ve already had to leave gigs/shows early because of it, I’m making an effort to go out still but it’s tiring but thank you!
  • Posted

    Hey man. I'm the same age with the same exact situation, especially the part about it getting in the way of pretty much everything you do except relax. Sometimes even then as well. I also am experience the very hardened and sore muscles in the sides of my neck and constantly clearing my throat. I will definitely get deeper into this topic soon but for now just wanted to let you know there are people here that know exactly what you're going through.

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