Gerd HELP I'm losing my marbles

[Rob_S]

When I was 16 I was diagnosed with GERD and have been on Prevacid, i started on 20mg and progressed to 40mg since, now 6 years later I'm 22 years old and my acid decided to flare up terribly. I have been having the terrible heart attack like chest pains, nausea and bloating. It's been 9 days now and several tests later and I still feel the same. For 9 days I'm lucky if I can eat 2-3 cups worth of food in a day. I feel hungry but when I go to eat it feels like there's no room for the food and the taste of anything disgusts me so I end up forcing myself to eat a few bites each time because I want to eat and I need to. On top of that the acid constantly refluxing into my throat and burning it as we'll as my chest and stomache is non stop. Tums don't help neither does mylanta for more than 15 min. It gets so bad at night that I can't sleep for hours until it passes enough for me to pass out. I've always slept elevated and now I've been sleeping in a reclineing chair. It's got me to irritable my fiancé try's to help and I seem to push her away and I don't get to spend the time I like with my son because I can't move around enough to do anything with symptoms. I've been under a lot of stress and I'm on medications for depression after the loss of my sister. The tests they have done to me are EKGs, CT scan of my chest and stomach, ultrasounds, chest X-rays, all while I was admitted into the hospital. They put me on a 24 hour liquid diet before my endoscopy this morning and when I woke up my doctor tells me he sees nothing wrong in there.... The pictures did look better than any other time I've gone bit this acid pain has got to come from somewhere. I know a portion of it could be in my head but not all of it, it's really taking a toll on my brain I'm mentally breaking down, I feel as if I'm going insane it's torture. They put me on the meds that coat your stomache before each meal and they  put me on anxiety meds and are now having me fast again with not even water to take a chrohns disease test tomorrow. I'm just so afraid they won't find anything to help me and I feel like this is my fate. If anyone's ever felt this way please share or if you have ideas or answers .

[subire]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/138491-baking-soda-acid-reflux/

Baking soda does the same thing as tums, it's alkaline so it will counteract the acidic ph. Calcium (tums) may not be working for him, but baking soda might. Overdoing it is, I agree, harmful, as it can effect your entire digestive system due to not enough acid. In truth, any anti-acid will do the same thing. Baking soda, however, is more natural and works with the body better than even tums or acid blockers.

So, Rob_S, the point here is don't overdo it, try it out little by little, and increase as needed. You know your body, you live in it. Even if it doesn't help the reflux, it will still help the acidity, and thus cause less damage, like calcium would.

[jojokdz]

I feel your pain.. I am alot older and have suffered with this for many many years.  I can tell you my stress goes off the charts, and this adds to the stomach issues!!!.  I have Gerd/ IBS. so things can get pretty bad.  You did all the test thing, I was going to say get a endoscopy but u did... I went yesterday to my Gastro DR.  He said all my pains are the nature of the beast.  I am going to schedule to have the upper done in a month.  The last one was in 2009.. so I am due.  I have pain in my esphagus , across my stomach, mostly to the left side, its painful.  Then there is the IBS that causes pain, cramping , constipation, and then diahrrea...I Disagree with the baking soda and water, that will cause such stomach issues if used too much.. I too have to eat really small amounts cause it immediately hurts!!! I wish u well..

[subire]

Oh, and I just remembered. Don't brush your teeth overly often, but it might help to rinse your mouth a couple times a day. Brushing after vomiting you are just rubbing the acid into your teeth, it's best to rinse with mouth wash, wait a while, and then brush. In your case, it might be best to make a baking soda paste to brush with, or swish baking soda water, instead of mouth wash, as that might worsen your heartburn even if you're not swallowing it. Try out wintergreen mouth wash, as well. There is a new green scope.. dual blast, that does not give me heartburn, but the generic wintergreen is less than others, too.

[subire]

Hi. I'm sorry about your situation.. I have had similar issues in the past. I once went through three months where all I remember is eating pretzels. Try some baking soda in water. Tums aren't helping you, which is VERY odd, because calcium is alkaline. Make sure you're using the highest strength tums, and mint flavors like wintergreen. Even if they're not helping the heartburn, they will help with the acidity. Water can make me get heartburn, usually because it's not thick enough, so maybe try plain gelatin mixed with water and baking soda. Can't say this is going to be all that yum-tacular, but it's the best I can think of to thicken the water. Plain gelatin is a little harder to find but all stores have it - do not use jell-o.

Make sure they check all of your vitamins and minerals, not just one or two of them, like when checking iron they need a full iron panel. They need to check you for acidic or alkaline blood, as well as for blood in your urine or stool, your gallbladder, and appendix.

You need something to soak up the acid in your stomach - usually carbohydrates are best for this. Bread, pretzels, rice, anything that SOAKS. Stay away from very liquidy things or anything acidic, even apples. If the acidity is causing you to have diarrhea, or if you're pooping out pure acid, or bile, try taking some fiber.

I REALLY hope the figure something out - anything! - and don't give up. It's not in your head. Some doctors give up when they can't figure something out and blame the patient, do not allow this to happen. It is NOT your fault. Google research on your tests - anything that is normal high, normal low, or high or low. There are ranges for a reason.