Acid Reflux or what? Please help! - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

Hamilton92 · 12-13-2006, 01:31 PM

I have been suffering for over 3 years now with no relief.
My doctor did a bunch of testing including an endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound of gallbladder, cat scan, blood work, stool tests, I've done it all.
Well I quit taking my Prevacid he gives me because its just like taking a tic tac and I've tried Nexium and I'm allergic to that.
On top of that I think I've tried every over the counter acid reducer/antacid there is with no relief.
He says I don't have GERD or acid reflux because my burning that I have is too low.
I burn around my belly button area and have frequent nausea now. The nausea started just the last couple of months though.
I don't throw up, I'm scared to throw up and choke.
I can't eat solid food, I haven't eaten regularly since this all started 3 years ago.
I don't know if its the weather change, allergies, sinus drainage or what but lately my throat feels really really raw in the back of my throat and it feels like behind my tonsils and around my ear canal in the back of my throat burn. My throat tightens up all the time and sometimes I wake up because it feels like I'm having spasms in my throat.
I am scared that if I do have acid reflux or GERD and my doctor misdiagnosed me or didn't diagnose me at all that I have done permanent, irreversible damage to my esophagus and its only going to get worse.
I don't have the feeling of acid coming up in my esophagus or throat just the occassional burning feeling.
Sometimes also I have green stools and my stomach feels like it just got put through a meat grinder.
I bloat up all the time even if I just drink water.
Please can anyone help me? Does anyone feel this way too? Please post if you can help or have any advice for me at all.
I can't afford to go to the doctor, I was recently laid off so there goes my health insurance.
I'm scared and don't know what to do but if I have severely damaged my esophagus I want to stop it.
Anyone who's ever had an endoscopy and your doctor came back and told you that your esophagus was inflamed or raw and red what happened next?
How does your esophagus feel if it has this severe of damage to it?

Hamilton92 · 12-13-2006, 01:34 PM

Oh I'm sorry I forgot to mention. I have the Prevacid dissolvable tabs my doctor gave me that you just dissolve on your tongue.
Whenever I take one of those I usually only take half of less of one because it makes my throat tighten up kind of when I first swallow it and my throat really burns when it goes down.
Is that normal?

oldman21 · 12-13-2006, 05:18 PM

I have low stomach acid, which has almost the same symptoms. Its very common as we get older. Does lemon and water help you? You might try some digestive enzymes and pepsin. It really helps me with bloating. I used to have bad heartburn and a painful gallbladder.

I take metagenics Metagest (Betain-HCL with Pepsin) with every meal, and digestive enzymes (Metagenics Spectrazyme), and probiotics. It has solved my digestive issues about 95%. These are non-prescription enzymes.

Do notice more symptoms with heavy or fatty meals? Is your poop normal, light colored, loose? My doctor says you should have as many bowel movements per day as you do meals. So if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you should have 3 bowel movements.

If you have taken ANY antibiotics it will really mess up your digestive system. Probiotics would help alot, i take 2 per day. Make sure they are the kind that needs refrigeration and don't rely on yogurt.

Alagaesia · 12-15-2006, 10:53 PM

You may have food allergies. The only way to know is to get tested by an allergist. If you don't have insurance then just save up as much money as you can to get a proper test done.

Hamilton92 · 12-16-2006, 04:48 PM

Its not a food allergy because I don't have to eat or drink anything for this to happen.
My throat has really been burning like fire for the last week.
Tonight just sitting here it is starting to burn again. Does anyone when their acid reflux or LPR flares up does it feel like your throat is tightening up?
I can mostly feel the burning behind my ears. Kind of a weird spot I would think for my throat to burn, its definitely my throat burning but I can feel the burning behind my ears in my throat, if that makes any sense and the back of my throat feels really tight.
Is that normal?