Hi guys--

I can't believe how many people suffer with this, and SO many of you are so young!

I'm wondering...I've had this since I started taking med for Hypothyroid last July, (Armour, but now take it under my tongue), and then the reflux started in Sept. I started off taking Prilosec, and it worked fairly well for a while. Also have taken Zantec, (OTC) and Ranititine. The past month it has become unbearable. (Starting with a death in the family and some serious stress and anxiety). It will not let up, and the drugs just don't seem to be helping anymore. I think they are just making it worse, I really do.

Also starting around the same time, I've been having this WEIRD chemical taste coming up and settling in my throat. It tastes like nail polish, or spray paint, or something strange like that, not that I've ever tasted those things. Anyone else had this weird sensation? Know what it could be? Please help, it's scaring me so badly. Sometimes it feels like I'm short of breath, and there is such pressure under my breastbone, like a 200 lb man is standing on it. I'm so frightened sometimes, I can't sleep, I'm a wreck. Any ideas?

With prayers for all of you and thank you...
DEDA

i have had the same taste at times too... sort of metal like sometimes.... gross.... i am also shocked at how many people have acid reflux.... i am 24 years old and a mess... i have acid reflux, most likely IBS still doing testing.... gallstones, anxiety although that started because of my stomach problems, i have anxiety about my stomach... and i have asthma, which i have had for life... but i just feel like such a mess and i'm only 24....

mama2acutie--

Hey girl...I'm so sorry that you are going through so much, and you are so young! My daughter is 25, and I pray she doesn't get this horrible stuff. She's pretty calm compared to me, maybe she won't. It must be hard taking care of little ones when you are feeling so bad, my heart goes out to you.

When you say you had that chemical taste, did it feel like it was coming up your esophogus? I can't feel acid in my throat, just that horrible taste. It comes and goes. Sometimes it's all evening and night, and makes it hard to sleep. I DO think my anxiety makes all of this worse! Once in a great while I will take an Ativan, (sedative) and I feel a litte better. I did have IBS all through the 80's and early 90's, it was severe, and had it about 3-4 days a week. When I went on Zoloft, would you believe it went away? Mine must have been anxiety induced. My life was stress filled back then. (well, I thought it was, but now I wish I felt as well as I did back then).

I sure hope, and I'll pray for you, that you get some good relief. Please don't give up, you've got that little one to take care of! :angel: Thank you for replying.

Anyone else with this strange thing, and how did you get it to go away???

Thank you! :)
DEDA

yes it's just the taste... it doesn't happen all the time.... usually when the actual acid comes up it doesn't taste like that... i also believe that a lot of my things are anxiety/stress induced.... things are always worse when i am upset or going through a rough time....

thank you for your kind words.... my daughter is now 4 years old, all of my problems started during my pregnancy and after she was born my stomach was a complete mess.... for 4 years i have been looking for answers but always got lazy when it came to actually getting to the tests.... but i finally got to them in the last month and now i know what's wrong.... well other then why my stomach is always upset and everything i eat goes through me within minutes... sorry TMI... i'm still not sure if that is something else or if it's just IBS because nothing showed up concerning that in my GI Series...

hey mama--

Tell me about it...I KNOW a lot of this is induced, or at least severely aggravated by stress/anxiety. Whenever I get really upset, it sets off this acid reflux big time, or my hypothyroid aches and pains, TMJ, you name it, it flares. Then I quit smoking, (7 months now), and recently have gave up my coffee, which is really tough. But I'll do anything to feel better. I won't/can't take antidepressents any longer, and my HMO, (Kaiser, here in CA) is so dead set against prescribing sedatives. My Doc gave me a bottle of 21 Activan. I know they are addictive, but I'm not stupid, only taking them when things get really bad. So now I have to make an appt. with mental health people, and go for counseling, and maybe they'll give me a prescription, but I doubt it. I'd like to see them try to deal with all of these things, AND quit smoking and drinking coffee too! LOL! Aw well, enough complaining.

Thank you for describing your chemical taste/throat symptoms to me. Today is the 1st day in about 7 months that I have not taken a PPI. I'm going to try some of the other alternative things that I've seen written about on this board. Another thread was talking about Calcium/magnesium. I've made enough dietary changes, nothing, (that I know of) with acid, no coffee, colas, carbonated drinks, spicy foods, citrus, etc. I also need to learn to relax more, but it's hard isn't it, with all these things going on too.

I hope Mama, that your tests will reveal what going on with your stomach. That's really weird how it started with your pregnancy. Try not to worry, and to be as calm as you can be. I know it's hard, but we have to really try. I do deep breathing everyday, and it does seem to help, a little. Everyone I know recommends that I do yoga, and I would if I felt better and felt like getting out of the house more often. When I do, I usually have a lot of errends and things to take care of, that get neglected when I'm feeling so bad. Sometimes tho, I feel better when I'm out of the house. Not always, but I have noticed this. Have they tried giving you any anti anxiety meds, to see if it helps your digestive problems? What do you take for your acid reflux? Is it helping you any?

Thanks for replying again...
TTYL,
DEDA

first off, congrats on quitting smoking, that is great!!!!

as for meds for the acid reflux, i see my Dr. tomorrow, it'll be my first appointment with him since the tests... i ran into him in the hallway of the office and he told me the results but since it wasn't during an appointment, we didn't talk about anything else.... he told me to schedule an appointment... as for the anxiety, i am on paxil now... it does help my nerves a little but my stomach is still a mess... i'm a SAHM that desperately wants to work but i am so nervous about working and my stomach.... my stomach gets so upset all the time... i do need to get a job really soon though, so i guess i'll have to deal with it...