Hello there,
I'm a bit upset as I just got an appointment for a gastric specialist. The original appointment was set for Nov 10th! I was a little put out and told them that's too far off. She checked cancellations and found an appointment on monday october, 16th. That is still over 2 weeks away. I'm having symptoms like upper back spasms and abdominal cramping and bloating. Also pressing in just below my sternum is painful. I've had all the blood work and an ultrasound showed nothing other than a slightly fatty liver. Last night I couldn't sleep as I was so anxious from the discomfort and on the borderline of a full blown panic attack. I had to sit up in bed with the tv on to get a grip. Is this a common amount of time when visiting a specialist? Should I look elsewhere? Also, I'm contemplating getting an MRI and paying out of pocket just for peace of mind. Any suggestions??

Bill

BILL,
I understand your frustration believe me do I ever. It took me a month to get an appt., and then I saw the nurse practitioner! She was very nice and better than the doctor but what is up with these specialists? Or is everyone falling apart here ?

I would suggest getting both an upper and lower GI series done for your peace of mind. As soon as you can get it scheduled that is:rolleyes:

I had both done at once and found out I had gastric reflux (duh) but at least it was verified. Stomach problems I've had forever, and take raw apple cidar vinegar diluted in water, and most important to me for abdominal pain and cramping, manuka honey (look online for info).

Meds upset my stomach more than anything but most likely your doctor will prescribe them to you. A change in diet is also important.
Have you tried a heating pad for bloating and cramping? helps me..
good luck and hope you feel better and get some answers soon.

Thanks for the reply backslide05. I don't know what's up with all the specialists nowadays. I havn't tried the heating pad but that's good idea. I will also try your manuka honey suggestion.

A strange thing is, I was diagnosed about 5 years ago with GERD, but the symptoms I'm having now aren't really heartburn related. I have no acid in my throat really. Of course I have had that though which is why I had originally gone to the doctor. I was on Protonix, one per day and also 800 mg of tagamet as needed up to twice a day. Insurance decided not to pay for protonix anymore so I had to go on omeprazole instead. Doesn't work as well. My doc gave me a sample of a med called Rabeprazol sodium. I took one last night and ended up with very bad back and sternum pain. What happened there? I'm not going to take another one, that's for sure. I am also taking two ranitidines per day which seem to work fine for heartburn.