39 year old female. Diagnosed with IBS and fibromyalgia, over 15 years. Seen a myriad of doctors over the years for different symptoms. Have never gotten any other diagnosis with the exception of reflux, described below.
Back around 2005, I was having constant feelings that something was stuck in my throat. ENT diagnosed me with reflux up the vocal chords. Took a course of protonix, symptoms dissipated.
This past Fall, I started having feelings that something was stuck in my throat. It felt like every time I would eat, there would be something still stuck in my throat. Same with pills. I do have some lifelong choking anxieties, but this was scary. I went to the ENT, who did the scope up my nose and down my throat again, and diagnosed me with reflux again.
Brings me to my problem today. Around the time when this was at its worst, I started noticing other symptoms along Witt the throat. I noticed that I would have epigastric (right under ribs) fullness and pressure after meals, even very small ones. The discomfort, great at times, would last for hours. In early December, I started protonix 40mg once a day. I also started eating smaller amounts more frequently. I cannot recall having many incidents from the start of the rx until this time.
About Two weeks ago, I left my pills at work and went two days without taking them. That weekend I got terrible heartburn, which I infrequently got even before the med. Monday I started back on the meds. I had heartburn that morning briefly. Then, during lunch, the epigastric fullness came back. It happened the rest of that week, until Friday. Saturday and Sunday I had really none of the symptoms. Back at work this past Monday, started again. I ate about half a Kashi bar, and I felt like I was going to pop. It has been consistent since then, the last 4 days.
-Eat very small meals and discomfort starts during the meal, even after small amounts.
-worst between 1pm and 8pm
- doesn't wake me up, actually feels better by morning
-In the morning I'm usually starving, like ravenous to the point where I'm dizzy and shaking. I'm afraid to eat because of the fullness. I do try and eat small things: applesauce, Kashi bars, or a small bowl of cereal. The last two days I get the same ravenous hunger over lunch. I try and eat a small bowl of soup, and the fullness gets worse.
-weirdest thing: The fullness and pressure can exist the whole time I'm
Starving. Meaning I have fullness in the epigastric area and hunger in the belly.
I see a GI next Friday, but sometimes this gets so uncomfortable, I don't know If I can wait. Nothing works but time. And then the breaks I get from it only seem to go from later at night until mid morning.
Im 5'4, 113 lbs. I'm also worried I'm going to lose weight because I've drastically cut my caloric intake.
Any advice? I'm scared