Symptoms of acid reflux?

[flowergirl2day]

Hello,

I have developed shortness of breath over the last few months. It gets progressively worse with the worst episode to date happening yesterday.

I have known all this time that my SOB is somehow tied to my stomach. This is because whenever I start experiencing it, I also get a funny feeling in my stomach and nausea follows immediately. It seems that no matter what I do, I cannot take a breath deep enough to meet my body's need for oxygen.
When I do breathe in and out while short of breath, my stomach hurts or simply feels weird. My lungs also hurt from trying too hard to suck in the air. I have had nasal congestion for about as long as the breathlessness. It just appeared one day and has never left.

My breathing problems make everyday activities difficult for me. Any exertion brings on the SOB. I have been off work for 6 months now due to my medical issues stemming from having severe hypertension.

This is my problem:

I have been on beta blockers for six months. They are notorious for contributing to the shortness of breath - a direct result of their effecting the heartbeat by slowing it down. I did not have any breathing problems during the first few months of being on this drug. My dose has never changed. I am on other drugs as well, mostly for blood pressure. My doctor is convinced that the beta blockers are the cause of my problems. I blame the drugs I am on for my nausea and nasal congestion. The stomach issue has gone unexplained and ignored by the doc.
Reading through a few of the posts on this board, I realized that there were other possibilities I had not even thought of that might relate to the stomach and breathlessness connection.

My questions:

Are there certain symptoms I'd have to be showing to have any of the conditions discussed on this board?

Are my symptoms indicative of any (possible) specific health issues?

What are the most common symptoms of acid reflux?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
Flowergirl

[alex12]

Originally Posted by flowergirl2day

My questions:

Are there certain symptoms I'd have to be showing to have any of the conditions discussed on this board?

Your symptoms sound a lot like LPR to me.... Unfortunatley I have not had any relief from the SOB and the throat tightness. This has been a nightmare for me.

Are my symptoms indicative of any (possible) specific health issues?

Of course I would suggest an endoscpy to rule out tumors and what not but I would doubt it.

What are the most common symptoms of acid reflux?

It's different for everyone... I never had heartburn and typical symptoms just woke up one day with shortness of breath, and like you felt like my lungs hurt and chest hurting from breathing so hard. I went to the hospital of course because I was nervous that I was having a asthma attack or something. They did a heart work up and checked my lungs all came out ok. I went and saw an ENT who diagnosed LPR, since then I have been to at least 10 different doctors, had multiple GI tests and been on every med. an d still have the SOB. It usually starts after I drink or eat something in the morning and continues for the rest of the day.
I take Aciphex, Mylanta and Zyrtec right now.

Anyway, I hope this help you a bit, at least you know your not alone

Take Care
Alex
l

[flowergirl2day]

Hello,

your informative post is much appreciated. I am surprised to learn that in some cases there's not much that the doctors can do to alleviate the breathlessness and other symptoms. I am well aware that some never arrive at a diagnoses.

Like you, I have several specialists and they don't seem to work together at all. Each looks after his own specialty without really looking at me as a whole or comparing notes with the others. That could be the reason my kidney condition is still not diagnosed six months later. I had all the cardio stuff done and was told by my cardiologist that my heart or the beta blockers should not be causing the SOB. Well, something is.

The thought that things might stay the way they are scares me. I know it is a real possibility - it has happened to you! I have not had any pulmonary tests done (yet) as my GP is convinced the beta blockers are responsible and is considering a referral to a pulmonologist as a last resort.

Thank you for your suggestions and for sharing your experiences. You would not believe how much it helps.

Flowergirl

[CHALUPA]

Hi flowergirl2day,
I have the shoetness of breath for 11 months and i am blood pressure meds. When this first started they thought it was my meds, so they switched them. I am now of beta blockers for 10 months and on another blood pressure med, but i still can't breath. I think the docters want to blame it on the meds becaude they them selfs are not sure.

[alex12]

I think you both hit the nail on the head. First off flowergirl: You are so right by saying the doctors do not look at the entire picture... they do not correspond with the other doctors in other fields and therefor you are left with a million different diagnosis'.
And as Chalupa said they almost feel as if "well it's not life threatening" so we could blame it on something else like the medicines, or better yet, it's all in your head! If I had a dome for every doctor that tolm me it was anxiety I would be rich!
I always have to preface my visit with "This is not anxiety....... I feel like my throat is closing and ttight and I cannot get a full breath in...again it is not anxiety!" haha
Of course this feeling is giving me anxiety, I think anyone who feels as thought hey cannot breathe gets anxiety! haha Its really frustrating!
Good Luck and if you find the magic cure please dont forget us!