GERD or Anxiety

[ava_x]

Hi everyone. Im just looking for someone to talk to / people with a similar story / words of encouragement.

About 4 months ago I started getting pretty severe anxiety / depression. It was to the point where I was having panic attacks multiple times a day. In addition to a stressful job that I dislike.

2 months ago I started getting chest pains and burping constantly. I went to the ER and they did a chest x ray and EKG on me and said everything was fine. I went to my family dr and he diagnosed me with GERD and put me on omeprazole 40mg.

The constant chest pain is still there, I burp all the time, have lost 16lbs in 6 weeks and now am having back pain.

So I went to a GI doctor today and it seems like she thinks most of my issues are muscular / stress related. She is running blood work to check for celiac and ordered a scope for me in a few weeks.

I don't feel as anxious as I did a few months ago and haven't had anxiety attacks but I'm sure my body being in pain gives me some anxiety!

Has anyone ever had this before? Where muscle pain (I also stand hunched over a lab type counter all day) from anxiety has caused constant chest pains / GERD symptoms?

[geglilsis]

I have been suffering with the exact same as you just described. Chest pain belly pain, feeling like I have had something stuck in my throat, lost 16lbs could not eat for three weeks 2 trips to dr, two trips to urgent care and one to ER. All for GERD I have been on same med you were gave and I'm just starting to be able to eat solid food again I had many days of water and Gatorade with salt crackers the pain in your back and most likely gut is all related and stress really feeds this pain and anxiety really shows up with GERD. I thought I was going to die, really I was in so much pain they gave me Hydros and the last thing they gave me was a stomach coater called sucralfate 1 tablet 4 times a day this really helped the burning and aching in my esophagus you might ask for some, the default is it made me dizzy and woozy so I suggest trying it on a weekend not a workday or you might find yourself asleep on your desk of woozy trying to stand. I hope it helps to know someone else feels the same, read about GERD online I have learned a ton! Don't google your symptoms that just makes it worse

[Amaarni]

I too suffer acid reflux and bad heartburn after anxiety.. It's weird how they come together.. I tend to burp alot too and alot of foods make me sikkkk

[ComputerGuy1989]

I feel for you I burp a lot and have problems keeping food down, when my gerd gets,bad makes me feel like I can breath with brings on panic. I also was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and my family doc thinks it makes my gerd worse. I was also ordered scope and Prilosec. As of know I am on a PPI called protonixs I think and Prozac both of which make very little difference. Therapy has been the most helpful thing yet.

[geglilsis]

I start therapy next week. I sure hope it helps. I have a lot of house cleaning to do this weekend hoping that helps get my mind in another place! I am starting to feel a bit better after the prilosec it's been about three weeks now, you can take tums or zantac with the prilosec if you still have the burning or pressure

[missmello]

Ava and geglilsis, I've been experiencing the EXACT same symptoms. For almost 2 months I could not eat, burping up fluids from my stomach, lost 15 pounds in 5 weeks. Weird pressure in my stomach, sometimes back and chest pain. I was put on protonix, a med for gerd, but it did not help me much at all. I am finally able to eat, but I am nauseous every day and sometimes don't have the best appetite. Had a scope done with my GI doc, everything was normal. All other tests are normal.. ekg, blood, xrays, ct scan.. you name it, they checked it, everything is fine. It's all anxiety. It's taking me a real long time to get back to normal though, next week will make 4 months and counting...

[KatLT]

I get really bad acid reflux during/after anxiety attacks. Actually I think sometimes it triggers anxiety attacks because I am a hypochondriac and I feel like I am having a heart attack. I have also gone to the ER before about it and they told me it was just anxiety. They ran all kinds of tests.

[geglilsis]

Missmello

Ask for the nausea pill that desolves under your tongue, Zofran it is the number one best nausea med you can get! I was doubled over and would have died without it. I count my blessings they put me on prilosec right away. I still can not have creamy, fatty or fried foods at all. I guess that's a good thing though processed foods are so bad for you.
Today I went out to the mall and bought sexy jeans that fit and feel amazing, five shirts and new panties. I didn't have a anxiety attack and shopped for over a hour! I put on my new outfit and went on a date! A real uplift from laying on the couch sick the last four weekends.

[ava_x]

Thank you so much everyone for responding! It makes me feel better there are others out there experiencing the same thing I am. I just want to feel like myself again!

[anxiousashley]

When I was in the worst of my anxiety I too was diagnosed with GERD. It was awful for a while and I took medications for it. But once my anxiety started to ease the GERD went away completely and I haven't had it bother me for a few years now.

[str8trippin]

I'd NEVER experienced heartburn or acid reflux until I started having anxiety a few weeks ago. I guess I'd had a little bit when I was pregnant, but nothing like this...it terrified me...and people kept telling me you could have a hernia or a this or a that and on and on and on. That's one thing that annoys and frustrates me the most is people always wanting to diagnose you...they don't seem to understand that it fuels the anxiety!! At any rate, it was absolutely horrible...I lost almost 10 pounds in a week because I had no appetite and was terrified that everything I ate was going to make it come back. And on top of it, nothing seemed to help. I felt like I could chew a whole bottle of Tums or take the whole package of Zantac and it wasn't going to do a thing! I think there was about a week where I survived off of ham and Cheez-Its because they were the only thing that didn't seem to cause it. Now that my anxiety has subsided some, the acid reflux has mostly gone away. It's a really bad cycle because the more physical symptoms you have, the more anxiety you get and the more anxiety you get the more physical symptoms you have!

[anxiousashley]

It's a really bad cycle because the more physical symptoms you have, the more anxiety you get and the more anxiety you get the more physical symptoms you have!

No truer words Str8trippin!!!!!

[ava_x]

I agree with everything you said! People kept trying to diagnose me too making it even worse. I've really been trying not to let things bother me lately and the pain has subsided some.