Is this really GERD?
I'm very confused. I have been diagnosed with acid reflux by my doctor, and I take prescription medication for it. But I'm looking at the symptom list on this site, and the only ones I have are heartburn and nausea (and nausea could just be from my medication). Avoiding trigger foods doesn't really seem to make a difference, and I also get stomach pain that's not in my chest on a regular basis. Do you think this really is reflux, like my doctor says? (by the way, I've had an endoscopy and gall bladder ultrasound done, which showed it's not gall stones, not h pylori bacteria and that I do have gastritis/inflammation in my stomach and esophagus. My basic bloodwork was normal, except for slight anemia)
Hi AGS
I get silent reflux (I don't get acid in my mouth and can't feel the burn in my oesophagus until the damage is done and I get severe oesophagitus). My pains started in my abdomen a year ago and they nearly whipped my appendix out! I have had all the tests and everything is normal, except anaemia and malabsorption of food.
It's trial and error with the foods. You have to really tune into your digestive system to see what improves/hinders your condition. I have become a bit of a food and drink purist, but it has helped enormously (unprocessed, unrefined, natural, non-acidic, non-spicy foods, herbal teas, easy on the gluten, no alcohol, no coffee etc).
I am still a mystery to the docs and will be seeing a gastro specialist again soon. There is a possibility that mild food intolerances ignored for years may have led to inflammation and thus reflux, IBS symptoms etc. Perhaps you are the same??
I run 10km a couple of times a week now and don't get any burps or pains afterwards. Apparently running is something we are not supposed to do as it increases reflux. Before I started running, my endoscopy confirmed my LES muscle was fine but my oesophagus was swollen with damage from acid. Now the inflammation has gone and I run, loads, without problem... figure that one out.
Sometimes, we just don't fit into the textbook for symptoms. I have swore blind to every doctor and consultant that I don't get indigestion. They just look at me as if I am making it up - because my damaged oesophagus was telling them something different!
Listen to the advice of the doctors - but don't forget to listen to your "gut instinct"!
Hope this helps
Suze
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