In March this year I got a really bad sore throat which ended up being a bad chest infection. I had previously been in good health busy training for a half-marathon. I was just beginning to get over it (about 10 days after the initial infection) when one evening just after dinner I suffered an extremely painful bout of heartburn which until then, I had never suffered from before. During my bout of illness my body also suffered from a purging of itself (diahorrea, wanting to vomit, chills, fevers etc) which at the time, I didn't realise was my body finally saying to me, you have full-blown celiac disease now (gluten intolerance). A year previously I had had a postive blood test to celiac disease but a negative biopsy and my gastroentrologist did not recommend going gluten free at that stage and so I didn't.

Anyway, the next day I woke up belching trying to relieve the gas build up and things just got worse from there. I experienced the pain around the ribs, sturnum, and even the back, woke up during the night in excruiating pain, couldn't lie on my right side but now that pain has gone and what I am left with is more esophagical discomfort of the acid coming back up the throat and feeling the pain/lump there. I don't actually feel the buring-pain in the chest but this lump in the esophagus is very frustrating, plus if I spit up the phlegm I can feel the acid burn the back of the throat. At the same time I think my celiac finally reared its ugly head and since then I have been gluten-free. What I am wanting to know is will my acid reflux pain which is centred in that esophagical area be alleviated with medication? I have been using apple cider vinegar but I still get the reflux. Also, is it GERD or could it be anything else? It definitely feels like acid in my throat and I know too little acid in the stomach is as bad as too much but I'm just not sure exactly what the best course of action I should take. Sorry this is so long.

I take a good probiotic each night and I am a non-smoker, at the lower end of my weight range (just sitting on 53 kg's - 5'4"), I don't smoke, I don't drink fizzy drinks, I hardly drink and I am active. It isn't a life style that is causing my GERD so modifying these things won't help me.

Could it then be more of food intolerances but how would I know and also I eat a fairly healthy diet so I am really lost to find the culprit but more importantly, I am hoping that there is something that can be done to help me.

I suffer from this GERD every day just some days it is worse than others but it is always there. I can't say that it flares up more after a meal - the best time for me is when I wake up and if I am busy, not thinking about it, that helps also but that isn't possible 24/7.

Sorry this is so long but I don't know where else to look. I have tried talking about this with my gastroentrologist but he was simply more concerned with doing another gastroscopy to say whether it is celiac disease or not. I know I have celiac but that at the moment is the least of my concerns. This reflux is my main concern.

Any thoughts, answers, ideas or experiences most welcome.

:-)

Angie