Is This All Reflux Related?

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Hey everyone. A little background first. First off, I've had a couple of pretty stressful months, and have a history of reflux that mainly seems to be triggered by stress. I had it under control before and was fine for about 4 years, and now it seems to be back, though I'm not sure. About a month ago, I started kinda getting short of breath at times. I have occasional asthma, but it didn't really feel like asthma, more just like a shortness of breath. I also started kinda having this dry cough, not productive, and when it was it was always clear. Then about a few weeks later, my ribs started to kinda hurt, and I was getting chest pains on the right side of my chest, about 2 ribs from my collarbone, and sometimes my ribcage feels like it's vibrating. Occasionally, I'll also have this strange popping/gurgling feeling under my ribs, but that's not really associated with any pain though. I also seem to have a lot of postnasal drip, constant clearing of throat, and sometimes a feeling of something stuck on the one side. I have good days, and then bad days, and there's no pattern whatsoever. I also tend to get a burning feeling in my throat sometimes, but not always. I've been to my asthma/allergist doc and a redi-care doc, both said lungs sound fine, been for a chest x-ray which was also clear. Both kinda pointed to reflux, but weren't sure. Does any of this sound like reflux or has anyone experienced similar symptoms with their reflux. Please help, I'm starting to get worried it's something much more serious. Thanks.
 
COULD be a type of reflux called LPR; there are lots of discussions about it on this message board. There's also lots of info about it on the web, so do a search and start reading. My advice for the day for everyone is to not obsess about it or get yourself worked up imagining the worst. Stressing about the possibilities (99% of which will NEVER happen) just makes you feel worse. When they suggested reflux as a possibility for you, did either doctor prescribe medication or suggest you start taking OTC reflux meRAB? LPR is characterized by acid coming up into the throat and larynx - farther than acid usually gets in GERD. This may be causing the burning in your throat. If so, you'll want to knock the acid level in your stomach down either with OTC meRAB or prescription PPI therapy. Once your throat gets burned, it can take awhile to heal and sometimes requires stronger medication than what otherwise would work for GERD.
 
Thanks for the reply. I was taking Aciphex for the reflux before, but it never got up into my throat before so I'm not sure. Once I stopped having the stomach symptoms after awhile the doc took me off of it and I hadn't thought about it, until now again. After doing some reading on LPR it might sound like it's close to what I have. The only thing I don't really have is the voice issue thing. The thing that concerns me most is the clicking/popping feeling in my throat and chest sometimes. It's almost as if there's something out of place, but the strange thing is I have good days and bad days. This just happens to be one of the bad ones. :(
 
we seem to share the same problem. I was also having stressful months where I'd get tingling at heart, difficulty breathing and swallowing. I had moments when I ate I thought I was gonna choke on every bite of sandwich. then I got on antidepressants and after a year of taking them I felt I was ok enough to stop taking them so I did. And this is where my reflux returned as well, just like in your case..only it returned in a way worse form than I had it first, cause first one when I felt I couldn't swallow was lasting for about a week, cause then AD's kicked in and I was able to eat normally again..also after 2 months or so I then stopped feeling tingling in heart and short of breath.
I also have lots of dry cough lately, been through bronchitis a few weeks ago which made it only worse. Postnasal drip is in my case too and constant clearing of throat and the thing I lately overpanick with, food sticking on one side, on the right side to be precise. So yeah I'd say you're definitely dealing with reflux, but as others already pointed out it's probably LPR reflux, cause you mention burning in throat which with normal reflux you normally don't have, cause acid doesn't come that up.

I hope you're getting your medication already and we both will feel better very soon. remeraber not to give in, cause that's what I'm trying to tell myself too, cause with anxiety and reflux mixed it gets really irritating.
 
Hang in there; I know on the bad days you can wonder if you're ever gonna feel "normal" again. I'm working thru my own LPR issues, but my ENT thinks there's a possibility that this was a "one time" happening with me and that I won't necessarily be cursed with LPR forever. This may be your case, too. Try to make some healthy changes if you can - diet, exercise, lifestyle - and see if it helps. You may need to go back on a PPI for awhile if your symptoms persist.
 
Thanks for the reply fallingstar. I hope you feel better soon too. I know that I have to stay positive. Being only 24, and otherwise healthy, and then all of a sudden fearing every day whether or not something is seriously wrong with me that I'm missing is really draining, physically and emotionally. I have good days, and then I have a day like today, with the tight/stretching rib cage feelings, the burping, and the gurgling throat and I sink back down again. I currently don't have anything that I can take, but I guess I'll have to call my GP this week to see what I can get for it. It's just so scary and frustrating at the same time.
 
you're welcome.
I'm even younger than you, so I get where you come from, we're on the same boat.

yeah, the sooner you get some medication for it the better, cause it's not ok to wait, cause it just gets worse (my own experience)
 
Yea I figure it's better to get it taken care of. I find myself sitting here hoping that it is just reflux though. At least then I know what it is, and that it'll go away eventually. The feeling of the burps starting in my throat is what freaks me out, like there's air coming in from the side of my throat and then rattling around inside of me.
 
I have been eating a lot of chocolate lately (we get free stuff at work, so i tend to pig out occasionally), and the whole stress thing, so i think that might be what is going on. It just feels weird that it tenRAB to only happen on my right side. Sometimes when I burp I feel like I'm clearing something out of the way on that side, or it gets stuck in my throat on that side. Can LPR affect the back of your sinuses too? My one nostril on that side feels a lot more "open," as does the rest of that side of my throat/chest. It's almost like I have a hole somewhere. Though the hole wouldn't come and go like this has I suppose.
 
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