GERD symptoms
Not sure if this is the place for this, move it if it's not.
I was wondering if anyone here has GERD and can tell me the symptoms they are experiencing. I am trying to decide if that is what I have. Here's my experience:
In 1994 I had a lot of really bad shoulder pain which occurred mostly in the morning and which I could prevent somewhat if I slept elevated. After several months of increasingly excruciating pain, it was decided by the doctors that I had a paraesophageal hiatal hernia and my stomach was up in my chest. When the surgery was done, they found that I did indeed have such a hernia and not only was my stomach up there but also most of my intestines which had collapsed my left lung! It was a big surgery with complications but I made it and felt much better.
About 2007 when in the hospital for gall bladder surgery, they discovered I have herniated again! They said it again is very large and at the time they saw it the tail of my pancreas was up there along with my stomach. They said it will be another big surgery when I decide to do it. I had no symptoms at that time that I was aware of.
In the past 4-5 years though I have been experiencing a drawing feeling in my throat. I do experience some heartburn but mostly it is just this drawing feeling and I feel it more higher up around my Adams Apple region. It is not painful just annoying and seems to be getting worse. I talked to the doctor about it and he said he sees this a lot in people who have had hernia surgery. He did not actually call it GERD (didn't name it at all) but told me to try Prilosec OTC for 3 months. I tried it but it didn't seem to help.
I also had my ENT check my throat but everything was negative except the x-rays showed that when I swallow, the food goes down, then up and down again...so sluggish but nothing really bad.
Since it has been getting worse recently I decided to give the Prilosec OTC another try (despite the bad publicity it has been given recently!). Sometimes I think it helps a little, sometimes I don't. I forgot to take it a few days but now am taking it daily and am trying to give it a fair trial.
My question is: those who have actually been diagnosed with GERD, what are your symptoms? Does anyone experience something similiar to what I have described: a drawing sensation in the throat, mostly high up and sometimes with a feeling of fullness in the throat? Sometimes accompanied with heart burn (felt lower down in sternum area) but mostly not. The drawing feeling sometimes seems to extend to almost my ears on the side but not always...I suspect this is a radiating spasm or discomfort as my ears and the tube going to my ears has been checked and is fine.
I have researched GERD online but cannot really identify with most of the symptoms. I do not have a dry cough...I do cough sometimes a little when I lie down or change position in bed. I have no problems breathing. I have no problems swallowing generally although very very rarely I have a little trouble with it.
Last edited by maryea; 06-12-2010 at 05:04 PM.
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