I was affected last July (worse month of my acid problem) and know the severe dull aching intense pain behind the chestbone and, with me, also up my jaw & into my ear (still have this, but light version, mostly when I go up many stairs then walk the l00 feet or so to my work.) I made the trip to the ER on my dr's order and had ekg and ct scan there. Had stress test for heart the week before which tho' I did have that pain, was normal otherwise. I stop and rest & the symptoms stop. For nearly a yr I've been on Aciphex tablets and also Gaviscon liquid after meals. I was terrified of the endoscopy but once they give you the IV you don't know anything til you wake up in the "other room" and don't remember a thing. Don't worry too much about it. I wish you the very best.

Hello!

Well he was a really good listener!!! He asked me all kinds of questions - when did it start, what does it feel like, what makes it worse, what is the pain like, etc. and he took LOTS of notes. He seemed very genuine and I liked him a lot.

He said that he does not think I have acid reflux??? His reasoning being that with the amount of medication I take (2) Prevacid daily & (4) Carafate and modifying my diet so strictly - if it was GERD I would be feeling 70-80% relief. He also said that stress does not bring on acid reflux????

He said that it is either 'functional dypesia' - which is a fancy name for a sensitive stomach and esophogus that is affected more by stress and emotions and much less by what you eat, etc??? OR it could be a mechanical misfunction inside my body (a severe hiatal hernia, scar tissue from my gallbladder surgery, etc.)

I am to have an upper endoscopy within the next 14 days - he said he does not want to wait any longer than that because of how severe my pain is - so I am waiting for the hospital to call me tomorrow and schedule it. I also am being tested for Celiac disease and am having an ultrasound of my stomach, pancrease, liver, and chest. He wants to cover ALL the bases.

Finally he is changing me from Prevacid to Aciphex and adding Pamelor - which he said can help with a 'sensitive stomach/esophogus' but that is like an anti depressant so that one threw me a little because I am not depressed -- stressed and anxious - YEP but not depressed????

My test for H Pylori came back negative and I also came back negative for high levels of aluminium or mercury - so that's good....

All in all I am still VERY nervous about the EGD but I feel confident that he is doing everything necessary to find out what is wrong. And he does think there is really something wrong becasue of how sudden and severe and lasting the symptoms/pain have been without any significant relief.

Thanks everyone - and I will let you know how the tests come out. Please pray that I come through everything ok.

Thank you!!

Nessa