I had always had some type of digestive issue - after a long time I found out I have celiac. It’s now well managed and I get scoped every 3-5 years to check. I’ve had evidence of acid reflux on my last two scopes. I’ve had an on and off gnawing/pulling ache under my right rib kind of between the breast bone and liver. The pain radiates up along the rib and sometimes low center chest. They think it’s gallbladder, I’m not convinced (normal imaging, high EF%)

I’ve developed some additional symptoms alongside heartburn as of recently, and am wondering if anyone has a similar picture

1. Air Hunger/ shortness of breath

2. Post-nasal drip

3. Gnawing/pulling deep ache or pain under right rib (not sharp)

4. Throat clearing cough

5. Aching chest

I don’t have nausea or classic gallbladder signs. I feel like I can’t get a deep breath in and I’m drowning in post nasal drip. Anyone else have these symptoms?!

(24)(M)

i’m officially at freaking out stage, I’ve spent the last few weeks having some off and on constipation and diarrhea, but mostly diarrhea that burns, and is brown for the most part with yellow mucus, I’ve had acid reflux real bad to the point to where our regurgitate food, even minutes after eating, and my throat is a little hoarse at times. And I have this burning sensation in my stomach, and feel like something is in the back of my throat like mucus, I’ve tried to stay calm. I have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy next Monday and as each day passes, I’m terrified that the results are gonna mean something really bad!!!

Having a hard time eating or being hungry in the last few days!

I got so bad to the point where the other day I went to the ER because of my stomach pain and they did a CT scan of my abdomen and didn’t find no abnormalities, suspicious masses, or anything explaining my stomach stuff, I was really hoping I would figure out something there, I’m just really freaking out at this moment in time

We are aggressively looking to purchase a home, approximately 1900-2400 sq ft.
A second level is ok.
2 br and den, min 2 bathrooms.
View must be from back yard.
Finder’s Fee if we buy it.

In the evenings, especially during martial arts class, I get a strong ‘about to throw up’ sensation whenever my torso is horizontal, like in a pushup position. Situps don’t trigger it. It’s not nausea and I don’t feel sick — it feels more like pressure rising upward from my stomach or diaphragm. I wondered if it might be because I eat dinner about 1.5 hours before class, but I never have this issue in the morning, even if I eat shortly before exercising. Antacids like Tums or Gaviscon don’t help at all.

I’ve been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease with esophagitis (without hemorrhage). Most of my symptoms are consistent with Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. I’ve never really had heartburn, and medications haven’t been very helpful for me.

Is eating earlier the best option for me?

It frustrates me so much that 99% of doctors know nothing of Roemheld syndrome and when I mention it, they treat it as if it’s some sort of wacky pseudoscience.

Roemheld syndrome is very real and it’s hell.

Whenever my acid reflux gets bad, it triggers palpitations (ectopic beats) and cardiac like chest pain which radiates to my jaw and left arm. I’ve been to ED so many times, particularly when I’m getting long runs of ectopic beats, and every time I’m told I must have anxiety, I don’t, it’s clearly Roemheld syndrome, because I never get the cardiac symptoms when my reflux is under control.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I (24 F) have had health anxiety for a while but it was quiet manageable these past 2 years ( last time the spike happened in 2023-2024 but i stopped it with self therapy and thought I was over it)and historically it’s fixated on cancer more than anything else.

Any unexplained sensation, and some part of my brain jumps straight to the worst-case version. I’ve debunked these fears many times with actual tests and doctors, but each one feels completely real in the moment .

The current test show Vitamin B ,Vitamin D and ferritin deficiency . I’m sharing this because the last month has been a lot, and something happened tonight that I can’t stop thinking about, and I’d really value perspective from people who’ve lived through GERD and/or health anxiety. The main symptom I feel is Heartburn.

A bit of background

For about 10 months before this started, I was living away from home with a rough lifestyle ,barely any home-cooked food, some drinking, occasional weed, almost no exercise. Before that I actually had a strong, healthy foundation: serious athlete in school, home-cooked meals, never smoked or vaped. But I always had this feeling that the bad year would eventually catch up with me.

How the last few weeks went

It hit in one week. First a stomach bug (vomiting once, bad cramps) that settled after a day, plus a neck cramp and my period starting which makes me very fatigued .

Then, feeling a bit better on the second day, I went to the gym for the first time in ages and did 60 minutes on an incline treadmill.

Stepping off, I got dizzy, my heart raced, I couldn’t breathe properly, I was shaking and felt like I’d faint and die. I got myself to the ER alone.

HR and BP were high but the ECG was completely normal they told me plainly it was a panic attack, my first ever and extremely scary because i was all alone and they said it might be related to the gut infection but I didn’t take it seriously because in my head the symptoms of the bug was gone and my fixation was that i had a heart related issue.

Not realizing my gut was involved, I ate a lot of junk over the next couple of days because i thought i deserved it after so much stress, and that night got my first severe heartburn radiating into my back and chest. Another panic attack followed at 5:30am.

Since then my mind has cycled through fear after fear — heart attack, then gut disease, then cancer, then smoking-related damage.

The medical picture

I’ve now seen three separate doctors across three cities, including two gastroenterologists. All independently landed on the same thing: post-infectious irritated gut lining + acid reflux / GERD, with anxiety layered on top. One of them even said that you think that your heartburn triggers your anxiety but according to me it’s your anxiety that triggers the heartburn.

Nothing cardiac, nothing pointing to anything serious. I’ve been on PPIs and other meds throughout (currently on a fresh course of vonoprazan, ~10 days left). The latest doctor said if it’s still there in two weeks they can do an endoscopy, but that even if it shows irritation or ulcers from the bad diet, the treatment stays basically the same.

My only symptom is heartburn sometimes and a burning sensation which mostly i feel in my chest sometimes i feel in my upper abdomen or my throat but it comes and goes away and is much milder than the one i had during the panic attack. No other symptom.

Some days I feel completely normal and then once i feel a sensation and immediately start feeling the medicines are not working and this is something extremely serious.

My focus 24/7 stays on my whole upper abdominal area to check any sensation. When it doesn’t happen I feel good , when it does i feel that it will never be fine and i will forever feel this way.

The thing that happened tonight (the part I really want thoughts on)

I was already anxious, that constant “will I get heartburn after this?” running before every meal I ate during this whole month.

Tonight I had khichdi for dinner which is one of the plainest, gentlest foods there is, nothing that should trigger reflux and the past 2-3 days i have been very anxious continuously reading cancer and endoscopy stories on reddit.

Then I got heartburn anyway, with no real reason for it as I am having khichdi for 2 weeks without any irritation and I got very triggered and exhausted because I thought something is very wrong with me.

I started crying from the stress and exhaustion and the heartburn completely vanished. Not reduced gone. The moment I started crying i could not feel any irritation in the whole chest or anywhere in the gut. For a full 15–20 minutes during and after crying I couldn’t feel a single symptom.

Then afterward I started feeling better and felt some relief that maybe it is all anxiety related and again a low-grade chest irritation came back, the same kind I’ve had all along, nothing new.

That’s the part messing with my head. If plain food caused acid reflux, crying wouldn’t switch it off.

It really felt like proof that a big chunk of what I feel is tension and anxiety generating the sensation ,but then it comes back and I doubt myself all over again and start thinking it’s something serious because the pain I feel is real.

My questions for the community

• For those who’ve had GERD, health anxiety, or both: does this sound like a normal healing-GERD course with anxiety amplifying it, or does anything here sound like it needs more looking into?

• Has anyone else had a symptom disappear while crying or calming down? What did that turn out to mean for you?

• How did you eventually learn to tell a “real” reflux flare from an anxiety-driven one — or did you stop trying to?

• For anyone who’s had the cancer-fear version of health anxiety: how long did it take before you actually started trusting your body again?

Thanks for reading all of this. It’s been a long, exhausting, lonely stretch and I’d really value hearing from people who get it.

Hi everyone, I'm looking for practical tips from people who manage GERD plus some overlapping issues. I get a gastritis-like burning, suspect I have some histamine intolerance, and I've done low FODMAP on and off.

My pattern lately: I can be fine for a few days, then I get a flare with throat tightness/globus, a sour taste, and burning in my chest and upper stomach. It usually gets worse if I eat later than usual, if I eat leftovers (maybe histamine), or if I try to "eat clean" but end up too low in calories and then overeat at dinner. I have tried propping up the head of the bed and eating smaller meals, which helps a bit. I am not asking for medical advice, just real-life routines that actually work.

What I would love is:

1) Your go-to breakfast, lunch, and dinner templates that are GERD-friendly but also not super high in histamine. Simple, repeatable ideas I can prep for the week.

2) Snack ideas that help prevent the too-hungry-then-reflux cycle.

3) Timing tips: how many hours before bed do you stop eating, and what do you do if you still get nighttime symptoms?

4) If you found any over-the-counter approaches helpful (alginates, antacids, H2 blockers, PPIs), how did you decide what to try first and how did you use it without making things worse?

I'm trying to build a boring, repeatable plan for a few weeks to calm everything down. Any specific routines or meal ideas would be really appreciated. Thanks.

It’s been 3 almost 4 months now and I’m so darn confused, chest pain is constant along with burping heart issues have been ruled out, omeprazole helps but has caused an over reactive bladder and I’m genuinely starting to feel trapped in an anxious cycle. They finally decided maybe it’s a gallbladder issue but I’m still not sure I’ll find out after my ultra sound but it’s been a hell of a year and GERD is actively making life worse no matter what

Today I coughed so much (and cleared my throat) that my lungs actually feel sore and easily triggered by the slightest irritation. Is this a somewhat normal symptom of acid reflux? I feel like things were worse today because I was unable to sleep with the head of my bed elevated last night while visiting my mother. This feeling in my lungs is worrisome.

Looking for folks who've had a hernia repair and a partial fundoplication for LPR symptoms. I have a hiatal hernia. It's small but I can feel it in my chest and have been having some trouble breathing. The GI doctor who did the surgery said it's causing my lower esophageal sphincter to be in Hill Grade III and is probably what is causing the reflux.

I met with another GI doctor yesterday to go over the results and he said there is very little evidence of acid reflux as my esophagus looked fine and I had minor gastritis is all. He said the PPI probably wouldn't work. He called it non-corrosive reflux or LPR. He has me doing a manometry next week, which I'm nervous about, but I'd like to know if the lower esophageal sphincter is not functioning or not. Might do the PH test next afterward. Also, want to see what the ENT can offer for additional testing.

I think this has all been caused by the hernia. It happened very abruptly and went from 0 to 10 in a week. I am wondering about having the hernia repaired and possibly doing a partial fundoplication to stop reflux. I need to get more testing done and have some other folks weigh in. Meeting with another ENT tomorrow. And meeting with my general doctor next week to see about possibly doing a sleep study for sleep apnea. I just want to figure out how to heal my throat.

Been doing the alginates for a month now after meals and before bed and not getting much relief. I get the need to clear my throat within minutes after eating, even if it's acid and fat friendly. I don't even have time to take the alginate before it starts. My throat feels like it burns all day when the need to clear my throat goes down. Can barely talk and am hoarse all the time and have postnasal drip. Been doing the alkaline water (drinking, gargling, and spraying), been going saline nasal rinses. Been eating less and trying to stay upright. Not eating 3-4 hours before bed. Sleeping on a slight incline. I'm burping just drinking water at this point and also eating just a few bites of food. Something feels functionally wrong in my stomach.

Well I cant really tell but 8 days ago I stopped taking 15mg of Lansoprazole.

I now have reflux every time I try to eat more substantially.

Acid taste in mouth during the day, heartburn, gastritis, extreme bloating all the above.

I also feel hunger like crazy. As if I hadn't eaten all day.

Im wondering if this is my "baseline" sans ppi or the rebound.

Im very bad at tapering but I basically tried to tske one every other day then stop. But I basically quit it in a matter of a week and a half.

My OG diagnosis is esophageal motility disorder with absent peristalsis, gastritis and Gerd.

I wanted to try to come off the meds as they make me so tired I cant function and give me hair loss.

I also wanted to see how much reflux is actually caused by my condition versus the meds themselves as I first got reflux after forgetting a PPI prescription for gastritis a year ago.

I have nausea ONLY on the left side of my throat and it makes it really difficult to swallow and food keeps getting stuck in my throat for too long, if I drink water it shoots back up and I'm regurgitating food and have this chronic tightness on my chest. Does this sound like GERD? Been on a lot of antacids and has no effect. I'm waiting for a Barium Swallow which is months away, not sure what to do.

i have gerd and i’m pretty sure i have ibs-c (need to rule out ibd first). i just started panteprazole this week: 40mg 2x daily. ok so i usually get reflux symptoms every night and i poop probs twice a week. gerd stared two years ago. chronic constipation has been happening forever. i’m gonna be on this ppi for maybe 2 months and then my dr will see if i need an endoscopy cause this could be a hiatal hernia. i was also born with gastroschisis, and it said online it’s common to have a hiatal hernia because of this. anyways like i said i usually poop twice a week and have gerd symptoms every night; however this week has been TORTURE. since monday i’ve been struggling so bad. basically i pooped and then i started to feel this strong trapped gas that pushes to chest and back and neck doesn’t cause pain in chest just weirdness and then it feels like i need to burp and fart to alleviate pain and when i do it goes away then comes back right away im even pooping and everything. i do understand it’s anxiety too but ik it’s not solely anxiety cause when the gas is fully out i feel wayhy better. it just sucks cause how much farting and burping do i need to do. it’s not chest pain per se it’s more like my breathing feels deep and heavy and i need to yawn to feel relief ik it gets better when i can close my mouth not needing to yawn but still idk what to do. i need sooo much gas to come out. rn im sitting on seat knees up after the deep breathing shit. thankfully its calmed down cause i farted and i also pooped but still i just feel the gas rumbling in stomach and butt. i just need it all to go out its so annoying. when the fart goes then its the upper gas i need out so i need to burp and then vice versa. my stomach also feels so bloated. idk what’s been happening this past week. i also made the stupidest mistake of having ramen last night after suddenly feeling better. i also feel tightness in throat but that comes & goes. i do have foamy yellow/ white saliva too which is salty. i feel bloated all over my stomach but then the pain i get is mainly belly button area all the way up to under rib. plsss what do i dooo. i e been taking rabeprazole for 3 days so far . this is scary me so much like how come i was fine all this time and now this shit bruh. what do i do and don’t say gas x that usually works for my gerd but not that much and not this week.

also massages and walking and stuff do help and stuff but once that gas is out the deep breathing comes back and there’s like more gas needed to come out and it’s a repeating cycle until finally it’s all out and i can sleep. why this week bruh i’ve had ramen a few times this year and it never did this idk why this week my gut is EXTRA sensitive

PLS SOMEONE HELP ME

There's probably tons of information on here that you guys already know but I'm just going to tell the things that I realized over the past year.

I started suffering because of extreme stress and swallowing ibuprofen dry.

Ibuprofen, citric acid, and stress are my main triggers.

White rice with some seasonings, or sometimes a can of soup poured over the top was good for some of my nightly meals when suffering greatly.

I relied A LOT on cookies and cream ice cream.

BEFORE BED!

Oreo type cookies are also helpful for me.

I think at this point a few sips of soda or even a little bit of caffeine won't hurt me as much as a sudden change in my stress.

Stress will immediately start to bring my throat to a close.

Citric acid is a huge trigger and I avoid it at all costs.

Stress... That's up to me to manage.

Tylenol for life now.

Ibuprofen will immediately trigger symptoms.

Anyone else have this issue? I have bad Gerd and anxiety. I have had symptoms many times and never had a panic attack/heart issues. I got on 20mg famotidine 2x a day. Felt great at first. Like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Quickly noticed over the next few days after about 5-6 hours from last dose my anxiety would peak. Fast forward to 10 days in I was at the gym doing light weight exercises as I have for years. My heart rate skyrocketed. Wouldn’t come down. Triggered a massive panic attack. I thought I was honestly having a heart attack. Went to ER everything was fine heart wise other than an elevated heart rate. They gave me a 40mg pantoprazole iv felt better for the next day and they gave me 20mg pantoprazole pills. Saturday I’m fine. Sunday another panic attack heart was all over the place. Monday same thing. Today and yesterday I’m up to 40mg pantoprazole and no panic attacks and heart rate has been normal. I’ve even had some breakthru acid and no heart issues. I’m wondering if the famotidine can stay in system for a few days ?

How do you guys socialize? I’ve been so bummed because it’s hard to eat, I’ve not even wanted to go out with friends anymore. I just don’t know where we can go that I can eat or enjoy. How do you guys do it?

I'm a week into taking omeprazole (OTC walgreens generic omeprazole) and it seems like the heartburn isn't there anymore, however the burping and the bloating is still there. Also every time I inhale I swallow some air which make my burping and bloating much worse. I didn't see a doctor about this. Any suggestions on how to reduce the burping and bloating?

I (29F) have had GERD since I was 21. It’s been 8 years and I haven’t found a cure, although it does improve if I avoid my triggers and take Gaviscon throughout the day.

Right now I have a pretty bad flare up after travelling and eating fast food. It’s making me feel pretty worried for how my GERD will be during pregnancy. I already deal with nausea from my GERD (I never throw up from it though), so I’m worried the pregnancy nausea mixed with my regular GERD nausea will be really difficult in the first trimester. I also have emetaphobia…

Any success stories on dealing with GERD during pregnancy? I don’t want to hear the horror stories… just looking for support, tips or reassurance before I get pregnant.

Also I don’t respond to PPIs and I’m not eligible for surgery because my gerd is non-erosive.

Thank you so much!

This is probably TMI so I'm sorry in advance lol I was wondering if anyone could relate.

I got my diagnosis this year, but my stomach has always been very sensitive during my periods. I feel like I'm healing quite well only for my PMS to begin and then I'm in hell: diarrhea, gas, burning... I don't know what to do 😭

During these period induced flares (?) it's like all meds stop working... I was having good progress with two weeks on Pantoprazole 40mg, it reduced my shortness of breath which was my most prominent symptom, but now I'm PMS 2/3 days away from my period and it's like I'm back to square one. Gaviscon was a lifesaver and it doesn't make a difference now.

Quick update to my recent posts about being a mess around food. I finally saw my PCP and we treated this like actual GERD instead of me doing random diet experiments.

The plan was simple: take a PPI first thing in the morning, add an H2 blocker at night for the first week, and stop the restrictive testing while my esophagus calms down. I also did the boring lifestyle stuff: raised the head of the bed a few inches, no food within three hours of bed, smaller meals, and I stopped lying down after lunch.

What surprised me was that my worst symptoms were not from the foods I was blaming. I kept assuming certain carbs because of bloating, but the biggest difference came down to timing and volume. A "safe" low FODMAP dinner that is large or late will still give me throat burn and that lump-in-throat feeling at night. If I eat a normal-sized, earlier dinner, even with a couple moderate FODMAP things, my reflux is much quieter.

Current status: daytime reflux is way down and I am no longer waking up choking on acid. I still get some burping and occasional chest tightness after coffee, so I am keeping caffeine low for now. Bloating pops up sometimes, but it no longer automatically turns into full-on reflux.

Question for anyone who's been through this: when you started improving, did your triggers shift to meal timing and size more than specific ingredients? And if you tapered off the add-on night med, did symptoms rebound for a few days or was it steady?

Not asking for medical advice, just comparing notes so I do not spiral back into fear-eating again.

I (23f) have ADHD, I am medicated for my ADHD-

When I first got prescribed I did not realise that Ritalin can greatly affect stomach acidity in certain sensitive individuals, especially if you don’t eat before taking doses.

I learnt that the hard way when I first started- in the beginning I was told not to take it with food, as it helps more of the dose absorb- however some peoples stomachs just don’t tolerate that well… turns out I’m one of them…

The feeling of intense chest pain when I just started a stimulant was obviously incredibly concerning- My doctor ran various heart health tests before finally realising that it wasn’t heart pain- it was acid reflux.

I have dealt with acid reflux on and off over my life but it was never this bad until I started a medication that triggers it that I’m meant to take basically every single day…

It’s such a shitty roadblock anytime it comes up because:

1. High acidity effects how the dose is absorbed, less is absorbed leading me to feel under medicated

2. You can’t take antacids on ADHD meds because stomach acidity being more alkaline causes TOO MUCH to be absorbed leading to feelings of over medication

3. My ADHD makes me highly distracted by physical sensations, the feeling of the stomach ‘gnawing’ the chest burning, the faux ‘hunger’ than makes me question if I am actually hungry or not- always greatly distracts me and makes it harder to focus

It feels so frustrating that something as small as a flare up of acid reflux can fuck me over so badly because I rely on ADHD meds, which are strongly effected by stomach acidity, and strongly effect stomach acidity.

Since the first few months of being on Ritalin it really hasn’t been that big of a problem- Doctor told me to start eating before doses, and sure enough that’s all I had to do, I stopped getting horrid acid reflux.

Ritalin affects appetite however- and sometimes I start slipping and don’t eat enough before a dose a few times.. Just a day or two of barely eating / not eating before a dose can trigger an episode of acid reflux to rear its ugly head.

I feel so fucking stupid every time- it’s really no one’s fault but mine, I was too lazy to shove some toast down my throat now I’m paying the price.

It hasn’t happened in so long, I feel so stupid for slipping back into an episode when I have so much I need to get done right now- I really can’t afford to be off my game right now but that’s where I am.

It’s been so long now I dont even remember what I usually do to get out of an episode… I think in the past I’ve stopped taking my Ritalin a few days and stuck to basic non-acidic foods and tums to quell the fire and ‘reset’ my stomach acidity…?
But right now I literally just cannot stop taking my meds I have SO MUCH assessment work to be done- even if I feel less medicated I am still significantly more functional than I am unmedicated.

I’m just so tired I feel so stupid- I’ve been struggling to eat lately, but I really need to, this is what happens when I am too lazy to just make myself a bowl of cereal. My chest hurtsss and I’m so unfocused.

30F. Just wonder if anyone else has ever had this problem and what the outcome was. So for the past 8 years AT LEAST I vomit weekly, sometimes it’s multiple and sometimes daily. Mostly in the morning but can be just random times throughout the day. As soon as I’m sick I feel better. I do suffer from heart burn and when that makes me sick it’s like projectile forceful liquid, and I feel much better.

I’m worried what this has done to my body and really curious about the cause. I don’t know anyone else who has this. It’s actually became normal to me.

I have been referred to get my bloods checked, she mentioned checking for H. Pylori.

So has anyone else had this or similar?

I'm a 17 year old male, I've been dealing with a plethora of Gastrointestinal issues this past few months but my most prominent symptom is a stern, worsening reflux. Nothing I eat prevents it, PPIs are not doing anything. I wake up with severe reflux and one of the times my esophagus was actually burned and inflamed, as well as my mouth and tongue which I believe is secondary burning mouth syndrome. I am still recovering my taste.

Note: I'm not officially diagnosed with GERD, but I am posting this here to see if anyone can help figure out what is wrong. I'm seeing a gastro regularly, they are pushing for an endoscopy and barium swallow​

Hello everyone. This seems to be the group I’ve been looking for because I need some elaboration. I’ve been on Esomeprazol for 2 years due to acid reflux. I get a lot of pain in my esophagus if I stop the PPI. I’ve tried to stop it, I tried to tapper it down without success.
Now I think I may have magnesium deficiency. I did a blood test and it came back as : P- magnesium 0,71 mmol/l
Reference is:0,70-95
So I’m at the low end. I got no symptoms that I’ve thought of…a bit of leg cramps if I get cold, but I’ve always had that.
Calcium and everything else is normal.
I started magnesium glycinate today. I take 2 capsules which mean I get about 375 mg of magnesium.
My doctor says I’m fine and to supplement.
I think I need to be on the PPI, or be in pain.
Will this help me to get my levels up or am I wasting time taking the supplements because PPI blocks everything?
What would you do in my situation?
I’m thankful for any help….

18, my PCP referred me to a gastroenterologist a little over a month ago, I missed 2 of their calls and then they stopped calling me, I know I need to call them back I just don't know how to go about it, I just turned 18 recently and the most I've had to do on my own was schedule an appointment with my PCP but I've had her since I was 16, I don't know how to get established with a specialist. I'm also confused because the place she referred me to is a pediatric facility and I don't even know if they'll take me since I'm an adult now. I've been putting this off for way too long and I need to call sooner rather than later because my GERD symptoms are worsening and my PCP can't do much more for me.