Acid reflux from anxiety?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Acid reflux from anxiety?
6
Wed, 09-14-2005 - 6:08pm

Hi, hope you all are doing well. I finished my first set of exams, now back in classes (a lot of them!) and starting to see a psychologist here (but we're still in the process of talking about my history). I have a question about a problem that's come up recently (I think it may have been a problem before too, but just not as severe).

Basically, whenever I get nervous, I seem to get acid reflux to the point that my throat starts making little burping sounds (or sometimes big ones if I'm not careful!). I try to control them by clearing my throat, tapping on my chest, etc, but it doesn't seem to work very well. I didn't think of this as being acid reflux until lately, but now I notice an acid taste in my mouth when it happens, and it seems logical that that's what's going on.

And what's more embarrassing, this problem seems to happen worst of all when I have to speak in front of people. Then it's even harder to keep the sounds from coming out...and just today, my throat got so irritated (I guess from the acid?) that when I had to answer a question in front of the class, my voice was hoarse too.

I know this will probably become even more of a problem as time goes on, since I'll be required to speak in front of people more in my next year of school. But already, it's happened in a meeting with an administrator (I ended up just speaking over the sounds of my throat and pretending like nothing was wrong) and in front of class too.

Does anyone else have this problem or have any ideas of how to handle it? One thing that might be contributing, I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia several years ago because of stomach trouble, and I know that can cause some reflux...but I don't know if it's gotten bigger over time, or if this is almost totally due to anxiety.

Thanks very much for reading,

Rose




Edited 9/14/2005 6:13 pm ET ET by rosa444
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 09-14-2005 - 11:21pm
Hi Rose!! I have GERD and I take medication for it.

Blessings, Suz   Posts in this Community   

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2005
Thu, 09-15-2005 - 12:19am
Hi- I do believe that acid reflux is due in large part to stress, from what I have read. I know mine has gotten worse lately, and I'm actually going to the Dr. tomorrow, because it has not gone away, but neither has my stree. When I first started with it, I took generic acid reflux meds that I got from the drugstore and those helped. Also, I cut out my high doses of caffeine and certain juices. Also, if your mother or other women in your family have it, my understanding is they are genetic.
Hope that helps some what.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Thu, 09-15-2005 - 9:35am

Have this checked out, Rose. Over time acid can damage the esophagus.

 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Thu, 09-15-2005 - 12:54pm

Just found this, Rose:)


September 15, 2005
Welcome to today's edition of Your Digestive Health. The "Tip of the Day" information is provided herein by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (NIDDKD).
When Indigestion Gets Serious


Anyone who's ever eaten too much or too fast can tell you what indigestion feels like. That burning feeling in the upper abdomen can be extremely uncomfortable, but it's usually easy to treat with simple home remedies or over-the-counter medications. Indigestion, however, can also be a sign of a more serious condition, including Celiac or Crohn's disease. Warning signs include the symptoms of indigestion accompanied by:


vomiting, weight loss, or appetite loss
black tarry stools or blood in vomit
severe pain in the upper right abdomen
discomfort unrelated to eating
indigestion accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, or pain radiating to the jaw, neck, or arm
symptoms that persist for more than two weeks
If you think your symptoms are more than normal indigestion, please consult your doctor.



 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 05-12-2003
Thu, 09-15-2005 - 8:01pm

Rose, i also get acid reflux from anxiety along with a lot of ther signs of GI distress. it's really unpleasant and emberassing, but rest assured that it is related to your anxiousness. my only trick is that i carry medicine with me everywhere i go...i always have tums and pepto bismol in my purse to avoid any major emberassments :)


hope you feel better soon and that your new psych appts are going well and helping.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 09-15-2005 - 10:36pm

Thank you all very much...it was really helpful to hear everyone's thoughts. I think a stressful episode yesterday might have triggered some of this, since fortunately I haven't noticed the reflux being so bad until recently.

Today was not good either...I had no appetite all day and couldn't eat, though I just forced myself to have a little food because I felt lightheaded. I also saw that my throat looks pretty irritated and red, so I can see how that could lead to damage over time...I'm hoping it will get better soon.

I had an upper endoscopy 2 or 3 years ago, when they told me I had the hernia (but everything else was normal)...I haven't had one of those 24 hour acid tests, though. I do have a GI doctor (for my IBS), but it takes several months at least to get an appointment with him...I could see my general doctor sooner, though.

But I had similar symptoms several years ago (well, not the red, sore throat, but I did have pain with eating) and tried all sorts of meds, and none seemed to help...finally the worst of it went away on its own. So I'm not sure if it's worth seeing the doctor...I also already take at least 6 pills a day (almost all for depression, yikes!) and worry about adding more (and also having my doctor see me as more of a hypochondriac than I already am!).

I think I will try the Tums for at least short-term relief...I already carry around Pepto-Bismol with me too, but I should probably add something for heartburn (I know they've come out with some new OTC meds for heartburn that I could try).

Yikes, not sure I should have eaten...now my throat is really burning...I will get this checked out at the doctor's if it continues this bad, I think. Thanks for all the replies (Jan, I know I should know this already, but we haven't had our class on GI diseases yet, so I don't know a whole lot yet)...

Oh, and the psychologist appointments...I've only had 2 so far, and both times have been answering questions about my history (family, treatment in the past, etc)...I'm not yet quite sure what direction she's going to take or if it will be helpful...I hope so, though...I could really use some tips to help me deal with this anxiety.

(Sorry for the incredibly long post again!) :)

Rose




Edited 9/15/2005 11:19 pm ET ET by rosa444