# Gerd and shortness of breath



## 17715

I have been having this horrible shortness of breath on and off for a year now. It started when I vomitted after a hang over. It was profuse vomitting. Really bad. I havent had a drink since. Anyway, the next morning i had this horrible shortness of breath. Really bad for this first month. It has gotten progressively better, but not much. I have seen allergists and pulmonologists. All found nothing. I went to see a GI doctor and he saw gastritis in my stomach from the endoscope. It was pretty bad. He described it as erosive. He put me on prilosec and zantac for 7 weeks. The next time he did and endoscopy the gastritis had healed, but still have the shortness of breath at times. It will come for a week then leave for a week. I exploained this to him, but he did not seem concerned. I have tried inhalers and allergy medication with no help. I wonder if the vomitting caused a hiatal hernia. Which is causing reflux to irritate my lungs. I have read of reflux giving shortness of breath. Has anyone experienced this. It is really horrible and any help would be appreciated. I have also seen a cardiologist and all was fine there.


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## MyOwnSavior

Hi there,I don't think my symptoms are as bad as yours, but I have experienced similiar things. First, I have GERD, and am on Nexium for it. Have been for over a year now. But, unfortunately there still are times when I will feel like I'm really exhausted (short of breath, heart pounding so much it seems like it's coming up into my throat after doing only a little task, etc.). I guess I would have to ask; how often does this shortness of breath occur? It sounds as though you are very concerned about it, and so I'm assuming it's quite often. You said it comes for a week, and then goes. So you are short of breath all the time during that week? Or it comes and goes for a week, and then goes away completely for a while?I'm not sure about the hernia thing, but after doing a quick search (thanks to google) I found the following information from the following website (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/#2) which may be of some help to you..."What are the symptoms of GERD?The main symptom of GERD in adults is frequent heartburn, also called acid indigestion-burning-type pain in the lower part of the mid-chest, behind the breast bone, and in the mid-abdomen. Most children under 12 years with GERD, and some adults, have GERD without heartburn. Instead, they may experience a dry cough, *asthma symptoms*, or trouble swallowing."When your doctor did the endoscopy, did he say anything about the possibility that you might have GERD? I'm only mentioning this because I am familiar with the symptoms of reflux disease, given that I, again, have it myself...


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## Rowe2

I'm going this month to have an endoscopic exam for this very reason. I've also been checked out for everything else...The shortness of breath comes and goes, but I have noticed it seems worse when my stomach feels ful. It really tires me out, too.Good luck with yours.


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## MyOwnSavior

Rowe2 said:


> I'm going this month to have an endoscopic exam for this very reason. I've also been checked out for everything else...The shortness of breath comes and goes, but I have noticed it seems worse when my stomach feels ful. It really tires me out, too.Good luck with yours.


Yeah, it would make sense to be checked out for GERD, then. From what I have gathered, when food is in the stomach that's when the most acid is (obviously) going to be present to help break all the food down. And so if you have a lot of food in your stomach, you get more acid, which equates to more reflux symptoms. Which would explain why you get those symptoms when your stomach feels full...


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## Chris7777

OMG!...I know exactly how you feel....Ever since I got really sick, and was throwing up, I have had GERD, and shortness of breath and dizziness...it's irritating that it took the doctor's so long to figure out. Did you figure out anything to help?


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## lillben

I've been diagnosed with IBS last year.I actually have this problem for about 10 years now,but it has gotten worse in the last couple of months.My symptoms are


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## lillben

...continu.Bloatedness, dull pain in upper stomach.constipation.even sleep apnea.when i am blocked,I have to gasp for air .I even get panic attacks as a result of all this .its really a vicious cycle.and it gets worse every time. I give up.


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## overitnow

lillben said:


> ...continu.Bloatedness, dull pain in upper stomach.constipation.even sleep apnea.when i am blocked,I have to gasp for air .I even get panic attacks as a result of all this .its really a vicious cycle.and it gets worse every time. I give up.


I had 10 years of D along with GERD and a lifetime of apnea. I have used a couple of supplements since 1998 to stop the GI problems and the complete exhaustion that the IBS and apnea brought. I added a CPAP machine a year later to address the apnea. All of this has been a godsend. See your doctor to get a sleep study done. Apnea is not something to give up on.Good luck.Mark


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## estherdani

Hi, I have had the same syptoms. I went to numerous doctors ekg, heart and lung cat scans, etc..everything came back perfect. However I still felt like i couldnt breathe and had chest pains (feeling of having a heart attack). I had shortness of breath that didnt go away. My GI docotor told me it was all in my head, my pulmonary doctor said "go on a vacation". I finally found a good GI guy and got an endoscopy. I had GERD..gastritis and damaged esophagus from the acid. I also found a great pulmonologist. He explained to me why GERD causes shortness of breath. Basically as the acid aspirates or spews into your esophogus and trachea, the fumes from the acid is breathed into your lungs causing slight or microscopic swelling which cannot be seen by standard tests!!! I was put on nexium 40 milligrams twice a day which stopped the pain in my chest and stomach after 3 weeks. However I still had shortness of breath. The new pulmonologist told me to go to the local store and buy Gaviscon. I bought the tablets and was on nexium twice a day, donatal (helps with esophagal spasms- when acid is spewing into it,it causes chest pain and tightness) and GAVISCON two to four tablets (chewable not liquid) after i eat so about 4 times a day. It's the ONLY medication out there that has the power to coat your esophagus. Miraculously,with this cocktail which together calms the spasms, coats the esphopagus, and acts as an antacid, after 3 days the shortness of breath subsided!!!! Before these medications i was yawning and laboring to bring up my diaphram toget a satisfied breath for months til i discovered GAVISCON! i'm telling you it WORKS! I have stayed in bed,changed my diet to less acid food, given up soda and coffee, taken all the meds and feel so much better! If your shortness of breath is gerd related and you feel like you cant breath, take comfort in knowing after your oxygen levels show fine, know that you are getting enough air in and arent dying!! I was SO scared but knew that the laboured breathing was giving my body what it needed. It was just a matter of time and patience! I really hope this helps, any questions I will happily answer.


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## gerdantua

Estherdanii hope u still wander in and out of the forumsi just joined this sight-i have had GERD for about 6-7 years -on a cpap -just lately had allot of acid and asthma like symptoms (breathlessness) -am still having breathless issues-beinig treated for asthma (ADVAIR AND SINGULAIR)- however have had the spirometer test with and without abouterol and no change-so they think perhapsGERD creating asthma like symptoms- so i am following your suggestion with nexium twice a day and gaviscon- havent given up coffee yet though-anyway thank you for the advice- i am going in for a GI on wednesday may 12th in hopes of them finding something -as the lack of breath is an eerie feelingthey believe that the GERD may being pushed into my lungs via the cpap -NICE cant breathe with it or without itThanks againD


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## TabulaRasa

This sounds alot like my symptoms. I have been diagnosed with IBS in my teens, but the last few years I have been having episodes of gastritis of something like that, 2 times I had to stay home because I was in pain and couldn´t really eat. But about 1 year ago, I felt pretty good, but I got an Panic attack and thought it was my heart. So I went to the doctor and did alot of tests, all came back fine, also did most of the heart tests you could make, all came back good. Under these months of tests I was really under alot of anxiety and even though I know my heart is fine, shortness of breath and dizziness and odd stomach aches remain. Constipation at times, and episodes of left side stomach ache, burping up food, and some shoulder blade pain. At first I thought they missed something with my heart, but they reassure that I am fine, and all those test would come back bad if something was wrong. So now I am convinced it´s my stomach. Reading about these symptoms you guys talk about it sounds just like my issues. I have done alot of bloodtests and heart tests but never did the doctors mention anything about it being something with my stomach.By the way new here, and was amazed to find this site by a search engine. And wow I have searched for these symptoms


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## ajscarp

Jamie197729 said:


> I have been having this horrible shortness of breath on and off for a year now. It started when I vomitted after a hang over. It was profuse vomitting. Really bad. I havent had a drink since. Anyway, the next morning i had this horrible shortness of breath. Really bad for this first month. It has gotten progressively better, but not much. I have seen allergists and pulmonologists. All found nothing. I went to see a GI doctor and he saw gastritis in my stomach from the endoscope. It was pretty bad. He described it as erosive. He put me on prilosec and zantac for 7 weeks. The next time he did and endoscopy the gastritis had healed, but still have the shortness of breath at times. It will come for a week then leave for a week. I exploained this to him, but he did not seem concerned. I have tried inhalers and allergy medication with no help. I wonder if the vomitting caused a hiatal hernia. Which is causing reflux to irritate my lungs. I have read of reflux giving shortness of breath. Has anyone experienced this. It is really horrible and any help would be appreciated. I have also seen a cardiologist and all was fine there.


I am a 24 year old man who is in great physical shape. 5' 11 I weigh 165, after being hungover and throwing up violently I thought I hurt myself, but I was fine until 2 days afterward when I had this constant inability to take a deep breath, Although I have asthma my medicines do not help this at all. Been to dozens of doctors, went to a cardiologist- I have skipped beats when I underwent my stress test, but my heart is fine, I went to a gastroenterologist had an endoscopy and I was diagnosed with gastritis and erosions no hiatal hernia detected. It has been a month now with this and it is killing me. I cant do physical activity, doing anything is tough. I have a hard time breathing through my nose because of a deviated septum and it's hard to relax when I do get stressed about the breathing.My inability to take a deep breath occurs from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep, it stays constant regardless of body position and eating food. I would like some answers and any advice would be amazingDID You EVER find out what your problem was? are you still alive and struggling with it? Are you better?-A.J.


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## jadjac

I get shortness of breath as well - after a panic attack over it three years ago, I went to the dr. and she tested everything and the only thing that came back abnormal was that my vitamin D levels were dangerously low. I was taking huge doses of vitamin D for a few months after that to make up for it, then I eventually stopped taking them. I am usually okay for awhile after I stop, but the shortness of breath always returns - usually right around May of every year. All I can figure is that my vitamin D stores are depleted by the end of the winter. I start taking vitamin D again and usually return to normal ability to breathe shortly after, as long as I am also staying well-hydrated. Just another idea of something to try.


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