# GERD? Reflux? Heartburn?



## Hairy_Dog (Mar 11, 2008)

I have been taking Nexium 20mg for about 6 months. Prior to this, my doctor prescribed me a course of 40mg Nexium after which she started me on the 20mg.The 20mg are no longer working and I have to take at least two a day to stop the nausea and pain. I will be going back to my doctor in three weeks to talk to her about this.The thing is I don't actually know what I’m taking the nexium for - I know I’ve got either a stomach ulcer, GERD or just reflux but I don't know which it is. my doctor wasn't able to give me a definitive answer.I get the following symptoms:-nausea in the morning. relieved by having a couple of dry retches or by eating. I don't actually be sick, I just retch a couple of times and this seems to jiggle my tummy and makes me feel better.-awoken by gnawing empty feeling in the morning. pain relieved by eating or drinking a couple of glasses of water-pain when I haven’t eaten for more than 4 hours.-heartburn after I eat bread or starchy products-feeling of fullness just below my breastboneOther symptoms that may or may not be related are:-constant dripping feeling at the back of my nose/throat, like there is some phlegm or something that needs to be swallowed, except it isn't relived by swallowing-sometimes I choke on drink or even when I’m just swallowing. Always followed by a huge coughing fit.-intermittent sinus flair upsI’ve explained to my doctor but she hasn't been able to give me a definitive answer.anyone here able to shed some light onto what I exactly have? -j


----------



## MyOwnSavior (Dec 21, 2006)

mmm... wish I could give a definitive answer. Unfortunately the best I can do is guess what you have ... first, I'm assuming you've had some kind of medical test done to give your doctor a reason to put you on Nexium? I can't imagine your doctor would have just thrown you on it without first doing either a barium swallow or EGD (or whatever other tests they have out there to rule out acid reflux). You say that you know you have either a stomach ulcer or GERD, but how are you sure it's one of only those two options?The best I can say is that I was diagnosed as having acid reflux and I do indeed have many of the same symptoms as you have. The only symptom of yours that I don't have is the intermittent sinus flair ups - I'm not sure I've ever heard that kind of problem associated with GERD in any way. Still, it does sound like you have a classic case of GERD - I doubt these symptoms would be just heartburn seeing as how you have had to be on the Nexium for so long (which means, of course, that your symptoms have been going on for at least 6 months if not longer). As for a stomach ulcer; I'm really not sure. I think, again, that an EGD would need to be performed in order to rule out the possibility of you having anything of that nature...Hope this helps at least a little...


----------

