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The Ask A Doctor message board provided a medium for sufferers of Heartburn and Gerd to ask questions about medical and surgical options for heartburn and receive answers directly from experienced Gastroesophageal surgeons.
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From: Trevor
Date: 11/02/00
Time: 10:38:40
Thanks very much for this forum; it is a great resource! I've read many posts but still am unsure if what I am feeling is GERD. Can someone help?
I am 28 Years old, white non-smoker, 5'11" ~175 lb, work out ~3 times a week (heavy weightlifting, 45 minutes cardio) with moderate frequency.
This past May, I experienced a sharp pain in my RIGHT upper chest (~1" above nipple, ~2" right of center of ribcage) when drinking coffee. This sort of pain has continued nearly every day since then in various forms. Here's some more specifics:
Pain is always on right side. Pain shifts in position from above-mentioned location to area slightly above collarbone and also often to back (slightly lower than shoulder blade). The pain seems to be worse when I am in mid-breath ONLY or when I move my head/shoulders in certain positions (e.g., twist head back and over left shoulder). Sometimes it's a sharp pain that almost immediately goes away (mid-breath) and other times it's a dull ache in the above areas. Duration can be anywhere from instant to 3-5 hours. It most often seems to be linked to my position or movement.
I do NOT generally get this pain after a large meal or at night. It seems that standing up & walking after a long time of sitting can trigger it. I've gotten a few 'lumps in my throat' but never vomited from it. The pain is not very severe, more like a nuisance. I've also heard/felt several pops & cracks from the right-side of my ribs while stretching, but not from the left. Probing the ribs does not appear to reveal any sore spots. I continue to get stronger in the gym and my endurance is up, too.
So, what does this sound like? I wonder if my mind is somehow perpetuating this (it initially started during the most stressful time of my life) and I notice that it flares up when I am stressed but very rarely bothers me when I am engrossed in something. It seems like my stomach burns when I think it might be GERD!! My Doc gave me some Prilosec (20mg) that I take once a day but I don't think it's doing too much of anything. Same for Gavison & tums (seem to create the lump in the throat).
Thanks for your time! -Trevor