jdvert

Damn where do I start. The whole 2016 I was having weird symtoms in my body. Rapid heart beat, dizziness, weird pains in stomach. Alot of this stuff caused me to have panic attacks went to the ER 4 to 5 times had 5 ekg all clear. Blood work clear except blood platelets count went down to 104 but has risen to 110 in 2 weeks.

I went to a DR in November after my 3rd ER visit and she did another ekg and blood work was all good except low platelets.

The Dr gave me anxiety meds klonopin and suggested I see a gastrologist because of other syptoms burping, trapped gas, indigestion. etc

So just this last week at work was having horrible pains in my chest and sternum back to the ER the ER DR did another ekg and again clear he said I had gastritis or maybe hiatal hernia.and it was causing my anxiety or vice versa.

So yesterday was my appointment with gastro Dr she was very through. She even asked me my alcohol useage. I told her I only drink on the weekends but I drink about 20 to thirty drinks on Friday and Saturday night.I have been doing it this way for atleast 10 years or more.

She thinks that my alcohol consumption is excessive. I had an endoscopy today and was diagnosed with a 2cm hiatal hernia, gastritis and esphogitus. The gastro DR who preformed the endoscopy rated it a 5 on a 1 to 10 scale. He isn't my regular gastro Dr but went over results briefly. My reglar gastro Dr going to explain more in later appt.

So to close this up. This has been a long road for me and would appreciate any experiences you have or knowlege
about this. Is what Im drinking enough to cause this?How long till this **** goes away?What am I going to do cant go out and drink no more.**** is a real SOB and wearing me down..tought about doing myself in a couple times..Hope this ends..

Ariesagain

I can't tell from your post, did you tell her that you drink 20-30 drinks in a day? You do need to be honest with her about how much you really drink, because otherwise they're going to put you on all kinds of GERD drugs that will mess up your digestion for real. They will also continue looking for other causes of your problems, which means more tests and expense.

Twenty to thirty drinks in a sitting twice a week times ten years is definitely a probable cause of all your stomach problems and quite possibly your heart arrhythmia as well. It also puts you at much higher risk of esophageal cancer, among other scary things. Alcohol and binge drinking (more than five drinks in an episode) are also known for causing anxiety.

You would probably be amazed at how much better you feel sober...I have been sober for over a year and all of my disgestive problems have disappeared. It sounds impossible...but it can be done. This board is a great place for the info and support you can use to get sober and save your health.

BrendaChenowyth

Yes, drinking is generally the cause of gastritis, and if you want to heal you have to lay off.

The cells lining the upper GI tract regenerate quickly. If you take things like nexium and prilosec to decrease the amount of acid your stomach makes and you take it easy on acidic foods and drinks, if you completely avoid alcohol, and try not to lie down after eating because that causes acid to come up, then you should find your symptoms subsiding. Do not smoke either. You increase your risk of esophageal cancer.

BrendaChenowyth

I was diagnosed with it, too. It was nice to be able to eat and sleep without pain after I quit drinking.

Ariesagain

Your doctor told you not to combine klonopin and alcohol, right? Because benzodiazepines and alcohol are one deadly combination.

August252015

We cannot give medical advice here so we can't tell you things like how long the conditions will last, etc.

I can tell you that my alcohol abuse was directly related to all kinds of gastric problems, the beginnings of GERD, inability to swallow much (esp pills, and lots of different foods had to be in very small bites), almost reflexive throwing up (beyond just gagging) even when drinking small amounts of any fluid (especially until things "loosened up" throat wise once I had some alcohol in me, perversely continuing the cycle).

Quitting is the only way my body healed. It has healed- everything from platelet counts to iron levels to a healthy liver and more....and I was a very sick girl 324 days ago.

Be honest with your doctors. Get all the assessments you need and know what you are facing. I would quit drinking, and see what I need to do to get as healthy as I can, and do it.

Good luck.

BrendaChenowyth

Oh yeah did that, too. Don't do that.

jdvert

I only drink on Friday and Saturday nights. I usually only have 25 to 30 drinks in two nights. So tired of the panic attacks anxiety going crazy. Start to have so many panic attacks afraid for my heart. Now this gastritis stuffs seems like I cant make it Im trying so hard and am scared.

site1Q84

Glad you made your way here and decided to share with us!

Definitely go with what the doctor tells you - but I absolutely had gastric symptoms due to my drinking, and I was about the same level drinker as you. Maybe even a little less.

If you're feeling suicidal please call a help line immediately 1-800-273-8255
Many of us have been there and had these exact same feelings but came out the other side because we reached out for help. It can get better! the first few weeks of quitting are rough - emotions and everywhere and your body and mind has lots of healing to do. it's worth it though! I promise!

BrendaChenowyth

Heavy drinking is still the thing that's causing the gastritis. We learned it in nursing school, the patient with gastritis who tells you they don't drink alcohol is lying to you. That's the cause.

I'm just saying, you seem to want to say you don't know if it's the cause because you ONLY have... I mean that is A LOT of alcohol. It is causing damage.

Dee74

Hi jdvert

As others have said none of us are doctors but -= sounds like your DR has a clue tho

What I can tell you is decades worth of gastric issues cleared up when I got sober

D

Delilah1

I'm glad you found SR, and also that you are working with your doctor. Whether the Dori king is the cause of your stomach problems or not, I can promise your your health will be better without alcohol.

Forward12

Alcohol wreakes havoc on every part of the body. You may want to start seeing a therapist for your anxiety issues, and of course get off the booze as it clearly isn't doing any good.

August252015

And that is an insanely high amount of alcohol. As far as whether or not someone is an alcoholic, quantity, timing, frequency, type - none of that matters.

Physically, your body (none of our bodies) benefit from this much alcohol. Plenty of us have done that kind of drinking- or even daily in those quantities or nearly- you'll hear every version under the sun about what an alcoholic's consumption was. And it simply has terrible effects on us.

Many of us can relate to the "I'm trying so hard" thing.....but the truth for most of us is that eventually trying had to become simply doing (note: I didn't say easily, but simply), and stopping to drink entirely. Only then did we begin to heal in body, mind and spirit and become able to deal with any/all of our issues and ailments.

Good luck. I hope you can stop and get well.

zjw

i dunno i had some sort of a lump / feeling in my esophugus i thought for sure it was cancer from dirnking or smoking or both. It also seemed to trigger my anxiety and panic and vice versa. When i quit it did not go away either. i was pretty scared and yeah too scared to even go to a doc. I thoguth if its cancer id ont even wanna know i'd rather just drop dead of some mystery illness. about 6 or 7 months later after i had quit it went away all on its own and I dont have any issues anymore.

I'm sure regardless of what you think that drinking isnt helping matters by any means.

Hawkeye13

My spouse had all of the symptoms you describe and more--he couldn't eat bread, dairy, or pretty anything that he liked without bloating, pain, trouble breathing, etc. and his gut hurt all the time. He was constipated or the opposite--stuck in the bathroom

He also had anxiety, insomnia (for years and years) and was existing more than living.

He quit drinking exactly two months ago today, and I cannot believe it, but all
of the symptoms described above have resolved.

He sleeps like a rock, digestive issues totally clear so we have been eating long-denied treats like homemade pizza, ice cream, and pie.

His anxiety has also pretty much gone away entirely, and he is more upbeat with greater energy and drive than I have seen in years.

He said to me a few weeks ago that had he known so many of the reasons he drank were caused by the drink itself, he would have stopped years ago.

Your mileage may vary, but I also had dramatic improvement in the above areas, particularly digestive, anxiety, and sleep.

You couldn't pay me to drink and feel that sick again--it was horrible.

I hope you choose to stop and let your body heal.
It truly is life-changing jdvert

zjw

you can say that again. I felt like trash both mentally and physically and just assumed the rest of the world felt that way too. All along it was the drinking.

now i'm at the opposite end of the spectrum and i see others complain of this and compolain of that and I think if only I could give them some of what i got *sigh*.

olow

Just a warning on PPI drugs. I had bleeding ulcers 3 years ago (1 Aleve a day for 3 years did me in). I have chronic GERD and gastritis from all of that mess. They stuck me on Nexium and then Prevacid when the Nexium was giving me intestinal side effects. Then gradually I began to not be able to eat again and the GERD/gastritis got so much worse. It took me a couple of months this past summer to self-wean off of the Prevacid that they rx'd me for those 3 years. They do not tell you how dangerous long-term use of these drugs are.
I don't know if I will ever be the same again as I was pre-ulcers.

doggonecarl

You are still drinking. So not drinking seems like the end of the world.

I drank daily for 35 years. Since getting sober I haven't had a drink in almost 6 1/2 years. I'm here to tell you, sobriety is not the end of the world.

Continued health problems, should you continue to drink, THAT could be a lot worse than whatever it is about sobriety that you fear.

Vivien

Quit the booze and start paying attention to what you're eating and how it effects your reflux and such.

I had terrible reflux/indigestion/difficulty breathing/etc and figuring out my diet got rid of all of that. If I'm naughty I will get the symptoms back. Nightshades and onions/garlic are often the biggest culprits so start there first.

Best of luck. It is a miserable way to live, I often thought I was having a heart attack!!!!!!