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GERD or cancer

Jennyss2159

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About 40 days ago I noticed I was burping more than usual.. Slowly I started having some trouble swallowing and would sometimes feel pain in my esophagus when I was eating which sometimes caused me to skip meals.. That has since subsided and now I feel extrnen tightness in my sternum and when I open my chest it feels like my muscles in my sternum are tearing I also notice that whenever I finish eating or drinking anything I start to have pain in the middle of my chest but it doesn't feel like burning. I did have labs done about 20 days ago and a chest xray which came back fine but I can't help but to think I have cancer. I'm freaking out. I dread going to the Dr and the telling me that I only have 12 months to live.. Or worse. In the meantime I have been taking omeprazole and pepto which I do feel like helps but I don't know if that's in my head or not. I have been working on my anxiety and applying the "acceptance method" to my anxiety attacks but sometimes I just can't win. Anyone else experience something similar? I hate this so much
 

MATD

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The method is not just for anxiety attacks. It is a method to apply to all the anxious thoughts and feelings. It takes quite a few rereads before we get the gist of how to apply the method. In other words, it takes rereading over and over so we can understand. Anxiety is why we don’t comprehend easily. I was no different, and I still go back and reread for clarity. Your gastro problems sound reasonably normal, especially with the anxiety which makes it worse. I had similar problems and also discovered I have a small hiatal hernia contributing to my gastro issues. I take pantoprazole which eliminates the painful eating, indigestion, gas, and heartburn. Another issue is with our muscles being so darn tense. Which is probably why you feel what you do in your chest. My muscles were so tense, I couldn’t breathe into my lower lungs at all for years. As you progress with the method, these symptoms will gradually fade. But it takes time and practice, patience and persistence. As we continue in the practice, we begin to build patience and persistence. Things start to get a little better, slowly. Remember, we didn’t get this way overnight, it takes time to heal too.
 
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Jennyss2159

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The method is not just for anxiety attacks. It is a method to apply to all the anxious thoughts and feelings. It takes quite a few rereads before we get the gist of how to apply the method. In other words, it takes rereading over and over so we can understand. Anxiety is why we don’t comprehend easily. I was no different, and I still go back and reread for clarity. Your gastro problems sound reasonably normal, especially with the anxiety which makes it worse. I had similar problems and also discovered I have a small hiatal hernia contributing to my gastro issues. I take pantoprazole which eliminates the painful eating, indigestion, gas, and heartburn.

Yes I'm slowly realizing that I will need to dedicate more time into the acceptance method but I am hopeful that it will be effective once I fully understand how to apply it.. How was your hernia diagnosed?
 

MATD

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Yes I'm slowly realizing that I will need to dedicate more time into the acceptance method but I am hopeful that it will be effective once I fully understand how to apply it.. How was your hernia diagnosed?
Endoscope. Ask your doc about the pantoprazole. It was like taking a magic pill for my gastro issues. Once they were under control, I realized how much the symptoms had contributed to my anxiety. It freed me from focusing on the symptoms and stopped the anxiety loop from them.
 

Jennyss2159

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Endoscope. Ask your doc about the pantoprazole. It was like taking a magic pill for my gastro issues. Once they were under control, I realized how much the symptoms had contributed to my anxiety. It freed me from focusing on the symptoms and stopped the anxiety loop from them.
Wow! Thank you. I'm going to make an appointment with my pcp. The rational part of my brain is telling me that I'm not dying and that the symptoms seem in line for Gerd or a gastrointestinal issue that is not life threatening but due to the severe side effects that are fairly recent I can't help but to be fearful of the worst.
 

MATD

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I just looked up omeprazole, which is similar to what I take. I’d still ask the doc about it. I hope you take your med as directed, which is every day. If I miss a dose, I can really tell the difference. Also, I’d be glad to discuss the method with you to help you understand. Two heads are better than one
 

Jennyss2159

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I just looked up omeprazole, which is similar to what I take. I’d still ask the doc about it. I hope you take your med as directed, which is every day. If I miss a dose, I can really tell the difference. Also, I’d be glad to discuss the method with you to help you understand. Two heads are better than one
I actually just started taking the omeprazole a couple days ago bc that's when I noticed the pain being persistent..bedore this I was just taking gaviscon as needed. I never thought to make sure I take the omeprazole everyday. Thanks for that bit of info, it makes so much sense. I will definitely take you up on that offer to discuss the method. I really feel like I missed something when reading the book. I felt really good when reading it and was excited to try the method with hopes of setting myself free but I've tried to apply it the last couple times I've had anxiety and haven't felt great about it.
 

MATD

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I actually just started taking the omeprazole a couple days ago bc that's when I noticed the pain being persistent..bedore this I was just taking gaviscon as needed. I never thought to make sure I take the omeprazole everyday. Thanks for that bit of info, it makes so much sense. I will definitely take you up on that offer to discuss the method. I really feel like I missed something when reading the book. I felt really good when reading it and was excited to try the method with hopes of setting myself free but I've tried to apply it the last couple times I've had anxiety and haven't felt great about it.
The method is just like the medicine, every day regardless of how we feel. I take mine at night, every night. I practice the method every day, as much as I possibly can, regardless of how I feel, good or bad. It’s the practice that makes the difference. It needs to be done every day to make it automatic, or simply put, a habit.
 
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