Hi DiMarie,

I hadn't been on here for awhile. I don't know if you knew but Bill, my better half passed away on the 21st. I do ok until nights and then it's very hard. After 34 years of marriage it's as if half of me is gone. My depression is very bad but I am in councelling to get me through yet another bad time in my life.

I couldn't find my post on chest pain again but I had read what you wrote and then I wanted to answer it and talk to you more but as I said I couldn't find the thread.

I have trouble taking pills that are not coated so I make sure any med that I get is now. My Methadone wasn't but I noticed this last batch was. It has never bothered me though.

I got my Prevacid back by writing to believe it or not **** Chaney, Bush, and several other people in office but Chaney got it back for me. Even though I gave him my two cents on politics along with my asking for help. I believe in beng honest with anyone.

The insurance company is wanting me to get a EGD but I told them I didn't want to do it at this time due to other surgeries. I'm having one this Thursday and still have several to go so I have to take them in order of importance. My first one did show GERD and PUD but the second one showed nothing 4 years ago. I can go off of my Prevacid and within 3 days I'm in a mess. I have that left chest pain that no Dr. can explained. My Pharmacist said it is possible to have a ulcer in that area but the Drs. say no.

I got it calmed down until today and it's started again. I ate the wrong food and it got things going so I took an extra prevacid.

The Drs. can't find what's going on in that area so they fight me over medical care for it. Doesn't surprise me though, I have right side pain that they can't find reason for but it's there. I believe it's scar tissue from my gall bladder being removed.

Anyway, thanks for responding. I do wonder also about the TOS part because if I do too much it gets that left chest pain going also. I have asked how meds and physical problems can both cause the same chest pain.

Thanks again for the help.
Ada

I know this was addressed to Di Marie but I wanted toexpress my condolences and say how sorry I am that you lost your husband. Such a devestating loss! You said you had 34 years together... that is a very long time. How blessed you were to have "your other half" for that amount of time. It sounds like you had a wonderful marriage, describing him that way. I am hoping that in time my hubby and I will be able to say that about our marriage and our relationship.

I do not have a diagnosis of gerd, but hubby does and takes the prevacid; and I have a sensitivity to foods on occasion, but also experience chest pain as well as a burning and stabbing type pain that I think is from the vagas nerve.. I think that is the one Dr. Ellis said...? I also get the painful under arm and breast pain Di has described and a stabbing pain on occassion that I initially thought was a heart attack! ( and even went to the emg. room for )

I have found that these symptoms seem to arise for me when I am stressed, or have used my arms to much or streched out my brachial plexus (sometimes overdoing p.t.)

It sounds like you have had alot of stress in your life recently, what with loosing your husband, and I imagine that you have had to push yourself more and physically do more with all the things involved in funeral preperations and such.

I am glad that you are going to counseling and receiving support; loosing your spouse is one of the hardest transitions that life sends our way, and is a difficult journery at best. I would not want to do it with out help!

I am sure your TOS is being affected by all this. If you can, do your best to relax and take care of yourself. Try to pamper yourself and allow yourself time to rest, to grieve the loss of your husband, to heal emotionally, and to take care of yourself physically. Please reach out for support, you know you can find it here!! This has to be a very trying time for you, so let others know what it is you need to get through this time.

Please take care Ada, and may God Bless you and keep you,

G ~

Ada,

Our prayers are with you thru this rough time.

If I were there, I would give you a big hug! I know it will take time, but the days will get easier.

Peggy

Ada,
I am so sorry to hear of Bill's passing, you must feel so lost. What about family, are any nearby for you? I know as we are all gettting older on the forum we see our kids leave the nest, grandchildren come along and now the passing of our mates and friends. It is so sad as we age.
I can understand how the nights are worse and wish I knew something that could help.

Maybe if you use to have a cup of tea together, you still keep that tradition going and always keep Bill close.

You said you have another surgery coming up on Thursday. Will someone be with you? If you can see if a home health nurse could vist a few days for you.

I will looks for some links for yoou too about acid reflux.
I found the post about chest pain, but you seem to think a lot is gerd.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ght=chest+pain
The thing that pops to my mind is the 24 hour PH test, Bravo I think they call the new one, it is a probe they place in the stomach for 24 hours to read PH. But, that only tells you yes it is the gerd and not a heart problem (after rulling out heart problems).

But, that is locating the problem, not really treating it. Facing surgery, I would hope you could try treating it. Is there a way to continue on the Previcide now? De is using Ranadine I think it is called, a generic....

IF the medical plan will not cover, can you contact the makers of Previcide. Pick up samples too.
But, still think about the long term....if it is only a medication and not an a medical problem like the gall bladder, switching med's and brands may help. Especially to isolate it it is one of them, or which ones.

Many medications gave De a slow dump, when she was on Oxycotin and Methadone was the worse for her. Also, the medications, caused the gerd, she was down 80 lbs and the doctor still would not believe it was the methadone. He ran a clinic for the area addicts for the ehalth care system and thought he knew it all!
The duregesic patches being transdermal, not by mouth was the only was to resolve it. By switching doctors and getting the patches back avoided surgery and she was no longer mal-nurished. The blood work was very scary, so much reflux she ended up mal-nurished. They thought that blood producted was needed.

Previously, her date with the surgeon was being set for a gall bladder out and procedure for a hot dog wrap of the stomach for the gerd. By stopping both of those medications she is fine. She does like you say, if the medications are not coated have trouble.

They dissolve too soon in the digestive and really cause horrid gerd. Just by identfying the problem avoided the knife.She has to ask for brand for the w/c related medications and this avoids a lot of problems. When we were in Orlando they refilled generic soma and she had the heart burn start up, at home we had the brand and then she was fine.

Methadone is a decent pain mangement tool, generally very good, it is inexpensive and long, long half life. Suboxen is being used too....

For De the doctor did not monitor her blood work and she ended up in liver failure last year. She had a slow dump from the gall bladder, slowed from narcotic, the bile duct became blocked and inflamed, things back into or going into the liver next, and she was a yellow mess in the hospital for a week. Lost the chance for the Morphine pump at the time as it was the same day as test implant she was admitted.

So, I guess a lot with chest pain is making sure, is it the heart, is it the gall bladder, is it gerd, (both) or can it be a hyper intercoastal nerve going into the chest from the armpit. This is the pain that one thinks they are having a heart attack.
Also, if avoiding the medications that are causing the issue avoid another surgery or pill?

Ada, I just brain stormed some thoughts, I hope you do feel better pyshically wise, and send along some very huge cyber hugs for your loss.
Post as you can Ada, or email, when you feel up to it, I want to make sure you are OK.
Love
Di

Thank all of you for the good thoughts. I'm trying to get through the loss of Bill but it's very hard. I fight back tears a lot and bust out when people are talking to me.

I had my surgery yesterday. They took out scar tissue in my stomach and pelvic area.

DiMarie, I got my Prevacid back through my insurance company. I had written to **** Chaney and he helped me get it back. The company that makes it said I could also get it through them but I'm one that don't give up when it comes to fighting these people over my meds.

I try to figure out what causes that chest pain but I just can't. Right now it's calm but certain meds get it going. Devin was staining a gun stock the other day and that smell sat if off. Moving the wrong way sats it off. Certain foods sat it off. It's crazy. The Drs. can't figure out what is causing it and since it's in an area that they think it shouldn't be they don't know what to do for me and keep telling me that I can't have an ulcer here.

I do have my kids here DiMarie. Susan and her husband live about 7 miles from me. She is my caregiver so I see her at least 3 times a week. I have a lot of friends but no one can help a person go through this.

When I had surgery yesterday, one of my friends works in the operating room, she's a nurse. She also has RSD in her right foot. She came in to talk to me while I was waiting to have surgery. I had to fight back tears. I knew if I broke down they wouldn't do my surgery. She was telling me how she lost her dad two years ago and her Mom is just now getting better from it.

I'm by myself a lot. I have always delt with depression and panic attacks and suicidal tendencies so this is just an added plus to it. My family Dr. is helping me through it. He has always been there for me and Bill and he's sticking by me through this. He did the service along with the Undertaker at Bill's funeral. We couldn't get a minister due to the holidays so they both did it. They both knew Bill pretty well so it was a beautiful service. I have a lot of friends and adopted kids so I do have plenty of support but as I said I have to go through this alone.

Back to the chest pain. I know it's not anything to do with my heart. It's a sharp burning pain.

Ada

Going through so much mentally with your loss and daily stress is bad enough! Than having to go through with all the physical complications it would be no wonder not to have an ulcer and my thinking after reading all you wrote may be sitting on a forming hernia.... regardless of all have to say my thoughts do go with you !!!!

Ada,
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I think people would understand perfectly if you break down. While it's hard to deal with a loss at any time, it seems to be even harder during the holidays. It'll be 2 years the day after Christmas since I lost my Dad and it was 2 yrs. in July since I lost my grandmother and it's still very, very hard. As for your symptoms (and I didn't go back and reread what everybody said so this might've already been mentioned), could you have a hiatal (sp) hernia? I think it's also called a hiatus hernia.

Ada,
It is normal to start to cry, it is OK to cry. I think we have to cry to let up the hurt.

I am glad you got the prevecide that is a great relief.

I jarred my memory when the others talked of the hiatal hernia....I had forgotten, De has one, She is not at a point of surgery for it. IN fact, the medications that were causing the severe reflux and acid levels were taken out of her med's she has not had this as a horrid symptom as it had been.

I don't even have her bed elevated. She still has the hernia, but the methadone being such a antagonzing factor has been removed. In her case she can have the hernia, but if the acid levels are dangerous, and reflux higher, the pain is so much worse.
I am thinking of you today and sending a hug,
Di

Thanks for the help on the chest pain. The surgeon that did my surgery has asked me if have had a hernia. It's funny that you guys think the same. After reading up on them it does talk about causing chest pain. I just never thought along those lines.

It will be something I take up with my PCP here soon. I am so tired of dealing with so many issues. I got up last night and took another prevacid. I had it going pretty good last night. I tend to eat at night and the website says not to do that. I don't each much but sometimes it doesn't take much to get it going. I did use my pillow and Bill's last night to keep my head up higher. I finally got to sleep last night about 3 and slept until 8. I didn't get my boys last night. One wanted to go see a game of a friend and then they both had a birthday party to attend today. Susan is bringing them over today around 1. They are getting busier as they get older so I would say I will see them even less as time goes on. I'm ok with it though. I know as they become older they want to hang with friends.

Thanks again for the help. You guys might just have found my cause.
Ada

My ear,nose, and throat dr. and the gastroenterologist both told me not to eat right before bed and they also told me that certain foods- such as chocolate, and peppermint- were bad if you had acid reflux. I'm on Prevacid too because the EN & T dr. thinks that the acid reflux contributed to the problems with my vocal cords and my hoarseness. He has me take it twice a day.