There is a definite connection between GERD and anxiety, and are numerous discussions about which came first (anxiety causes GERD or vice-versa). All I know is, I had noticed heartburn worse than ever, then one day while playing golf I get this tight feeling and flutters in my chest and I was off to the ER (the first of 6 times). DOZENS of medical tests and almost 5 years later NOTHING wrong with me, (EXECPT gerd) although those of us with anxiety/panic know that it is almost impossible to tell yourself that nothing is wrong during a PA. I do know one thing, If i go 3 or 4 days without my nexium, I know that I have GERD. If you have GERD symptoms, check out www.heartburn-help.com and their message board. Lots of people with anxiety and heartburn-related stuff. Eric

angel, Gerd- means Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Hope this helps, Josie ______________________________ The Panic Center Support Team.

um, what does gerd mean? don't mean to soung like a dummy but, i've never heard that before angel-eyes

Eric i agree,drinking was my safe haven,but we both know,we cant drink..first of all i got gerd..second of all anxiety gets worse from that...im going to hang in there,i just wish i could past the med side effects..i have prescrpition to lexapro 10 mg,he said there is no starting 5 mg?i dunno about that i thought you could start at 5 mg..anyways i will start that after my daughters birthday part i dont want side effects bothering me..thank you all for caring..lets survive panic friends GOD BLESS YOU ALL..

Outlaw, I cant believe how similar our stories are. My first PA came when I started developing heartburn. The chest pains and flip-flop feeling had me convinced that I had a heart problem. I started drinking heavily to numb the pain, I would fight through the workday, then drink until I passed out, every night. The panic got worse when my girlfriend (now wife) got pregnant and had our first daughter, then went full-blown out of control when she got pregnant with our second girl. I stopped drinking on November 6, 2003, after an all day binge led to a MAJOR panic attack the next morning. My BP was 190/110, pulse 120-160, I really thought I was dying. All tests, (EKG, Nuclear Heart Scan, Chest X-ray, Abdominal ultrasound, treadmill stress test) negative. Zoloft and xanax have been my friend, although I unsuccessfully tried to get off of zoloft in December. Every day is still a battle, if it werent for my wife, I probably would have drank myself to death by now, although I am only 36, I have had 3 years of hell dealing with this. The only things that bring me true happiness are my two beautiful girls and my wonderful wife. Keep the faith, Outlaw. Eric

About the xanax question Angel i just stuck with it,because i knew one day i would have to get off it,its just a shortterm cure.So i always stuck at this dose,and i was afraid to take anyhthing because when i do,the side effects were terrible,and i was a steelworker union guy,right now im in a layoff mode..so i want to give this lexapro a fair shot..Angel thank you so much for your post,i know its got to be hard with kid's to,i got girl's,and im happy you said a prayer for us..i should seek the truth from God,and take medicine until i am the man i was..i truly have lost intrest in so much,but at least people like us,share are stories not only did you make me feel better Angel,but maybe you helped someone else..i'm afraid of life right now,like you i think i always had anxiety,i was always a bit of anxiety person,but i was a rebel with thick skin..now i feel weak..May God bless you,and your kids,and people keep the replies coming..

hi, I'm new to this site but not to panic attacks. i have been suffering ever since i was 8 only in my teens and adulthood did it turn in to full blown panic/anxiety diorder. not only that i was only told about my disorder 3 years ago and suffered needlessly for years. when i was working 2 jobs, with 2 kids(now 3) and in a different town than my extended family i finaly had enough of the physical symptoms (i thought i had an ulser, was bulimic, heart skipping beats and had insomnia)i spent more time in the bathrooms thinking i had the stomach flu than i worked so a dr put me on paxil. which worked but made me a little to happy all the time. so went off cold turkey after 3months of feeling good, really bad idea! the withdrawls were horrible and i thought i was going to die. i was fine for a year and half with only one panic attack when i went to get my hair cut. then i had my 3rd child at 24 and all hell broke lose. it was more the things going on in my mind that bothered me then the actually panic attacks i thought i was going crazy. i never had depersonalization before and was so scared i spent my first month with baby locked in my room and everyone thought i had postpartum depression, ya right. so i went back on paxil but it didn't work this time and still had break through anxiety and feelings that the world around just wasn't right it only last as couple of minutes but it was enough to scare the **** out of me. now i'm on xanax which is holding off the anxiety and panic attacks my only problem was the side effects and the withdrawls from paxil were hell. it's been a month and half and at 6mg of xanax i'am finally just starting to do the things i love and can do them without feeling like at any moment i'm going to die or that i should clean something to take my mind off the evil thoughts in my head. i'm sorry for the long post but, i want you to know your not alone and a lot of the things you said sound so familiar it's scary. my question to you is why did you stay at such a low dose for so long and it wasn't working.why didn't you tell your dr it wasn't working? actually never mind that lets think future, this is just my personal option but, what is your dr talking about? does he know what he's talking about? i think you need to find a med that works for

activating my fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) response which can contribute to heart failure. So now I am checking for swelling throughout my body and all other signs and symptoms- it's horrible!! I am only 27, but I can't seem to relax and just live. I WORRY TO MUCH TO,BUT FROM I READ,AND DRS IT CANNOT LEAD TO HEART FAILURE MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE COULD HELP ON THIS..

Hi Outlaw and everyone else, I used to come to this board all the time when I was severely agoraphobic and it helped me a lot through my worst times. Unfortuntely, major life stressors have interfered again and I am panicky, obsessive and I think maybe depressed once again. My symptoms have changed throughout the years. I have thought I've had almost every disease out there: all cancers, heart disease, Als, MS, mad cow, schitzophrenia, etc, etc. My hypochondria does not seem to end. Right now, my symptoms are all surrounding my heart. I feel my heart constantly- at night, it beats so heavily all over my body and I am scared to sleep. I just had a holter (no results yet) and on tuesday I will have an echo. I had all these tests done last year and they found no real problems with my heart. What makes all this worse is that I'm a nursing student. I left school last year when my panic became unbearable and I went back this passed september. I love nursing but learning about all these symptoms only gives me more fuel for the hypochondria. I am convinced I have heart failure now because I am constantly activating my fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) response which can contribute to heart failure. So now I am checking for swelling throughout my body and all other signs and symptoms- it's horrible!! I am only 27, but I can't seem to relax and just live. I have felt like I was losing my mind- over a year ago, my main focus was my mind and my thoughts. I felt like I came from another planet and was so scared to be in my own skin! I thought I may not recognize people I knew anymore and people seemed to look foreign to me somehow. From all the reading I've done on panic disrder, this seems to be depersonalization/derealization which for me has been the very worst part of this illness. Much as I hate being obsessed with my heart, being obsessed about if the world is real or not is far worse!! Luckily I do not have those symptoms anymore. I actually feel like if I could ignore my heart I would only have mild anxiety now. ANyways, sorry for the long post. Take care all , Sarah

bygrace:and the board here... ive read your posts in a way you inspire me hear,and make panic center fun to visit..Ok on the note of what i think is wrong is panic disorder ive been on the same dose of xanax for 3 years on xanax,and anxiety a total number of 5 years.so in my eyes ive buitin up a tolerance just what i think..When i first got xanax it was as close as a cure could come,i would drink at night,and that would make them totally subside..So when i got gerd 3 years ago,i turned into this hypochondrtiac..like i said first it was cancers of the espho,and throat,and stomach,and head,and liver...it was always something,than last year after a major gerd relapse,my heart issues came back...went away when my gerd came back in April,than agian this fall the heart issues..i think my main symptoms are these:Bare with me anyone who can help? I will feel a pain the chest,or heart racing,maybe a heart flip flop,and im thinking my heart,its bad the test are wrong.Therefor i will not overwork myself,lift heavystuff,take my bp alot,and just sit and worry. Other times or conjoined i feel like i cant find a comfort zone,so i curl up in a ball,i just feel really tight,brain feels goofy,i feel like im letting everyone down. enjoyment i wont listen to music i used to like because it brings back memories when i could function,cant travel,scared to work,dont like to be left alone,like a groggy feeling like im never really right in my mind,than i get feeling of my old self and it goes away quick..than im upset about that...i get in a funk,dont shave as much,take to many showers to chill out..i dunno there is more but sometimes im in a ball on my bed crying,and nothing feels right.to me this is 5 years of panic disorder and other drs said so to..than this dr says there are not classsic anxiety symptoms,and not panic disorder,maybe pyschosis..so now im worried im crazy..im getting another opp thursday,anyone tell me anything?help me with input,and most off all prayers than we can survive..