Brief Answer:
GERD is possible but other diagnoses can also be considered

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

the symptoms you've described are not typical of GERD as we would expect the symptoms to be more centrally located but the combination of sore throat and chest discomfort is indeed suggestive of GERD. Other potential common diagnoses may include the following (note that the list cannot be exhaustive).

- heart-related symptoms: typically the pain is also more centrally located (usually felt under the sternum) and may radiate to the throat. Coronary events are not the only ones to consider as pericarditis may also cause pain on the same site but it's usually worse when taking deep breaths and may be relieved by bending forward.
- Other causes related to the esophagus like esophageal spasm. The symptoms may resemble a heart attack.
- Upper respiratory tract infection: sore throat is very common. Chest discomfort is possible with or without heart involvement (myocarditis or pericarditis).
- Anxiety: diagnosed only when all else has been excluded.

In patients like you, clinical examination is very helpful. An infectious cause can usually be excluded with it. Your temperature is an important parameter in this regard. An ECG, a heart echo and a troponin test may help to exclude heart-related disorders.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy should provide the necessary information to document reflux disease. We would expect Nexium to provide some relief. It is possible that severe esophagitis (a complication of reflux disease) may take more than 3 days for substantial improvement to become evident.

So in conclusion, it is possible that reflux disease is related to your symptoms but failure to improve with a proton pump inhibitor is against this diagnosis. Despite that, you shouldn't try anything yourself. Let your doctor know that you haven't improved.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Kind Regards,
Dr Panagiotis Zografakis
Internal Medicine Specialist

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Brief Answer:
go to the ER

Detailed Answer:
You're welcome!

Symptoms that affect breathing should be diagnosed because they may be related to serious disorders. A visit to the ER would help to exclude (or confirm) such disorders.

Best wishes!

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Brief Answer:
yes

Detailed Answer:
It's good news that there's nothing serious going on... I usually recommend to patients like you to visit a gastroenterologist and make an appointment for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. If GERD is really the problem, then difficulty to swallow is likely caused by esophagitis. The endoscopy will make things clear. If there are no signs of GERD then other diagnoses will have to be investigated.

Until you do so, you'd better continue with Nexium.

Kind Regards!

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Brief Answer:
it is possible

Detailed Answer:
Your doctor knows your medical history better than I do, so his opinion is very important. Anxiety may indeed mimic any disorder. Since GERD was the initial diagnosis I would have recommended the upper gastronintestinal endoscopy though.

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