u/Express-Case6662

I have been having vague sensations of dizziness and floating for about two months now. It is usually when I am walking or moving, just a general sense of not being grounded to my surroundings. It is also accompanied by some sensations of tingling in the scalp and sometimes in both arms. All of It has been causing me a lot of anxiety and worry.

I have had actual BPPV before with vertigo where the world would spin when I would roll over in bed, etc...... this is very different then that felt. Laying in bed causes me no problems.

I have had a rough 12 months of pretty severe anxiety and stress (my wife passed away last year, and I have been working and trying to raise four kids by myself) Share this as background that might be helpful. In April I had some health scares that eventually resolved. In the first week of June I was diagnosed with a Hiatal hernia and GERD, which had caused a chronic cough. the first episode of dizziness was shortly after.

I had been on wellbutrin for a few years but for some unknown reason decided to stop taking it in April right before all these health problems surfaced. I have just recently in the past week started back up on the medication.

With all that background info I fully understand that it all point to anxiety driven. But of course having anxiety causes me to continue to worry that something else is wrong with me. So I guess I am just here to see what others may have to say about it.

I'm a 44 male. Always loved to brag that I had a stomach of steel and could eat anything. Well about 6 months ago I started getting heartburn. It was super bad for about a month and then went away. but about 2 months ago I developed a cough and clearing of throat that just wouldn't go away. I had a scope done this week and it showed gastritis, Grade A esophagitis, and a Hiatal hernia.

I've been under intense stress for a while now, lost my wife to cancer last year and have been working full time and raising my 4 kids. Have gained about 20 pounds over the last year. Stress has taken it's toll.

So I guess I have a few questions. One the Gastro said I have to be on omeprazole "indefinitely" which sounds absurd to me. Has anyone lost weight, had their symptoms go away and been able to successfully go off the drugs?

Second I have a solitary kidney so I have to be careful about which drugs I take. Omeprazole is known to be really hard on the kidney's, taking it long term is just not an option for me. Has anyone had their doctor tell them that famotidine would be okay? It appears to not be nearly as hard on the kidneys.

Third, I am freaking out a little bit about Barrets. They did a biopsy in the colon for celiacs, in the stomach for Pylori, and in the esophagus for Barrets. I was told they just do these no matter what and it is standard procedure when they do a scope. So I probably shouldn't worry but of course I am (yay health anxiety!). What are the odds of a biopsy coming back positive for Barrets? Grade A esophagitis seems like the least severe diagnosis, so wondering if I even need to worry about it.