I just can't anymore...

In many letters from my patients, a serious issue appears — often only between the lines:

Reflux does not only mean physical symptoms for many patients, but a fundamentally changed way of life.

A shared meal, a glass of wine, an untroubled evening — these are often replaced by restriction, constant self-monitoring, and pain.

An endless odyssey

In search of the cause, patients often undergo a long series of examinations:

• CT, MRI, X-ray

• ECG, stress tests, cardiac catheterization

• gastroscopy, pH monitoring

• laboratory tests, ultrasound, manometry

The result:“No serious disease. Don’t worry. Maybe take a vacation.”

The consequence

The lightness of life disappears.

Many patients withdraw, avoid social situations, and appear distant—although they do not want to be.

Additional burdens often arise:

• unpleasant breath due to rising gases

• insecurity in professional and personal interactions

• sleep disturbances and exhaustion

• increasing psychological strain

Depressive moods are not uncommon.

The turning point

At this stage, symptoms are often classified as psychological.

This leads to:

• psychotherapy

• psychotropic medication

• inpatient psychosomatic treatment

And indeed, many patients begin to doubt themselves: “Maybe I’m imagining all of this.”

The reality

Daily life—family, work—continues, despite sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and persistent symptoms.

Many manage to keep going with remarkable strength. Others gradually reach their limits.

One patient wrote:

“I am exhausted, I have shortness of breath, palpitations, and anxiety. All tests are normal. But something is wrong with me. I just can’t go on like this.”

Years of life are often lost—due to misinterpretation, unnecessary treatments, and the endless search for a cause and a cure.

What is important for you to understand

The individual organs may all be healthy—and that is reassuring.

But their interaction is disturbed.

This crucial point is often overlooked. And as a result, the true cause remains untreated.

Yours sincerely

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Eckhard Löhde