Silent reflux: recovered then relapsed — and now my mom has the exact same symptoms!!

Hi everyone, I developed silent reflux about a year ago (my weight is normal, I don’t eat junk food, and I’ve always been careful with my diet). At first the symptoms were mild and occasional, so I didn’t really know what it was. But after about 3 months, they became daily and much more severe.

I went to several doctors, and they all just prescribed PPIs, which didn’t help me at all. Things got worse, I could barely eat, and at one point I was living on IV fluids. I finally did an endoscopy, which showed grade II reflux with mild LES relaxation. I also did a barium swallow and barium meal — and even with highly provocative positions, no reflux showed up, which left the radiologist quite surprised. The doctor who did the endoscopy was a surgeon, but he completely ruled out surgery for me.

I started taking PPIs again along with Itopride, followed a strict diet, and basically made my whole life revolve around food restrictions, symptoms, and endless research hoping to get better. I improved a little, but not enough to feel like myself again, and mentally I was at rock bottom.

Around February, something strange happened: my mom suddenly started having the exact same symptoms, progressing in the exact same way as mine. That freaked me out. I went to another doctor as a last hope, and he prescribed PPI 40 mg, Itopride, and Amitriptyline 25 mg. Surprisingly, I improved a lot within two weeks, could eat many foods again, and only had some mild symptoms if I overdid it.

Because I felt much better, I didn’t go back for follow-ups and just kept taking the same meds without tapering. I was almost back to normal — eating freely, going to the gym, and thinking I was done with this nightmare. But then, about 3 weeks ago, everything suddenly came back full force. The symptoms are severe and constant, even just drinking water triggers them. I’ve been to the ER multiple times because of how bad it feels.

One thing that made me suspicious: the last time I bought my meds, it was from a small pharmacy I didn’t usually go to. I started wondering if the medication could’ve been fake. I switched and bought the same meds again from a more reliable pharmacy, and the symptoms did get a bit better — but it still feels like I’ve lost months of progress, and I’m struggling to cope.

Has anyone ever experienced something similar? Could fake medication explain this relapse, or is there any other possible explanation — especially considering that my mom developed the exact same condition with the same progression (and our lifestyles and stress levels are completely different, so I don't think it’s just placebo or psychosomatic)?

I have a doctor’s appointment in a week, but right now I just need a little hope to hang on. Sorry for the long post.