Acid reflux - who's got it?

[crescendo69]

I just had a non-stop tickle and cough. Barium and x-rays revealed a hiatal hernia, which half the population seems to have. This caused the acid reflux. Now I take three Ranitidine tablets a day. Glad I have insurance because they are a little expensive.

 

[Florida Boy]

I have been taking pantoprazole for five or six years. Once a day, in the morning, and I'm fine. Certain things, in my case curry, can have a minor effect during sleep later on. it is kind of easy to avoid that. I also try to avoid other more spicy foods. I used to use Tabasco quite liberally.

Elevating the head of the bed about 4 inches also made a big difference. Using extra pillows are those pillow-wage things doesn't work. Now, I can almost always get a good nights sleep from those bad effects. My CPAP machine arrives next week so I should be set.

 

[B_Hickboy]

I do now.

 

[Mem]

I wonder if it's tied to gall bladder problems. Both my sister and mother have had theirs removed. It also runs on my father's side, my cousins have gall bladder problems too. I've been lucky to never have a problem with acid reflux.

Have you ever tried Prilosec?

 

[D_Chaumbrelayne_Copprehead]

I've been on both Aciphex and Protonix at one time or another, depending on which one my Rx drug plan would pay for. Miracle drugs, as far as I'm concerned. I have a little raw spot near where my esophagus joins my stomach, and my job now is to keep it from getting any worse.

I've always watched my diet pretty well, but when I feel stress, I start churning out the acid. I do stuff now (like more exercise, meditation and yoga) to keep my stress level down, in addition to taking the meds I'm supposed to take.

BTW, I've got a buddy who's an MD, who says that 90% of his patients see him because of eating too much ... smoking too much ... or drinking too much. So if you're looking for where to start to clean up your life, there's three places you can start looking NOW.

 

[Dave NoCal]

My first acid reflux pain attack was nearly thirty years ago. They became more and more frequent and more and more constant. Referred to as "heartburn" I assumed it was a benign discomfort issue. I eventually became chronically hoarse. That got me to an ENT and he got me on Prevacid and explained the cancer risk. He also explained that there is a surgery for this.

The medicine helped with the pain but the condition got worse and I began aspirating stomach contents in may sleep and waking up in a panic, choking. That did it!

I had my first Nissen Fundoplication in 2000. It's a surgery, generally done laproscopically, where they wrap the top part of the stomach (fundus) around the esophagus to make it tighter. About 10% of Nissens fail. Guess what. I am in the 10%. It's not that the wrap came undone or got loose. Instead, the wrap got pulled up into my chest along with about 25% of my stomach. An endoscopy revealed ulcers in both the esophagus and the part of my stomach that was herniated.

So the fundoplication was re-done last December. So far I have had no sensation of acid reflux but will probably have an endoscopy in a few months to check on whether the ulcers have healed.

Anyway, there are a number of treatment options for this potentially very serious condition. Anyone suffering with this really needs to get it attended to.

Dave

 

[Smartalk]

NSAI's (non steroidal anti-infammatories) as they're call ie Ibuprofen, Indomethicine, Naproxem are excellent drugs and act as prostoglandin inhibitors. The prostoglandins related to tissue swelling and inflammation. This is why some have menstral cramps, period pain as menstral blood has a high level ofprostoglandin in it, hence the pain and feeling of being bloated.

However the major side effect of all these and others like asprin irritate the stomach lining and can cause erosion of the osophegus, which in some severe case can lead to cancer.

If you need them long term for arthritic pain the you can get them in suppository form, the drug being absorbed by the large bowel, It is worht having a chat with your GP

 

[Deno]

when I get gas pains in my chest I drink pickle juice or something with vinegar in it and it stops it instantly, I read about it on a news paper doc called Dr Gott and it works very good, I doubt it has long term properties though.

 

[ZOS23xy]

It can cause the very problems that Jason is dealing with now.

Oddly- if you want to reduce acid reflux naturally, STOP eating ANY wheat, and reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol as much as possible.

Ah--something of a clue.

I don't get it often, but it crops up from time to time and it involves the three items you mention.

 

[Mem]

Acid Horse.

YouTube - no name no slogan

 

[D_Relentless Original]

Had it for quite a few years, tried so much, i currently take Lanzoprazole which have been working great, i am still carefull in what i eat, although i definately cannot drink Orange juice i just kills me.

I feel worse when i am stressed and the strangest thing is, 5 of us work in my office and all 5 are some kind of Acid reflux medication , it is a stressful job.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

I was discussing this tonight with another LPSG member who was eating fried ice cream, which made me nauseous.

Two things here, rex:
1) This guy (I assume it was a guy) is a bad influence on your diet, and
2) Sounds like a whack job.
Get rid of him.

Heartburn was a concern of mine recently. I had it for about a month ... extremely painful, lasting all day.
Then I realized that, in a new temporary job I have, I was having bacon and eggs in a restaurant that offers a bottomless cup of coffee.
So I was loading up on fatty food (which is a no-no anyway), and OD'ing on caffeine every morning ... both well-known acid reflux triggers.
I cut back on both to quite a degree and I haven't had acid reflux since.
Shows the influence of diet.
My doctor has given me the papers that will allow me to do a barium swallow, but I'm not sure I will bother, temporary as the problem proved to be.
But who knows? Perhaps I should.

 

[D_Chaumbrelayne_Copprehead]

So I was loading up on fatty food (which is a no-no anyway)

I don't think anyone else mentioned this, and it's important ... those foods you love can really make acid reflux worse. You don't have to cut that stuff out completely (that's my experience), you just have to up the ratio of less-fatty stuff you eat to the fatty stuff you eat.

 

[Smartalk]

Rubi my dear friend,

You know as well as I do both the negative and positive effects of Karma, maybe the unknow consumption of egg and bacon breakfasts washed down with coffee' maybe what was needed to seek advice from your doctor. Not wishing dome and gloom on you. but better being safe than sorry. SO YES YOU DO NEED TO GO for your barium swallow.

How is the eye progressing all good I hope.

Hugs

Smartalk

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

How is the eye progressing all good I hope.

The eye was going well but is now irritated again.
I am now on very strong antibiotic drops, and I hope things will be right by early next week.
This has happened to me, oh, maybe thirty times ... but never so suddenly, so painfully (not that I'm dying), and with such persistence.

 

[eddyabs]

I get it, but only if I drink citrus fruit or white wine, so I stay away from them. Looking at your diet is definitely important...google up on it and there should be some good pointers. I'd try and leave medication as a last resort....also as Deno said, I find that eating pickled onions (which I love) or anything pickled seems to help when it attacks.

 

[2322]

Please let me restate that acid reflux can appear to be symptomless. You don't feel the reflux because the acid doesn't get high enough in the esophagus to cause pain but any reflux above the junction of the stomach and esophagus, even a few millimeters, is enough to cause erosion and worse. This also was happening with me and one of the reasons I only took Zantac when I felt symptoms. If you have a history of feeling it on occasion, then please get yourself checked because you may have chronic Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and not know it.

 

[B_Nick8]

Rec, I know you're all about the sense of humor but I cannot believe you're not taking this seriously, particularly in light of what Jason is going through right now. A visit to your doctor is not a suggestion; it's an insistence. Please.

 

[Rikter8]

I've got it, but despite my pleads with the doctors, nobody seems to care.
"Go get some Prilosec at the grocery store - thats all I can tell you"

I have taken Prilosec OTC, Zantac 150's etc etc.. and nothing touches it.
It's what partially doomed my father, and probably will doom me as well.

 

[2322]

I've got it, but despite my pleads with the doctors, nobody seems to care.
"Go get some Prilosec at the grocery store - thats all I can tell you"

I have taken Prilosec OTC, Zantac 150's etc etc.. and nothing touches it.
It's what partially doomed my father, and probably will doom me as well.

Get another doctor or demand to know why he or she refuses to prescribe you one of the more effective PPIs. Otherwise, go see a gastroenterologist ASAP. OTC stuff just doesn't have the effectiveness of the Rx stuff.

You have to fight for good healthcare in this country and not accept mediocre healthcare. Your life depends on it. Don't be a fatalist, just go do it and demand they do what you believe is necessary or go elsewhere until you find someone who will give you what you think is best for your care.