Severe GERD

Posted by megagrif @megagrif, Mar 24, 2017

Severe GERD has been my enemy for 15 years.
Doctors prescribed and I've taken the usual, and well known meds for GERDS, but none have given me any long term relief. The gas, nausea, stomach gurgling, stomach pain, bloating, indigestion, and gastritis had become my new normal. I've had all the usual tests for stomach, colon, and whatever else.....Results Always GERD! I think I've taken every med for GERD.
I stopped taking Prilosec six weeks ago after hearing, and reading negative reports on the long term use of these medicines.
Was seeing my Primary Physician for my yearly physical, and he questioned me about the Toprol 50mg XL. He asked me if the meds made me feel lethargic, depressed, any indigestion, any gas. My answer was YES, YES, AND YES to all the above. He gave no comments, but his questions caused some concerns for me and I called my Cardiologist with my concerns....taking Toprol for rapid heartbeat. Shared my concerns with my Cardiologist and he advised me to take half/25mg pill before bedtime.....I was taking pill in the AM after breakfast.....breakfast is a bowl of instant grits. Heartbeat has always been rapid after meals and I'd start to associate eating with heartrate. I had some serious indigestion and heartburn 2 weeks ago and tried the new Duo Fusion Chewables by Zantac. AND WHAT A RELIEF!!!!!! I now chew one Fusion after meals and absolutely NO Gas, No Indigestion, No Heartburn, AND NO RAPID HEARTBEAT.
I could get my heart rate down if I could manage to get that long belch out, the one that starts at the bottom of the leftside of my diaphragm and travels up and out....feels so good, but the Fusion prevents the buildup of air/gas for me.
The Fusion is the BEST and I feel GREAT. I'm no longer limiting my foods to white rice, green beans, and grilled salmon.....this has been my main meal for about 3 years, at least four times a week. CAN'T EAT ANY FRUITS, DAIRY PRODUCTS(Lactose Intolerant), most vegetables, wheat, nothing Red, and most breads, I'm okay with eating Flat Bread. No juices, nor sodas, but ok with Ginger Ale.
Do you think it's okay to chew the Fusion daily which gives me so much RELIEF? I don't believe they would be as harmful as taking the prescribed meds for so many years and had no healing nor relief.

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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I had a small hernia and my insurance did not cover it even though I had pre approval! Also if you eat foods that produce gas can be very painful as it is difficult to pass the device to blech. Sometimes so painful feels like a heart attack!! I highly suggest changing your diet first.

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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Try cutting out the fruit and fructose. I'm 65 and after 20 years on meds and surgery, that worked for me.

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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@saucy, egads! That's awful. I hate that insurance companies can do that. 🙁

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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That may be why the prunes hurt you so bad. If your uping your fiber intake due to constipation you may have a difficult time digesting it. I can't eat anything high in fiber, it sits in my small intestine and ferments causing gas and acid.

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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Thanks forgot prunes had a lot of fiber just thought they'd help constipation

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@betterb4

Okay, so much for posting 6 days acid free. It came back and my suffering is back for the last 4 days, even though I haven't changed anything. Here's my question: When I am suffering... it is almost constant... 24/7. Eating is my trigger... not eating is my trigger. Some foods are worse but almost all foods are triggers. Is this heartburn if it's constant? Either I'm doing well or I'm not doing well. To all those posting, what is it if it's almost constant? Anything that helps like Chamomile tea or DGL tablets or anything only help a little and only for a short while.

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Thank you so much for reply. I will keep you posted

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@doron, what supplements do you take? Did the Dr tell you to take them? No sometimes they dont work. When my GERD is bad, its bad. If i can't get relief at home i gotta get it somehow. Good thing i went because i was having a HA not GERD.

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@danybegood1

@doron, what supplements do you take? Did the Dr tell you to take them? No sometimes they dont work. When my GERD is bad, its bad. If i can't get relief at home i gotta get it somehow. Good thing i went because i was having a HA not GERD.

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I take the following gut supplements as recommended by Kris Kresser (here is the link: http://my.chriskresser.com/the-supplement-guide/). I take the list for digestive disorders and the list for autoimmune.

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@danybegood1 I did the research on my own, when my Dr. was out sick. He thought it was a good idea and the effects have been amazing.

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@miliangy

Hi! I’m an 18 years old girl. I’ve been diagnosed with GERD when I was eleven. I have a very severe reflux along with severe nausea, no vomiting since a long time though, cough (sometimes severe), snore, acid taste in the mouth, and muscle pain (sometimes severe too). I’ve been visiting gastroenterologists since eleven. I’ve had multiple hospitalizations. The reflux sometimes cause cough exacerbation that leads to hospitalizations. When I turn 16 my gastroenterologist made me a gastrin level lab which results were high. He reapeted this test like four times, and in every single one came out high. Then I went under a whole bunch of studies: MRI, CT Scan, Sonograms, Octreoscan. In almost all of them, a small lesion appears on the pancreas, which they think can be a gastrinoma. Their not sure though, ‘cause they couldn’t do a biopsy because it’s too little. I’ve been taking Baclofen 10mg, Prilosec 20mg, Prilosec 40mg, Zantac 300mg, prescribed by my GI, as for seven years. Among all of this, since I was eleven, more or less, that was when all this started, I feel a pressure on the upper part of my belly button. And I feel immense relief when I pull the top of my belly button. I just wish that someone can help me out to figure what is happening to me, since I’m very desperate. This last week, at least, I’ve been having moderate to severe stomach pain right after eating. I’m just scare that doctors can’t really figure out what I have and keep getting worse. I just wish someone relate to my symptoms and help me with this.

Thanks in advance,

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@miliangy First, let me welcome you to Connect. I see that you did post within a different group and I hope you can get some answers from one of your postings. I have nothing to help you with, none of this is familiar to me at all. I do have Barrett's Esophagus but your problems are totally different yet both have GERD components. Oddly, I never actually felt GERD but apparently it generally precedes Barrett's.
I just want you to know that your post is being read and I hope that someone who reads it will know something that can help to lead you in the right direction.

My only comment is, are the doctors you are seeing associated with a major medical center? I had non-alcoholic cirrhosis and went undiagnosed for almost a year and half here in the Manchester area of southern NH. When I finally did get it diagnosed I had to go to Boston for treatment and an eventual liver transplant. If you have not been to a major medical center, preferably a teaching hospital -- my hospital is Mass General in Boston -- then please go even if it is inconvenient. They see so much more than the doctors do in smaller areas. I now know that if I ever have a problem again that is not immediately diagnosed up here, I will be headed down the highway to Boston. I pretty much go to Boston now for everything except my PCP.
If you do get an appointment with a doctor at a major medical center I hope you will post about it. The fact that you have not had responses really is indicative of the rarity of your problem.
JK

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