Help with stomach and abdominal discomfort when lying down

@undiagnosed2013 this has to be frustrating as sleep and sleep health is so very important to all aspects of our overall health and wellbeing. Can you share a bit more information in terms of what your discomfort consists of (i.e. gassy feeling, cramping, etc.) so members can share more if they have experienced something similar?

Try raising the head of your bed 6", no eating 3-4 hours before bedtime, only water. Cut all acidic and fried foods out of your diet. No soda, booze. I only drink unsweetened almond milk, water and decaf green tea.

@undiagnosed2013 Your symptoms sound identical to what my husband is experiencing. He’s had an EGD which showed GERD, some esophageal erosion and a small hiatal hernia. He’s been on PPI 40mg for over a year which corrected the GERD issues. But stomach pain and tightness just below the sternum persists especially when lying down. It seems to be independent of diet or any variable lifestyle changes.

His GI doctor suspects Functional Dyspepsia (FD) which is a diagnosis by exclusion. Recently, over the last 3 weeks he’s included with his other meds, FD Gard which is considered an OCT dietary medicine. It was recommend by his GI doctor and consists of micro encapsulated peppermint and caraway oil that’s time released.

Since starting the FD Gard, symptoms seem to be resolving slowly. He discovered it’s important to take it consistently everyday. 2 capsules an hour before lunch on an empty stomach with a glass of water, and an hour before dinner, again with empty stomach and a glass of water. He also takes one capsule at night before bedtime. It took several days before he noticed continued improvement. There is a limit of 6 per day so if this is a medication your doctor approves of, they may recommend starting at a lower dose.

One other thing he learned, is that the type of PPI a person is taking can also make a difference. Omeprazole, (Prilosec) which is the standard PPI, in some people, is metabolized too fast and doesn’t persist. This was the case with my husband. His GI doctor switched him to Rabeprazole 20mg twice a day. This also appears to have helped in combination with the FD Gard.

Failing all this, the next step could be a tricyclic anti-depressant at low levels which he’s been told can sometimes be effective. His doctor says all of this can be caused by over-active nerves in the stomach, known as EPG- epigastric pain syndrome which is one of two forms of FD.

Unfortunately the cause of FD is unknown and not all that uncommon, especially after 60. There are no specific meds or treatment protocols established for this that his doctor is aware of. Basically this is something that can persist. At present, my husband’s current course seems to be moving in the right direction.
If in your journey you learn of anything that brings you relief, my husband would love to know! Have you been tested for H Pylori? Are you lactose intolerant?

Wishing you all the best, Lori

Thanks for the reply. I do have FD guard, but have not been taking it religiously. I take 40 mg of protonix. I have been tested for H Pylori and it came back negative.
I will let you know if I find out any additional treatments.

Thanks for the reply. I feel a bloating feelings and shortness of breath. I have an oximeter that we bought a little while ago and my oxygen is at 97-99 % so I know I am getting air. When I wake up at night or in the morning I feel almost like a voltage going through my veins. I had a stress test so I know my heart is ok. I have discomfort in my lower abdominal area. Not painful, but bothersome. Almost like you know if you don't take something it will get worse. I wake up sometimes 2 or 3 times at night (depending on when I go to sleep). It's very frustrating and bothersome.

@riflemanz64 I do all this and can confirm it works. I also have started taking my ppi at bedtime instead of in the morning.

@undiagnosed2013 Like you, my husband took FD Gard intermittently and said it wasn’t helping. Another member of Connect had mentioned that it didn’t work until he started taking it faithfully, on a schedule. I passed that info along to my husband and he ‘found religion’! LOL Started taking the FD like clockwork, never missing a dose and is now on week 2 of feeling much better. Occasionally has a dull ache lying down but nothing like it’s been in the past. Good luck!