Acid Reflux: How do you get relief?

Posted by ldholley505 @ldholley505, Jul 12, 2020

Hi,

I'm 42 and have been suffering from health issues for over 20 years and have been told that I have fibromyalgia but the following have been progressively getting worse over the past years.

- constant burning in esophagus from acid reflux after eating or drinking anything along with belching and stomach discomfort.

- sharp pain in lower right back side and radiate into abdomen and armpit with bloating, gas and cramps.

- food gets stuck and hard to swallow.

- sore throat with enlarged lymph nodes and neck pain.

- have lost weight.

- fatigue even with enough sleep.

- teeth being greatly impacted by acid erosion causing staining to teeth and gum sensitivity.

- constant sour taste in mouth.

- headaches since a teenager.

- sensitivity to sun.

- nerve and joint pain for about 20 years.

- tailbone pain on and off for 8 years.

I’ve had the following tests and seen the following doctors.
- Gastroenterologist 3 times. Recent endoscopy and colonoscopy findings 3 weeks ago include Grade A Esophagitis was seen in esophagus, normal mucosa in antrum, incisura of stomach, stomach body, pylorus and cardia. Slightly blunted villi noted in duodenal bulb and second part of duodenum. 4 biopsies taken from 2nd portion and 2 from duodenum and results are normal. Colonoscopy normal.

- Neurologist 3 times and had nerve testing done with no findings.

- Allergy testing - no allergies to most common foods about 2 weeks ago.

- Celiac panel over a week ago - negative ( have cut out gluten for months now)

- H-pylori - year ago

- E-coli present about 8 years ago and took prescribed medication

- Hospitalized about a year and half ago for gallstones and elevated kidney

- Urinalysis - normal

- CBC - normal

- Lipid panel - normal

- Hepatic panel - normal

I’ve tried the following.

– diet changes: no acidic or spicy foods, cut out refined sugars, eliminated herbal teas, eating smaller and more frequent meals, elevating head at bedtime, no tight clothing, no bending down after meals, no eating too close to bedtime, no gluten and grains for months. Tried acid, low fodmap, inflammation and microbiome diets. Bone broth, kefir and yogurt.

– digestive enzymes, healthy gut powder, Atrantil, tumeric, multi vitamins, apple cider vinegar good strength probiotics, magnesium.

- lemon balm, nettles, cat's claw, marshmallow and slippery elm powders and aloe vera.

– omeprazole, famotidine and antacids.

Not sure what more I can do to get some relief.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

@ldholley505

No. They have not considered. I have follow up with doctors at the end of the month and will ask.

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Please throughly research PPI’s before consuming them.

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So, for sure, you have Gerd. Your esophagus has become inflamed and tight and food does not go down. Your burning throat either is from LPR, Gerd in throat, or you might be an autoimmune illness. Have you tried ph water? Per Mayo Clinic, Alkaline water has a higher pH level than that of plain tap water. So proponents say that it can neutralize acid in your bloodstream. Some say that alkaline water can help prevent disease, such as cancer and heart disease. The ph has to be above 8.5-9 in order to work Tagament has also helped me, but cant take for more than a week at a time as I get Sibo. PPIs..if they dint help, stop them. I suggest keep drinking Gaviscan. Dont drink peppermint Gaviscan. Drink the cherry. There is a new test called Endoflip. Specialist checks your esophagus with a small balloon and a probe through your throat and is esophagus needs to be stretch, he will then put more air in balloon to stretch it. It has its own risks and you have to do it again later in your life. Specialist can also check your lower and upper esophagus sphincter to make sure if it loose or not letting acid up into your chest. And also can ck to see if you have hiatal hernia. You need to fin a good GI Specialist that is familiar and also has performed the test. You can also try white vinegar or vinegar pills to see if helps or not. Strict diet..nothing sour, gassy, like tomato sauces, coffee (they make low acid coffee, ck amason) peppermint, chocolate, take digestive enzyme maybe, dont get constipated, chew food 30 times until it become like a shake. Wait between each bite. Dont eat 4-5 hours prior sleeping. No smoking. Walk. There is also Gaviscon Plus from Amazon which has algae in it and the algae covers your chest ad throat so acid doesnot damage them. Dont eat anything rough, like a piece of bread that is toasted and became like a cracker unless you sip it into soup or water. Eat soups. No spices. Make soup, blend it or chew it alot. No celery in the soup. Again no spices. Definitely, nothing fried in oil. You can use air fryer. No tight clothing. Relax and meditate. Hope these comments help you.

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From what I’ve read above on the comments to your questions, doctors treating this take a nonchalant approach to this problem. If they can’t see a problem after the tests they perform then it becomes a non issue to them .
I have many of the problems you have described with your acid problems.
PPIs don’t work for me. I take a very small dose of desipramine, not a therapeutic dose but it works enough that if I watch what I eat I don’t have a problem with acid. Also I follow all the above suggestions for reducing acid. Finally go on YouTube and listen and find doctors that treat your problem. You’re only a zoom a way. Knowledge, information is key. Good luck.

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It is interesting to read these entries. I’ve had heartburn or GERD for over 50 years. I’ve seen several top GI specialists. I have never had total satisfaction from the variety of help I was given. Prilosec was a wonder drug that I was given when it first came out. After taking it for many years, I developed a cough and lost considerable bone density and stopped taking it. I spoke to the head of GI at Massachusetts General many years ago after some tests and said I found some foods and drinks were fine one week and awful another week. He said he has heard that story many times, so chocolate might give you heartburn on Tuesday but not on Friday. There really is no one who has all the answers. What helps you now may fail next month, what helps your neighbor may not help you. It is very frustrating but I’ve never heard anyone say their digestive issues were completely gone.

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I am going to have prolapsed rectum surgery in November can anyone please share their experience with surgery and post surgery.

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@dagwoodsndwchami

Please throughly research PPI’s before consuming them.

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@dagwoodsndwchami and others with GERD.. I had that for decades.. went to my local GI who recommended surgery... A botched Nissen gives you post operative gastropanesis.. so now I have to eat small portions, cut things very small, chew very well, eat slowly... and allow damaged stomach nerve network to allow gravity to work.. eating sensibly was the thing to try before thinking there was a magic bullet out there..

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Try laying on your back with your legs up the wall at 90deg.
Wiggle your butt as closely as possible to the wall.
Breath deeply and slowly into your abdomen ( tip: think of this as slightly lifting your heart as you slowly breath in ) close your eyes.
15 to 20 mins x 3 times per day and always before bedtime .
The position breathing can relax, spread and relieve many of your organs . Try it for a week if you can and come back to us please 🙏.

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