Anxiety and Acid Reflux anyone?

Strength comes from being positive and patient good health follows from grace of almighty god keep your head up high you’re on the road to a healthier you and righteousness

I am trying every day. Up and down. thank you for your positive support. I really appreciate it!

I have gurgling and belching, but no heartburn. Doctor just prescribed Prilosec, which is over the counter. I will give it a try.

My doctor put me on a baby food diet for stomach acid problems
Try it for a few weeks. You will also lose some unwanted weight.

I developed heart burn shortly after being prescribed a cocktail of psych meeds about fifteen years ago. It got so bad that I would wake in the middle of the night coughing and chocking because I was aspirating stomach acid into my lungs.

I was sent to a pulmonologist who found that my esophagus no longer opened and closed, hence fluid in my lungs. An X-Ray of my lungs showed what looked like snowflakes all over my lungs. The stomach acid was damaging my lungs.

I too was given stomach medication that worked sometimes. The stomach med was taken away when studies determined that it causes bone lose, I have two fractured vertebrae in my lower back, spinal stenosis, three herniated disk and bone spurs and I am only sixty. I was on the med for a long time. Coincidence? I don't know.

In July, with my psych provider and my PCP support, I begin coming off of all of my medications, I was on fourteen different pills. Today I am on four. I also drastically changed my diet and exercise regimen. Lost weight and have reduce my body fat from 36% to 22% in four months.

There is nothing special about me. I was desperate.

I no longer have heart burn except when I drink too much coffee. I know I need to stop drinking so much coffee but I just can't pull the trigger on that one yet. When I do get heart burn I chew a few Tums and it goes away. Tums or any antacid made of calcium appear to have no side effects at all. The calcium is also good for my back.

I will never take another pill until I've considered lifestyle changes. If I choose to take something I will make sure I research the medication and all of its side effects and interactions first.

My life has been destroyed in no small part do to the medications that doctor after doctor prescribed to me. I am at fault for looking for an esasy fix, the medical community is responsible for not doing their homework and giving me choices and the "sick care" community, especially the insurance companies are at fault for making it easier for a doctor to prescribe medication then to think.

I am getting better, in fact I feel the best I have in my entire life. But given my health conditions I do not know how long I have, I guess that's true for all of us. My health is my responsibly. I no longer abdicate that responsibility to anyone. The docs don't always like it but when I come to them with irrefutable facts there is not much they can do except support me.

The overwhelming majority of my physical and mental health care problems spring from my lifestyle choices and the failure of anyone to say anything, except my ex-wife (she was right all along).

Acid Reflux is no joke.

I wish you good health and peace.

Thank you. I don’t need to lose weight I need to gain 20
Pounds!!

Hi
Thanks you. I am sorry about all the secondary issues that are more important.

Yes, I have read that. You don’t stay on PPIs for very long for that reason so thank you for your honest story.

I’m in Canada so some of your terminologies I’m not sure what it is. PCP support?
I don’t need to lose weight I need to gain weight in the last eight months I’ve lost 20 pounds that I never needed to lose. I’m just on the border of a low BMI.

I figure the medication is all temporary why I get my anxiety in order, what I’m trying to do a tiny step at a time even right now I’m getting ready to go for a massage, body massage, and I don’t know how I’m gonna lay on my front. I’ve sent a message to the therapist, but she hasn’t answered yet my appointments in one hour. I just had a little teeny something to eat because I get hungry very easily and I can feel the reflux starting right now almost any time I eat, which is also new . I’m not clear on what you did to get rid of your acid reflux and I don’t drink coffee anymore. I stopped when my anxiety started in April 22. Never had anxiety in my life is a journey and I’m willing to learn and try whatever I need to but I definitely don’t wanna stay on medication for the rest of my life I’m 64, so I understand it sounds like you’re doing really well now or better.
I’m on Dexilant now twice a day 60 mg each and famotidine 40 mg once a day the Dexilant just got turned into twice a day. I’m on day three and I don’t like the way I feel at all and my doctors away in Europe until December. his replacements are very good And he’s a great doctor but in the last few years he’s taken to prescribing Waymore than he ever has in the last 20 years I think he’s getting ready retire soon.
Which is a problem in Canada because we’re short a family doctors but he says he’ll have a replacement when he goes. So right now I have anxiety about my massage and acid reflux doesn’t help.

Sorry you are going through such rough time. In the States a PCP is a primary care physician, they are the clearing house for all care. One cannot see a specialist, in most cases, without a referral from a PCP. The PCP is supposed to know everything about and coordinate all of ones care.

It's a ludicrous system as one doctor never really knows what another one is doing. I now act as my on record keeper and update all my doctors on anything I or they do, much to their chagrin.

My acid reflux went away when I stopped taking fourteen pills everyday and lost twenty pounds. Doesn't seem like either one of those is your problem. I would encourage you to do your own research. It is upsetting how readily available the information is yet most of the time I am educating my doctor's about the effects and interactions of the medications they are proposing.

Everything I have found comes up on page one of a Google search. From there I review the source material, Google provides links, and try to determine what kind of science supports the information I am reading. I like peer reviewed articles about studies done on humans. Sometimes those are hard to find depending on the topic.

Acid Reflux has been heavily researched and studied. A simple search will yield more information than you can ever get through. I usually have my answers in less than thirty minutes. My starting question is usually "what causes" or "what is", then I chase the "rabbit"

I am cautious of National Institutes of Health or the Food and Drug Administration as they have become what too political. Unbiased academic research is what I value the most.

My family thinks I am nuts. My answer is, this life is all of got (as far as I know) I'm tired of being sick.

In my opinion any system built with wealth creation as its primary objective will inevitably become corrupted. So it is here in the States. I understand it's not so great in Canada either.

Anyone who can read and is sufficiently motivated can acquire more knowledge about their conditions than any health care provider can. Information at least lets me ask the right questions. The more I take control the less I worry. It helps me.

I hope your feel better soon.

Hi
Oh OK now I know what PCP is here. It’s called a GP general practitioner or family doctor. Same system can’t see a specialist without their referral and there’s no way they know everything. That’s why they have specialists.

My doctor is away in Europe. The guy who upped my prescription by phone and I just asked the pharmacist, and she said that’s a lot of Dexilant.

I have a phone appointment with a thoracic surgeon next week. I’ll ask him. The problem is now I have more acid reflux instead of less and I’m still not sleeping through the night and you can’t just stop taking it. It’s a dangerous drug right now and it’s not supposed to be long-term. in Canada our services are free ( paid by our tax dollars) I am getting lots of bloodwork, I want to see an endocrinologist, in December. I have a barium movie on my throat and in line for an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, which could take months. Yes, I’m sick of being sick which makes it worse mentally.

I find it hard to find food that I don’t react to unless it’s just bland and plain my husband can’t eat that much chicken and potatoes. And I’m running out of energy and 18 months ago. I was walking 7 miles a day powerwalking totally grateful for everything every step.

I believe you are doing everything correctly, but who am I. You are asking questions. Demanding answers and taking responsibility for your health. I predict, (again I’m just some guy on a chat board) that you will be feeling well again soon!

Here in the States, because the insurance companies have to approve any referral to a specialist PCP’s need to be good at framing the request for the referral just right. If one’s PCP is a good advocate one can get good care, if not, well it can be tough. I’ve been lucky recently.

I’ve done a lot of business with insurance companies over the years. The good ones can be a godsend to a community. The bad ones occupy some level in hell, probably level five or six.

I hope you feel better soon. Stay strong.