Chronic esophagitis

Posted by craigjulian @craigjulian, Oct 9, 2023

I was diagnosed with mild chronic reflux esophagitis LA grade A after an endoscopy about 2 years ago, when I was 51. For at least 15 years I’ve had dysphasia on/off with vomiting at times, and pretty intense GERD symptoms that have been pretty controlled with 20mg of omeprazole daily. However, about 6 weeks ago I developed some GI bug or gastritis that caused nausea, horrible indigestion, constipation, and ultimately pretty severe GERD symptoms that I’m currently dealing with for about 10 days. I went to the ED initially and they did an abdominal CT with contrast and it was fairly normal. Now I’m having chest pain, feels like something’s caught in my throat, bloating, belching, and really uncomfortable. The omeprazole isn’t working anymore, even 40 mg daily. Of course I’m all concerned about esophageal cancer, but I feel somewhat reassured that my EGD 2 years ago only showed mild reflux esophagitis and I don’t think cancer can grow that quick, but maybe. Has omeprazole stopped working for anyone? What did you do after it stopped working? I can’t get in to see a GI doctor for 2 months.

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

@rozy288

I’m 10 years in on my six gastroenterologist, even mayo clinic over 20 tests and seven diagnosis. This is a lifetime thing.!!
I tried every RX, everything holistic, everything, diet wise, everything, functional medical, you name it I’ve tried it, every supplement on Amazon for digestive health, and I still suffer day and night. I’m praying that you find the right doctor and they give you the correct diagnosis or better yet fix your issues. 🙏🙏

Jump to this post

Have you tried Gaviscon Advance Liquid?

REPLY
@tjoanne

Have you tried Gaviscon Advance Liquid?

Jump to this post

Only available on Amazon.

REPLY
@tjoanne

Have you tried Gaviscon Advance Liquid?

Jump to this post

Yes everything.

REPLY

Omeprazole continued working to mitigate or even eliminate my gerd, but it also destroyed my kidneys and bones. So I stopped taking it, and I have grade C esophagitis.

What I did:
1. Most importantly, switched to low-acid, low-fat diet. There is a FB page devoted to recipes for that kind of diet THE ACID WATCHER DIET WARRIORS. Dr. Aviv and Dr. Koufman are two ENTs who have published books on gerd/respiratory reflux and give diet and other tips. https:jamiekoufman.com . You can also google low acid food lists. Goodby oranges and vinegar! Processed foods are notorious for acid as a preservative ingredient. Whole food or minimally processed is best.
2. I sleep sitting up; other people do just a 45 degree angle. You can put blocks under the head of your bed, or prop yourself up with pillows.
3. Eat smaller meals, more frequently.
3. Don't eat late in the day, and give yourself at least three hours between mealtime and bedtime.
4. Gaviscon Advance aniseed; you can buy on Amazon. Expensive since it is shipped from the UK. There are cheaper versions. If one of those works for you, great. Gaviscon is an alginate that creates a plug between your stomach and esophagus, keeping your acid in your stomach.
5. Chewing sugarless gum after eating or while exercising. Saliva is your friend!
6. Don't bend over. Bend at the knees when needed. I speak as someone with bad knees.

There are a few ideas to try to see if they work better for you than omeprazole. Diet is key, and it won't work overnight. You should see improvement in a month or two though. Keep your doc appointment and try non-med management in the meantime since the PPI isn't doing anything for you anyway.

REPLY

Ugh you sound like me , add in 1000’s deep wet belching and churning gut to it . I have tried every diet , done every test a few times , have done hypnotherapy , Mayan massage , every supplement they make for gastric health . Sleep 💤 om 3 big pillows up ⬆️. Also take Ultra Pepto for 10 years daily . I get PVCs sometimes, in bathroom a lot during day . I take low dose antidepressant now , Ambien to sleep , .50 mg Klonipin only when needed .
I have 7 diagnoses or more . 6 th Gastro Dr.
Even been to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville for 3 big tests.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be healed but 10 years of hell this far . Just doing my best day by day and min by min.
I’m 62 now . Lost a lot of good years.
I hope your Gastro Dr. can really dig deep and get some relief for you . God Bless …

REPLY

надо меньше лекарств и докторов, больше хорошего настроения.

REPLY

We need less drugs and doctors, more good mood.

REPLY
@baguette

Omeprazole continued working to mitigate or even eliminate my gerd, but it also destroyed my kidneys and bones. So I stopped taking it, and I have grade C esophagitis.

What I did:
1. Most importantly, switched to low-acid, low-fat diet. There is a FB page devoted to recipes for that kind of diet THE ACID WATCHER DIET WARRIORS. Dr. Aviv and Dr. Koufman are two ENTs who have published books on gerd/respiratory reflux and give diet and other tips. https:jamiekoufman.com . You can also google low acid food lists. Goodby oranges and vinegar! Processed foods are notorious for acid as a preservative ingredient. Whole food or minimally processed is best.
2. I sleep sitting up; other people do just a 45 degree angle. You can put blocks under the head of your bed, or prop yourself up with pillows.
3. Eat smaller meals, more frequently.
3. Don't eat late in the day, and give yourself at least three hours between mealtime and bedtime.
4. Gaviscon Advance aniseed; you can buy on Amazon. Expensive since it is shipped from the UK. There are cheaper versions. If one of those works for you, great. Gaviscon is an alginate that creates a plug between your stomach and esophagus, keeping your acid in your stomach.
5. Chewing sugarless gum after eating or while exercising. Saliva is your friend!
6. Don't bend over. Bend at the knees when needed. I speak as someone with bad knees.

There are a few ideas to try to see if they work better for you than omeprazole. Diet is key, and it won't work overnight. You should see improvement in a month or two though. Keep your doc appointment and try non-med management in the meantime since the PPI isn't doing anything for you anyway.

Jump to this post

Thanks for all those helpful ideas! I truly appreciate it.
Can I ask how badly did the omeprazole damage your kidneys and bones?

REPLY
@craigjulian

Thanks for all those helpful ideas! I truly appreciate it.
Can I ask how badly did the omeprazole damage your kidneys and bones?

Jump to this post

I tested out as Chronic Kidney Disease stage 3 (the worst being stage 5). Fortunately after stopping omeprazole my kidney value went up enough to barely make it back into the reference range, meaning I suffered an acute kidney injury instead of remaining in a chronic stage. Who knows if that would have been possible if I hadn't stopped the PPI when I did. I supposed I was more dramatic about it than I needed to be but when the DX first came down and I went to a hospital presentation on CKD I was devastated. Even with the improvement I live in fear that the kidney values will go down again into the CKD range, since they are so close to the line now. That designation also has health insurance implications

My lowest T score from the DEXA scan is -3.8, which my doctor called severe, a score more appropriate for someone 20 years older than I. The other vertebrae were in the -3 range too (-2.5 is the defining line for osteoporosis).

I am also deficient in B12, which is a common deficiency with PPIs from what I read.

I now am trying to eat better to support my kidneys and bones, and doing weight training for the bones too.

Not everyone gets side effects, but I switched doctors after I found out about the kidney/bone issues. The new doctor told me that in general people shouldn't take PPIs long term because of side effects and she preferred first addressing gerd with diet and lifestyle changes. If nothing else, people on long-term PPIs should monitor for these issues so they can find out quickly if they have side effects. Most people don't have these problems but if they happen to you, it can be life-changing.

REPLY

Teaspoon of baking soda in 8oz water works

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.