1. < Digestive Health

GERD: What helps long term?

Posted by littleonefmohio @littleonefmohio, Apr 19, 2018

Does anyone know what I can take for GERD long term? I never had it until they removed my gallbladder. Since then I have been living in hell. I cannot take pain medication, antidepressants, of course certain foods. I have tried prilosec, nexium, and now take tums and zantac. I have severe GERD where I feel i am having a heart attack. I think it was in October of last year I was taken to the hospital with it because it seem much worse than before. At that time they ran every test for heart problems and thank God I do not have heart disease. I Cannot bend over to work in my yard like I love too mostly because of that. Also wanted to ask if anyone heard that Tums would give you Alzheimers? I will have to take 3 or more sometimes to get the pain to stop. That is the only thing I found that works with the Zantac but I am worried about the Alzheimers since my grandfather had it. I also need to get my teeth pulled but am scared to death of the pain since I cannot take pain killers.

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frank21 | @frank21 | Dec 24, 2023
In reply to @travelgirl "@littleonefmohio So sorry about your Gerd. But I raise my hand over here, cause I HAVE..." + (show)
@travelgirl

@littleonefmohio So sorry about your Gerd. But I raise my hand over here, cause I HAVE THE GERD FROM HELL.. Seriously Stabbing Dagger chest pains getting up in the morning. Now this is what works for me, so you need to see a GI Dr. to see if what I am prescribed works for you.

I have a prescription strength ordered by my Dr. for Omperazole DR 40 MG, 2 x a day, taken 30 minutes before I eat. This was the only thing that worked for me. And it took about 6 months before it actually started working, trying different anti acid medicines over 6 months too.. Some of them made me feel really nauseous and shaking that I tried before this worked.

Also, if you DO NOT CUT OUT Fried, Spicy, Fatty Foods it won't work. Cause I tried to still eat like there was nothing wrong, and it took longer to start working. Plus I have to sleep on a wedge pillow at night. If I lay flat, Jesus Mary and Joseph. I have tell ya, the Pain in the chest, is like I'm being attacked. It is actually paralyzing in the morning. Takes an hour to get out of bed.

Prior to taking the Omperazole, I ate Tums like a kid in a candy store.. at least 10 a day for several months
So far my brains are intact, at least I think so... LOL.. I been taking Omperazole now for 2 1/2 yrs and not eating tums like candy.
You really need to get an appointment with a GI Dr.

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So sorry you are suffering so much. I have silent reflux but it’s not fun spitting out through out the day and night. I recently started a new regiment of alkaline water to counteract pepsin and it helps me. I also started taking Gaviscon Advance before bedtime and it reduces reflux and helps me sleep longer and without reflux interruptions. This is only a temporary situation and I am looking to have Stetta procedure done as a more permanent fix. Does anyone have an experiences to share with regard to Stretta?
Frank M.

REPLY
ch47 | @ch47 | Dec 24, 2023
In reply to @mikejjb123 "Well let me throw a curveball. Have GERD and been nauseous almost all of the last..." + (show)
@mikejjb123

Well let me throw a curveball. Have GERD and been nauseous almost all of the last 5 years. Went on vacation, ate and drank like no tomorrow...................no nausea!!!!! Back home and boom...................nausea after a week. Yes, I can go back on vacation ha ha, but seriously, any ideas why have nausea again? Thanks!

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Stress???
It kills me everywhere with everything…
Like the vacation cure…take more!

REPLY
kbro2010 | @kbro2010 | Dec 25, 2023
In reply to @gigi4 "I see a lot of comments about symptoms and prescription medications. Treating symptoms will never rid..." + (show)
@gigi4

I see a lot of comments about symptoms and prescription medications. Treating symptoms will never rid you of GERD, (unless you are one of those who can be on a PPI for years and years. ) You need to find the causes of the symptoms. I had 3 endoscopies and with the 3rd one, the GI who performed the endoscopy told to never take a PPI again. It made my cells hypertrophic. I had been prescribed a PPI by 3 doctors. Each time I went off, the symptoms returned. If symptoms return, the PPI isn’t healing your gut! Doing the same thing over and over again is pointless. To heal, cause or causes are important and critical to rid you of GERD permanently, dietary changes are critical to rid you permanently, stress management is critical to feel good permanently - you want to stop feeling crappy for good, find a doctor that will test for CAUSES - bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), parasites, a yeast infection, a fungal infection and possibly a few of these may be present. That was the case for me.
After two years of sticking to changes in my diet - eliminating sugars and substituting with stevia, reducing desserts, going gluten free (and no I do not have Celiac Disease), drinking a coffee low in acid, going alcohol free for a lengthy period of time, being careful with spicy foods, eating organic as much as possible to reduce chemicals exposed to, managing my stress, and exercising (if you don’t exercise, even just walking daily helps with digestion), I feel fantastic. The changes I’ve made, I’ve kept up with. I never want to experience my symptoms again and feel miserable.

Jump to this post

It is so hard to find a good doctor that will actually find the cause instead of just throwing pills at you to try. I have been on 3 different meds in 4 months. Nothing seems to help. They just kept upping the dosage. I changed my diet that hasn’t helped. I’ve lost 30 lbs which I didn’t need I’m now under weight. I have had an esophogram, an EGD, and ct scans. I have the Bravo test scheduled for mid Jan. I took myself off all the meds 2 months ago. I couldn’t take the side effects and it wasn’t helping at all. I use Gaviscon advance at night. My issue is the Globus sensation and congestion. I have them 24/7 so I do not know when I’m actually refluxing. I never get heartburn.

REPLY
2 replies
asdf | @asdf | Dec 26, 2023
In reply to @gigi4 "I see a lot of comments about symptoms and prescription medications. Treating symptoms will never rid..." + (show)
@gigi4

I see a lot of comments about symptoms and prescription medications. Treating symptoms will never rid you of GERD, (unless you are one of those who can be on a PPI for years and years. ) You need to find the causes of the symptoms. I had 3 endoscopies and with the 3rd one, the GI who performed the endoscopy told to never take a PPI again. It made my cells hypertrophic. I had been prescribed a PPI by 3 doctors. Each time I went off, the symptoms returned. If symptoms return, the PPI isn’t healing your gut! Doing the same thing over and over again is pointless. To heal, cause or causes are important and critical to rid you of GERD permanently, dietary changes are critical to rid you permanently, stress management is critical to feel good permanently - you want to stop feeling crappy for good, find a doctor that will test for CAUSES - bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), parasites, a yeast infection, a fungal infection and possibly a few of these may be present. That was the case for me.
After two years of sticking to changes in my diet - eliminating sugars and substituting with stevia, reducing desserts, going gluten free (and no I do not have Celiac Disease), drinking a coffee low in acid, going alcohol free for a lengthy period of time, being careful with spicy foods, eating organic as much as possible to reduce chemicals exposed to, managing my stress, and exercising (if you don’t exercise, even just walking daily helps with digestion), I feel fantastic. The changes I’ve made, I’ve kept up with. I never want to experience my symptoms again and feel miserable.

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I am so grateful for your post. I have done many things that you have suggested, but you have increased my knowledge. THANK YOU!!!

REPLY
baguette | @baguette | Dec 26, 2023
In reply to @kbro2010 "It is so hard to find a good doctor that will actually find the cause instead..." + (show)
@kbro2010

It is so hard to find a good doctor that will actually find the cause instead of just throwing pills at you to try. I have been on 3 different meds in 4 months. Nothing seems to help. They just kept upping the dosage. I changed my diet that hasn’t helped. I’ve lost 30 lbs which I didn’t need I’m now under weight. I have had an esophogram, an EGD, and ct scans. I have the Bravo test scheduled for mid Jan. I took myself off all the meds 2 months ago. I couldn’t take the side effects and it wasn’t helping at all. I use Gaviscon advance at night. My issue is the Globus sensation and congestion. I have them 24/7 so I do not know when I’m actually refluxing. I never get heartburn.

Jump to this post

Could you have LPR, also known as respiratory reflux? If so, many people say the meds don't help them with that. Strict low-acid diet, whole foods does. There are two ENTs, Dr. Jonathan Aviv and Dr. Jamie Koufman, who have diets for GERD/LPR sufferers. When you say you changed your diet, did you change it to one of theirs? If not, here is the link to https://jamiekoufman.com, which offers info on LPR and how to deal with it. There is also a FB group dedicated to providing recipes based on Aviv's research: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199013402360712. If you have already tried the strict low-acid diet I am sorry I cannot offer any other advice based on my experience outside the usual elevate the head of the bed, chew sugarless gum, etc.

REPLY
1 reply
kbro2010 | @kbro2010 | Dec 26, 2023
In reply to @baguette "Could you have LPR, also known as respiratory reflux? If so, many people say the meds..." + (show)
@baguette

Could you have LPR, also known as respiratory reflux? If so, many people say the meds don't help them with that. Strict low-acid diet, whole foods does. There are two ENTs, Dr. Jonathan Aviv and Dr. Jamie Koufman, who have diets for GERD/LPR sufferers. When you say you changed your diet, did you change it to one of theirs? If not, here is the link to https://jamiekoufman.com, which offers info on LPR and how to deal with it. There is also a FB group dedicated to providing recipes based on Aviv's research: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199013402360712. If you have already tried the strict low-acid diet I am sorry I cannot offer any other advice based on my experience outside the usual elevate the head of the bed, chew sugarless gum, etc.

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Yes, I purchased Dr koufman’s books. I also purchased an adjustable bed. I drink Alkaline water.

REPLY
saucy | @saucy | Dec 26, 2023

I had severe Gerd and was on high doses of PPI's for 20 years. There are side effects for all of them and the more they are studied the more they find! Zantac is one of them. I had a Linx devise put on my esophagus in 2014 and it failed last year causing ulcers. There are several surgeries for Gerd. After I had the devise taken out last summer, my doctor did food allergy testing. I was shocked since many of the foods I was allergic to I ate daily like eggs! This has helped me to get off the drugs. Now I take a Pepcid if I ingest something I shouldn't. The test is a simple blood test so instead of listening to doctors that just know how to prescribe drugs find one who will investigate your diet!!

REPLY
2 replies
gigi4 | @gigi4 | Dec 26, 2023
In reply to @kbro2010 "It is so hard to find a good doctor that will actually find the cause instead..." + (show)
@kbro2010

It is so hard to find a good doctor that will actually find the cause instead of just throwing pills at you to try. I have been on 3 different meds in 4 months. Nothing seems to help. They just kept upping the dosage. I changed my diet that hasn’t helped. I’ve lost 30 lbs which I didn’t need I’m now under weight. I have had an esophogram, an EGD, and ct scans. I have the Bravo test scheduled for mid Jan. I took myself off all the meds 2 months ago. I couldn’t take the side effects and it wasn’t helping at all. I use Gaviscon advance at night. My issue is the Globus sensation and congestion. I have them 24/7 so I do not know when I’m actually refluxing. I never get heartburn.

Jump to this post

I feel your frustrations. I had given up hope after my last endoscopy. Having followed a gentleman who had had a 10 year journey, I followed his lead and switched to functional medicine. You can search for one by city and state at ifm.org. You can see their specialties. Be aware, insurance doesn’t cover. I found a fabulous doctor who also has a nutritionist on staff to educate you on foods to eliminate based on your diagnosis.
Best of luck to you! Keep us posted.

REPLY
ken82 | @ken82 | Dec 26, 2023

I had GERD for decades before 2015.. my local GI doc said I should have a Nissen Surgery... It was botched badly .. I lost 50 pounds.. I was not overweight..5'-11" 186#.. had to go to Mayo MN to find out I had post operative gastropanesis.. every meal is now a challenge.. will it stay down.. now I have to eat slowly.. cut things up small, chew very well.. hoping for a silver bullet cure when prudent eating properly and carefully would have been the best approach and saved my 8 years of GI trouble.. I still have to take nexium..

REPLY
Bluegrass Gal | @cindychesler | Dec 27, 2023
In reply to @saucy "I had severe Gerd and was on high doses of PPI's for 20 years. There are..." + (show)
@saucy

I had severe Gerd and was on high doses of PPI's for 20 years. There are side effects for all of them and the more they are studied the more they find! Zantac is one of them. I had a Linx devise put on my esophagus in 2014 and it failed last year causing ulcers. There are several surgeries for Gerd. After I had the devise taken out last summer, my doctor did food allergy testing. I was shocked since many of the foods I was allergic to I ate daily like eggs! This has helped me to get off the drugs. Now I take a Pepcid if I ingest something I shouldn't. The test is a simple blood test so instead of listening to doctors that just know how to prescribe drugs find one who will investigate your diet!!

Jump to this post

I too did the food testing in 2019 and it changed my life in a very positive way. I did the MRT / LEAP testing while working with a dietitian. It’s pricey but it was worth it. Good luck.

REPLY
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