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Posted 12/31/2011 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

I have nausea as one of my main GERD symptoms, which was always first thing in the morning. Taking my ppi at night stopped this problem for me.

Have you been tested for anaemia or low thyroid - both of those can cause tiredness.

If your symptoms don't settle after a month, your doc will probably send you for a gastroscopy to see if there's any obvious cause for your GERD. You should also be tested for Helicobacter - but not whilst you are on ppis as that will give you a false negative.

I do wonder if hormones play a part for us ladies - I know progesterone levels during pregnancy can cause acid reflux, so I do wonder if the lowered oestrogen of the menopause allows the progesterone to dominate and create a similar situation.

Have you looked into dietary factors - cut out tea, coffee, alcohol etc?

It does sometimes take a couple of weeks for the drugs to really calm things down - hang in there.

MMM
Posted 1/1/2012 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

I have got the ppI's to take for 28 days so will see how things go. 

I think it must be hormonal as i had really bad heartburn the last month of my 2nd pregnancy and i haven't really suffered from GERD again until now.

Roll on the end of the menopause. :-)

 

Posted 1/1/2012 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
Heartburn at the later stages of pregnancy is just the stomach being squashed, combined with the hormones relaxing the muscles, including the LES. I had acid reflux and very bad nausea for the whole 9 months - both pregnancies!! My GERD made a brief appearance in 2007 following a bereavement, then went until 2009. Appeared almost overnight 18 months ago and just won't go away. I pray that it's just hormonal.

MMM
Posted 1/1/2012 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hope so for you.

:-)
Posted 1/2/2012 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
Holy Moly....I'm almost in tears here. I can't believe how many of these stories are similar to mine.

I experienced my first major "burn" less than a week before Christmas. It felt like hot chili pepper was in my chest. I can say that nothing like that ever happened to me before. Now looking back I have had other symptoms for about 2 years now. But I had no idea that my persistent cough and burping were connected to GERD.

I'm 51 years old and very much in the perimenopause stage of my life. I have been having hot flashes and terrible anxiety. When this "burn" started almost 2 weeks ago I had just started to feel better from a sinus infection and had been on a Zpack and tons of ibruprofen. I'm thinking that one of those meds prompted the acid reflux.

Since then I've tried prilosec (no relief) and am now on nexium which isn't helping either. I'm due back at the doc tomorrow night. Then we will proceed to the a gastro doc for consultation.

The last 2 weeks have been miserable.....that terrible burn hasn't been as fiery but I still have lots of burning that doesn't seem to connect with the times I eat or what I eat. I have cut out all caffeine, chocolate, fatty foods and other triggers. I am eating almost totally a diet of foods recommended for the acid reflux. I have the lump in my throat sometimes, coughing, burping and pressure in my chest/through my back.

My worst times of the day are the morning, ironically until I eat lunch, then I usually feel really good in the afternoon till almost bedtime. Well at least the burning is gone, I still burp and cough.

I'm eating dinner at 5:00 and not going to bed until at least 8:30 (I get up at 4-4:30). I just went out and bought a wedge pillow to see if that would help.

Again, so thankful to "meet" you all.....and know that there are so many others going through this - but sorry you are, at the same time, if you kwim. I was really feeling like I was going crazy.

I'll tell you what - PMS was nothing compared to this perimenopause stuff...whew.

Post Edited (joygrisham) : 1/3/2012 5:17:24 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/3/2012 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
Joygrisham,

I'm not in menopause but I do have GERD, which developed 8 mo ago (6 mo after having my second baby). I first started taking PPI's 3 mo ago though and I will say they took a good 5 weeks to give me approx 95% symptom relief. I honestly thought they weren't working for the first 2 weeks I was taking them.

Hang tough,

Liz
Posted 1/3/2012 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Liz....good to know!
Posted 1/3/2012 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Joy, mine started after taking lots of antibiotics and Ibuprofen for recurrent cystitis. My bladder is much better these days but my stomach just won't give up. I always feel better by lunchtime too, well not as bad as when I wake up anyway!

MMM
Posted 1/3/2012 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
So Interesting, Mudmagnetmum......Yes, it seems eating lunch helps. For some reason eating breakfast doesn't. I just bought one of those wedge pillows and tried it last night. It didn't help at all. I wasn't surprised because I get GERD even standing up straight, but it was worth a try. It did manage to keep me awake a lot, too, because the pillow wasn't comfy. Oh well.
Posted 4/5/2012 9:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with short stemmed barratts oesophagus last february 2011, I had had a chronic cough for 9 months, which doctors kept saying it was probably hayfever, or a cold in the winter. So Feb 2011 I went to BUPA who performed a endoscopy and barratts was found. When I was 16/17 I did suffer with a lot of acid indigestion but cannot honestly remember having a lot of acid over the years. Only when I was pregnant with my 3 boys did I notice I had this quite bad, but that is normal.

I have been told to go on omeprazole which I have every morning and if I get worse to have twice a day. Well my history, it was about 10 years ago now I remember sitting at the dining table eating my dinner and wondering why I wasn't swallowing so well, felt very strange and I never did anything about it. Wish I had done then as I may have never got Barratts.

The chronic cough disappeared after 2 weeks, so I stopped taking the omeprazole thinking I would be okay, thats when I had the terrible pressure inbetween my breast area. Not burning just tightness feeling, I did then start with acid coming up in to my throat at night, I was too scared to go to sleep. So I was diagnosed with Barratts which has scared me to death and still does. I am still taking the medication daily, and my diet has gone to pot again, back on the chocolate because I'm feeing low again.

I am 49 years old this year and have just started getting hot flashes in the night, I have had weird periods for a few months but have missed my first one this month.

I have continually this feeling of a lump in my throat, like a blockage of catarrh that just won't go away, I also have sensitive teeth and wake up with a sore throat regulary. Coud this be acid coming up into my throat at night?

I know several women who have this problem and we are all about the same age.

I have talked to several dieticians who no nothing about my problem which is so frustrating - I am going to go back to my doctors and get referred to a nhs dietician. It is very confusing with all this differing information re which foods to eat.

I do have general aches and pains, but my main concern is my stomach. I don't want it to get any worse than it already is.

I have been eating raspberries and blueberries with my porridge in the morning thinking that this is healthy, but have read today that they are hard to digest so not so good. Arggghhhhh!!!!! What the hell can I eat then. I only eat bananas as too scared to eat any other fruit, apples and orange are a no no.

So from today, I am going to cut out alcohol (which I don't drink many anyway) I don't drink wine, only the odd gin and tonic
no more chocolate (which is going to kill me). I have a terrible sweet tooth too the last few months not sure if that is a peri menopausal problem.

Right enough about me, thank you to all who have written on here, its so enlightening to think there are others with the same problems.

Okay I'm off to make a doctors appointment asap. I will let everyone know how I got on :)
Posted 4/6/2012 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad I found this site. I have been struggling with a lump in my throat for 9 months. I am very healthy and have NEVER suffered with any chronic condition. I was diagnosed with Silent Reflux and put on Nexium twice a day. It did nothing. Went to a GI doc, did endoscopy and he concurred that it was probably silent reflux. After getting no relief tried an acupuncturist and thought that was helping but didn't really help. I am now going to a chiropractor who has helped two friends with the same problem. He says my stomach is bunched up under my diaphragm (somewhat common for women who have been pregnant). He said this does not allow the esophagus to function properly and so he is manipulating my stomach to move down to the place where it is meant to be. My friend said it completely healed the lump in her throat but it took about 3 months. I have been going for 1.5 months and I think it is helping but here comes the REALLY exciting news. I am in menopause (at the age of 47). I went to a new doctor this week for an annual physical. She felt that for a variety of reasons (anxiety among them), that I should go on progesterone cream. I put this on at night before bed. You rub it into your skin in various places before bed, I also rub it into my neck. The lump in my throat is gone and I am feeling calm. I have only had this cream for 3 days. It could be the combination of the chiropractor and the cream but I can not believe that this awful lump is gone. I am so grateful and hope it stays this way. I have changed my diet and that is a good thing for other reasons but it did not seem to help with this lump. I really think this has been a menopause issue all along. This cream is a prescription cream made by a compounding pharmacy, not an over the counter cream. I did not ever want to do HRT but so far this seems to be the right thing for me. Please let me know if you have any questions because in all the research I did on this over all the months, I felt everyone was suffering with the same problem and no one had a solution. I wanted to share my success with treatment. I am very hopeful that it will stay this way.
Posted 4/6/2012 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
I am so glad I found this forum... I, like many of the posters, thought I was going crazy before reading that many others are experiencing the same things... aside from other terrible symptoms (insomnia, inability to remember, dry skin, frequent periods) I also have GERD

I am 47 and few months ago I started having violent GERD attacks, waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain...went to the doctor and a GI specialist who did an endoscopy- they found that I have "non specific" severe inflamation- they put me on Nexium, which I could not take because my insurance would not cover- then on Prilosec... long story short, it was not helping and made it worst...

I took it upon myself to research it and here is what works for me:

DGL, aloe, good liquid multivatimin, good enzymes, no coffee, no tea, no alcohol, no dairy, little to no gluten- eat plenty of raw vegetables and fruits

it sounds drastic, but it's working

I think the medical establishment (including pharma companies) really have no interest to assist women in making the right connections and choices- they prefer to pump us with expensive medications that not only do not work, but make things worst...

of course, more reasearch is due, but for some women it may be sufficient to change the diet and life style for improving drastically their lives...

why don't the doctors tell us that???

good luck to you all, and hang in there!

Posted 4/6/2012 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
I am now 49 and have suffered for years with gastritis/gerd. I now believe it is peri-menopause related but the biggest issue is that doctors don't have a clue. No one, not even my OBGYN would acknowledge the connection. It is a shame that we basically have to suffer enough to then do our own research to realize that this is happening to plenty of women around this time in their lives.
Posted 5/18/2012 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
I am 44 and have been having irregular periods for three years. That is when I had a sudden attack of silent reflux. As my reflux affects my throat, mostly...I don't usually have heartburn, but I have most of the other symptoms and more.
I mostly wanted to mention that visiting a chiropractor helped me as well. They can recommend exercises that help tremendously. My stomach was tight as a result of the reflux and manipulations worked wonders. You also don't realize how tight all the muscles in your torso become.
Posted 6/5/2012 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
( @ BUGSON I am a little overweight and on blood pressure meds but other than that I have been good.)
How long have you been using BP meds for is there a slight chance they might have contributed to the vertigo as a side affect or have you been on them for a long time??? CHEERS hope your doing well
Posted 6/6/2012 12:56 AM (GMT 0)
I am so glad I found this whole site.  I now spend my evenings on here reading everyone's stories and finding that I can relate to so many things.  I agree that all this GERD/heartburn/anxiety/lightheadness, etc. is related to menopause.  I'm 55 and up until January when I turned 55 I was just fine.  It all started with a stressful time in my life and followed up in February with chest discomfort. Trips to cardio to rule out heart stuff and next the gastro. I've since been on Prilosec, Nexium Aciphex and currently Protonix. I've had EKG's, CT scan of chest, elaborate blood work, gastric emptying study and scheduled in two weeks for a BRAVO test. I feel like a human guinea pig. I don't enjoy going out to eat anymore because I'm never sure what I should have or avoid. I stress myself out just thinking about it and then worrying if I did the right thing.

Who ever came up with the song, "lovely to be a woman" definitely wasn't one! 

Thanks to all of these wonferful woman for sharing stories and sticking together in these trying time.

jmumom

Posted 6/19/2012 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Omg, I am not insane, it is so true that "Misery Loves Company" hang in there everyone, it's gotta get better, just not sure when :)
Posted 6/19/2012 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
jumumom; Just out of curiosity are you going through menopause now or are you almost done, meaning no period for a year?

Your post sounds a lot like me. I too read these posts so I can feel better and know I am not alone here while comparing symptoms. I had no idea that my gerd could be related to menopause but it definitely is along with a lot of other crazy symptoms. I just hope it doesn't last too long. I see you are 55 and I am soon to be 50 so I am hoping this all ends fairly soon.
Posted 7/1/2012 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
I have been suffering from silent GERD for about 2 months.  The PPi's don't seem to be helping much and I have been trying to modify my diet (But there's lots of confusing advice out there!).  I think mine is definately connected to the menopause.  I am 52 with v irregular periods. At the same time as developing the GERD (started choking in the night, very scary, have a weird cough that comes and goes and my voice keeps cracking up). I also started to pee when I cough.  Seems to me that my muscles are losing tone due to the hormones.  I have been referred for tests so will wait and see what happens.  Will stay with the PPI's and Gaviscon but not sure that they are helping.  I have to sleep in a chair at the moment as when I lay down (even with the bed propped up) the reflux kicks in.  Feeling pretty depressed and not getting much sympathy (don't look ill!). My stomach is enormous too which doesn't help.  Might try the Chiropractor if that works for some (anyone else found it helps?).  Well thats the end of my moan - feeling a bit better mentaly at least!
Posted 7/2/2012 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
bigtum; I feel your pain. I started with the diagnosis silent GERD after going to the doctor with almost constant nausea, ear/sinus pain that was related. This is after years of tests and different doctors and I am now 49 but have been in peri, I believe for quite a while and now see it is all related to peri-menopause. I have had to change my diet and what and when i eat. I can't eat soon before bed and actually try to give myself several hours of not eating before bed so I don't have the same night time problems you describe. I had to cut out wheat, a lot of chocolate and definitely the greasy foods. Try to modify your diet and when you eat if you already haven't and see if that works. I do take one zegerid a day and it does seem to help. I am just trying to wait this out and hope it gets better. Just know you are not alone in this, best of luck!
Posted 9/21/2012 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
Although I am happy to hear that other per-menopausal women suffer from reflux, its very sad. If hot flashes all day and night weren't bad enough. I am 52 and have been peri-menopausal for 2 years. I started having silent reflux 6 months ago (realized it after doing research after waking one morning with my throat burning) and immediately stopped all the main trggers of reflux. I had mucus in my throat which was worse in the morning and an annoying cough and throat clearing. My throat still burned all day and went to GP who prescribed Pepcid SC extra strength. Took that for 7 days with no benefit and switched to Prilosec and went to see gastroenterologist who confirmed reflux (LPR not GERD) and gave me a 3 month prescription for Prilosec. After 9 days on Prilosec with no relief, I switched to Nexium. I have been on Nexium for over 1 month and no more burning in  my throat all day and can eat more foods now. I still get reactions from certain foods like melon, and get mucus in my throat and that annoying lump. I noticed recently that when my hot flashes subsided for a few days, the reflux went away entirely. No lump in throat and mucus and was able to eat without any reaction. As soon as the hot flashes started again, the reflux came back. I sleep with a wedge under my mattress and eat alkaline based foods and drink high alkaline water. I also take a TUMS at night to help. This is beyond frustrating. I am also constipated due to not being able to eat fruits and salad. My diet is so restricted and include mostly very binding foods like rice, potatoes and bananas. This really sucks. I never take drugs and never complain and this reflux has really wiped me out.
Posted 9/21/2012 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
I am going to be 50 in November and I know that peri-menopause is triggering severe GERD symptoms for me as well. Lately, i get the burning between my shoulder blades many times a day and it has also been happening more in the middle of the night. The feeling as if something is stuck in my throat is also been more annoying lately. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat either any more. I work out and try to stay healthy but it is becoming increasingly more difficult.
Posted 9/30/2012 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
When I started with perimenopause I developed GERD and later chronic gastritis. I'm into menopause now. No period for 3 years. I get bloated (my stomach) and also my lower abdomen. This is so bad. I keep telling my doctors that my G.I. problems began with menopause and they don't want to listen. I have to have not a CT scan. I have to drink that banana flavor drink, barium. I hope it doesn't upset my stomach. I will also be seeing my GYN for the menstrual like cramps. Oh yes I have also panic attack since menopause.
Posted 12/27/2012 1:24 PM (GMT 0)

I am so glad I stumbled onto this site.  I am 46 and have been in perimenopause for about 2 years, and have just not felt like myself for that entire time.  Body aches, anxiety, panic, hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, you name it.  I had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago.  I've been on 20mg Prilosec/day since the gallbladder surgery, with no side effects.  about 6 weeks ago, I started with a burning pain under my right rib, then bloating, belching, feeling very full during dinner, and the stomach upset and burning started, with certain foods.  I eat a very healthy diet (no sugar, low carbs, whole grain, fruits, veggies) and did not change anything, so I was at a loss for the cause.  I am also on Progesterone, which I have read may exacerbate GERD symptoms???  I went to my GP who prescribed Protonix for 4 weeks.  It didn't help much, and he suggested I visit my gastroenterologist to see what else may be going on.  I have an appointment for two weeks from now.  In the meantime, I am back on the Prilosec, and have eliminated coffee, chocolate, tomato, citrus, mint, etc. from my diet, and have been eating small meals throughout the day, and nothing after dinner.  Taking antacids (Tums or Mylanta) when I feel burning in my stomach.    I too feel anxiety that every little pain is something very serious - and I have never been like this before in my life.  This holiday season has been less than joyful because I've been worrying about this nonsense and waiting for my appointment in January. 

Posted 12/28/2012 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
You may just need to try a different med for your GERD if protonix isn't working. I know I went through trial and error until i found on that worked. I take otc Zegerid and it helps but there are still a few bad days mixed in. It is definitely related to my peri-menopause and the hormonal fluctuations and sometimes nothing helps. I did not have a period for 4 months, felt great and then it decided to show up and now i feel really lousy again. This is how i know it is related. I don't know if the anxiety makes the GERD worse or the GERD makes the anxiety worse but that is also mixed in to this hell of a recipe that we call peri-menopause. This is a stressful time of year and it doesn't help at all when you don't feel well. You may just have to try something different to get this under control but in the mean time best of luck to you.. i know how you feel.
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