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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 1/29/2013 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
How does anyone here ignore their acid reflux on a daily basis? How do you guys have this for years and not go insane? Is it because you have been able to find temporary relief and kept going? I dont feel like anything gives me temporary relief. And i have tried everything, seriously. Something is internally damaged I just dont understand how anyone does this for years on end.
Posted 1/29/2013 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
I agree...YEARS of this? I am a positive person but I am starting to feel down and it's been three months. I have cut out everything out of my diet literally and I'm doing everything the Dr has asked me. I am scared to start the Dexilant tonight but don't know what else to do!
Posted 1/30/2013 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
I have had this for 5 years. Ask around...I am borderline insane.
Posted 1/30/2013 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Maria, how are you doing? I've had this for so many years now, I don't know how I put up with it. I have to take an antidepressant and xanax for the times in high anxiety because of my health issues. I put up with acid reflux plus gastritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, vulvodynia, hypoglycemia, and anxiety and depression. I'm only 31, so I'm very scared of how I will feel 10-20 years from now :( Just very sick of being sick!

I'm really thinking I have gastroparesis too, as I believe you said you have. It seems to be a delay in digesting fats or something because I taste food in burps for hours upon hours. I'm going to ask to get the gastric delay emptying test done to figure that one out. I feel like I am going insane!!
Posted 1/30/2013 10:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,ive had gerd for 6 years now and like acidrefluxman says nearly goin insane,ive tried all meds,diet changes and recently had Nissen surgery and ive still got reflux.This is a serious illness that has a major impact on your life both physical and mental.
What can you do but keeping going and hopefully something or someone will come up with a cure for this,i know their trying. Barry
Posted 1/30/2013 11:31 AM (GMT 0)
Fast Tract diet is pretty different from what most docs recommend. It has worked for me. There is a thread here on it with more details.  Eating 6 small meals instead of 3 larger ones is very important.
Posted 1/30/2013 2:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Maria,

Just adding to the nice posts here...

I have had GERD since 1998. It is a progessive illness and have been on nearly every PPI known to mankind.

With proper medications and lifestyle changes most people can live a pretty normal life before surgery (like me) is indicated. There are many things which I have learned thoughout the years, such as getting multiple opinions from different MD's and a regimen of upper endoscopies with biopsy to check or BE or even (yipes!) EC.

The most important thing is early intervention with a good gastroenterologist who can perform tests and optimize (if possible) your experience. Beware of MD's who sit with you looking at their computer and/or cellphone or try to give you the "HMO Push." As for going insane, no. Am I a nervous wreck, yes - no doubt about that.

I can't even travel for fear of getting food poisoning due to my low Ph level. So I eat home or in *trusted* places in which there are very few. That itself is a real PITA!

Now that I am at the end stage of medicinal therapy, I joined here to gain information of the NF and LINX procedures and even decided to investigate the Endostim, which is not FDA approved yet in the USA.

Hope this helps answer your question!

Best,

Gastricman :-)

 

Post Edited (Gastricman) : 1/30/2013 8:11:04 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/30/2013 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
It is definetly a challange living with GERD. I finally have my symptoms MOSTLY under control with medication, diet, lifestyle changes, and natural remedies. I miss some of the foods, but I try to think about it as junk I do not need to put in my body anyways. And I have also been able to find substitutes for the foods I miss. I did have to go on zoloft for my anxiety which has helped. I take one day at a time and continue to wait until these doctors come up with better options.
Posted 1/31/2013 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
It's hard - and would be harder still without the constant reassurance that there are lots of other people feeling exactly the same!

I can't bear to look ahead and see me having to live with this forever - I hang on to the hope that things will improve further. We see a lot of negative references to this being a "progessive disease" but I don't think that is true of all cases. My condition has not changed at all in almost three years (neither my experience of it nor the actual pathology of it), but the management of my symptoms has - for the better. Like a lot of people I cannot cope with any further dietary changes, being already wheat and dairy free and having small children to cook for too, but I've modified as much as I can. Acupuncture and the herb milk thistle have made a big difference to me in the last six months, to the point that I am now aware of some triggers that I wasn't aware of before (when you're bad all the time, how do you spot something making you worse??!). Although I'm suffering a bit this week (punishment for birthday indiscretions........), overall things have been a lot easier to cope with since the acupuncture dealt with my nausea. Having felt sick again this week, I can only look back and wonder how I coped with daily nausea for 2 years!!


MMM
Posted 2/1/2013 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
It's really hard and know you are not alone!

I've had this since 2005 and it would come in waves of horrific. I always had some level of heartburn, reflux, indigestion or nausea every day but at times it would be unbearable. I'd take huge doses of PPI's then it would get "under control" for a few months. The cycle would continue.

In July 2012 it started again but WOULD NOT go away ... I was incredibly depressed and always in pain. I saw doctors and had lots of tests done. I finally found the right doctor, got the right tests done and made the decision for surgery. I couldn't live my life anymore with the constant pain and fear of food. So far (2 weeks after surgery) it's been amazing and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I wish you luck because this is really hard to live with. I tried to ignore it for years and it's not easy and not a good idea. I'm lucky my esophagus eroding didn't lead to esophageal cancer. That's a real risk, so take care of yourself!!!!!!
Posted 2/1/2013 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
Its extremely hard. I take it day by day and hope that there maybe a day where I can get better. If I think of the long term or how life use to be, I will be extremely disappointed. What really matters is that I'm still alive and that I have a wonderful life minus the horrible GERD/LPR symptoms.
Posted 2/1/2013 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Maria. I'm from Oz, and saw your post. My gastroenteroligist prescribed Somac for me years ago...I take 40mg x 2 per day and have never felt better, plus limiting some foods such as curries etc. I have a "surveillance" endoscopy every two years as I have Barrett's Oesophagus, which is a pre-cancerous condition, but all good so far.

I hope that you have a good and savvy doctor or specialist as these symptoms can be controlled.

Cheers, Wendy from Oz.  smilewinkgrin

Posted 2/1/2013 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Just wondering if all of you good posters are from the same country? I can't understand why your symptoms are not controlled?

 

PS: see my other post re Somac etc, and very best wishes to you all.  smhair

Posted 2/2/2013 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
Wendy,
We are from all over the world. Somac here in the US is Protonix. It's a PPI. Many of us have tried all of these over the years with more success than others. I've been on all of them over a period of 13 years (Protonix hardly helped me at all) and have come to the end of the road with them. I'm glad it's helping you! It helps many people, but there are the unlucky ones that they don't help, or did at one time and then just stop working. I'm currently looking into surgery, the drugs are hardly helping anymore.
Posted 2/2/2013 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
TheSixness - That is how I feel, trying to take it day by day. I like your positive attitude though. I've been pretty negative because surgery seems like the only thing left for me and am scared that it may not work. But again, there goes the negative thinking! I should be happy that I'm still alive and even though this condition can be debilitating, there are people experiencing much, much worse conditions.
Posted 2/2/2013 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
I also lived with the GERD for many years and could not even leave the house without having tons of pills in my purse for heartburn. Sometimes the pills worked and sometimes they did not. I got tired of the burning pain and gave into the NF surgery two-weeks ago. No more pills, no more pain. It's a slow recovery, but well worth it so far.

Summer
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