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New to GERD. Really need advise and support.

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 7/17/2013 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone! I am only 17 years old and newly diagnosed to this disease (about 2 weeks ago). It's been a very hard two weeks for me since this disease has completely changed my diet. I am some one who LOVES spicy food and adding a little hot sauce to everything. It's been really hard for me to resist the bad food, but I don't give in because my GERD comes w/ anxiety. My GERD isn't horrible. And the doctors told me to just take Zantac 150. Not everyday tho. Just when needed. Yesterday evening, I took a Zantac 30 mins before I ate spaghetti (sauce has tomatoes a very big no for GERD), and even though I did not get heartburn, I did get anxious. My fingers and legs have been shaking and twitching since yesterday. :( I am asking for some help and support to get through this. What foods do I need to stay away from, foods that'll help me, or any tips on dealing w/ this would be greatly appreciated.
Posted 7/17/2013 7:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenny. I was diagnosed when I was 14 and I am 18 now. I understand that anxiety can be a bad thing to couple any medical problems. The best advice I can give you for the anxiety pairing with GERD is to not think about it too much. I see that you are newly diagnosed and that you obviously would like to pay attention to this, but I would say try not to over think your problems. Since it is hard to sit down and say "don't think about ___" the best thing I can say is to make yourself busy with other things and do not let it come to mind.

As for which foods to avoid, the most obvious ones are the ones that you can find on any website that has a list of foods to avoid for GERD. These are only general lists though; you will have to experiment and figure out what foods you will have to avoid even if they are not on any lists. I know for me, I cannot eat apples without getting pain even though some websites even say they should be good for reflux, but it all comes down to how you can handle different foods.
Posted 7/17/2013 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you DontStealMyBacon, I too had the same experience w/ apples. I am trying to go about this disease w/ a positive attitude, but I'm sure you know how hard that can be.
Posted 7/17/2013 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Jenny-

Welcome to Healing Well.

The muscle twitches can be from several things. Dehydration, low sodium or potassium, and sometimes PPIs and such can cause them. I would talk with your doctor very soon about this.

As for diet, keep a very detailed food diary. Sometimes it's not just the food, but what is in the food. Alcie has been through a heck of a time with food allergies and I hope she will pop in here for you.

As for apples I wasn't able to eat them much before my nissen, but since then I eat a lot of them as they help control my bile induced D.

Keeping a positive attitude is a must with this disease. Keep it up.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 7/19/2013 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
It sounds like you might be an anxious person, and anxiety may make GERD worse. Try to relax!
Posted 7/21/2013 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much. And yes, I can be anxious person, but I've never had it as bad as I've had it ever since I've been diagnosed w/ GERD. As for the muscle twitches, they definitely happen whenever I eat a trigger. And thank you for the food diary idea, I will definitely start that tomorrow! :)
Posted 7/21/2013 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Jenny-- Research has shown that there is a correlation between anxiety disorders and gastrointestinal distress. Sometimes anxiety becomes the primary disorder and the reflux is further aggravated be excessive worrying. You might consider counseling or seeking medical asisstance for the anxiety. Keep in mind that GERD is a treatable disorder. You can find relief for both your GERD and anxiety.
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