jasonrobertz said...
My symptom is grastic contents splashing up my esophagus and stay there and the feeling is harsh. Anti acid medications won't help because they only eliminate gastric acid, not other gastric contents such as water. I've heard that the only thing to resolve my problem is through surgery. I'm going to see a GI. What to expect? What if I can't afford these expensive surgeries? Will it be game over or nah?
In my opinion, surgery should be the absolute last resort, especially if you haven't been scoped yet. I think you're partially on the right track by going to see a Gastroenterologist. Depending on their training and experience, the GI doctor might put you on some other medications right away or he/she might recommend a barium swallow, an upper endoscopy, or something else.
Have you tried changing your diet? From my own research and experience, over half of people with GERD can alleviate their symptoms over time by changing what they eat, how much they eat, and when they eat. It also helps if you elevate the head of your bed by at least 5 to 7 inches, some people like it higher. It's something you can experiment with.
One of the resources I've been recommending to people is a book called Dropping Acid by Dr. Jamie Koufman. It's made a huge difference in alleviating my GERD symptoms. It's tough to be on such a restrictive diet, especially if you have to do it for months like I'm forced to do, but the relief that comes with it is totally worth it to me.
During the first couple of weeks after going to the ER with horrific stomach and esophageal pain, I only ate organic baby food, small pieces of bananas, and slices of peeled organic red apples. I ate absolutely no meat for about 2 weeks because it was just too rough on my system.
I don't drink any alcohol of any kind (not even a sip), no caffeine, no fatty foods, no fried foods, no spicy foods, no dairy (for 90 days), no foods containing sulfites, no chocolate in any form, no artificial sweeteners, and I stay away from all forms of MSG (cleverly disguised as "hydrolyzed protein" and many other names).
I only eat organic foods and drink organic beverages, though I mostly drink water, alkaline water, coconut water, and home made natural teas (I never drink tap water, always filtered).
It's now been 4 weeks since my episode and I can finally eat lean meats as long as I don't eat the skin (think turkey or chicken). And this is with a grade B level of erosive esophagitis.
Make sure you eat very small meals at first, 4 to 6 times a day. Drink lots of water but in small amounts at a time because in some people, water can trigger GERD symptoms.
I hope your GI doctor is able to help you and that you find the relief that you are looking for.