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GERD vs IBS?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 4/8/2007 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with "rigorous GERD" after a barium swallow last summer.  HOWEVER, now that I found out that I have IBS, I am thinking that there is a possibility that IBS is causing all symptoms and NOT GERD.

I just did a PH study.  Results are not in yet.  But I noticed on the monitor that there were times when my esophageal PH was normal for an extended amount of time!  Then a GI doctor I'm in touch with online told me that IBS can cause my excessive burping, chest pains and regurgitations!!

I am wondering if there are also others here in the post who have been given prevacid, like me but maybe have IBS instead of GERD!!!  Make sure to get your colon checked like I did!  Any thoughts??

Posted 4/9/2007 12:06 AM (GMT 0)

 Hi Friendlygal,

  I have had GERD, reflex, chest pains, lump in throat for the past 23 years, but i have had IBS for about 8 years. Considering it's all part of the GI track, maybe one problem leaves you suceptible to other GI problems. Maybe it's just conincidence. I know there a lot of people with one and not the other. I really don't know, i'am guessing.

Posted 4/9/2007 12:10 AM (GMT 0)

NH66, are you saying that you had all these symptoms for 23 years with no relief?  I am very sad about my debilitating lump in my throat and constant fatigue.

How did you find out you had GERD?  Did the biopsies in the endoscopy show that?

What has helped your IBS??  I want this all to end for me!!! I don't want to think that I will have this for so many years!

Posted 4/9/2007 12:32 AM (GMT 0)

  Friendlygal,

 My symptoms come and go, i could have all of them for a few days then they will go away, then they come back. I am NOT a doctor person. I just went to the doctor for the first time b/c of mild chest pain i had for 2 weeks. That's when she said i had GERD. I remember waking in the middle night thinking i was having a heart attack, but i was young so i thought, no this must be heartburn. That happened in my 20,30, now 40s. I don't recommend being as stupid as myself. With the IBS, i have had that for about 8 years. Had my first scope last month. I never would have gone to the doctor, but i started having lots of blood with BMs. I guess i am one of those people that likes to stick my head in the sand.

Posted 4/9/2007 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
This is probably a question for another board, but what do you do for the IBS now that you know you have it?
Posted 4/9/2007 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Lonibel, I will find out for sure if I have acid reflux when I meet with the GI doctor who did the esophageal motility studies on me (manometry and PH studies).  As for the IBS, I was given Zelnorm.  Zelnorm has now been taken off of the market.  The FDA said that it can cause heart disease/stroke (something like that).  But since I was diagnosed with a bacterial overgrowth, I am taking an antibiotic.  I also take probiotics.  Other than that, I have no idea what to do about my IBS.

Interestingly, although IBS is for a different board, my IBS gives me GERD-like symptoms.  I think it's because these are both digestive issues.

Posted 4/9/2007 3:19 AM (GMT 0)

indersonu, thanks for the hope.  I actually now think that I can have oranges and tomatoes, etc.  So we don't all have the same thing.

I am thinking that I have IBS that is causing the GERD-like symptoms.  I was taking prevacid twice a day, but I am not going back to taking it until the results from the PH-testing and manometry come in.  I want to know for sure that I have acid reflux before taking anymore PPIs.  The PPIs damaged me by constipating me terribly.  My esophagus looks normal so it could be that the barium results stating that I have GERD are false.  The barium swallow showed reflux which is correct.  But it might not be acid that I am refluxing.  I am refluxing food though, for some reason and I want to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Posted 4/18/2007 1:08 PM (GMT 0)

friendlygal said...
Interestingly, although IBS is for a different board, my IBS gives me GERD-like symptoms. I think it's because these are both digestive issues.

I'm not a doctor, but I would like to note that GERD and IBS symptoms are dissimilar. Heartburn never occurs with IBS. But it is possible to have GERD and IBS together.

Here is some info about IBS types and symptoms http://www.healthassist.net/conditions/ibs.shtml

Also, there are several things you can do to relieve and control GERD symptoms like avoiding overeating, elevating the head of bed, avoiding triggering food, etc.
Posted 4/18/2007 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
karenb, a doctor told me that IBS CAN cause regurgitation and chest pain.  was he wrong?

Posted 5/6/2009 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Everyone!

I've been dealing with IBS for years! Now I'm learning so much about recent research because my 15 year old daughter is being discharged from the hospital with being diagnosed with IBS and GERD. She was at an adult hospital and then got readmitted to a children's hospital. This stint has been 5 days. I've learned soo much here. A little background though, 5 months ago she was in and out of the Emergency Room with the same symptoms and they ended up taking out her gallbladder, but she had had an EGD & colonoscopy. This had shown she had erosive esophagus from GERD. She was then put on Nexium to help repair her esophagus. Now 5 months later she started in with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and she was headed back to the hospital. After having her own "House" team, they tested her for everything!! After 5 days and lots of research, her team had actually found some new medical research that does link IBS with GERD and vice versa. The research shows that if you have a flair of IBS, it can make your GERD worse and vice versa, but it continues getting worse and is a vicious circle. They have added some new meds to her current one of Nexium. First off, during flair ups of GERD she will take Nexium twice a day instead of just once a day, plus Levid twice a day, Elavil, which was originally designed for depression but will help with IBS, and Karafate before every meal so 3 x a day. Hope this helps some of you! Also, in regards to those of you who have chest pain that doesn't go along with your GERD, have you had your gallbladder checked?? I had severe chest pain and rushed to the hospital and they realized that it was my gallbladder later after a nuclear med test. Hope you all the best and good luck!

Billi168, a medical assistant, EMT, and Paramedic student
Posted 11/9/2009 4:28 AM (GMT 0)

Hi.. I had gallbadder removed 02 to discover high blood pressure and panic attacks followed. Lorazapam took care of the high blood pressure, I take a low dose of .5 mg at night.  complete hysterectomy in 89 from endometriosis(sp) As long as I can remember I've had stomach problems.. I've had 2 colon  and 1 egd and told I have ibs along with reflux.. Over the last 2 years I've had stomach cramps along with cold sweats it seems about once a week. I go to the bathroom sometimes 10 times before immodium takes effect. Then after immodium I don't go for 2 to 3 days so I try not to take immodium. I've learned what to eat and not, but its hard to stay on a very strict diet especially at work. I've been taking nexium a little over 2 months for reflux, and have discovered a miracle vitamin called GBPLUS!!! for ibs!!! this is why I've joined healingwell.. to tell everyone with ibs and reflux about this wonderful vitamin. I was ready to go to the hospital because I couldn't keep any food down and was starting to vomit from acid and had lost 7 pounds in one week! I also have degenerative disc disease and oste so my back doctor actually put me on the vitamin. He explained that the gallbladder stores bile that the liver pulls from to digest our food. When your gallbladder is removed they leave the tube and sometimes the liver can't get enough bile.. soo he said I needed bile and low and behold he was sooooo right!!!  the minute I put one of these in my mouth I could feel the acid being obsorbed(i need spelling lessons!! lol ) I've been taking the gbplus about 2 months and have gained 8 pounds, but this past friday I had a bad ibs and reflux day.. I had mac donalds twice, taco bell once and spices all week along with coffee... i was sooo bad and i paid for it dearly.. for 2 to 3 hours at work I went to the bathroom along with chills and sweats and stomach spasms. Today is sunday and I'm still not well from friday. It hurt real bad to take a deep breath last night and still today but not as bad. I've doubled up on the gbplus and have taken a few gas x strips. I think I had sooo much acid to come up my throat that it burnt it and maybe flowed into my lungs.. I've heard of severe gurd getting into the lungs and that is dangerous.

I will close for now.. I hope anyone who has reflux or ibs or both try this vitamin.. it soo far has been a life saver for me!   smilewinkgrin

Posted 11/9/2009 4:55 AM (GMT 0)

I do want to add that I took hyomax for ibs 2x a day and it worked great at first. I was told that it would relax the muscles in my stomach. I asked what about my heart since it was a muscle, would it affect it? He said no..  my general dr about a year ago did an ekg because she thought she heard something and she said ekg came up bad. I've had all heart test including dye through leg in 2003 so I didn't go back to her until a few months back. she did another ekg and wanted to do all these test all over again. so i went to a heart dr who said ekg didn't look that bad. I started doing research on the drug hyomax and in some cases it has caused.. bad ekg, dropping of blood pressure, sweats and heart palpitations.. thank God I quit that drug and found the vitamin GBPLUS!

'

Posted 5/8/2010 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
I found a total cure that works for me so far !
I'm posting here in the hopes that what worked for me works for one other person at least. Everything else I saw about this just seemed like and add or spam.
I purchased all the books etc nothing helped.
I have been diagnosed with an upper GI with both GERD and IBS
I don't know which causes which but they sure came at the same time.
I have been suffering with it for over 1 year and am 53 male.
I don't eat fatty food (usually) and also have Lactose intolerance and some diverticulosis, I have had 1 polyp in 25 years and get regular Colonoscopys (last being a year ago (have been clean for 25 years). No bad stress not a drinker dont need coffee, am under pressure but this whole thing started pretty quickly and during one of the best financial and love life times of my life. Doctor also did blood tests and checked for parasites.

He put me on Prevacid, did nothing for me, then prilosac and told me to eat fiber. This fixed me for 2 months maybe and it came back. So after research I added Zantac, that helped me again for 1 month and it came back. At no time even with the meds did I feel normal but they did help the GERD and throat. I was getting very depressed and figured the quality of life was quickly changing. I didnt know if the IBS was giving me GERD or the other way around. I had to worry every time I ate I would need a bathroom in 30 minutes to expel a ton of air, mucus an BM that never looked normal. Even with the meds I had to be very careful of what I ate.
I was fed up. I researched internet every day. I'm the type who trusts the doctors and figured medicine is best. I eat right am not over weight but was not a holistic believer per say at least when it came to something wrong with you.

I think I have seen the light. I started drinking 1 or 2 tablespoons of Raw unfilltered apple cider vinegar before and after meals against my belief that more acid would cause more suffering. I was willing to try anything. Boy was I wrong, in 2 days I could tell I was getting much better. My 6 times a day BM turned into 1 and it allowed me to reintroduce fiber since too much before just made things worse, I stopped taking all meds and have been feeling great for a week. When I go to work I bring a water bottle half filled with 2 tablespoons in the bottle with some honey. I will take a few big sips before and after meals. IF I feel any GERD or acid I take a tablespoons chased with some honey and a glass of water. If I feel any throat problems I take some honey and make sure I keep the throat lubricated. I also take B vitamin. I wont mention the brand of cider vinegar since I'm not advertising but it is easy to find. I hope this info can help at least a few other fellow sufferers ! FYI I have done all the other normal stuff except raising the bed. The Vinegar cured me at least so far (1 week) might be premature but I haven't felt this right in 1 year and am not taking drugs. Everything is normal !
Hopefully this helps someone, I know we are all different but it is worth a try and this was an instant cure for me.

Post Edited (John Suhr) : 5/8/2010 12:25:28 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/11/2010 10:07 PM (GMT 0)

There is definitely a relationship between GERD and IBS.  I was diagnosed with GERD 10 years ago and have taken various medications for it....Nexium for 5 years before I started having very bad digestive problems and after many, many tests, I was told I had IBS-C.  When I get backed up my heartburn and reflux is terrible....my doctor verified the connection.  I don't know if the years of acid medications had anything to do with my IBS but a specialist I saw did tell me that my chronic constipation probably had alot to do with the start of my GERD and now the IBS.

Chicken or the egg?  I don't know but it's definitely hard to deal with both of them at the same time.  I have become intolerant of so many foods and some of the things I can eat for one problem don't agree with the other problem.  I've lost 25 pounds this past year.  I'm taking Aciphex in the morning and a 150 Zantac before dinner plus numerous other things for the IBS.  I'm looking for a miracle!!

I'm new here and was really interested to see that there were others that have both and trying to figure out if there is a connection.

Posted 11/21/2010 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
i was diagnosed with both ibs and gerd. My doctor said i need fiber and stool softeners. It turned out they were just trying to put me on medication. They real problem is hemorroids are backing up everything inside me. I have to go to the bathroom about 5 times a day. Is anyone else being diagnosed with these conditions aware that they also have hemorroids?
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