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GERD symptoms very painful

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 2/22/2011 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with GERD this past December.  I've had a lump sensation and tights chest for some time.  I've had heartburn and horseness as well.  Very painful.  The doctor put me on 40mg of prilosec for a month.  Did not help so he put me on 80mg twice daily... did not help so now I've been on Nexium (80 mg. twice daily) for a week and still have symptoms.  Heartburn, tight chest are the worse.  The lump sensation in throat has gone away but not the acid taste.  I now have stomach pains and did not have them before taking Nexium.  I'm so discouraged because the doctor said this is the max regimin for GERD.  I want to just go off all medicine completely.  I've changed my diet and that didn't even help.  Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Posted 2/23/2011 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bloomer,
Welcome to Healing Well! You're DEFINITELY in the right place. Could it be that you've irritated your esophagus from the reflux, and it hasn't healed yet? I've had reflux episodes (I was hospitalized with one---I also have asthma, so when it gets bad, it can cause lung issues) that caused me to have a "lump" feeling, and irritation/discomfort that lasted for weeks.

I remember being hospitalized with so much burning that I couldn't eat--regardless of the PPI's I was on. Honestly, it didn't seem as if they were helping one bit.

Once you get an irritation like that, it takes time for it to heal and become comfortable again. Is it possible that you're experiencing residual burning? If that's the case, your continued use of the PPI's could help you in the long run.

I hope you find an answer and get feeling better very soon.
Take care,
Denise
Posted 2/23/2011 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
Last night I couldn't sleep. I had sweats all night and the acid burning up my back of throat and then coughing fit. It makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. I couldn't even eat dinner last night. I'm so tired of this and can't feel depressed. It effects my family life and I'm a teacher... I feel like I have to quit work. Will it get better? Should I continue on the medicine. I have been on a PPI since December and don't feel any relief. They did do a endoscope down my throat in december and it showed mild esophagitis and mild gastritis but no barretts and no cancer. That I'm happy about.
Posted 2/23/2011 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning,

It does sound like you are having reflux.  Perhaps it is time to revisit your physician as there are many other PPIs available and another one may serve you well.

Reflux I understand well and waking up choking and feeling like you are going to have an emesis is scary.  I will shoot out of bed into the bathroom.  I often cough for 15 minutes after the event.

I wish you the best and keep talking with us.

Kindly,

Kitt

 

Posted 2/26/2011 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor just put me on another drug... it's called Sucralfate. Now I am on 80 mg of Nexium daily, pepcid AC before bed and this. He says since I'm not having relief from the prilosec and nexium that maybe I also have bile reflux. Anybody ever hard of this? I did have my gallbladder out in 1997 but I haven't had any problems until now.
Posted 2/26/2011 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
Bloomer -
Are you seeing a gastroenterologist?

Your meds seem pretty normal for what they usually prescribe. If they're not working it may be time for more testing to see what's going on. They can only see so much peeking down your throat. They need nice pictures of what's happening when you swallow and to find out where the stomach is sitting. A barium swallow will do just that without being a nasty test.

If it turns out you have a hernia letting your stomach slide up into your chest part of the time or they see bad reflux going on during the swalows, they will want to do more tests. Don't worry about that too much yet. Even if it comes down to surgery, you've been through the same sort of thing getting your gallbladder out.

We're here rooting for you! Best wishes!!
Posted 2/27/2011 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
I spent 4 yrs with GERD which is what you have.
The meds worked at first then developed side effects.
My tounge burned like crazy and and throat stayed raw.
Meds stopped saliva and plaque and bad breathe are bad.

I did just have the TIF Surgery (saw it on Dr. OZ) this past Friday.

Incesionless does not mean painless.
The results are often more predictable than the Nissen Wrap.
Posted 2/27/2011 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
What is TIF surgery?
Posted 2/27/2011 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Let me know if the TIF surgery helped. I live in Maryland and have an appointment set up at Hopkins Medical Center. I would think they would perform this type of procedure. I've only been suffering with GERD for 3 months but it seems like 3 years... the episode I'm having is not showing relief with Nexium, antacids and carafate.
Posted 2/27/2011 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
I was on prilosec and ranitadene.

See following for TIF Surgery

http://www.endosurgeryuk.com/

I will have to let you know "if it helped" after I have time to recover.

It's a real kick in the balls so far.

Posted 2/27/2011 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
TIF is when they go down your throat to repair a weak LES (lower esophagal spincter). The Nissen fundoplication is where they go in through your abdominal wall either laproscopically or open. open method is rarely done now.
During the TIF they use a special endoscope with something similar to a stapler to pinch up a section of the stomach to the esophagus. The nissen is where they wrap part of your stomach around the outside of your esophagus.
There are plus and minus to both surgeries. Since the TIF is so new (five years in the USA), I decided to stick with the tried and true.
Posted 2/27/2011 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
My Dr. quit doing the Nissen Wrap as no mater how many he did he could never judge the outcome of the wrap.

Some were to tight and some were loose.

I hear there is another surgery being tested in the UK that will be better than TIF.
Posted 2/27/2011 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Joy... did that work for you? Or do you still need to take medicine and have symptoms? I worry that these symptoms will never go away even with the medicine. I've been taking medicine for 3 months now with no relief... in fact, the symptoms got worse once I went on the darn stuff. Sometimes, I feel i should go completely off everything to see what happens.
Posted 2/28/2011 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
99% of my symptoms have gone away. Once in awhile I'll have to take a tums, but mostly I'm doing very well.

Before going off medications make sure you have a full screening of your GI tract. Barium swallow, EGD, Manometry, and pH testing.
If you have a weak LES or motility issues going off medicines will just make you worse.
Posted 2/28/2011 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
The type of surgery must be determined by what is needed by the individual patient. This is what all the testing is about. If there is a hiatal hernia it can't be closed from inside the esophagus.

My doctors have a 98% or better success rate with many thousands of surgeries - University of Pittsburgh. There are other places where they are really good too!
Posted 3/1/2011 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
I am trying to be patient with these meds... how long should I be?  I've been on meds for 2-3 months and symptoms have gotten worse to where I have symptoms 24/7.  I think it is funny that when I was seen in December it was just for occasional tightness in chest and now I have every symptom in the book for GERD.  Lately, the spasming of my esophagus is driving me crazy and it burns, chest is tight and burning in stomach, throat and mouth.  Is this my life?  Will I just have to live this way?  I'm so tired of this... I teach and cannot live this way much longer.  I'm on Nexium, carafate and Ranadine... what other drugs can help if these don't?
Posted 3/5/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Any suggestions on what I can do for the burning tongue I'm feeling. It feels sore and raw but some of the other symptoms of my GERD have settled down so I'm thankful for that. I just need some sort of home remedy to get rid of this burning and acid taste in my mouth. Could it be from the medicine? or is it from the acid reflux?
Posted 3/6/2011 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Bloomer, it's sounding like the medicines are not helping you. What kind of testing have you had done? The Gastro doctor will need to do several tests on you to find out if you're a good canidate for surgery. Barium swallow to show the reflux and swallowing process. EGD (endoscopy) to look for damage and weak LES. Manometry to check for any motility issues. then pH testing to check on how much acid is coming up. Stomach emptying to see if you have a slow digestion issue.
These tests are not hard at all. The roughest one is the manometry and you can get through it with some mind over matter.

Teaching is a high stress job and stress makes gerd worse. Try to find a way to relieve the stress during the day. My stress reliever is to place funny sayings in special spots around my desk. I have a flipping sign that says two things I flip over depending on my feelings. One side says "You can't have everything you want...where would you put it?". The other side says "Do not disturb...I'm disturbed enough already". I also have a sign that says "Put your big girl panties on and deal with it!" :)
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