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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 8/9/2011 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
What I hate the worst. I've been better the past few weeks, but last night out of the blue I got heartburn all night. Not in my throat, only the pain in my chest. I had a big dinner @ 8pm and slept before 11pm so that must have done it. Sometimes I get away with it though...I don't understand the workings of my GERD. Always different triggers...
Posted 8/9/2011 3:00 PM (GMT 0)
Me too :( Sorry buddy! I hope it's getting better for you.
Posted 8/9/2011 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks. Isn't heartburn at night the worst? It makes me dread each passing hour in the evening and knowing I have to go to bad.
Posted 8/9/2011 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
My acid was always the worst around 5 am or so until it got really super bad in the last 3 months before my surgery.

I do know what you mean about the oddness of it all. Until the last three months I could eat soup and get reflux and the next time I could eat a bunch of all the wrong stuff and not get sick.

It got to where it made no sense at all and after close to 30 years messing with it I was totally worn out. I'm better with reflux since the surgery but the rest of me is worn out.

I don't know how old either of you are but if you're young I hope you'll do the best by yourself that you can possibly do and get the best diagnosis and treatment available.

Rita
Posted 8/9/2011 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I am 28. I have done so, but am not a candidate for surgery at this point and just do my best to eat like a saint and use natural stuff like DGL. I just hope not to get Barrets ever, that scares me. I could put up with reflux forever happily as long as I knew it would never kill me :)
Posted 8/9/2011 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
I wasn't suggesting that you consider surgery. It was necessary for me because of the 30+ year history of severe reflux.

Everyone has to do their best to determine with the help of a qualified physician what the best course of action is for them personally.

I did put up with reflux for the aforementioned time but the acid won.

I wish you the best.
Posted 8/9/2011 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hey refluxman, hang in there. Chewing gum also works for me, especially gum with Xylitol in it - it's supposed to make your saliva extra basic. Sucking hard candy works but I prefer chewing gum.

Keep us posted. Why aren't you a candidate for surgery, if you don't mind me asking?

Ashley
Posted 8/9/2011 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
@ Halloween - after 30 years reflux did you ever get Barrets? if so, when?

@ Aeshley...I could force a surgery if I really wanted to, but the surgeon and especially GI think I am not a good candidate because 1) I have atypical symptoms, which are least likely to be helped by surgery (I guess the standard case is the best candidate), 2) I have esophageal dysmotility due to long-term reflux, which makes surgery a tougher call since I couldn't be wrapped tight, I guess, and 3) I don't have Barrets yet. :)
Posted 8/9/2011 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
No, I didn't develop Barrett's. But I have a friend who had very little reflux and was sent for a scope for other reasons and he did have it. He had full-open surgery to correct the reflux and that was 11 years and and he is fine.

My two other friends who did have really bad long-term acid did not have Barrett's either.

It's a tough thing to live with and I wish you well.
Posted 8/9/2011 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hey RefluxMan, I tried looking back, but what are your symptoms again? (I ask because PPI's have worsened my symptoms and I am hoping that someday I can have the Nissen and would love to know what would disqualify me).

Ash
Posted 8/9/2011 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
My only symptom is pain in my chest behind breastbone. Its been shown that I have longstanding GERD, but after 3 PH tests only one showed a strong correlation between pain and reflux events, and a high level of acid. The other 2 (one was done on Nexium), were also symptomatic with chest pain, but the correlation with reflux events was weak.

So as I understand it the person with long-standing reflux previously helped with PPI's which now no longer help, and whose PH test shows strong acid and strong correlation always, are prime candidates for surgery. People like me, where there is a bit of a doubt by doctors (even though it is clear I have longstanding GERD), as far as to whether the surgery would help my symptoms.

I also think if you have acid coming up into your mouth you are an obvious candidate. I don't get that.

Not 100% sure, just going on what my Dr. has mentioned. He thinks I could get the surgery and come out with the same, or worse, symptoms.
Posted 8/9/2011 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
@ aeshley - also, I went on 80MG Nexium for 2 months and had horrible heartburn day and night! Now I am off pills (only take Align and DGL), and am getting by with reflux here and there and a few significant relapses of a 1-2 weeks usually. Still, much better symptomatically than when I was on Nexium...

Which led my dr. to believe that it wasn't really acid. Not sure if you are the case too. I was super afraid in the past, but then came across a (admittedly long) article explaining all these different causes of pain which might not be strong acid. I may have this, and I am guessing that if Nexium makes yours worse, maybe you do to. One example, among many, is NERD (non erosive reflux disease). If u want to check it out its here.

http://www.nature.com/gimo/contents/pt1/full/gimo75.html
Posted 8/9/2011 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, that does sound exactly like me.

So... what does your doc say? Stay the course and you just have to deal with it?
Posted 8/10/2011 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, pretty much. Last time I talked to him he said we've already done so many tests and he doesn't think Ill ever develop Barrets even off of PPI's. I'd probably get an appt. at Mayo clinic or something had it not become a lot more manageable since May. But I still hit weeks where its just there all the time, and I get worried its back for good. I trust me doc here though, its a huge university medical center and as a person I think he is very competent and caring. I don't think he has really neglected me...we've done so many tests and he has answered so many of my questions that I think his opinion of staying the course and getting scoped every few years is probably the best advice.
Posted 8/10/2011 12:10 AM (GMT 0)
@ halloween, great news! I hope to follow your path of not getting Barrets...that is encouraging.
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