Doing great with diet and Nexium!

Hey guys!

Quick back story: I am 26, have had GERD for about 5 months now, I made every single suggested lifestyle change (diet, raising head of bed, losing weight, everything!) and am taking Nexium 40mg/day and am scheduled for gastroscopy.

Before all of this, I admit that my lifestyle was not the healthiest. I am 5'8" and weighed 215lbs before this (172cm and 98 kilos for you on this side of the pond). I used to lay down sometimes right after eating, and I ate a lot of fatty foods.

I took it upon myself to become a vegan to really eliminate any possible triggers and it has worked WONDERS for me. I only ever feel slightly worse than normal bloating after I overeat, which has become very rare for me. I have lost 45lbs in 5 months and I feel really great, full of energy and much lighter!

My mom has been visiting from the states for 10 days and in that time I have definitely cheated off of my vegan diet a few times (nothing with triggers, just eating some meat and a little dairy here and there) trying to show her the sights of Helsinki. However, I never got heartburn, I only got some slight discomfort which was nothing compared to the rest of the hell I'd been having before going vegan. It felt like the "pre-heartburn" I used to get, but usually it was much worse and then followed by actual heartburn.

I would also like to add that I think dairy was a huge trigger for me. I believe that I was lactose intolerant for years without knowing it, although this has not been confirmed my a doctor.

I am not a dietitian and I know that sometimes there are strong feelings about this issue, but I can't recommend it strongly enough. I was so looking forward to my gastroscopy in hopes that it would tell me that I could have the Nissen, but now I am thinking that I might not need it. I would, however, still have the Nissen in order to stop taking the Nexium. I live in Finland where we have to take Viatmin D supplements due to the lack of sunlight in the winter and there is no way I could risk the upped fracture possibility.

Also, I still need to lose about 25 more pounds and I can't keep weight on if I try with the veganism, so I'm pretty okay with continuing it. I might introduce lean meat proteins later on but definitely not dairy. Dairy and I are no longer friends!

This is of course just one woman's opinion. I just want to share in case my experience helps someone else. I went through absolute hell with GERD - pain every day, missing out with my friends, missing school. If this can help or inspire just one more person, I am completely happy.

Let me also just say that I have read about veganism for years and NEVER thought I would be able to do it, but when your back is to the wall, you'd be surprised what you're capable of.

Good luck to everyone, and I hope everyone feels well!
Ashley

AshleyRose

yes i agree that being overweight is a real significant factor... it was for me.

i weighed in at 265 lbs (5' 11) as things got really bad more than a year ago.

as i went into "crisis"i started avoiding meals an sometimes when the pain and fear was unbearable i fasted for a day or two here and there

dropped to 195 lbs, ....not from discipline... fear and pain was overwhelming and drove me to eat these incredibly small meals and then slowly my reflux significantly subsided

early this summer i gained weight and approached 210lbs an my reflux got worse until i started avoiding meat and eating more vegetables.

now with summer having ended and the days of eating fresh garden vegetables that my wife an i grow coming to an end, i fear trouble ahead, so im going to have to loose more weight and buy the best produce i can at the grocerie stores.

just like you, i would prefer to control my reflux with diet and exercise etc instead of surgery if i can

time will tell

best wishes
mock turtle

Ashley-
Good to hear it is working so well for you. I can offer some choices for the lean red meats, but not everyone has access to them or are willing to try them. Venison and elk are very lean with a lot of protein. Plus you don't have to cook them to death like domestic meats.
Hope your scope goes well also.

Take care,
Bill

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and kind words :)

Sunbeam, as always, you're a doll.

MockTurtle, good luck with the upcoming winter and lack of fresh veggies. Is it possible to buy them? I am a California girl and admit that we are incredibly spoiled when it comes to getting fruits and veggies year-round, so forgive me if it's not a possibility. They have said that frozen veggies are just as nutritious as fresh, but I have also read that the anti-cancer phytochemicals in broccoli and cauliflower decrease significantly when cooked and also while defrosting... who knows. I think just eating your veggies is a good thing.

Kitt, how sweet. I got a huge smile on my face reading your message. You are also the things you said I am! I will definitely stick around to encourage others, but also to share the results of my scope :)

Bill! The strong one! Congrats on coming out of your third Nissen still swinging! I am in Finland and am lucky enough to have reasonably easy access to reindeer... I will keep that in mind if I go back to meats eventually.

MissLapponia! Kittos, ja paljon onnea! 76 kilos is definitely something to be proud of! I am sad I didn't see your message, I didn't even know about the fair. Next year I will go! I do miss the Finnish fish, but I'm doing okay without it for now. That muffin recipe sounds delicious, I will look for it.

I don't have a date for my gastroscopy yet, but the notification I got said it would be within 1-3 months and that's almost up so I'm expecting a call any day now.

Again, thank you all for your support. This site is so great, but all the people on it make it amazing :)

Ashley