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Posted 10/27/2011 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone.

I was diagnosed with GERD at age 19 and I'm 23 now. I controlled it before by watching what I ate and losing weight (I've lost 130 pounds with diet and exercise.) Recently I've been really taking to coffee drinking and now I'm having problems again. Any time I drink caffeine my esophagus has pain (I had erosion there before) and I get major belching and some bloating/gas. Food isn't as bad... I had a pretty gnarly meal at red lobster and the symptoms were minimal. These are all things I dealt with before. I've been under a lot of stress in the past few days, too. The thing that's weird is that my stools have turned very pale. They're usually kind of light as I am a high fiber vegetarian + some fish and my doctor has said he before expects them to be kind of light. But the past few ones have been grayish. Well formed, not smelly, not fatty, just really pale. Someone mentioned liver/gall bladder problems but I do not have any other liver symptom, and this come on really suddenly. I'm going to stop taking vitamins/antacids to see if that fixes it. You'd think if my bile ducts were that blocked I'd be itchy or yellow or have dark urine? I'll put in a call to my doc but he kinda brushes me off, being 23 and being a bit hypochondriac... heh. Any thoughts?

Thanks
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Posted 10/28/2011 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
ZeroSum-

Welcome to Healing Well.

Coffee can be very bad for GERD and stress is worse. I have had the same type of stools you are mentioning and was told by my GI it is usually from food not quite being digested all the way. Or from too much of some nutrients the body doesn't need right now. Dark urine would probably be from kidney issues or dehydration vs. bile problems.

Have you been taking PPIs for the reflux? If you have be careful with stopping them quickly if you have been on them for any length of time. It can cause acid rebound.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 10/28/2011 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill. Thanks for the reply and not being grossed out! I've taken one prevacid, that's it. This flare up is really recent... over the weekend I overindulged on coffee and my esoph/stomach went haywire. Then on Tuesday I thought I'd just try one cup... nope. Then today I tried a soda instead of coffee. Still hurts a bit. So I guess it's no caffeine for a while. Darn!

You are probably right. I tend to have really fast food transit time. Fiber and tons of caffeine and stress didn't help, I bet. I'll keep watching and seeing what happens.
Posted 10/28/2011 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hey ZeroSum,

How interesting, I am a high-fiber vegan and my stools aren't pale at all.

Sometimes if I've been good, I can have ONE cup of coffee for about three days in a row, but beyond that I'll start to get reflux again. It's terrible, I live in Finland and nothing warms the bones like a beautiful cup of coffee. I feel you :( But maybe just try to think of it as a treat for yourself so that you don't let yourself have it every day. Sigh.

A huge congrats to you for losing 130lbs on your own. Quite a feat!
Ashley
Posted 10/28/2011 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
My GI has said that it is not uncommon for people with reflux to have pale stools. Mine turned very pale while on dexilant (basically the same thing as prevacid). Also, if you take a lot of antacids or drink powerade it can turn your stool pale.
Posted 10/28/2011 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome to HealingWell.

I would suspect the coffee/caffeine too - you have received great input from the members. 

Antacids can cause your stools to be pale as well as other medications and conditions.  If there is no medicinal reason for your stools to be pale to white or it persists for multiple bowel movements, seek medical care.

Try not to let your health anxiety take over and perhaps with cutting out the caffeine, decreasing your stress and watching your diet all will be fine quickly.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/4/2013 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.
I recently started taking dexilant and experienced the same thing I am 23 as well. He brushes me off as well I don't know what's going on as I don't have any other symtpoms.
Posted 4/4/2013 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
mellizanne

Hello and welcome to HealingWell.  You have posted to a thread that is 2 years old so perhaps you would like to repost your own thread with a little intro and your questions, issues or concerns.

We love to have new members onboard and starting your own thread gives the rest of th members a chance to meet and greet you.

Kindly,

Kitt

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