Stomach issues for nearly 2years

Hello,

this is my first post on this site, I thought i would join this forum as i don't feel as though i have anyone i know personally who can relate to my current health issues.

Around October 2010 I noticed i was getting a bit of heartburn. i didn't really think much of it i thought it was a by product of the new inhaler for asthma i was coincidentally given to use (Salmeterol) around the same time. i also noticed i was getting a racing heart whenever i drank any alcohol or ate anything greasy. which put me off either

Well it all came to a head in November 2011. After eating a chinese takeaway meal my stomach felt as though it was ready to burst and i had the most horrendous heart burn that kept me awake for nearly 2 nights. I literally couldnt speak properly because of the acidity of the reflux/ I should of really went to the hospital but i chose to ride it out. I went to the doctors a few days after this and i was given 20mg of omeprazole to take per day . i went back to the doctors a few days later as i felt as though i need to be checked out. They tested for Heliocobacter which came back positive. After doing the horrible 2 week course of triple therapy i was hoping to be cured....after 5 days of being on no medication after this course it all came back. i should of carried on with the omperazoles but the doctors forgot to prescribe me them as an after care course. So i felt as though i was back to square one. After a while it all settled down. i tried coming off omperazole after a few months of taking it but i got the rebound after 4 days. My doctor put me up to 40mg of omeprazole to try and aid the healing.

After 2 months on 40mg, everything was fine, it had all settled and i felt as though i could live a decent standard of life with only very mild feelings of dyspepsia or reflux.

two weeks ago i went to the doctors and asked to start lowering my omeprazole. They recommended halfing my dosage, going from 2 x 20mg omperazole a day down to just a single dose of 20mg omeprazole a day. i thought it was too big a drop but they said i'd be fine.

5 days after that i got the most horrific rebound. It was the most aggressive dyspepsia i have felt. the symptoms are different though. There was no acidic burning feeling, just generally soreness/irritaion in the stomach region, slight abdomen swelling and the need to belch constantly, anxiety/nervousness sensation and racing heart. I also felt alot of tenderness in my lower left abdomen area like that of trapped wind. I went back up to 40 mgs of omperazole per day and it has all eased gradually. Although i must say this episode has took the longest to recover from.

its actually quite worrying how depending ive become on PPI's, and im concerned as to what it is that is wrong with me. My doctor has also arranged for a second test to see if i still have helicobacter although i'm not looking forward to doing another course of triple therapy if i am still positive.

does any one have any thoughts on this? or similar experiences?

Thanks for the response, I will have a look at that thread, stkitt.

I'm trying hard not to self diagnose myself, although it is traumatic whilst the stomach is playing up, I still have a good appetite, which i do monitor fairly well (ie. less fatty foods, more fresh and fibrous) and my stools are regular and healthy looking. The activity in my stomach has calmed alot now i'm just left with the sharp/irritation pains were the acid must of damaged.

I'll post up on Wednesday after ive been to the doctors to see what the outcome of the 2nd Helicobacter test is.

Ok,

Got my results back from the doctors after i finally got around to doing the INFAI breath test for Helicobacter eradication. They came back as negative, i no longer have the infection. In most cases a negative result is usually good news, but for me, its not! I can only assume my problem now is either
1) my body is out of its natural sync with prolonged omeprazole use and goes haywire when i try to come off it.
2) I have other underlying problems going in my stomach.
3) Hiatus Hernia??

Ive to book an appointment with my doctor in the morning who will refer me to the hospitial for an endoscopy. does anyone have any experiences of these, as im quite anxious about it?

On a lighter note, my stomach has totally settled since going back to omperazole although i still feel as though my heart rate seems a little higer than usual and I get the odd daily palpation feeling. I dont know why this has come about over the last month or so, maybe I am sub-conciously anxious about it all??