Help need advice and a shoulder

There are a lot of great resources on here in the sticky on top about ways to try to help self-treat your Gerd. Sometimes though, there are physical reasons why we can not control our gerd. In my case, I could not control it even with strong medications because of physical reasons.

If you are finding that you are still miserable even with strict dietary changes, you might want to have a doctor run some fairly easy simple tests to see if there might be other reasons why your Gerd cant be controlled on your own. It will also give you peace of mind and help you get in the right direction to heal.

Hi Anita,

Like Stephanie said, I think you should discuss your symptoms with a doctor. They may send you to a GI specialist to provide further testing.

In the mean time, maybe try the over the counter Gaviscon. You might get some relief from it. But, it's not meant for long term use, unless recommended by your doctor.

I agree with you on that. I'm going to give myself a week of bland diet and if it continues I will give in. I think I have a hiatal hernia too. So that would make my symptoms a little more complicated. The thing I hate about doctors, even mine, who I like so much, they will do one of two things or both. Make me see a specialist, which may lead to pushing for hernia surgery, and of course throwing meds at me that I'll need to get off of , and then rebound acid re flux is sure to return.

I could just cry sometimes about this!

Anita, yes I have seen a doctor who put me on PPIs and when they only helped marginally, referred me for an endoscopy. That was in August and showed that I have gastritis and a small hernia (1cm).

I am now waiting on a 24HR PH and Manometry test appointment which will be on the 22nd of this month. I hope that will give a good indication of what's happening.

It's a nasty condition but I'm trying to take things a day at a time and not get in a panic about it all as that won't really help me.

Thanks for the update Noelle and thanks Doggbones too for your info. Noelle what is a Manometry test and what will that hope to show.

Thank you IAN I'm so impressed with all the groups kindness to me. When we are not feeling well it is such a comfort to reach out for comfort and find that there are people out there that will lend and ear,heart and word to us at our darkest moments.

I had the first full night of sleep in weeks. I've been eating only low sodium chicken soup and fiber one cereal with no milk, just like a snack type meal multiple times a day and drinking a lot of water especially when I feel the start of reflux.

I could feel the change coming on during the day yesterday, my stomach didn't feel that burn and less burping and burning in my chest.

There are many things over the years I've been doing wrong. First, I have been taking too large a dose of supplements. Since I tend towards constipation, for over 20 years , have been taking 500 or more, milligrams of magnesium with my other supplements just before dinner. Not realizing that magnesium is neutralizing some of my stomach acid and that causing my dinner digested in the more complete manner, I also eat to fast, not chew things as completely as I should, watch TV in bed only slightly sitting up within a few hours of eating, and more I'm sure. I also have a small hiatal hernia, so roll this all up into a big problem ball, and with stress on top of it , no wonder I have bouts of gerd. I'm surprised that I don't have chronic re flux rather and acute.

Well after studying and studying by reading everything I can get my hands on and through the help of kind people like you, I may not be cured but I can FEEL that I can , for at least the time being, control this with a smart eating life style and 250 millgrams of magnesium taken in the morning, and PRO BIOTICS to get my digestive system going right again.

One of the things that impressed me the most is that heartburn re flux may not be due to , too much acid, but too little. Once I realized due to too much magnesium in my system taken with my evening meal on top of that, I realized that my NIGHT TIME re flux was due to not to much acid but too little.

To add to the low acid , not knowing that was what it is, I turned to OTC Pepcid that turned off my acid production , making me feel better for a short time, but as I weaned off it, got the worst rebound acid reflux of my life. DUH!!! Now I know why. LOL That resulted in me turning to Mylanta which did the neutralizing nightmare and short lived comfort followed by nightmare reflux at night.

For two days I've been just going with the pain with each day getting less and last night , sitting up in bed, I slept until I was awakened by my husband at 6:30 a.m.

I knew if I went to my G.P. he would order me to a specialist and prescribe Acid reducer meds.

I would like for you to read this article that made sense to me and what made me wait a little longer to get into the spiral of medications.

For those of you who are suffering from re flux but feel that your not ready for going into the Dr.'s office. Try diet change , that puts the least stress on your digestive system, drink water each time you feel the re flux happening. Know that the OTC acid reducers may be the opposite of what you need, that it may be acid production that you need. And see what happens AFTER YOU'VE ridden out a day or two of rebound reaction to stopping the acid reducers.

http://www.drinkcleanwater.com/DrinkCleanWater/DrugsAntacids_files/DrugsAntacids.pdf