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My Symptoms: GERD

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted Yesterday 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
Over the past six months I have noticed changes in my health. I have been experiencing more frequent heartburn and most recently serious signs of GERD: Sour taste, Dry cough, Chest pain. I have a doctor's appointment this Tuesday to confirm my suspicions that I do have GERD. I am only 22 years old and I am very fit and healthy otherwise, so this has been hard for me to deal with. I'm hoping a change and diet can yield some good results. I was wondering if anyone else has tried to change their diet and seen results?
I would love some feedback and impute on the diet and my symptoms. Thanks for your time.

~Erinn

Post Edited (Erinnchip) : 12/1/2013 8:13:57 PM (GMT-7)

Posted Yesterday 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum, Erinn.

I hope you have read the info page at the top of this forum. Lots of information there. Also, you might put some keywords into the search box at the top of the page. Then come back with more questions!

The new treatments for GERD don't include the old-fashioned bland diet. There are still some suggestions like avoiding trigger foods (see the search box), smoking, alcohol - you get the idea. I would continue the foods I like, only avoiding foods that give me problems.

A free thing you can do is keep a food diary. Look that up in the search box! Lots of threads posted in the past. It takes months, but it's easy. You're young and healthy, but things change even then. Your doctor may order some tests to find what's causing your symptoms.

Looking forward to hearing from you after your doctor visit.
Posted Yesterday 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Erinnchip, You are doing the correct action by seeing a doctor. Is it a GI doctor? If not, get a referral if necessary from you primary care doctor. I have suffered from GERD for 50 years and put off surgery for that many years. The most important things to find out:

Is it GERD?

If so then find the reason. Hiatus Hernia, weak LES, food allergies, structural problems, etc.

Your GI doctor can find the reason if you are persistent with them. Some GI docs will just put you on PPIs and that can solve the problem for several years. BUT, PPIs are not safe to take long term and will cause you other health issues down the road. So its best to find the problem ASAP instead of treating the symptoms.

There are many people who swear by different remedies to treat the symptoms. But try to find the cause first are you will not be sorry over the longer term.

Gunner
Posted Today 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Gunner and Alcie,
Thanks so much for the advice. I have a doctors appoint this week and I will keep the forum updated on what information I receive. I appreciate the support. :-)
Posted Today 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
HI Erin,

Diet changes have helped me a lot, and a lot of others on the forum. I have cut out wheat/gluten, lactose (except cheddar cheese which is very low in lactose and I am able to tolerate it) acidic foods, raw vegetables and high fiber foods. I also eat lower fat (lean beef, chicken, turkey) and avoid fried foods. I am able to have alcohol in moderation, but I have to either drink it on the rocks or mix it with water (coconut rum has been my top choice mixed with water.) I also drink alkaline water and use papaya enzymes. I take Magnesium, B12, Calcium and D3. It took me a while to figure out the best plan for me.

Posted Today 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
I just started to make some dietary changes about a week ago and it is already evident that some foods affects me stronger than others. I started out by cutting out the usual triggers: fried food, chocolate, Coffee, ect. When I do indulge in these items I will find myself suffering from heartburn and burping. I will be keeping a food diary to better help me figure out what diet works best for me.

Erica,
You said you cut out gluten and found it helpful. For me I have been eating mostly oatmeal, bread and pasta because of the other things I have cut out. I have noticed some good results so far but it has only been a week. Also, I'm 22 and still like to go out for drinks with my boyfriend regularly but I haven't figured out what the right drinks are yet. I will give the coconut rum a try.
Posted 12/3/2013 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
SOO.. I thought my Doctors appointment was scheduled for today but apparently it was last Tuesday... I remember scheduling the appointment on the phone and telling the lady I wanted it the week after thanksgiving but I guess there was a misunderstanding.. I'm pretty upset because they rescheduled me for the 17th. My symptoms have been really bothering me these last few weeks and now I have to wait two more weeks to see a doctor. This morning I woke up with a painful feeling in my throat that has yet to go away, swallowing has also become more difficult.... I'm bumming right now :-(
Posted 12/3/2013 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Erinn,
I went off of PPI's and changed my diet in hopes of healing my body to become non-dependent on medications. I started off with just vegetables, fruits, and small portions of meat and this helped a lot. I then started to re-introduce complex carb items such as oatmeal and certain pastas but then things started to get worse again. I then learned that for energy, you can get that from fats from the foods you eat so since then I have been doing the Paleo diet and as long as I stick with that, things seem to be getting better. I did develop LPR symptoms though which I didn't have before and have been drinking alkaline water for the past couple of days and it seems to be helping a lot with that. I wish you luck and hope you find something that works for you.
Posted 12/18/2013 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
So I have a recent update. I went to the doctors yesterday and I was prescribed PPI's for a two week trial. I am slightly hesitant to take the meds just from what I have heard about its dependancy. It is only supposed to be a two week trail to see how I feel after that. My symptoms are not as serious so I am wondering if this is the right path for me?
Posted 12/18/2013 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
My suggestion would be that if you are able to stop the symptoms with just a diet change, I wouldn't try the PPI's. From my experience and what I have seen with others, once you start taking the PPI's, it can change how your body reacts to things. It could make it so you don't have any problems when you are on them but after awhile you start having other problems due to the lower production of stomach acid so your body isn't absorbing nutrients properly. It could also make your symptoms worse and more difficult to even get back to how you felt before trying them. If I were you, I would go down the route of finding the underlying problem instead of taking a medication to treat just the symptom. The underlying problem could be something that is easily fixed, such as HCL supplements, or if may be due to a hiatal hernia or weakened LES then look at the options to fix that. I was 24 when I was put on PPI's and for the 2 week trial they put me on, I didn't feel any heartburn, but the day after I was done, it came right back. So I was put on them permanently and when they seemed to stop working, the dr. would up the dose. I'm 31 now and wish I would have had all of the information I know now. If so I wouldn't have taken the PPI's to begin with but to find the underlying problem from the start and fixed that. Due to the route I had taken, it was a battle to get off the PPI's, but now that I am off, I'm still on H2 blockers and have LPR symptoms that I never had before. I currently don't see a dr. right now for my gerd, mainly due to the healthcare system and lack of funds to pay for it at the moment. But if I am unable to resolve it within 6 months to a year, I would consider going to a homeopath instead of a traditional dr. as they tend to try to fix the problem instead of masking the symptoms. That's just the way I feel about it though. It's ultimately your body and your decision, but the more educated you are on how to handle it, the better choice you can make for yourself for the long run. If I were you, I would choose the best option that would help me live the healthiest lifestyle in the long run. I hope this information helps you make a decision and it helps you out in the long run.
Posted 12/18/2013 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Another thing to ask yourself, do you want to be on PPI's for the rest of your life? If not, then trying to see if they work now doesn't help determine anything except, off them, there are symptoms, and on them there aren't. It still doesn't help determine what is the cause the symptoms in the first place.

So in the event that they do help, is your dr. going to leave it as that and if the symptoms come back after the trial they tell you to stay on the PPI's as long as there are no other side effects you can't deal with? But taking this route you have to understand that the longer you are on them, the harder it is to get off of them if you choose to want to do that in the future. And it's also possible that your body continues to get worse without you knowing about it until it's too late when you start feeling symptoms again.
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