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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 1/26/2014 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone had success with short-term use of a PPI plus diet/lifestyle modifications and use of an herbal treatment such as DGL or Iberogast? I was diagnosed with LPR a couple of weeks ago after being rushed to the hospital in Stridor from my pulmonologists office. I do have a hiatal hernia but so do most people. My ENT diagnosed me with LPR. My symptoms are total loss of my voice, Stridor and coughing. MY ENT put me on omeprazole 20.6 mg twice per day and told me to cut out chocolate, mint, caffeine, alcohol and carbonated beverages. I have Crohns and as result haven't eaten meat or poultry in about 4 years. I also don't eat much dairy. The Stridor has improved as now it only lasts for a few seconds as opposed to several minutes and my voice is back.

From what I've read about the long term effects of PPIs there is no way I plan to stay on the omeprazole for more than another couple of weeks. I added DGL to my routine on Friday and will see how that goes but am very curious about Iberogast.

Thanks for your responses.
Posted 1/27/2014 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
Another thing you may wanter to consider is alkaline water. With LPR you get pepsin in your throat which is activated by elevated acid levels and the pepsin will wreak havoc on your system when it's somewhere that it's not supposed to be. Alkaline water will denature (kill off) the pepsin. A good course of action would be to limit the amount of acidic items that are going through your throat as well to help.
Posted 1/27/2014 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I've tried a lot of the natural treatments. Milk thistle made a difference and DGL is good to chew for morning nausea. I've also found acupuncture helpful, especially with the nausea.

I took Iberogast for a while, got through several bottles but it didn't seem to make a difference. I wanted to try it for longer but I couldn't manage the full dose on the days I work and also it's main effect seemed to be decreased transit time, which was not an effect I needed... if you catch my drift!

MMM
Posted 1/27/2014 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
I take Iberogast when I'm having gerd isuues, it does seems to offer some relief for me. It has been used in Germany for years for gerd.
Posted 1/27/2014 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies Javery and Mudmangnetmum! My GI system is already a mess due to Crohns and Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. My Crohn's is under control thanks to Remicade and Methotrexate, but I due tend to have low D and B12 levels already. I've also been on several rounds of Prednisone over the years so long term PPI use is not something I am willing to accept. The more I read about them the more I am convinced that over time they make the problem worse. Not to sound like some crazy conspiracy theory person but it just seems like they are fine a person with mild GERD who just needs a short term course of treatment, but for those of us with a more serious problem the drug companies have formulated them so that you can't come off because they increase the acid production.

Years ago I had gone to a holistic nutritionist who advised me to use alkaline water so I will be going back to that. I will also give the milk thistle a try.
Posted 1/27/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
A little information that may help you understand how H2-blockers and PPI's work is that your body contains gastrin which is what triggers how much acid is released to break down your food. When taking these medications, it stops some or all acid from being produced which in turn tells your body that it's not producing enough which then increases your gastrin levels. This is where rebound comes in to play as with the higher gastrin levels, your body will then produce more acid and when coming off the medication it then gets released. Over time though, your gastrin levels would return back to normal, but you will most likely still have the same problems as before as you still have not fixed the underlying problem.

After being on PPIs of different types for almost 8 years I decided to come off of them and am slowly recovering. I'm not sure on the underlying problem that caused everything in the first place as I don't want to pay for all the tests to be done at the moment. I have drastically changed my diet for the better and it seems to be slowly working. I'm commited to keeping at it and make fine adjustments here and there. I have used supplements in the beginning but have stopped using most of them as the cost was getting to be a bit much. I think they did help in the beginning but now I don't know if they are worth it as I think I have make it through the worst of it. All I know at this point is that if I want to continue to be off the PPIs for good, I have to continue with my new lifestyle and can't go back to how I was before. I am happy with that though as I tend to get my happiness through my hobbies rather than the foods I eat. It seems as though a lot of problems do stem from the foods we eat due to the way our society has changed throughout the years.
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