Hello all,
First off, I would just like to say that this forum has been a saving grace for me. Although this is my first time posting, I have been reading the GERD forum discussions for months. These posts are informative and have provided me hope for dealing with this condition. So...thank you to all who have contributed!!
I'm a 36 year old married mother of two young children. I was diagnosed with silent reflux in February 2013. A few months leading up to that I was coughing, had a runny nose, and had to clear my throat almost every time I spoke. I was teaching Business English at the time, and the constant throat clearing was rather annoying for me and my students!
I went to my primary doctor and he suggested that it was probably allergies. He prescribed anti-histamines and an inhaler for two weeks. When I returned two weeks later and told him the medication didn't make any difference, he ordered for me to have a Prednisone injection. I did, but again....no change.
I started researching on the internet and found that my symptoms matched silent reflux perfectly. By this time, I began having a lot of difficulty swallowing. It got so bad that I was unable to eat solid food and lived off of vanilla pudding for a couple of weeks. I went back to the doctor with my internet research and asked to see a gastroenterologist. I was given an endoscopy and they found an
opening in my LES and that I had grade 1 esophagitis. I was put on Omeprazole 20mg twice daily for 6 weeks. Thankfully my esophagitis cleared up, but while on the medication I experienced terrible headaches. And so began the hunt for the "perfect" PPI.
I have been on 4 different kinds of PPIs due to side effects. My silent reflux evolved to GERD and I was diagnosed with gastritis in February of this year. I'm now dealing with burning pain in my chest and stomach, waking up with a sore throat (and yes, I sleep with a wedge!). I am now on my 5th PPI - Dexilant 60mg a day, in addition to Gaviscon and Zantac as needed. Last week, I had the esophageal motility test and the 24 hour PH test. I am currently waiting for the results.
I realize there is a big push by doctors to use PPIs for silent reflux and GERD, but I no longer feel comfortable being on this medication. While it does seem to help some people, for others it creates more complications and comes with uncomfortable and unpleasant side effects.
The last time I saw my gastroenterologist I told her I was seriously considering surgery. She seemed to think that there is a PPI out there for me, but we just haven't found it yet. I've had this condition for almost 2 years and I feel I need to do something more. Now.
I'm an American living in Canada and the only surgical procedure offered here in the Nissen fundoplication. I really don't want to get that surgery because it's rather invasive and I have read about
people having difficulty swallowing afterwards, not to mention the inability to vomit and the need for a possible re-wrap in the future. However, I know some of you have had successful surgeries. The Linx, Stretta and EsophyX procedures are not currently an option for me.
The most frustrating thing about
GERD is it's unpredictability. Some days are good, some are bad. You have to change your whole way of thinking when it comes to food. I think there are a lot of people out there who underestimate just how miserable GERD, silent reflux and gastritis can be. It really affects your mental and emotional state. And when you have a combination of the three like I do....it's almost unbearable.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope to become more of an active participant in this forum.
:)
Deb
P.S. - To all you ladies with young children: I was actually told by my gynecologist that my weak LES may have been caused by my son! I carried him very high, which created pressure on that area. I had no GERD or silent reflux symptoms prior to or even during the pregnancy. I didn't start experiencing symptoms until after he was born.
Post Edited (DD78) : 10/8/2014 11:25:38 AM (GMT-6)