HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

GERD insomnia? Has anyone experienced this?

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/13/2015 10:35 AM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with acid reflux when I was 15 and have been dealing with it ever since. Like most people this is a roller coaster with high points and low points. I would say that right now is a low point. I recently passed through an extremely stressful period of my life and it took a toll on my stomach. I've been having digestive issues for weeks on end in a way that I have never experienced in 6 years of living with this condition. I don't know what else to call it than morning insomnia. Every day at 6am(basically on the dot) I wake up. Not because I want to, but because I can't help it. Im so tired, all I want to do is sleep and extra hour or two, but my stomach just makes it impossible. I don't know if this is related to an anxiety disorder or a gastrointestinal thing, but its been weeks on end where I can't sleep. I was just wondering if anyone has faced something like this and has any recommendations on how to break the cycle.
All i want is some sleep!
Posted 5/13/2015 10:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi biogirl,
I am new to the forum but few years struggling with stomach problems on and off (and anxiety as well).

When I have my stressfull moments and anxiety one of the main symptoms is the stomach upset and waking up early.
I am not sure what is causing the other and how it becomes a vicious circle.
Also for me the stomach makes impossible to get back to sleep and then I start worrying and so it goes..

I am just out of one of these periods, finally I can sleep a bit better but the stomach problem is not solved unfortunately, so I am waiting for my first endoscopy.

What I do is going to sleep early enough, to get a decent amount of hours.
Sometimes I take some gaviscon if I wake up very early and try to get back to bed..
Posted 5/13/2015 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
Biogirl:

Are you currently taking any medication for your stomach? The reason that I ask is that sometimes taking it a little later helps. Anxiety is an issue itself, and it certainly can make any illness seem worse. It might make sense to contact your doctor about your concerns. When was the last time you had an endoscopy? No one wants to lose sleep, I should know - I get up at 4:00 a.m. every day.

Sharon
Posted 5/13/2015 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
Sharon, In the past I have taken courses of nexium but I am currently not on any prescriptions. I've been trying to treat it with organic baking soda diluted in water to combat the acidity of my stomach. I've reduced my anxiety/stress levels to almost 0, but my stomach just won't fall back into line with it. I've never had an endoscopy done-- the thought of the procedure makes me shudder.
I was thinking of going to my doctor but I feel a bit silly like a 5 year old complaining that her tummy hurts.
Posted 5/13/2015 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
Then we are in a similar situation!
My anxiety/stress are a lot reduced now, but still is 3 weeks that my stomach won't go back to normal!
I've been diagnosed in the past "reflux signs" by an ENT and I took for two times (in the last 10 years) one month of PPI.
But then always dealt with the problem with diet, OTC medications and not worrying too much.
Every single time I had anxiety/stress the stomach problem was getting bad. And every single time after few weeks it would go back to normal.

I went to the doctor this time and been prescribed pantoprazole.
Tried it but it's making the problem worse, feel always like indigestion.
So I am in waiting list for endoscopy.

Why am I telling you my story? :D because I think many syntoms are related (the early stomach upset) so I thought it could help.
Posted 5/13/2015 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Have you ever had an endoscopy done? It sounds very similar to my situation really. I've battled stomach issues tied to anxiety for years, but this time my stomach is just not calming down even though I've reduced my stress. Its generally early morning like 6-8am that is the worst. I get really really nauseous, just thinking/talking about food can make me gag and throw up.(100% sure I am NOT pregnant! so it is not morning sickness due to that) During the day it tends to get better with time.
Posted 5/13/2015 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, exactly the same! For this I have breakfast only around 9, can never ever eat earlier.
While I can understand that in the anxiety / stress moments, I don't understand why it's not solved yet.

I never had endoscopy. Now the doctor referred me for one, but the waiting list for the public health system is quite long, so I might have to wait 6 months :O

What I am doing at the moment is to use sometimes zantac OTC in the evening, I am following a strict diet and well if I wake up too early and feel nausea and reflux then I take a gaviscon.

How are you feeling during the day? Is the nausea going away?
Maybe you could try other natural options, like liquorice / ginger / aloe etc etc (there are many really).
I am currently trying the DGL liquorice after meals, I ordered aloe.. and I am anyway waiting for my exam.
But I believe I do have reflux.. not sure about you?

I think there is nothing wrong to go to your doctor, don't feel silly for that :)
Posted 5/13/2015 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
Same for me, I can never eat as I wake up. I need to wait at least 2-3 hours. My stomach definitely improves as the day progresses. Today I was up at 5:56 with the same old story as usual, i'm starting to feel a bit better now at almost 9am. If my stomach is really bothering me I will take a small amount of baking soda diluted in water(baking soda is alkaline so it helps neutralize stomach acid). I also carry a bottle of pepcid in my purse, I try to take them sparingly. I was thinking of trying aloe, but I would really like to have the actual plant and ingest the natural aloe.
I was diagnosed with acid reflux when I was 15, but that was without an endoscopy(The doctor recommended one but after a week or 2 on nexium my symptoms improved greatly so I never really saw a need for it)
Im considering making an appointment at my health center to get it checked out because Ive heard of damage to stomachs from excess acid reflux and i'm worried that years of this has affected the mouth of my stomach(right in the center of the solar plexus is where I have the most discomfort) This makes me wonder about damage to my diaphragm and sphincters. Have you done any research about this?
Posted 5/13/2015 1:20 PM (GMT 0)
I have been reading a lot about that, and I pass from being scared of long term reflux, to wonder if my symptoms are very bad or not as I could live with it without medications for years!
When I was around 23 I started with the first problems and my doctor gave me 1 month of omeprazole. I got better after that so I stopped it.
The following years I just had the same problems when I was under stress/anxiety and they were going away, so never thought that could be something "dangerous".
Then I started suffering from lump in the throat and sore throat. Everybody thought it was psychosomatic, related to my anxiety or hypochondria.
Until 3 years ago an ENT told me about reflux again and gave me again PPI/omeprazole for a month.
I took it and stopped it.
My digestion was not perfect, I am always a bit bloated and I learnt to avoid foods that creates problems. The problems in the throat kept coming and going through the years.
So one year ago I decided for a laringoscopy (don't know how to spell it) to an ENT again (the doctor always just said ah it's in your head). He found again signs of reflux (some red and swelling in my larynges). Gave me 1 month PPI again that I never took.

A month ago started stressful moment, stomach problems again and sore throat problems again.

And I started researching and getting "worried" :D

That's why I went back to doctor and agreed to the endoscopy (even if I am scared).
Btw I am 33 now... suffering on and off from this since maybe 23.

Hard to know if the symptoms are so bad? Or made up by mind? (as I suffer from anxiety and also health anxiety at periods...).

Anyway I bought aloe vera juice that seems to be very natural.. don't know will try it as soon as it arrives! I am not expecting a miracle, but who knows.

Also was reading about the "dropping acid" diet..
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply