GERD

[Guest Electric Yetis]

Lovely subject, any fellow sufferers with any tips?

 

I've suffered on and off since my early teens but it's been horrendous these last couple of months to the point I wake up being sick and choking most nights - missed so many days of work through pure exhaustion.

 

Blood tests last week indicate an inflamed esophagus so follow up tests booked for a few weeks time.

[MPH]

4 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Lovely subject, any fellow sufferers with any tips?

 

I've suffered on and off since my early teens but it's been horrendous these last couple of months to the point I wake up being sick and choking most nights - missed so many days of work through pure exhaustion.

 

Blood tests last week indicate an inflamed esophagus so follow up tests booked for a few weeks time.

 

any chance you have what’s called a hiatal hernia?

[Guest Electric Yetis]

43 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

any chance you have what’s called a hiatal hernia?

Possibility, will be followed up on in the next few weeks and been one of the things mentioned.

 

Just desperate for a proper night sleep!

[Zear0]

44 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Lovely subject, any fellow sufferers with any tips?

 

I've suffered on and off since my early teens but it's been horrendous these last couple of months to the point I wake up being sick and choking most nights - missed so many days of work through pure exhaustion.

 

Blood tests last week indicate an inflamed esophagus so follow up tests booked for a few weeks time.

Sorry to hear your suffering with it. I used to suffer from it and it was absolutely rancid. Worse for me was getting it whilst driving and not having anything to relieve it, was torture. When it first started I thought I was having a heart attack it hurt that much. 

 

Firstly, I was on Lansoprazole which didn't actually do a great deal for me but helps some people. 

 

The best thing I did was the rather unexciting, but effective diary. I'd write down everything I ate and drank during the day in addition to scoring how stressed I felt out of ten each day to see if there was any correlation to getting nailed by it and food/stress. After a few months of this I worked out categorically it was 100% stress for me and food wasn't the issue. 

 

The other thing is to find out what gives you relief from it. Downing water seems to quench it for me so I literally go nowhere without a bottle.

 

Keep up with the docs as there are so many things it can be. Just record what works doesn't otherwise it's guesswork and really helps your doc. 

[Guest Electric Yetis]

7 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Sorry to hear your suffering with it. I used to suffer from it and it was absolutely rancid. Worse for me was getting it whilst driving and not having anything to relieve it, was torture. When it first started I thought I was having a heart attack it hurt that much. 

 

Firstly, I was on Lansoprazole which didn't actually do a great deal for me but helps some people. 

 

The best thing I did was the rather unexciting, but effective diary. I'd write down everything I ate and drank during the day in addition to scoring how stressed I felt out of ten each day to see if there was any correlation to getting nailed by it and food/stress. After a few months of this I worked out categorically it was 100% stress for me and food wasn't the issue. 

 

The other thing is to find out what gives you relief from it. Downing water seems to quench it for me so I literally go nowhere without a bottle.

 

Keep up with the docs as there are so many things it can be. Just record what works doesn't otherwise it's guesswork and really helps your doc. 

Thanks for that. I've been on Lansaprazole for the last few years. Originally it was a godsend and one or two tablets a week would see me through.

 

The effectiveness has wained drastically in the last few months though to the point they're barely doing anything.

 

Interesting you mention stress. I suffer quite badly with that and anxiety which is definitely worse over the last year so could be some correlation.

[Jon the Hat]

2 hours ago, Rain King said:

Thanks for that. I've been on Lansaprazole for the last few years. Originally it was a godsend and one or two tablets a week would see me through.

 

The effectiveness has wained drastically in the last few months though to the point they're barely doing anything.

 

Interesting you mention stress. I suffer quite badly with that and anxiety which is definitely worse over the last year so could be some correlation.

I have a hiatal hernia mostly managed with Omeprazole, though not perfect.  I should probably look again at surgery, but frankly I don't like the idea.

 

The tiredness doesn't help your anxiety either.

[Jattdogg]

5 hours ago, MPH said:

 

any chance you have what’s called a hiatal hernia?

Thia is exactly what i had diagnosed via endoscopy over a decade ago. I have suffered with GERD since my mid 20s or so. 42 now and still take pills daily. They wont operate on me as they consider it major surgery. They have  a scope procedure or something but the government wont pay for it anymore over here in Ontario.

 

Have taken different types of gerd pills but currently on dexilant which helps.  Diet definitely can help with identifying things that set you off. A diary over a period of time might point you in the right direction  on what to avoid.  

 

I sleep slightly elevated every night. The worst feeling is when your dreaming away and are suddenly thrust out of bed like you are about to die choking on acid in the back of your throat (no homo, no offence). Clearing seems to just spread the acid around. It sucks!

 

To make matters worse i have post nasal drip issues so i choke on mucus at times. Nasonex spray helps me with that.

 

Keep safe.

 

 

[MPH]

1 hour ago, Jattdogg said:

Thia is exactly what i had diagnosed via endoscopy over a decade ago. I have suffered with GERD since my mid 20s or so. 42 now and still take pills daily. They wont operate on me as they consider it major surgery. They have  a scope procedure or something but the government wont pay for it anymore over here in Ontario.

 

Have taken different types of gerd pills but currently on dexilant which helps.  Diet definitely can help with identifying things that set you off. A diary over a period of time might point you in the right direction  on what to avoid.  

 

I sleep slightly elevated every night. The worst feeling is when your dreaming away and are suddenly thrust out of bed like you are about to die choking on acid in the back of your throat (no homo, no offence). Clearing seems to just spread the acid around. It sucks!

 

To make matters worse i have post nasal drip issues so i choke on mucus at times. Nasonex spray helps me with that.

 

Keep safe.

 

 

 

are they saying the  toupet fundiplication or Nissen fundiplication surgery is major surgery?

[Jattdogg]

7 hours ago, MPH said:

 

are they saying the  toupet fundiplication or Nissen fundiplication surgery is major surgery?

I cant remember now. Before it was cutting open your chest like major surgery.  But they have another procedure its just that they likely wont do it for me. At the time the specialist explained it all and i was annoyed. It impacts life and i would prefer to have it.  I would have dr google it

[Finnegan]

Yeah man I've had GERD for about 12/15 years. Manage with lifestyle / diet control and a repeat for omeprazole that's fluctuated between 20 and 40mg.

 

I've come to the conclusion it's quite likely that I've got a hiatial hernia but I've got frustrated by being passed around between ever changing inner city trainee GPs and being sent for countless h pylori tests so I've just resolved to pretty much deal with it. 

 

Smaller meals, no starchy foods after 5ish, no food at all really after 6/7, minimise sugars, lay off the bread, chocolate and super rich foods. 

 

Tbf if I hadn't gotten GERD I'd probably be twice the size by now so every cloud etc. 

[Guest Electric Yetis]

5 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

Tbf if I hadn't gotten GERD I'd probably be twice the size by now so every cloud etc. 

 

Yeah that's a good point. Being sick 5 or 6 times a week certainly helps with that.

[Jattdogg]

26 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Yeah man I've had GERD for about 12/15 years. Manage with lifestyle / diet control and a repeat for omeprazole that's fluctuated between 20 and 40mg.

 

I've come to the conclusion it's quite likely that I've got a hiatial hernia but I've got frustrated by being passed around between ever changing inner city trainee GPs and being sent for countless h pylori tests so I've just resolved to pretty much deal with it. 

 

Smaller meals, no starchy foods after 5ish, no food at all really after 6/7, minimise sugars, lay off the bread, chocolate and super rich foods. 

 

Tbf if I hadn't gotten GERD I'd probably be twice the size by now so every cloud etc. 

Were they at least fit women that were just sizing you up?

[Finnegan]

16 minutes ago, Rain King said:

 

Yeah that's a good point. Being sick 5 or 6 times a week certainly helps with that.

 

So does having wildly erratic digestion. I find the hardest part is properly balancing my medication.

 

Not enough and I have constant acidity in my throat and a persistent cough that makes everyone think I've got covid (the cough was my original symptom, I've had so many fvcking respiratory infections, including full blown aspiration pneumonia.)

 

Too much and my digestion grinds to a halt and I'm in agony bloated to twice my actual size on the sofa at 3am because I had the audacity to eat a small bowl of cereal at 5:30pm. 

[Finnegan]

Just now, Jattdogg said:

Were they at least fit women that were just sizing you up?

 

You've clearly never been to a GP surgery in the West End of Leicester. 

[Jattdogg]

4 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

So does having wildly erratic digestion. I find the hardest part is properly balancing my medication.

 

Not enough and I have constant acidity in my throat and a persistent cough that makes everyone think I've got covid (the cough was my original symptom, I've had so many fvcking respiratory infections, including full blown aspiration pneumonia.)

 

Too much and my digestion grinds to a halt and I'm in agony bloated to twice my actual size on the sofa at 3am because I had the audacity to eat a small bowl of cereal at 5:30pm. 

I can relate to the cough, ffs its terrible and during covid was not helpful!

Also, my throat just hurts often from so much clearing.

 

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

You've clearly never been to a GP surgery in the West End of Leicester. 

Nope, cant say i have. This reminds me of the time i had my first colonoscopy. The fittest indian nurse ever had to be the one assisting the doc didnt she?!

[Finnegan]

9 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

during covid was not helpful!

 

seriously 

 

Even pre covid I had to occasionally reassure people it's permanent damage and I'm not contagious. Since covid it's been unbelievably awkward haha. 

[Jattdogg]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

seriously 

 

Even pre covid I had to occasionally reassure people it's permanent damage and I'm not contagious. Since covid it's been unbelievably awkward haha. 

The silent clearing, the humming to help...lol

[leicsmac]

Anyone else get misdiagnosed with gastritis that then turned out to be GERD? Or related to it, anyway?

 

Been struggling with something like it for months now.

[SpacedX]

16 hours ago, Rain King said:

Lovely subject, any fellow sufferers with any tips?

 

I've suffered on and off since my early teens but it's been horrendous these last couple of months to the point I wake up being sick and choking most nights - missed so many days of work through pure exhaustion.

 

Blood tests last week indicate an inflamed esophagus so follow up tests booked for a few weeks time.

As others have suggested, this sounds like a hiatul hernia which is actually very common. I've also suffered with indigestion since my early teens. Had an endoscope about twenty years ago and the scarring was horrendous. The Doctor advised Proton Pump Inhibitors which were quite new back then as opposed to the operation which isn't always successful, and I've been on rabeprazole since then. They have been linked to an increased risk of kidney disease, heart disease cancer and dementia and also have some unpleasant side effects so I've always tried to limit it to no more than three a week. The the acid reflux is so bad that I can easily consume several strips of Rennie per night without them - which do very little. Also, the choking on food at night that you describe, has become more prevalent over the last few years.  

[spacemunky]

I know it's better to sleep on your left side. 

 

I used to suffer quite a bit. Often had the waking up choking. I gave up alcohol for awhile because I felt it was the main cause of it.

 

I'm not so sure it was now, as I seem to have gone back to old habits and I haven't had acid reflux hardly at all in the last year.

[SpacedX]

8 minutes ago, spacemunky said:

I know it's better to sleep on your left side. 

 

Exactly what I've found. Do you know why this is? 

[Smudge]

I have suffered with GERD for years. It turned out that I do have a hiatal hernia.

I avoid spicy food, fresh bread and black coffee and take 20mg of omeprazole a day. I feel so much better.

I'd ask your GP to refer you in for a consultation with a gastroenterologist who should recommend an upper GI exam. That way, you take out the guesswork and manage the problem.

I hope you feel better soon

Edited 22 March 2022 by Smudge

[spacemunky]

1 hour ago, Line-X said:

Exactly what I've found. Do you know why this is? 

I did read about it years ago. Something to do with how your organs align when you're in that position and how it helps digestion.

[Jattdogg]

2 hours ago, spacemunky said:

I know it's better to sleep on your left side. 

 

I used to suffer quite a bit. Often had the waking up choking. I gave up alcohol for awhile because I felt it was the main cause of it.

 

I'm not so sure it was now, as I seem to have gone back to old habits and I haven't had acid reflux hardly at all in the last year.

If your right handed keeps the wanking position open eh??? Lol

 

 

I oddly find that helps too though, sleeping on the left side (that is).

 

I have heard how these proton pump inhibitors pills arent great for other reasons but i hope to live long enough to be happy with my life and don't worry about what will or won't happen. 

 

I could always make better diet decisions though as i do struggle at times with late night snack here and there.

 

 

[spacemunky]

25 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

If your right handed keeps the wanking position open eh??? Lol

 

 

Can always count on you Jatt to connect every subject to wanking