Acid Reflux but oh well...

[Bill Mattocks]

Went to see a GI doctor when I got to the point of taking a large prescription dose of Omeprazole twice daily and handfuls of Tums and still having acid reflux and IBS issues.

Had a scope done. Thankfully my eusophogus is fine, no hiatal hernia, stomach is fine except for mild gastritis.

Didn't get a followup appointment with GI doctor. I called today and was told since the scope showed no issues, that was it. Done. No follow up appointment needed.

Well, except that I still have acid reflux and IBS.

Not sure what to do next.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Went to see a GI doctor when I got to the point of taking a large prescription dose of Omeprazole twice daily and handfuls of Tums and still having acid reflux and IBS issues.

Had a scope done. Thankfully my eusophogus is fine, no hiatal hernia, stomach is fine except for mild gastritis.

Didn't get a followup appointment with GI doctor. I called today and was told since the scope showed no issues, that was it. Done. No follow up appointment needed.

Well, except that I still have acid reflux and IBS.

Not sure what to do next.

For acid reflux, pay attention to what is triggering it and during what time of day it's being triggered. For IBS, maybe probiotics will help with both issues. If you are getting acid reflux at night when you sleep then lay on your left side.

I recommend getting a fitness watch that can help you manage stress levels. You body may be experiencing stress that is causing the problem.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

For acid reflux, pay attention to what is triggering it and during what time of day it's being triggered. For IBS, maybe probiotics will help with both issues. If you are getting acid reflux at night when you sleep then lay on your left side.

I recommend getting a fitness watch that can help you manage stress levels. You body may be experiencing stress that is causing the problem.

Everything triggers it, all times of day. It doesn't matter what side I sleep on. I wear my smart watch 24 x 7. It tells me I sleep 5 to 6.5 hours a night.

I have diagnosed ptsd from the military. I just finished therapy with the VA. Didn't help, made it worse.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Everything triggers it, all times of day. It doesn't matter what side I sleep on. I wear my smart watch 24 x 7. It tells me I sleep 5 to 6.5 hours a night.

I have diagnosed ptsd from the military. I just finished therapy with the VA. Didn't help, made it worse.

Wow. I didn't know you had all of that going on in your life. Stressed would be an understatement.

 

[windwalker099]

Meditation or maybe some qi gong work...

Might be something you have tried...

One never knows....

Working on translating a pdf of the one finger qi gong into English...
should you be interested.

Maybe I can post it in the qi gong section as it
nears completion...


Thank you for your service...
Ret USArmy...

 

[Dirty Dog]

Sadly, there are some things we just can't fix. You might talk to your provider about options. Perhaps a different medication regime would be useful.

 

[Gyakuto]

Milk and alcohol are the most potent stimulators of gastric acid, so avoid those if you aren’t already.

Sometimes a different proton pump inhibitor works more efficiently. Lansoprazole doesn’t work for me at all.

You may have Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach and thus triple therapy might be appropriate.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Milk and alcohol are the most potent stimulators of gastric acid, so avoid those if you aren’t already.

Sometimes a different proton pump inhibitor works more efficiently. Lansoprazole doesn’t work for me at all.

You may have Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach and thus triple therapy might be appropriate.

Don't drink, I'm negative for h pylori.

 

[Gyakuto]

Don't drink, I'm negative for h pylori.

Gastric vagotomy? It a bit invasive!

Does fasting change anything? Intermittent fasting?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Gastric vagotomy? It a bit invasive!

Does fasting change anything? Intermittent fasting?

Per the biopsy:

Superficial congestion and foveolar hyperplasia with only mild background chronic inflammation.
No Helicobacter pylori organisms are identified on an immunohistochemical stain for H. pylori.

GI doctor's diagnosis: Mild gastritis.

I can't say what fasting does - I don't typically do it. I fasted for 24 hours prior to the GI scope, don't recall if I had any acid reflux that night or not.

I can get heartburn at any hour of the day or night; sometimes with nausea, sometimes just mild heartburn. Night is the worst - if I don't chew up a bunch of Tums after dinner and before bed, I can be sure I'll be throwing up in my mouth sometime during the night.

I've had it for years, it just recently started getting worse and worse. Doubled my dose of Omeprazole, no effect. Switched to a different medication - Pantoprazole - by my primary care physician. It was terrible; awful reflux every night for several weeks. Switched back to Omeprazole.

I don't know what to do next because my GI doctor has basically told me to get lost. As far as he's concerned, since there's no sign of disease, I don't have a problem.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Wow. I didn't know you had all of that going on in your life. Stressed would be an understatement.

It makes me feel like a hypochondriac to talk about everything. Getting old sucks. Until age 46, I literally had zero health problems and took no medication. Things have changed.

In no particular order, I have PTSD from the military, as mentioned. I have Afib, for which I've had an ablation, and my left ventricular diastolic function is abnormal according to an echocardiogram I had this week. I have acephalgic migraines (migraines with aura, but without headaches), vertigo, and IBS. I just had a small squamous cell carcinoma removed from my scalp. I am a Type 2 diabetic; I've been diabetic for nearly 20 years. I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are both under control because I take medication for them. I have a left vertebral artery 90% occlusion in the back of my neck, prior to the basilar artery, based on an MRA I had last week. My neurologist believes it was the result of an ancient TBI, probably when I was held down by a couple Army guys and kicked in the back of the head until I passed out back when I was an MP in the Marines.

Oh, and tendonitis in both shoulders that makes it difficult to punch at the dojo.

I'm on blood thinners, heartbeat slowing meds, and heart failure meds in addition to the diabetes and hbp / cholesterol meds. If I didn't have good health insurance, the cost of the meds alone would cost more than I actually earn.

I'm in my 64th year and I suspect I don't have too many more trips around the sun. I'm older than my father and my grandfather were when they passed.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I got to the point of taking a large prescription dose of Omeprazole twice daily

I find that esomeprazole works significantly better than omeprazole for me. Do you know if there is a reason (such as side effects) that your doctor has you on the omeprazole instead?

 

[docbudo]

I had acid reflux for yrs. Someone told me about baking soda. It works great. I put a tsp of baking soda in a half a glass of water,stir till dissolved. Only side effect is a large burp afterwards. I stopped taking omeprozole over 20yrs ago. The last time I had to take the baking soda was probaly 4yrs ago. It works that good. I can still eat whatever I want. Hope this helps. Good Luck

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I find that esomeprazole works significantly better than omeprazole for me. Do you know if there is a reason (such as side effects) that your doctor has you on the omeprazole instead?

Never heard of it. I can ask. I've tried pantoprazole, didn't work at all.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Sadly, there are some things we just can't fix. You might talk to your provider about options. Perhaps a different medication regime would be useful.

I fixed it with diet change but not everyone can do that or get the same results I did..... then my body decided to kick things up a bit to Gastritis..... working with that now.... would love to go back the the acid reflux diet I was in but not sure the Gastritis will like it...

 

[Holmejr]

There are certain foods that trigger my acid reflux. I can eat kimchi, fried seranos/jalapenos and do shots of tapatio BUT If I eat the Shepards pie at Cheesecake Factory I’m in total distress. Sooo, everyone is different and it’s not always the most obvious foods.

 

[Gyakuto]

Clotted cream sets me off, and speaking from the land of Cream Tea (scone, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea) that is a big issue. But w swig of Gavisvon or a PPI knocks it on the head.

 

[hoshin1600]

Granted we are all arm chair quaterbacking here but I have heard of people having issues due to an allergic type reaction to certain foods. I would do an elimination diet. drop to just meat, then just vegetables for three or four days each and see what happens. No sugars and no carbs. Sounds like you may already be on a restricted diet. For me I found sugar to be the issue. I eat salad with olive oil and vinegar for dinner most nights and all reflux problems are gone.

 

[Gyakuto]

Granted we are all arm chair quaterbacking here but I have heard of people having issues due to an allergic type reaction to certain foods. I would do an elimination diet. drop to just meat, then just vegetables for three or four days each and see what happens. No sugars and no carbs. Sounds like you may already be on a restricted diet. For me I found sugar to be the issue. I eat salad with olive oil and vinegar for dinner most nights and all reflux problems are gone.

An allergic reaction causing excessive gastric acid secretion?

 

[Old CJ]

I had acid reflux for yrs. Someone told me about baking soda. It works great. I put a tsp of baking soda in a half a glass of water,stir till dissolved. Only side effect is a large burp afterwards. I stopped taking omeprozole over 20yrs ago. The last time I had to take the baking soda was probaly 4yrs ago. It works that good. I can still eat whatever I want. Hope this helps. Good Luck

Try this and when all else fails why not try Acupuncture.