Anyone with chronic stomach/GERD issues??

[TWH_Girl]

I’ve had a few stomach issues over the years. I am 43 and went through a period of using Zantac regularly about 18-20 yrs ago and then after a while, stomach was better. Over the years, have had bad headaches so use of NSAIDs was quite high and I was addicted to coffee. About 2 yrs ago started having vague stomach symptoms that were more annoying than anything such as a gnawing especially when hungry, bloated, burping, some heartbearn, a bit of nausea in the morning when I haven’t eaten, but nothing else really. I was blood tested for H Pylori and it was positive so I was treated. Symptoms did not resolve so went for an endoscope and MD said just mild gastritis- no GERD or anything. He biopsed for h pylori at time of scope and said it was negative. Still I could not get rid of symptoms. I stayed off coffee for a while and took Prilosec or similar alternative. Eventually, I was able to get off the meds for several months, but then the symptoms started up again about 6 months ago. I had reintroduced coffee, keeping it at 2 cups per day max. So I started taking Zantac 150 am and pm and then that did not seem to be enough. I am now back on Prilosec in am and then I take either a Zantac or Prevacid in pm. I also have tried Mastic Gum, Aloe Vera Juice and probiotics. Nothing really seems to totally help although the symptoms wax and wane throughout the day in terms of how bad they are (worse before and after eating- much better in AM and NEVER bothers me at night when sleeping).

I have appt to see GI doc again in less than 2 weeks. Plan to ask for another h pylori test just to be sure, but I am just tired of this and would like to know what I can do to feel better. Currently on no coffee, very limited alcohol (maybe 1-2 glasses on weekend- it doesn’t seem to bother me) and no NSAIDs for about a month now and still symptomatic, though a bit better.

I am also tired all the time (but seriously have been for years- also some sleep issues, sigh…) and have this weird ear/pressure issue which seems to upset my stomach too.

I am just wondering if anyone has or has had similar problems and what they did to find relief? It’s so annoying to not feel 100% every day

[CHT]

I have GERD due to scleroderma.

I don’t have the typical risk factors as I am not overweight and a pretty healthy eater.

I am on medication (rabeprazole (sp?)) for it, and I am also on the GERD diet. I have cut out acidic foods like Oranges, tomatoes and many beverages. I NEVER drink alcohol, acidic juices or coffee, and rarely drink caffeinated tea. I don’t eat within 2 hours of sleeping/laying down, and I try not to bend over after eating/drinking as I know it will come back up. I don’t eat fatty foods, red meat, chocolate and so on. I avoid artificial sweeteners and potatoes too, but I think that is due to my scleroderma…forget.

It has meant a LOT of changes, and has made food no fun, but the threat of esophageal cancer was all it took for me to make the changes.

[SMF11]

My son had bouts of gastritis that would wax and wane; none of the drugs (prescription antacids, proton pump inhibitors) worked; he missed a lot of school due to this (like, 4 months over the course of 3 years); saw two pediatric gastroenterologists; had an endoscopy . . . and . . . the thing that has made him better is eating gluten free.

It cannot hurt you to eat gluten free, so you might want to try it for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. I will also note that none of his doctors suggested he try gluten free.

Good luck!

[AliCat518]

I have recently developed stomach issues–in the past 4 weeks or so. Nausea mostly. I also have a lot of fatigue but am not sure if it’s related.

Am scheduled for an endoscopy on Friday so we’ll see what that says.

[Coltinator]

I was diagnosed with GERD around 10 years ago, I am 99.9% fine now. The doctors put me on all sorts of different drugs that did not work until I could get in to see a GI Specialist who put me on Nexium and something else (little white pill). This worked, until it started making things worse so I stopped taking the drugs and started with a homeopathic suggestion… Chlorophyll! Yes, the green part of plants. You can get it from the health food store or a vitamin store. I took 1 tsp three times per day for 3 weeks, then two times per day for 2 weeks, then one time per day for a week… you can take for longer if you are still feeling acidy. This really WORKED, I have been able to drink and eat whatever I want since I did this treatment over 6 years ago

Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon… it really sucks having a bad stomach!

ETA: mix the chlorophyll with a little bit of water so it doesn’t stick to your tongue too much. It doesn’t taste bad, but it does taste like fresh cut alfalfa smells (if that makes any sense at all, LOL!).

[mountainhorse]

I have, and have several friends as well with the same thing. Try how you approach food and what you eat. We decided to give it a go, and went gluten-free. Two of my friends went GF and totally paleo~no grains at all, as they were the worst cases of us all. They were on RX meds and took all sorts of OTC stuff,…after 1 year of total Paleo, no other changes, they were off ALL meds. Completely!
I was not as bad, but since going GF, I do not have any of the symptoms, my energy levels are so much higher ( I had the same thing energy wise,…just drained, all the time!), and I feel so much better.
Challenge yourself to it. That’s how I did it. Give yourself a week. See how you feel. Try for 2 weeks, a month…
After a week, and I realized I didn’t have any issues for that week, I never turned back.
Well, actually, I had 1 wheat bagel one morning, really to ‘test’ it out. Um, yeah. NOT doing that again. Totally screwed up my system for the day. Went back to GF and no issues. I am 100% a GF eater now. And you know what, sometimes, you will slip up, and it’s OK. Your body will tell you, you will get over it, and move on.

As far as making ‘food fun again’, with a new lifestyle (NOT diet-dont’ treat it as a diet: it’s a lifestyle change you are making for you!), there are a tons of really healthy, delicious GF and paleo recipes out there. There are some duds, but don’t let the few discourage you.
If you are on Pinterest (my fav recipe go to other online honestly!), search for Gluten Free recipes and pick a few good ones to try.
You will start to crave the good stuff, and it will satisfy you.
Good Luck!

[eidyn]

I have a variety of GI issues relating to lupus, from constant inflammation and pain to requiring surgery because of autoimmune-caused ulcers. Nothing Rx wise helped because they all were contraindicated because of other meds or other organ issues and generally the side effects weren’t worth it for anything that did work. I had been gluten free for two years with some success and this past May went completely grain free. I was encouraged to go dairy free too, but I was miserable being unable to eat my favourite foods and hated any dairy-alternative. I went from being curled up every single night in excruciating pain and most of the time haemorrhaging to having mild to moderate discomfort once a week and major pain only when having a lupus episode. It’s easy for me to stay on my diet at home, and it does suck going out and eating a salad at every restaurant, although with GERD, IBS, ulcerative colitis, etc you generally can’t eat out anyways.

I honestly can’t recommend going grain/non-vegetable starch free enough. Not only has it helped my GI system, there are noticeable improvements in nearly all of my inflammatory problems from arthritis to costochondritis to migraines.

[katarine]

I take Protonix for erosive esophagitis and it’s indicated for GERD.

It’s magical for me.
http://www.protonix.com/

I eat what I like and drink wine and I’m good. Thanks for asking

[Eclectic_Horseman]

I went through this about 20 years ago, and it was so distressing that my PCP told me that she “didn’t know whether to send me to a gastroenterologist or a psychiatrist.” (no longer my pcp :mad:)

I went to the gastroenterologist and she immediately doubled all of my medication. (Prilosec and Zantac) Although my esophagus was very injured, it eventually healed and then it got better (about 8 weeks, I think, and even then it bothered me when I
ate certain things.

I also did everything else I possibly could myself. LOTS of chamomile tea. Pepto Bismol when I needed it (don’t use OTC antacids like Tums or Rolaids–they cause acid rebound.) I almost completely cut FAT out of my diet (fat acts like a sedative on the digestive system and really slows it down.) I also took Slippery Elm Capsules and Deglycyrrhized Licorice Root.

The bottom line is that it takes time.

[lilitiger2]

Me too.
GERD for many years. I have tried the GERD diet (and still do, except my one teeny weeeny cup of tea which I cannot do with out). But the sx did not improve.After trying every diet modification I could think of, and THINKING I was eating well by eating all sorts of veggies, I finally had a motility test and found that food moves very slowly through my system, really making the GERD much worse. So, no fats (really slows things down) and no fiber (like veggies). I cut out veggies and most fats and I have been pretty symptom free. I have to work at it, eat baby food greens (blech) and occasionally some boiled zucchini or something (very little) but that totally eliminated my symptoms. I pay for it immediately if I do eat veggies, or an apple, or fruit of any kind (other than berries which I can tolerate)

I did the prilosec (but got heart palpitations), and prevacid (better) but am very happy to be off the PPIs.

It sure seems to be hereditary, as my mom also has GERD and her doc has her on Nexium (and will forever).

There are so many bizarre myths out there, make sure you work with a good gastro (it took me several, the first two, in Montana, were totally unhelpful) who can really do a good work up and develop recommendations that actually work.

[TWH_Girl]

Well, it’s always nice to know others are out there too! I really want to get off PPIs too. I will see the MD on the 27th and he will probably want to do another scope to check it out, and prescribe some PPI therapy…I have heard about going gluten free and how it can help with stomach issues. This sucks! So now in addition to giving up my beloved coffee and red wine (which I do have 1-2 glasses on weekend anyway), going gluten free means giving up breads and grains??! Ugh, this really stinks…Good suggestions and I will definitely try a few. I have used DGL licorice too- no real difference. I am finding black tea even sets it off- I live on chamomile tea right now…I am trying to pay really close attention to foods and drinks that seem to get it going. It does suck to have a bad stomach.

[eidyn]

Despite my major ulcer issues, I was hell bent against giving up coffee and alcohol. Like, I didn’t care if I lived if it meant I couldn’t drink pots of coffee and tea at a time and have half a glass of wine or, my best friends, whiskey and vodka. Immature, but whatever. When you deal with as much as I do, and you all do too, there comes to be a limit. For me that was it! I’ve found that if I am insanely strict about the food that goes into my body, I can get away with a cup or two of coffee/tea and some alcohol. I don’t want to be that preachy annoying food guru, because I know I was hesitant about it and it definitely doesn’t help everyone, but seriously, food can be a big help. I’m already taking 32 medications. I’m already dealing with a lot. To save money on groceries AND feel better AND take a couple less pills a day? Was enough to convince me.

[wateryglen]

Unless you have celiac disease there is no reason to cut out gluten; that’s a total food fad right now. IF you have an allergy to it; it affects your intestines-not your gastrum/stomach.
So often; GERD is a diet & lifestyle problem and can be managed well with weight loss, diet, and all the things the literature tells you to do to live with it. The PPI drug class usually works but there are the lesser meds that can manage it also.
Riding btw; can be bad for it. Bouncing splashes stomach contents around etc. Don’t ride on a full stomach!! Also…up your water intake. Keep it all diluted.
Best wishes!

[independentlyawesome]

I had some lovely GERD last year, triggered by stress. Took omeprazole & zofran, cut out acidic foods (like tomatoes, coffee, alcohol), stopped eating after 7 pm, and went gluten-free.

Some combination of that fixed it!

I added back in coffee, and have been eating later in the night without issues. I do think I’m gluten-intolerant, but moreso I think it’s the lower carbs that work for my body. Personally, I’m thankful for that fad b/c I would never have really figured that out otherwise! It’s so easy to try, that I don’t see a huge downside.

[SMF11]

[QUOTE=wateryglen;7379500]
Unless you have celiac disease there is no reason to cut out gluten; that’s a total food fad right now. [/QUOTE]

wateryglen, forgive me, but you have no idea what you are talking about.

Yes, it is popular, and yes, probably not everyone who is eating gluten free needs to eat gluten free, BUT: it is well accepted in the literature that there is nonceliac gluten sensitivity. And that you can be intolerant of gluten while not testing positive on any of the current tests. (One study took people who claimed to be sensitive to gluten, but did not test positive on any tests, put them in a hospital and fed half a gluten free diet, and half a gluten containing diet. The people eating gluten had verifiable, demonstrable symptoms).

For much of the science behind gluten-free eating you could read “Wheatbelly” which is footnoted with hundreds of legitimate studies.

But for me the bottom line is that if someone is having problems that cannot be easily diagnosed, or are not responding to treatment, eating gluten free has absolutely no downside. It is not an unhealthy diet; and if you find it works, fantastic. It is much better to eat gluten free than to be on prescription drugs with side effects that don’t help anyway.

[TWH_Girl]

[For much of the science behind gluten-free eating you could read “Wheatbelly” which is footnoted with hundreds of legitimate studies.

Could this be responsible for the belly fat that I cannot seem to get rid of, no matter what I do?!

In the past few days, I have been taking 20mg Prilosec AM and PM and that has helped. I am still seeing my doc on the 27th though.

What foods are important to cut out for a gluten free diet?

[wateryglen]

Gluten allergy affects intestines(lower GI tract) which is totally different symptoms from GERD which is your stomach/uppper GI tract. Gluten is an essential nutrient that you should not limit unless medically indicated. Seek only medical advice from medical professionals or registered dieticians and not the internet. Gluten doesn’t cause belly fat; overeating does as well as genetic/conditioning/history etc. Avoiding gluten is a fad right now. Take this from a nurse please and go talk to your doctor.

[Bigblackdraft]

[QUOTE=wateryglen;7389587]
Gluten allergy affects intestines(lower GI tract) which is totally different symptoms from GERD which is your stomach/uppper GI tract. Gluten is an essential nutrient that you should not limit unless medically indicated. Seek only medical advice from medical professionals or registered dieticians and not the internet. Gluten doesn’t cause belly fat; overeating does as well as genetic/conditioning/history etc. Avoiding gluten is a fad right now. Take this from a nurse please and go talk to your doctor.[/QUOTE]

You are absolutely incorrect about Acid Reflux not being medically linked to Celiac Disease. http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/symptomsofceliacdisease/a/Are-Your-GERD-Symptoms-Caused-By-Celiac-Disease.htm

Also, a frequent cause of GERD is actually a mechanical problem of the relaxation of the hiatus. Many cases of GERD cannot adequately be controlled by diet and lifestyle changes, ie., weight loss. Again, you are wrong.

If you are going to dispense medical advice, and claim you are more correct than the internet, because you are a nurse, please ensure you have done your due diligence and actually look up the information before you start making ignorant claims.

[wateryglen]

I did not dispense medical advice except to say that OP should see and seek a doctor for medical treatment…not ask a bunch of horsepeople on the internet. I did not say I was more correct than the internet. Everything you read on the internet is not correct. And I can say I read ignorant claims too. Just suggesting some thoughts; you are welcome to dismiss those thoughts as you wish. Please feel free. I don’t have to be right. Best wishes to all cursed w/GERD!

[kerlin]

Yes. For many years now. It comes and goes. I keep a fairly careful diet, and have learned over the years what will trigger and what won’t. I’m careful about when I eat and how I eat as well. When I was first diagnosed it was bad - heart attack pain, vertigo, dizziness, constant nausea, constant sore throat, you name it.

For me it has absolutely nothing to do with gluten intolerance. Inasmuch as every modern problem seems to be blamed on gluten, sure, I bet for some people eating grains irritates their stomach in various ways. But GF is not the cure-all the internet purports it to be. For me, in fact, one of the fastest ways to calm my stomach and reduce my acid is to eat dry toast, or plain cereal, or other really basic grain-based things that basically “soak up” the acid. A glass of milk is another helpful treatment, so it’s not a dairy or lactose issue.

Bottom line, as suggested above, is to work with a doctor and a gastroenterologist. Pay careful attention to what works for you and what doesn’t. See if you can address the root cause as clearly as possible: stress? mechanical problem? diet?

My issues stem from, as described above, problems of the relaxation of the hiatus, ie it’s far easier for acid to come back up into my throat than it is for the average person. While that is a defect I was born with, I find that I am largely able to control it through diet and lifestyle.