View Full Version : Anyone with GERD (gastroesphageal reflux disease)
I would welcome any feedback from anyone who suffers from this. It has ramped up my anxiety beyond anything I have known in the past.
Any tips on coping?
Belle x
Hi Belleblue, I have GERD due to a hiatal hernia which makes it easy for the acid to leave my stomach.
When the problems first started it made me very anxious because I got weird symptoms like heart palpitations that I didn't realise were due to the reflux.
Now that it's been all checked out it doesn't bother me at all, I just manage it with diet and sometimes medication. There's nothing to worry about really.
What is it about GERD that scares you? What are you doing to manage it?
Have you gotten any help with your anxiety, you know stress can make GERD and other stomach problems worse.
Hi HoneyLove, thank you for responding. I have to go out now, but will respond more fully later on today.
Belle x
Hi HoneyLove,
My reflux problems started in May of this year and I was put on PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) for it. I tried three different types and none of them helped and the reflux kept getting worse.
I was eventually referred to a gastroenterologist in late July and was told I needed an endoscopy. Had that on the 6th August and it showed gastritis and a small hernia. I then had a follow up appointment with gastroenterology to discuss findings and something called a prokinetic drug was advised plus H2 blockers (ranitidine) instead of PPIs because I have osteoporosis and the PPIs can cause fractures. I tolerated neither of these medications and was put back on the PPIs by my GP.
I was also referred for a 24hr PH and Manometry test on the 22nd. October. I don't know if you've ever had one of these done, but it is not a pleasant test. It is however the gold standard and gives the amount of acid reflux events over a 24hr period.
During this time I have been getting worse and worse. I have tried everything to improve matters. I have the head of my bed raised 7", I eat a bland diet, nothing spicy or sweet. In the beginning I was not anxious at all and thought that the problem would eventually resolve, but it isn't and I have no doubt that I now need surgery.
Anyway, upshot is that I had to pay to see the consultant privately as they didn't even give me a follow up appointment to talk about the 24hr. test. I was told by his secretary that he would have my results. But during the appointment he said they were not on the system!! He rang me the following morning and said that he had emailed the person who did the test to tell him that there is something wrong with his reporting and told me that he would ring me again on Monday (tomorrow). I am really fearful that they have lost them and hoping that if I have to do the test again that they do not expect me to go to the bottom of the waiting list and wait two months as I did before.
I started getting a pounding heart about three weeks ago. Yes, I am very anxious, but I feel this is some mechanism to do with the reflux. Do you know any more about this?
I started on Mirtazapine on Friday night as I felt I was going to have a nervous breakdown and it has helped thank goodness.
Because I have osteoporosis I really cannot stay on the PPIs and I need to get back to eating the very good bone healthy diet that I had before this. I am so scared that I will fracture on top of everything else unless they can do something to resolve this issue, which will probably be surgery. I am now also getting chronic cough, earaches and was put on a ventolin inhaler because I am now beginning to aspirate the acid into my lungs.
Sorry this is so long winded HoneyLove.
What medication do you take and were you diagnosed as having chronic reflux disease or acute?
Take care.
Belle x
My Belle, you have been through a lot with it you poor thing :hugs:I have a couple of points to add that you may need to think about.
They didn't tell me if my reflux was chronic or acute, but I venture that it's chronic because it's an ongoing problem due to my hiatal hernia. If I don't keep an eye on it, it will come back periodically. Sometimes in my sleep I will aspirate the acid and wake up with it gurgling in my lungs - this usually happens if I've over eaten or had foods that increase reflux. I find that raising the head of the bed helps a bit, it doesn't solve it completely but anything that helps is good!
I take omeprazole sometimes, which is a PPI, if my stomach has flared up and I need a little extra help. I was told to make sure to take the PPI at the same time every day, and on an empty stomach - this works very well for me. I also split the dose - so currently I'm on 40mg per day and I take one 20mg tablet at 8am and another at around 5pm. This keeps it working through the night for me too. However if you want to try this it's a bad idea to cut your tablets in half, it's better to ask the pharmacy to give you 20mg tablets instead of 40mg.
It can take a couple of weeks, even up to two months (the consultant told me), for a PPI to really kick in and work well - so make sure that you're giving it some proper time to work, you won't see a result straight away.
I know it can be a sensitive topic, but if you are carrying extra weight then this is something to consider too. I have made an effort to lose some weight and it has helped a lot - I'm not very overweight, but I'm a little too big for my size and it puts a lot of extra pressure on the stomach. Any extra pressure on the stomach will make the reflux worse. I don't know if this applies to you, but it's worth mentioning because it's so important.
It's also good to consider lifestyle measures, like not sitting down straight away after a meal, make sure you're eating small amounts regularly rather than big meals, never overeat, exercise regularly, don't sit down for long periods at a computer etc. without taking regular breaks, don't drink a lot with or after meals, and avoid sitting in positions or tight clothing that will put pressure on your stomach. You probably know already to avoid junk food and processed or rich meals.
Another factor that I find increases reflux is pressure from the lower abdomen if my digestion has slowed down - I don't mean constipation, but certain foods will make me bloat and my whole system seems slower. Cutting out wheat/gluten really helps me with this personally - I'm not coeliac but whenever I eat wheat products it will slow me down and bloat my stomach. So I don't eat a totally gluten free diet, but I don't eat very much of it. If you have any foods in your diet that make you bloat then it might be worth looking at them - for example gluten and dairy are big culprits for making people bloated after eating. It might be worth investigating if you have any food sensitivities that might be making the reflux worse.
The pounding heart and palpitations are something I get from reflux (it used to happen a lot at night), but I just ignore them these days because I know what's causing it and my heart has been given the OK by the cardio. So if it happens I know I'm not looking after myself properly and go back to good habits again. It's annoying, but not dangerous so there's nothing to worry about.
I find that a teaspoon of manuka honey and about 10mls of aloe vera juice really help with my stomach if it is flaring up. I usually take them both on an empty stomach in the mornings. Probiotics also help. If you do decide to take any supplements like this just make sure that they are compatible with any medication you are taking.
Remember that stress also slows down the digestion, increases stomach acidity and increases pressure on the abdomen - all a bad combination for reflux. So working on stress relief techniques every day, and learning to deal with your anxiety, is a must!
I know it's difficult trying to find the right balance here, but you'll get there, even if it means surgery! This is not a difficult problem to deal with, it's very manageable, it's all in how you look at it. If you relax about it it will help you deal with it better.
Hi, I was very interested to read your posts about GERD and palpitations, I have suffered from reflux for about 3 years now and also struggle with episodes of anxiety too. For the last year or so I have been backwards and forwards to my GP with palpitation problems and I never knew that the two were linked. :ohmy:
Hi honeylove
I have had acid reflux for 15 months now. Also my IBS has flared up. I'm seeing the consultant on Tuesday as omeprazole has done nothing for me. The pain sometimes us I bearable. I also have a small hiatus hernia.
I do hope he can do something fir me. I have been worried incase it's my heart.
But getting to the stage of accepting it's the stomach and not bowel. It's goid to know I'm not on my own.
Hi JA, yeah it was a surprise to me too and actually I discovered it by accident.
I was getting a lot of racing heart episodes and palpitations, so my GP sent me to get my heart checked out. I had to wait quite a few months for the tests and in the mean time was treated for GERD with medication. When I went on the medication and the reflux stopped suddenly I also stopped getting the palps. And when I came off the medication the palpitations came back, and I noticed that it was particularly bad if I had reflux or did anything that increased the pressure on my stomach (like going up stairs or lifting something heavy for example).
When I had the cardio tests they showed the palps and racing heart, but my heart was is great condition. So the reflux theory made the most sense.
When I talked about it with the cardio consultant he said that it was a link they were just beginning to see was more common than they had thought, but they didn't know very much about it yet.
He said something about it irritating the nerves that run up past the heart, and so it can create palpitations or fast heartbeats. But it's not dangerous, nothing to worry about and very manageable by looking after the reflux.
Hi HoneyLove,
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts on this.
I've been taking PPIs since May and they are not working. I wasn't overweight to begin with and have lost over a stone and don't want to lose anymore. In fact one of the main reasons I went on mirtazapine is because I know from past experience with it that it increases appetite, which I had completely lost.
I have also tried diet and lifestyle changes all to no avail. Even bland food causes the reflux.
Regarding heart palpitations and heart pounding: I had a heart trace done about a week ago and everything was ok. Cardio doc said it was anxiety and that reflux disease is very anxiety provoking. In the meantime I read that acid reflux can irritate the vagus nerve which is a long nerve running beside the stomach and heart. But even the gastro consultant said the palps and pounding were anxiety caused by the reflux. Yes, I've become extremely anxious about all this, but I know there is some other bodily mechanism causing the pounding, because it can happen even when I feel relaxed. So it was interesting to read that your cardio doc is aware of this and the one I saw wasn't. I can still feel them happening, but the mirt has helped dampen them down.
Today I am (anxiously) waiting for the consultant to ring to tell me what has happened to my test results as this cannot move forward without them.
Take care.
Belle x
Good luck speaking to the consultant today Belle, I hope that he's able to help you out x
Thank you HoneyLove. Still waiting and can't seem to help catastrophizing.
Belle x
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