My symptoms diagnosed

[claireypoo]

Hello there, lovely people of NMP.

I have been diagnosed with GERD likely from a small hiatus hernia, which apparently explains my right rib discomfort which is referred pain from my stomach (or as my gastroenterologist said could also be wind collecting in bend in large bowel - hepatic flexure) and acidy indigestion (burning heat inside chest and back, and pain in my upper back right side and sometimes, rarely, the left). It also explains what I thought were hot flushes (heartburn) and my morning sore throat. I have been prescribed domperidone, which helps by reducing the time food is in the stomach (increasing motility) and more recently, Omeprazole, which I haven't taken as yet, because I am hoping to alleviate my symptoms naturally with dietary changes & weight loss.

The pelvic scan I was worried about showed absolutely nothing untoward. Totally normal apparently. My GP says I may have been experiencing painful ovulation, which we suspect started after a large ovary burst last year causing pain.

I think I am too 'tuned in' or hypersensitive to my body functions at present. I feel too much. I notice everything. But this has been reducing though, as I am walking 5 miles a day in an effort to be healthier mentally and physically. Exercise has massively helped my mental health. I am hoping the weight loss will help the GERD too, which is a blooming pain in the ****! I don't find food is my trigger, though (apart from the real baddies like really fatty foods, coffee & alcohol) my problems with acid reflux seem very much to be stress related. I've raised the head of the bed, drink coconut water and whole flower chamomile tea (very good - wish I'd tried it years ago, helps me sleep too), I eat lots of fruit, get regular exercise and have lost 2 stone since December.

Fingers crossed I get back to my usual self soon! X

Thanks to everyone that helped me xxxx

[Catherine S]

Well done Claire, a very positive post. Apparently as we get older our stomachs produce less of the enzymes needed to digest food so we tend to have these digstive problems more. I've certainly noticed I can't tolerate some of the food and drinks I once could and get more acid reflux than before.

Good luck on your journey back to a healthy mind and body, and thanks for the tip about the whole flower camomile tea :)

[claireypoo]

Thanks so much. :) Most of my symptoms occurred when I gained a lot of weight last year (gave up smoking) but I absolutely agree, age is definitely a factor! I used to have the stomach of
iron in my youth, not so much now! X (Whole flower chamomile is amazing, anti inflammatory with mild sedative qualities. Manuka Honey is also good. Especially drizzled on toast for breakfast, or on raspberries and Greek yoghurt) :)

[Lilharry]

That's great news! I can testify to the fact that dietary changes do help. Apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before meals helps a lot with digestion and so do digestive enzymes - both natural ways of dealing with it too. It must be a relief to find out it's nothing serious.

[Fishmanpa]

What a difference from the gal that asked her partner to photograph poo ;)

I'm happy to hear you're making progress and while GERD is a PITA sometimes, you're on the right track to healing. Keep up the good work! :)

Positive thoughts

[bulan]

Thanks for the inspiring post! It's so good to hear from someone who's a little farther ahead in the journey. I've also been changing my diet, but haven't begun exercising yet.

Funny you should mention tea... I've just made the switch to brands free of pesticides and other chemicals (both on the leaves and tea bags). I'm glad to hear about whole-flower chamomile. I'll try that one next. :)

Anyway, I'm so happy that things are going well for you! Thanks for sharing!

[claireypoo]

Thanks! Lilharry :) It was, but I'm still battling the "what if it's..." That's the anxiety though, and being dealt with by exercising it! :) I wonder if I should try getting some digestive enzymes from H&B? The gastroenterologist thought my troubles were from a hiatus hernia (based on my symptoms) more a mechanical problem, but I'm willing to try anything natural before I take the PPI's! Xxxx

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FMP! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You do make me giggle! X (and thanks) x

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Bulan - hi! I do find organic things upset my stomach less, trying to cook my food from scratch using organic ingredients. It helps. :) I have been drinking TeaPigs Whole Flower Chamomile Tea from Waitrose/Tesco £4 for 20 bags (I think) X Highly recommend it. X

[HoneyLove]

Hi clairey, really glad that your doctors are taking such good care of you! You seem to have a great attitude towards your new treatment plan, you seem very proactive about helping yourself, it's really good to see and it'll help you feel like a stronger person :)

Feeling hypersensitive like that is really common with anxiety. It's down to the stress hormones in our bodies making us very alert to anything that we perceive as dangerous. If you work on some relaxation and stress reduction techniques you'll find that this will begin to ease. The exercise will really help with this too, so keep going :)

I too have a small hiatal hernia and GERD issues, so unfortunately I know a lot about what you're going through! It gives all kinds of weird symptoms that can be scary if you don't know what they are, it made me really anxious too when I first had problems. If you have any questions about it you can always ask and if I can help I will :)

[claireypoo]

Thank you HL! X I will! Like, NOW! Ha ha! What do you take for your GERD? And what do you find helps you? X

[HoneyLove]

I'm currently taking omeprazole 40mg a day which really works for me. I don't know how long I'll be on it, my doctor agreed to let me take it for a little while because my stomach was messed up due to a stressful situation in my life, and when my GERD is worse it makes me grind my teeth at night which triggers migraine & TMJ problems. How about that for a crazy mix of health problems eh? lol!

What I find helps the most is stress relief work, as it's stress that really sets my stomach off.

And then there's all the diet stuff, I find that tomatoes, ginger and really fatty foods spark off extra acidity. Apart from that things that make it worse are: veg that are a little too raw or hard to digest, fizzy drinks, alcohol, chocolate, onions, spicy food (I don't eat much anyway), caffeine and anything fatty really. That doesn't mean they make me feel bad all the time, but if I eat them regularly then they'll start to upset me, so only in small amounts. I also find some of the tough to digest foods hard going, so I avoid brown rice and raw veg for example. Too much gluten upsets me too, although I am not coeliac, so I just keep it to a minimum.

With a hernia you also need to be wary of eating too much as it will spark of reflux since the top of your stomach is not as sturdy as it should be.

You might also notice that certain foods will set it off because they can lower the strength of the muscles at the top of your stomach - these include: chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, mint (including peppermint tea which a lot of people drink to avoid caffeine), and citrus fruits (including juice).

It doesn't mean you need to avoid that stuff all the time, but just don't eat it all regularly!

Things that helped are: manuka honey, aloe vera juice, lots of water, watering down fruit juices instead of drinking them straight, decaff tea is nice, not lying down too soon after eating, have a bit of a walk about after a big meal rather than sitting with a full stomach, don't wear tight fitting clothes around your middle, don't bend down too soon after eating and most of all daily relaxation :)

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Oh and it can be good to be aware that some medications can affect GERD too, like NSAIDS (asprin/neurofen/ibuprofen) and cough bottles! The cough bottle mistake is one that I made and it really upset my tummy, then the reflux gave me all kinds of horrible heart palpitations that freaked me out! It doesn't mean avoid them totally, but just be aware that they might upset the GERD a bit.

[claireypoo]

Thank you HL x Great advice xxxx

[Catherine S]

Just read through Honey Love's post and can relate to lots of things she said. I've only recently in the last 6 months suffered with acid reflux after no previous problems at all, well apart from half a lifetime of ectopic beats that is, and have now connected the dots! I recently had a scan on my liver and gallbladder and was told to avoid sugar as there was a lot of gas in my stomach. Apparently because I have an under active thyroid everything has slowed down so food isn't digested as quickly and anything sugary just ferments in the stomach and creates the gas. I'll definitely be making a list of the do's and don'ts so thanks HL :)

ISB x

[claireypoo]

Since I posted that, I have some other symptoms that sent me back to my GP, namely, increased acid, stronger pain in my upper back and right side and an urge in my chest like I need to clear phlegm, like a pressure or constant urge to cough, but nothing comes up most of the time, when it does it it just looks like thicker saliva. My doctor prescribed me lansoprazole and wants me to have an Endoscopy now, just to 'have a look' and he sent me for a chest xray. (waiting for results of that). I'm scared of the Endoscopy, and I can't stop thinking the worst.
Amazingly, as I have pharmacophobia - I have taken my first lansoprazole (this morning). Yay brave me. :) I felt a bit sick but nothing too bad... Yet...

Can anyone on lansoprazole, diagnosed with reflux or had an Endoscopy relate?

[illgetthere]

How did you go with this?

[lisa1975]

Just read through Honey Love's post and can relate to lots of things she said. I've only recently in the last 6 months suffered with acid reflux after no previous problems at all, well apart from half a lifetime of ectopic beats that is, and have now connected the dots! I recently had a scan on my liver and gallbladder and was told to avoid sugar as there was a lot of gas in my stomach. Apparently because I have an under active thyroid everything has slowed down so food isn't digested as quickly and anything sugary just ferments in the stomach and creates the gas. I'll definitely be making a list of the do's and don'ts so thanks HL :)

ISB x

hi ive just found out i have a under active thyroid can i ask how your getting on with it further down the line :)