Hi all,
I have had stomach issues of silent reflux, waking in the early hours with nausea and acid mouth, being unable to get back to sleep and just feeling ill and out of sorts - this has been going on for the last 7 years. I was prescribed the usual PPIs (Lansoprazole, Omeprazole etc.) at varying strengths and for varying lengths of time. They did not work and I had bad side effects from them all. As well as making me feel extremely fatiqued, they made me feel depressed and anxious, so affecting my mental health.
So I was referred to a gastroenterologist two weeks ago and after discussing things he said that they would have to think outside the box as I was intolerant to the Omeprazole class of drugs. He said I had some classic reflux symptoms but that there might be some what they call visceral hypersensitivity going on too. So he recommended that I try a course of mirtazapine (which I had taken years back, but not for reflux). He explained about the gut brain axis and how he has used mirt among other ADs for patients with reflux and IBS issues.
He said he would write to my GP who had to prescribe it. So a GP from the practice I attend rang today to discuss the prescription and in a very haughty tone said "This is highly unorthodox and I doubt it will work, but as you have low mood too it may work for that". He said I should start on 15mg for the first week then increase to two tablets (30mg). I said that when I took these before I did well on 15mg, but found 30mg hard to tolerate. To which he said "You need to take them as recommended or not at all". He was so arrogant that I came off the phone feeling like a chastised child. I felt stigmatized for having a hard to treat stomach issue, that I had failed the conventional drugs, instead of the drugs failing to help me. There are some nice doctors at that practice, but especially at the moment you just have to take what you can get. The Partners and he is one all seem to have God complexes!
I wanted to discuss a couple of things regarding the mirtazapine with him, but all went out the window with his attitude. I will take the mirt, but at the 15mg dose and see how I get on.
By the way Amitriptyline was discussed by the consultant, but mirt was considered better due to fewer side effects. I'm wondering if anyone else here has been prescribed ADs for reflux/stomach issues, and if so, did they help?
Sorry for the ramble and moan, but I just needed to express this outside my own head tonight.
Belle
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