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Nursing mom needs help!
Hi! I have had blood tests, stress echo and on 4/11 a sonogram of my gall bladder,liver and kidney. All came back okay. I had an EDG which they found gastritis and reflux. This explains the tenderness in my stomach when pushed on. The reflux explained the feeling of sore throat everyday and a couple of months ago problems at night, difficulty swallowing and lump in throat feeling. But it did not answer the problem of severe chest pain and back pain between shoulder blades (which I thought was heart related). It comes all during the day and night. It can begin minutes after I eat. The doctor thinks this is a problem with my esophagus. It can be one of two esophagus problems relating to the spasm or constractions of the esophagus. The doctor is going to perform a test called Esophageal Mobility which measures the contraction and relaxation at the start and end of the esophagus. I can deal with all, but the pain in back and chest can become overwhelming. Problem is I am breastfeeding. They want me to take Nexium 40 mg, have not started because I didn't like what I read in the pamplet. I am concerned about side effects for myself and my baby. I take about 8 Tums Ultras a day, before and after meals. Two before bed which helps. But the Tums provides little relief and for short periods. They wanted me to take a medication for the esophagus called Reglan (which has bad side effects including depression.) Both Reglan and Propulcid enter the brain. Don't want to take. Domperidone was suggested and supposed to be safer, does not enter brain. Can anyone give me suggestions?
Kare have you got any relief yet?
I suffer the same problems. Last year I was SO HAPPY when they told me it was my Gallbladder and that having it removed would take care of my problems. And it did for about 3 months and then they all came back. Pain the the chest, lump in the throat, pain that goes through to my back. The chest palpatations are gone...but they used to be bad.
As in your first post I mentioned that I have had EVERY TEST in the book. Heart etc.
They even scoped down my throat and all looked good.
I don't have very much reguritation/heartburn. But I do get this about once every 2 weeks.
I LOVE and cherish the days I wake up and my back feels good like it didn't get abused all night. A HEATING PAD and a reflux pillow help me sleep most of the time. The back pain and sharp chest pains are nasty.
I have just begun (2 days ago) using the DGL in conjuction with 2/40mgs. of Protonix daily...(which doesn't seem to help)...but last month I felt good and this month I feel bad again. So I can't tell what makes the demon within mad or calm.
Also note since on all the Protonix I have inside and outside mouth sores (which I never used to get) , an extra period, lymnods under my chin swell and hurt. Most of these have subsided but they keep coming one after another. I believe it's the vitamen B defencieny. (spelling?)
I have cut chocolate, mint, high fat/fried, acidic food, caffine, onions, cinnamon, cabbage, peppers and all the other no no's. Also limited sugar.
I think it takes a LONG TIME to heal. FOR some a month for others less for others 6 to 9 months.
Also see a Chiropractor! And get that back massaged!
Use Concerned Lady's advice! I have had this for not quite 2 years and I have had a 3 to 4 good months mixed in that time.
WATCH THE DIET! If you want to email me you can at:
***@****
I also want to know if you get your hormone levels checked?
I suffer the same problems. Last year I was SO HAPPY when they told me it was my Gallbladder and that having it removed would take care of my problems. And it did for about 3 months and then they all came back. Pain the the chest, lump in the throat, pain that goes through to my back. The chest palpatations are gone...but they used to be bad.
As in your first post I mentioned that I have had EVERY TEST in the book. Heart etc.
They even scoped down my throat and all looked good.
I don't have very much reguritation/heartburn. But I do get this about once every 2 weeks.
I LOVE and cherish the days I wake up and my back feels good like it didn't get abused all night. A HEATING PAD and a reflux pillow help me sleep most of the time. The back pain and sharp chest pains are nasty.
I have just begun (2 days ago) using the DGL in conjuction with 2/40mgs. of Protonix daily...(which doesn't seem to help)...but last month I felt good and this month I feel bad again. So I can't tell what makes the demon within mad or calm.
Also note since on all the Protonix I have inside and outside mouth sores (which I never used to get) , an extra period, lymnods under my chin swell and hurt. Most of these have subsided but they keep coming one after another. I believe it's the vitamen B defencieny. (spelling?)
I have cut chocolate, mint, high fat/fried, acidic food, caffine, onions, cinnamon, cabbage, peppers and all the other no no's. Also limited sugar.
I think it takes a LONG TIME to heal. FOR some a month for others less for others 6 to 9 months.
Also see a Chiropractor! And get that back massaged!
Use Concerned Lady's advice! I have had this for not quite 2 years and I have had a 3 to 4 good months mixed in that time.
WATCH THE DIET! If you want to email me you can at:
***@****
I also want to know if you get your hormone levels checked?
Thanks so much for all the info. I have looked up a couple of names of alternative/holistic practitioners. I am going to make an appointment today. I also am making an appointment to have my estrogen levels checked. I did not have any of these problems until after the delivery. I just can't understand what happened.I am also going to check to see if the DGL & Slippery Elm are good for me while nursing. Thanks so much The suggestions on food. I have been in touch with breastfeeding counselors and La Leche Leaders. It has been suggested to be to go to an acupunturist by a pregnant friend who has breast cancer. She says he has helped her a great deal. I don't know much about Osteopathic physicians. I will let you know what happens. I am supposed to have the Esophageal Motility test in the next week or two. I am really afraid to have it done. They said they would have to put a catheter up into my nose down into my esophagus and would withdraw it while I am swallowing water. The choking, lump, and tightening feeling I experience now already causes me anxiousness. I am afraid of having a terrible panic attack when they do this test. They say I could have a Spastic Esophagus Disorder or Motility Disorder. I don't know, I just want to feel normal again. I want to be able to go through a day feeling good, being able to eat, and being able to be the mother and person I should be.
Dear Kare,
I agree with Feelbetter. Avoid mints, because all sorts of mint can cause reflux episodes, in some people.
I urge you to find a very good HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST. Talk with this person by phone, and then in person, if necessary, to get some ADVICE THAT CAN BE SPECIFIC TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.
Try all the "tips", but first find out if the DGL is OK for you to try, WHILE NURSING! If not, try the SLIPPERY ELM, small amounts of organic carrot juice, and ALL THE PHYSICAL TIPS.
Some people are intolerant (sensitive to) gluten. Try avoiding glutenous foods for a couple of weeks, to see if you feel better. This means, AVOID: wheat, rye, oats, barley, and buckwheat.
BROWN RICE is a non-glutenous food(gluten-free). Organic brown rice is very nutritious, too.
Corn is gluten-free, but many people can be allergic to corn, so avoid corn for a while.
PLEASE SEE A VERY GOOD HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, who may know some of the reasons why you are having these digestive problems, shortly after delivery of your child.
Someone else on this forum, wrote about how your hormones may be not back to usual yet, and this may be contributing to your problems.
A good nutritionist could ADVISE YOU about which foods are both nutritious and won't bother YOUR stomach, etc.
Maybe others who have experienced your problems might have some advice.
Try buying ORGANIC foods, and seeing which of these agree with you. You may also need some DIGESTIVE ENZYMES (LIKE THE "ACID-EASE" by Prevail), that you can buy at a good HEALTH FOOD STORE.
Also, if you know a very good, gentle CHIROPRACTER and ACUPUNCTURIST, and OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN, they can often use DRUGLESS natural methods, to help your problems!!!
Start keeping a food diary, to see which foods agree or don't agree with you. AVOID ALL ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS!!! (Avoid MSG/mono-sodium-glutamate). Avoid Nutrasweet/Equal/Aspartame. Avoid "fake fats" like Olean/Olestra).
Try smaller, more frequent meals, containing the following ORGANIC foods, if you like these (& if they don't bother you):
Root vegetables, like BAKED YAMS, CARROTS in soups, juiced, etc.,
Gentle, nourishing, green veggies, like ASPARAGUS (RAW & COOKED), etc.
A wide variety of raw & cooked veggies (organic)
Chicken (organic), roasted, or in chicken soup
Brown rice (organic), cooked, and added to soups
Turkey, fish, beans, tofu, (organic), cooked by baking, or steaming, in soups, etc.
Organic fruits--Try those that agree with you: Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Banana, Cantaloupe, Apples, Pears, Pineapple, etc.
Nuts and seeds that agree with you, in the form of raw, unsalted, organic nut butters and ground up seeds (all organic), like almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds ("tahini"), sunflower seeds, etc.
PLEASE SEE A GOOD HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, who will get to know you, as a "whole" person, and who can better advise you, than we can!
THERE ARE NATURAL, DRUGLESS METHODS just waiting for you to find them! Find them NOW! And please ask your docs about non-drug methods, in case they know of any, to help solve your problems, and to keep your nursing baby safe!
You need to get some excellent nourishment now, in order to keep your baby's nourishment excellent, also. Drink untreated well water or spring water. AVOID water FILTERS THAT CONTAIN SILVER (can be toxic, due to the silver).
ANOTHER IDEA is to contact "LA LECHE", and ask them what THEY KNOW ABOUT PROBLEMS LIKE YOURS, THAT OTHER NURSING MOMS MUST ALSO HAVE GONE THROUGH!!!!!
Good luck, and keep us posted. CALL LA LECHE TODAY, AND CALL A GOOD NUTRITIONIST, AND call YOUR DOCS TODAY, TOO! And visit a good health food store too!!
I hope you are also taking VITAMINS & MINERALS & "PRO-BIOTICS" that are suitable for NURSING MOTHERS. Look for good brands at a health food store. (And, re-read the "tips", for more ideas.)
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
I agree with Feelbetter. Avoid mints, because all sorts of mint can cause reflux episodes, in some people.
I urge you to find a very good HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST. Talk with this person by phone, and then in person, if necessary, to get some ADVICE THAT CAN BE SPECIFIC TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.
Try all the "tips", but first find out if the DGL is OK for you to try, WHILE NURSING! If not, try the SLIPPERY ELM, small amounts of organic carrot juice, and ALL THE PHYSICAL TIPS.
Some people are intolerant (sensitive to) gluten. Try avoiding glutenous foods for a couple of weeks, to see if you feel better. This means, AVOID: wheat, rye, oats, barley, and buckwheat.
BROWN RICE is a non-glutenous food(gluten-free). Organic brown rice is very nutritious, too.
Corn is gluten-free, but many people can be allergic to corn, so avoid corn for a while.
PLEASE SEE A VERY GOOD HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, who may know some of the reasons why you are having these digestive problems, shortly after delivery of your child.
Someone else on this forum, wrote about how your hormones may be not back to usual yet, and this may be contributing to your problems.
A good nutritionist could ADVISE YOU about which foods are both nutritious and won't bother YOUR stomach, etc.
Maybe others who have experienced your problems might have some advice.
Try buying ORGANIC foods, and seeing which of these agree with you. You may also need some DIGESTIVE ENZYMES (LIKE THE "ACID-EASE" by Prevail), that you can buy at a good HEALTH FOOD STORE.
Also, if you know a very good, gentle CHIROPRACTER and ACUPUNCTURIST, and OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN, they can often use DRUGLESS natural methods, to help your problems!!!
Start keeping a food diary, to see which foods agree or don't agree with you. AVOID ALL ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS!!! (Avoid MSG/mono-sodium-glutamate). Avoid Nutrasweet/Equal/Aspartame. Avoid "fake fats" like Olean/Olestra).
Try smaller, more frequent meals, containing the following ORGANIC foods, if you like these (& if they don't bother you):
Root vegetables, like BAKED YAMS, CARROTS in soups, juiced, etc.,
Gentle, nourishing, green veggies, like ASPARAGUS (RAW & COOKED), etc.
A wide variety of raw & cooked veggies (organic)
Chicken (organic), roasted, or in chicken soup
Brown rice (organic), cooked, and added to soups
Turkey, fish, beans, tofu, (organic), cooked by baking, or steaming, in soups, etc.
Organic fruits--Try those that agree with you: Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Banana, Cantaloupe, Apples, Pears, Pineapple, etc.
Nuts and seeds that agree with you, in the form of raw, unsalted, organic nut butters and ground up seeds (all organic), like almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds ("tahini"), sunflower seeds, etc.
PLEASE SEE A GOOD HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, who will get to know you, as a "whole" person, and who can better advise you, than we can!
THERE ARE NATURAL, DRUGLESS METHODS just waiting for you to find them! Find them NOW! And please ask your docs about non-drug methods, in case they know of any, to help solve your problems, and to keep your nursing baby safe!
You need to get some excellent nourishment now, in order to keep your baby's nourishment excellent, also. Drink untreated well water or spring water. AVOID water FILTERS THAT CONTAIN SILVER (can be toxic, due to the silver).
ANOTHER IDEA is to contact "LA LECHE", and ask them what THEY KNOW ABOUT PROBLEMS LIKE YOURS, THAT OTHER NURSING MOMS MUST ALSO HAVE GONE THROUGH!!!!!
Good luck, and keep us posted. CALL LA LECHE TODAY, AND CALL A GOOD NUTRITIONIST, AND call YOUR DOCS TODAY, TOO! And visit a good health food store too!!
I hope you are also taking VITAMINS & MINERALS & "PRO-BIOTICS" that are suitable for NURSING MOTHERS. Look for good brands at a health food store. (And, re-read the "tips", for more ideas.)
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
HI. I just wanted you to know that I have been off of prilosec since Feb. (after 3 years of it) and I feel 100% better using the DGL and some other tips that Concerned lady mentioned. I don't know what is safe to use during breast feeding though. I have read that mint can greatly aggravate reflux symptoms so I would avoid anything mint flavored. I hope you find relief soon.
About your estrogen levels maybe being off...
Go look at a message posted on 4/19/02 called:
"Can anyone help figure out what is wrong with my stomach?", posted by "Candace2819".
Read the responses, and especially the last response, by "Mama2boysjj"!!!
See a very good OB-GYN doc and maybe an ENDOCRINOLOGIST, in case this is part of your problem! (hormone imbalances).
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
Go look at a message posted on 4/19/02 called:
"Can anyone help figure out what is wrong with my stomach?", posted by "Candace2819".
Read the responses, and especially the last response, by "Mama2boysjj"!!!
See a very good OB-GYN doc and maybe an ENDOCRINOLOGIST, in case this is part of your problem! (hormone imbalances).
Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
Thanks for the info!I was wondering how do you know if you have acid or alkaline reflux? I wonder if I should be eating more or less acedic food. I do not have ulcers. I am suffering pain that goes straight through from my chest to my back and discomfort in my esophogus (Sore throat, lump in throat feeling, tightening).I also have reflux and gastritis. Also, is it bad if you take a mint flavored antacid such as Tums or Pepcid? Also, what exactly will eating foods with gluten in it do to you? I just don't know what to eat anymore, I have loss so much weight. It seems everything I eat causes the esophagus symptoms. I would appreciate your feedback again.
I am going to do a "cut & paste" of some GASTRIC REFLUX TIPS that some people use, that don't involve the use of acid-blocking medications.
Make sure that it would be OK to use the herbs listed, while breastfeeding. I believe the Slippery Elm herb is OK, but check anyway. The DGL is a form of licorice, and even though it has the steroidal part of original licorice removed, I don't know if it's OK for nursing moms to take. Ask your doc and pharmacist.
There are MANY OTHER tips, LISTED BELOW, to fight gastric reflux, that are OK for nursing moms to use. READ THESE TIPS THOROUGHLY, and see if some of them could help you to safely combat your gastric reflux, while you continue to nurse.
I urge you to NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS WHILE YOU ARE NURSING!!! MANY MEDS CAN GO RIGHT INTO THE BREAST MILK, AND GREATLY PUT YOUR NURSING BABY AT GREAT RISK FOR DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS!!!!!
I think you are a wonderful mom, to think about these things, and to ask the tough questions!!! Read on, and let us know how things work out for you!
*****************************************************
Some GASTRIC REFLUX TIPS (without acid blockers):
GER=Gastro-Esophageal Reflux. (Gastro=stomach. Esophagus=food tube.)
LPR= Laryngeal-Pharyngeal Reflux. (Larynx=voice box, containing the 2 vocal cords. Pharynx=throat, above the larynx. The larynx is above the trachea/windpipe.)
Reflux=acidic or alkaline stomach material that backs up into the esophagus (food tube), causing any of these problems: VCD attacks, cough, voice problems, asthma, globus (feeling of lump in throat), constant need to clear throat, worsening of sinus condition, sore throat, pre-cancerous conditions of throat &/or esophagus, etc.
SOME GER/LPR CONTROL THINGS WE DO, that we learned from the excellent book: STOMACH AILMENTS AND DIGESTIVE DISTURBANCES, by Michael T. Murray, N.D. See page 9, References, in my website: http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com and, also see GER/LPR info on page 5, and on LINKS page.
PLEASE READ THIS GREAT BOOK. It may possibly be bought on-line, from Michael T. Murray
Make sure that it would be OK to use the herbs listed, while breastfeeding. I believe the Slippery Elm herb is OK, but check anyway. The DGL is a form of licorice, and even though it has the steroidal part of original licorice removed, I don't know if it's OK for nursing moms to take. Ask your doc and pharmacist.
There are MANY OTHER tips, LISTED BELOW, to fight gastric reflux, that are OK for nursing moms to use. READ THESE TIPS THOROUGHLY, and see if some of them could help you to safely combat your gastric reflux, while you continue to nurse.
I urge you to NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS WHILE YOU ARE NURSING!!! MANY MEDS CAN GO RIGHT INTO THE BREAST MILK, AND GREATLY PUT YOUR NURSING BABY AT GREAT RISK FOR DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS!!!!!
I think you are a wonderful mom, to think about these things, and to ask the tough questions!!! Read on, and let us know how things work out for you!
*****************************************************
Some GASTRIC REFLUX TIPS (without acid blockers):
GER=Gastro-Esophageal Reflux. (Gastro=stomach. Esophagus=food tube.)
LPR= Laryngeal-Pharyngeal Reflux. (Larynx=voice box, containing the 2 vocal cords. Pharynx=throat, above the larynx. The larynx is above the trachea/windpipe.)
Reflux=acidic or alkaline stomach material that backs up into the esophagus (food tube), causing any of these problems: VCD attacks, cough, voice problems, asthma, globus (feeling of lump in throat), constant need to clear throat, worsening of sinus condition, sore throat, pre-cancerous conditions of throat &/or esophagus, etc.
SOME GER/LPR CONTROL THINGS WE DO, that we learned from the excellent book: STOMACH AILMENTS AND DIGESTIVE DISTURBANCES, by Michael T. Murray, N.D. See page 9, References, in my website: http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com and, also see GER/LPR info on page 5, and on LINKS page.
PLEASE READ THIS GREAT BOOK. It may possibly be bought on-line, from Michael T. Murray
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