Acute reflux after alcohol use

[hlth4ever]

I would like your opinion on my case if it sounds like I’m receiving the right treatment.
My case with reflux and GERD started two and a half months ago.  I drank a lot of self made wine for several days (sometimes on empty stomach too) and one day, along with overeating with a lot of grilled and spicy food, I got this strong heartburn and burning sensation along my esophagus and stomach that lasted for three days (20th – 22nd of Jan).  I stopped drinking and after that the heart burn was gone except for a strange feeling (like something is stuck in the throat/esophagus).  I went to the doctor (23rd Jan) and he did a barium swallow test; it showed that I had no reflux but a smooth short Cricopharyngeal Spasm (opposite c5-6 level).  I assured the doctor that I had no more heartburn and just the Lump feeling and he still prescribed AciPhex (20 mg per day).  I took it not suspecting that I potentially did not need it.  The Lump feeling went away after just 1 to 2 days.  I was fine and I stopped taking the AciPhex after about a week.  I went on completely symptom free for another 7 days (about two weeks total).  

Then, regretfully and stupidly, I drank again for a couple of days (around Feb 5th).  I know it was a stupid idea, but I work in a country where Alcohol is illegal, so I only do it around holidays but I had a lot of brewed wine left and I had thought the problem was temporary, so I was just doing it for fun, and I don’t usually drink throughout the year nor do I have an alcoholism history.  Unfortunately, the heartburn came back with an awful vengeance (7th of Feb) and was chronic from that moment on; of course, I immediately quit after the heartburn came back.  I took the Aciphex again for about 9 days until I went to an appointment with a specialist, but the symptoms did not go away during that time, as I felt a mix of heartburn and esophagus pain.  He ordered an endoscopy and I continued with a stronger prescription (one Nexium pill and one Zantac pill per day) until the endoscopy appointment 19 days later, but I was not sticking to the medication everyday.  During that period I felt very bloated and gas pressure at the top of my stomach (where it meets the esophagus) without heartburn while taking the meds, but the bloating and gas was really uncomfortable.  Also during that time I stopped taking the meds after a week of taking them because of the discomfort in the stomach.  The result was chronic severe heartburn.  I stopped them because I was in denial and I didn’t like the side effect (pressure) – I thought it had to go away on its own.  The heartburn was bad during day and night.  Sometimes the lump feeling was slowly changing its position up and down my esophagus (as if contracting).  Sometimes I could feel the warm acid in my stomach.  Sometimes I was waking up from the heartburn during the night.  I could many times taste the acid in my mouth in the mornings.  Sometimes I used to salivate excessively.   A few rare days I was surviving with little heartburn, but those are the lucky days when I had very little food intake, but on those days I suffered from trapped gas.  Other infrequent symptoms on bad days were coughing and a bit of regurgitation.
When my endoscopy appointment came up (7th of march), my heartburn was bad and all over my chest (almost like stabbing pain).  The endoscopy showed “Grade 1 Distal Esophagitis”; everything else was normal.  CLO test was negative.  The biopsy is still pending.  The specialist treated me with two pills of 20mg Aciphex per day; 4 pills of 10mg Motilium (Domperidone base) per day; and two pills of Duspatalin.  

He told me after two weeks will be the follow-up.  Now, while I feel almost no heartburn from these meds, I cannot eat except for very small portions until I’m quickly getting full.  I also still feel some light spasm/lump feeling along my esophagus and pain at the lower end of it.  I am now waiting for the follow-up.  I would like your opinion on the matter especially the Alcohol trigger.  I did not discuss the self made wine with any doctor because I work in a country where it is taboo.  I’m afraid not mentioning this to the doctor can compromise my treatment.   Also I hate dependence on pills so I need to know if this treatment will cause dependence and what other options exist.  My profile: 32 years old; non-smoker; occasional drinker; fit body; otherwise healthy;  daily endurance swimmer.  I dont't recall any other episode of reflux in my entire life.  I never had any other real GI problem.    

[hlth4ever]

Thank you italiana425 for your kind feedback.  Did it really go away wth ACV and Aloe Juice?  If yes then how did you take them and what was the dose?  

Thanks everybody else for your comments; I will stick to the meds.  The brew was simple grape juice!  I hate alcohol and wine now!  Hate it hate it...

[Italiana425]

I feel that the medication only covers the problem and not fix it.  Read all you can on the medications that you are taking becaue there is a natural way to fix the problem, and one of them is ACV and Aloe Juice.  I was on all those medications and had the same symptoms, they did not help my problem.  See a good doctor for your diet.  I agree with the whine.  I drank whine from time to time in the evening, and now I can't anymore.  Whine on an empty stomach is bad news!  It's a slow recovery.  Oh yeah caffeine was another cause of mine....I drink too many expressos.  I still have one now and then but never on an empty stomach, always with food.  Wish you the best.

[Flycaster305]

I certainly agree with kev543.  I know from my heart medications that it takes time for some of the medications to work.  Also, take the medications EXACTLY as prescribed, that is very important with PPI's, otherwise you are just making expensive urine.
I'm curious, how did you make the wine?  

[kev543]

what on earth did you make your wine out of? amonia? I think you should go along with your treatment but stay true to it. don't cheat and not take a pill here and there. Then, don't try and brew any acohol because what ever you did was like battery acid. You shoudn't have to take the meds forever unless you have cause severe damage by your deadly brew! good luck.