Female hormones in oral contraceptives causing GERD or LES??

[decmamma]

Just wondering if anyone else has had a GI doc tell them their birth control pills could be causing their GERD symptoms. I was on the pill for about 8 years, got off and got pregnant that same month (planned- my baby is 3 mths old now). Now that I'm back on the pill I do NOT want to have more acid issues...it got so bad in pregnancy from both the pregnancy hormones to the physical problem of the baby carrying way high up and pressing into my hiatal hernia that I literally lost my voice for about 3 weeks towards the end and my ENT said it was from too much throat acid! I was also actually diagnosed with LES (Lower Esophageal valve) from my allergist, he said that my complaints (feeling like something always stuck in throat, gagging up chewed up food from actually stuck in throat, ie not swallowing it all) constant barrage of MUCUS. In fact the ENT I saw while pregnant said that you can get spots on the throat that get irritated from the acid, causing a defense of mucus to build up then...it becomes a visious cycle and you then produce way too much mucus. Since I was about 8mths pregnant he said the only "cure" would be delivery! ;)

I am wondering though if anyone else experienced this? I was shocked when a few years ago while I was still on the pill, a low dose desogen, that my GI asked me outright if I was on the pill. He first asked if I'd ever kept a food journal and I have for years, not really noticing certain foods that make it flare, some that occasionally make it worse but only occasinoally (riddle me this- I can have REAL garlic and tomatoe products just fine if its out the garden....stuff off the shelf makes me sick!) so I avoid the ones that CAN make it worse but thats about it. I see no difference otherwise. when I told the dr that he said well what meds are you on- and do you take the pill? To think that all these years the pill could be contributing to my health in a bad way scares me. I am torn on what to do. I've also tried three different all supposedly "low dose" pills, one was Yasmin and we know how safe that one turned out. I had all kinds of things happen that "weren't suppossed to" happen on Yasmin.

[jmetwin]

I  believe I experienced LES and spasms of the esophagus when I started taking hormone replacement theropy especially from the progesterone.  I read that progesterone (which is also in birth control pills) can relax the LES.  When I stopped taking progesterone my spasms disappeared.  After 3 years when I developed endometrial cancer  (due to taking estrogen without progesterone) my doctor put me on only progesterone and I experienced the worse esophageal spasm and had to go to the ER.  I believe, therefore, in your case, the birth control pills had something to do with your LES problems

[selmaS]

yeah the rebound effect from stopping those meds too quickly.....I know that meds can aggravate and cause a flare, but it sounds like ur hiatal hernia may be acting up....in teh expert gerd forum the dr talks about finding a chiropractor that can manipulate the hernia down and away from the diaphram....I have not had the need to try this since hearing of it, but I would deff give it a try b4 I had the surgery...I was dx with my HH when I was a teen....it can flare up and drive me nutz at times , but I also went yrs with out needing meds....diet and lifestyle modifications do help keep it calm.

"selma"

[decmamma]

Well, I did develop the issue after years of being on the pill so it was there before my pregnancy...but the pregnancy did make it much worse but I saw the allergist that suggested GERD/LES before I got pregnant, was put on Nexium for almost a full year, only noticed minimal releif and that was taking TWO pills a day, but they got me down to just 1 and then of course once I got preggo I had to quit the nexium totally cold turkey and from what I understand that can make the acid pumps that were previously turned off flare back up in a mean way once you get off it and I think that is also what happend to me at least in the beginning of the pregnancy. Oh and hiatal hernia was diagnosed before the pregnancy too, but no surgery done on it.

[selmaS]

Hi...I am aware that many diff meds can cause acid reflux...a surgery with all the drugs to be put under can actually cause a flare if u already have it and can cause it if u don't......

As to the birth control pill being one that does it is not surprising to me, but, I do not take it so never had to deal with that.If u did not have the issue b4 u may be able to control it with OTC meds and diet and lifestyle modifications.
Please see our Health Pages for food to avoid ect....
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=236