Severe Acid Reflux responds to Benadryl Allergy

[NanoThink]

In 2004 I suffered an injury to my l4, l5 area of the spine. I had a buldging disc that was treated with Bextra and Hydrocodone.
At the time I was taking a tranquilizer as well (forgot the name)

once my back started to get a little better and I was moving around well I began to get really bad heart burns. When I was younger all I needed to do was drink milk and these went away.
Well one night it got really really bad and I ended up in the E.R. I felt like I was going to rupture inside and felt as if someone had stomped me like a bug... it was horrible. The E.R. rushed me in and did ultra sounds (they missed a galstone (per a surgeon a few years later...he said due to its size it had been there for many years >2cm) I was diagnosed with acid reflux.
My Family doctor, during a follow up prescribed me Prevacid 30mg once a day in if really bad twice a day. This did little to nothing to help. I was also placed on a GERD diet... again I would still get the pains.
I was then sent in for an upper and lower GI inspections (endoscopic).
Colon was clean and stomach had two small things examined which yeilded no results. I was to continue prevacid. I had made a few trips to the E.R. over the years after that. During that time I tried different treatments at home and found that if I used a few enemas I would clear my bowels and although the experience was VERY UNPLEASENT... it relieved the intense pain (without having to go to the E.R. and wait for hours and hours in pain with no results other than maybe being hooked up to a pain killer and given a numbing cocktail of antacids and painkiller. The Enemas worked but were horrible in nature so eventually I went back to the Dr. and thought maybe if I told him about the relief of symptoms by the enema he would have a new treatment or diagnosis Then when my Doctor went on vacation his nurse practioner saw me and said she wanted me to get another Ultra Sound.
They found one single large stone. I had the gal bladder removed. A few months later the pains returned but a pressure I had felt by the gal bladder previous times was no longer there. However the pain was just as bad as before.

Sadly I became depressed because I also came down with Swine Flu soon after I returned to school. I was given Tamiflu for the swine flu and recovered a few weeks later.

A few months after that I had hives (I have allergies) and at the same time (this never happened before) I had a severe acid reflux attack (I was not taking prevacid during this time). While taking liquid benadryl allergy (4 tsp dose) withing 40 minutes both the hives and the acid reflux attack were completely gone! 6 hours later the hives came back but not the acid reflux. I also had a good bowel movement during this time as well.

I can treat the acid reflux attacks with 100% success and I feel fine afterwards when I take the Benadryl Allergy medicine.


WHAT CAN THIS BE???? I AM SO CLUELESS!
I am VERY happy I found a treatment but I really long for the reason it happens (the pains).

[onesidedcut]

This isnt anxiety.  heart issues with gerd and hives?  thats an immune system reaction.  this sounds like ANAPHYLAXIS which can cause gastrointestinal issues as well because the allergic response triggers a release of histamine as well as slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis.  if you guys are getting hives along with gastric issues, more than likely it's anaphylaxis or some kind of allergic issue rather than gastroesophageal reflux per se, and this is why benadryll is acting as a treatment in these case.  you should ask your doctor about anaphylaxis.  the treatment for anaphylaxis is an adrenaline injection, but they sell it in a product called asmanefrin over the counter.  its meant to be used in an atomizer for asthma but you could crack over the vial swallow it, or take it sublingually.  it tastes horrible but it will help with the heart issues, and with breathing, and it should help to stop the hives.  anaphylaxis can mask as many other conditions when its mild or moderate and doesnt require an ER visit, which could explain your doctors confusion or thought that you could have anxiety.  but i am nearly certain based on what you described which i have exerpeicned that its an allergic response.

[nlwheat]

I too woke up one night with itchy hives and super bad heart burn. My doctor treated my for ulcers and also gave me probiotics. It didn't help at all. Heart burn came even with the anti-acid medicine. I googled my symptoms and also, like someone else on this thread came up with a food related allergy. I think I am histamine intolerant. Certain food with histamine puts the body in an overload state and reacts with heartburn. Google it...try to eliminate those foods and drinks and see if it gets any better. I do have benadryl handy just in case and it helps quickly.
Hope that helps  :)

[NanoThink]

Update:

Benadryl has kept me out of the ER for years.
I haven't found the exact trigger but I have noticed that
if I have foods higher in sodium (not necessarily fried foods) that
I experience more bloating.

this bloating always came with the pains.
Benadryl, for me, took the bloating away and the pains.

I have seen an allergist who has placed me on hydroxyzine and that has worked well for me (an old medicine but a goody I am told)

I am also allowed (even though it doubles up on antihistamines) to use benadryll (sorry for spelling) when it gets bad.

I have increased potassium (bananas in my diet and that has helped I believe).

I am due for an endoscopy soon and I will update.

@Christine000 and others I totally feel what you are going through.

I also feel for those who google Benadryl as a cause for their heart burn.

I for one will say I do not use it to help me sleep.
I use it sparingly for those times I pass a threshold that are these waves that I know I am bound for the ER.
*note*
It takes A LOT to get me to go to the ER. I had my Dr. tell me to go before i learned about benadryl and I would wait 3 hours in intense pain feeling like a bug that had been stomped on before I went (sometimes in ambulance if someone could not drive me).

IMO if people are using it to fall asleep, please TALK TO A DR.
I had only took it in the first place for the hives and just so happened to find that it worked for me.

I REALLY REALLY do not want people to experiment with this as a result of what I found that worked for me.

Please talk to a Dr. first.
I had hives, so I took it.

[Christine000]

I was exposed to paint and glue in a recently remodeled apartment and I all of a sudden had the same symptoms you are describing.  Couldn't get anything down my throat, spasms in my esophagus, anxiety and heightened allergies.  I have GERD but didn't know it.

I am currently on proton pump inhibitors which stop the spasms but they are not healthy.  I was truly scared till I found this online:

http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Types/food-allergies/types/Pages/eosinophilic-esophagitis.aspx

It could be Eiosinophillic Esophagitis.  Check it out and see what you think.

You have to work closely with a gastroenterologist and an allergist to get the esophagus to stop being inflamed.  And you have to stick to your diet, no foods you are allergic to.

I had felt a "flutter" in previous years but thought it was my heart, but just put that down to hormones or stress and never thought about it.  After 3 months in this apartment it started happening every freakin DAY.  I thought I had a heart problem and was going to die.  Now I have to pay a bunch of money to get health insurance and start paying doctors, and move out of my apt. Not to mention wean myself off the terrible proton pump inhibitors.

I have been told I was having an anxiety attack.  I've been told I need a shrink or counselor.  I've been written a prescription for Xanex.  I've been given Prilosec which caused major anxiety, jitters and what I think are REAL heart palpitations - Prilosec is poison, watch out if someone tries to get you on it. It blocks the absorption of calcium and people have teeth and bones break from everyday activity.  What else?  I now have thousands of dollars in bills from ambulance rides and emergency room visits- and a personal injury lawsuit to conduct.  This was a MAJOR life event and I hope my esophagus is not scarred for life.  Oh and did I mention that I'm a singer?  And that I desperatedly need my esophagus not just for my work but to live? That I've lost 10 pounds in only 2 weeks, lost out on going to a major festival I had planned, upset my parents and my boyfriend and lost my apt??????

Sorry to go on and on but you should check this out, it might be the answer.

[KimTinker]

I am on-line searching for the med's used to make the "cocktail" as the ER nurse called it. I was rushed to the ER with heart pain thinking I was having a heart attack. After poking here and there with me writhing in pain they gave me a pain killer and their "cocktail". They told us that it had benadryl and 2 other over the counter drugs. I can't remember the other 2 but I did take the benadryl but boy-O-boy I wish I could find the other 2 med's because I have been in great pain for over 12 hours. I feel like I will throw-up at any minute.....do that for 12 hours and counting.

[selmaS]

  BTW- some of the meds u were on could have caused ur reflux  too.

[selmaS]

  Hi...u mentioned during this time u had a good BM...didn't u have good regular BM's...if not that could have added to ur  reflux. As for the Benedryl helping it could be ur reflux was the result of post nasal drip from an allergy and the Benedryl helped that.

  Have u tried a ENT to find out if u had an allergy or PND?

    "selma"

[NanoThink]

Any body?

Update:

I am no longer taking benadryl and I am only taking hydroxyzine 25mg now.

About 5 months after I took hydroxyzine I needed benadryl less and less.

I am almost completely symptom free and have had no painful episodes (painful or even slight acid reflux) for a few months now.