to dinner or not to dinner

Hello, I'm a 36 year old man. I work a lot and mostly sitting behind computer sometimes I sit 10-14 hours in a day behind computer. I had this heartburn problem since years but about 2 years ago I felt it becomes out of control. it prevented me from sleeping, I even had swallowing difficulty. and also I had to clear throat a lot. so I went to a doctor and he recommended a color X-ray from esophagus  .result showed a small bump at the esophagus near stomach, that both radiography physician and GI specialist said most probably is an inflammation. . he said disease has been caused by over sitting behind computer. because when I sit for too long it exert pressure to esophageal sphincter  and in Xray it was obvious that it had become wider than usual.  physician gave me omeprazole which can magically solve all the problems, I started with 2 pills a day. physician said you may need to eat it for years but you have to decrease it gradually. for about a year I stopped using omeprazole but problem started to reappear. now it is for some months that I again started eating the pills. now I need a few in a week. sometimes 2-4 in a week. I am very worry that chronic use of this pill may cause cancer because of over production of pepsin. so i really try to control it without pills. also physician recommended an endoscopy at that time, I have not done it since then. because not sure how much is necessary and I think it is very invasive.

AntiAcid and milk at nights are usually very dangerous for me because it may help for some minutes to an hour. but soon problem becomes amplified. on the contrary for some time I tried to eat sour things before sleep and I found it very useful(not tried that for some months).

now I'm experiencing with dinner. should I eat dinner at all or only small amount of it.
some foods like garlic even very small in dinner can guarantee that I will have a very bad night.
also eating too much and late usually is bad.

but which one is better not eating any dinner I mean not eating after 1-2PM or eat small dinner.
now I'm experiencing with this. I have a normal weight, I compensate dinner with a big breakfast.
but tonight I can't sleep though though I had not eaten since 2PM !
sometimes that I eat small dinner I can sleep comfortably.
so I'm not sure removing dinner altogether is a good idea.
what are your experiences about dinner ? have you found a small dinner better than not eating at all ? or when you do not eat dinner is better ?

[Londres70]

For starts, have you discuss any of this with your physician?  Sounds like you haven't.  

The idea of not eating dinner or eating dinner at 1-2pm in the afternoon makes NO sense.  Everyone SHOULD eat dinner and usually that is in the evening, however, I wouldn't advise eating dinner late in the evenings in your case.  I would recommend eating before 7pm. BTW:  You should be eating small meals throughout the day; better for your GI tract.  

Secondly, I am not sure where you got the info about pepsin and PPIs, i.e. Prilosec and cancer.  I would recommend taking it again.  I am not sure if you know there is a correlation between uncontrolled GERD and GI cancer.  Sounds like yours is uncontrolled.  

Thirdly, your NEED that scope that was recommended.  I wouldn't advise not doing it or putting it off.  

Lastly, I wouldn't advise experimenting with this WITHOUT your physician's approval and I highly doubt he would approve the things you want to do to treat this.  Sometimes there is a non-medication route and sometimes there just isn't.  

Bottom line:  consult your physician if you have any concerns over your medications, treatment, etc.    

[Londres70]

BTW:  The scope is MINIMALLY invasive.  I have had two of them myself; no problems.  

[Engineer75]

thank you londres70, I will arrange a meeting with a GI specialist in a few weeks and raise these issues. When I did I will let you know.

[Londres70]

Yes, please do.  

I have had GERD since the age of 14.  Plus, I have a Hiatal Hernia.  It is very important to follow up with a GI Specialist then to resort to "home remedies" or "self doctoring."

Keep me posted.  

Londres