GERD, Acid Reflux

[sebici]

Hello, I am a 42 year old Canadian endurance athlete living in Tokyo and I was recently diagnosed at a local Japanese hospital with a GERD/Acid Reflux condition following numerous tests, one of which was as serious as a heart catherization to determine what was causing my brief and occassional bouts of tachycardia and mild syncopy (which happened sometimes after eating) with the the final test being an esophigal endoscopy. Doctors did all of the cardiac tests (ECG, CIMI MRI, CT Scan, etc.) and concluded that my heart is fine.

My digestion has always been senstitive since I can remember and thus I've always eaten well, but since last October, I've become super senstitive to numerous foods & drinks, despite the fact that the doctors who diagnosed me never provided any advice on diet & lifestyle post diagnosis. They simply prescribed me 20mg of PARIET daily after breakfast for an indefinite period, telling me that some people respond well within a week, and that some take 3 years or more!  The PARIET presciption seemed to have worked somewhat for a short while, but I am now again experiencing similarly uncomfortable symptoms, such as lightheadedness, abdominal pains, difficulty swallowing, racing heart rate, etc. Is PARIET my only choice??   Do I have any other potential alternatives?

Desperate and alone in Tokyo
Val  

[Margaret491]

Also Aloe Vera Juice helps as well. My son had GERD and it was so bad that he would vomit 5-6 times a day. His Doctor had him taking Prilosec and it helped some what but if he ate something he wasn't supposed to he would still vomit. I read an article about whole leaf Aloe Vera so I decided to try it myself first( to make sure there wasn't any harmful side effects). I gave it to him and he was able to get off of the prilosec and eat foods that he couldn't while taking the prilosec. All he takes is one ounce in the morning.

[Jatech]

Hello
        I would like to let you know something ive been on Nexium fot 7 years now and if i
ever missed a tablet i would pay,but 5 weeks ago i started taking 2 teaspoons of apple
cider vinegar & 1 teaspoon of honey in 250mm of off the boiled water whisk it then sip
it all first thing every morning before food/drink. 2 weeks ago i stopped taking Nexium
i havent so much as burped!
                                              Good luck with it.

[Wargasm]

A related discussion, Is Aloe vera juice supposed to be sour? was started.

[Jatech]

Its perfectly safe 100% it has an aquired bitter taste at first but now i quite like it i have
been taking it for about 2 months the Egyptians have been taking it for 3000yrs
                                                                              Good luck

[jewels209]

Thanks for the advice. Is that okay to take during pregnancy? Does it taste nasty? How long have you been doing that?

[Jatech]

Jewels
          Im hoping that what i have discovered is a permanent thing with the apple cider/honey but i am still symptom free im even having extra coffee's at work and
am amazed i haven't had the chest pain, ive been contemplating the Nissan Fundo
for some time but the apple cider vinegar has some 100 minerals and trace elements
and it genuinely seems to halt acid production in the same way ppi's do.
          If you have a damaged valve in your stomach/Esophagus as most Gerd
sufferers do theres only the likes off Nexium/Pariot/Losac but they do have side
effects long term like stomach polyps that can leed to more problems.
                                                
                                                                           Try the Vinegar it tastes
                                                                            **** my brother is now trying it!    

[jewels209]

I get really bad chest pains( cramping) and I usually throw up. It hurts sooo bad. Ive been to the doctors and they tell me its acid reflex. I also get alot of gas (burping) is there anything I can take to help this? Iam also 10 weeks pregnant. But Ive had this problem before that. ALl I take is tums but that doesnt help and Ive relized that it happens more when Iam just alittle to full after eating. Other then watching what Iam eating what can I do. The last time it happened was yesterday I had p and j sandwich and milk. Then 1/2 hour to an hour later it started happening. I need advice please.

[sebici]

Thanks very much for taking the time, caring enough, and posting what worked for you. Any alternative to costly medicine that almost certainly posseses some side-effects, and is effective will be seriously considered.

I'll report the results in due time :-)

Regards

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Pariet is an appropriate choice for GERD.  Sometimes combining it with an H2 blocker like Zantac or Pepcid can be helpful.

I would consider obtaining a 24-hr pH study to quantify the severity of the GERD.  If it can't be controlled with medications, surgical options can be considered.

A referral to a GI specialist can be considered.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patients education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com