Acid/Bile Reflux and difficulty breathing

[LynnBruce]

Hi, im hoping someone will be able to help me understand a bit more about my symptoms.  I had my gallbladder removed 10 years ago and had an acidy feeling in my stomach for the past 5 years.  I eventually realised it wasn't normal hunger pangs and went to to the doctor 2 years ago who put me on lansoprazole which comletely cleared it up, so after 5 months I stopped taking it.

Then back in March this year I started to have what I thought was mild asthma (suffered from asthma all my life but very rarely had it), but after a week realised it wasnt asthma because my peak flow was fine and the meds wernt helping at all.  Doctor gave me prenisolone and antibiotics to check it wasnt an infection but all that happened was my stomach felt like it had been kicked by a horse, I had a horrible taste in my mouth and major acidy feeling.  The doc eventually suggested I went back on lansoprazole and after about 3 weeks I felt back to normal.

When I was feeling better I was scheduled in for an endoscopy and the results were bile and acid reflux, esophogisits and gastritis.  So I was given another two month dose of lansoprazole 30mg.  Then last week I went on holiday so my normal diet of not much alcohol at all, low fat food (even though I can get away with the odd treat) went out the window, I was having foods I wouldnt normal have and more alcohol, and then 3 days into my holiday the breathing problem started again!  I didnt have any heartburn (very rarely suffer from that even in the past), no other symptoms, stomach a little tender but nothing too unusual just laboured breathing.  Once again my peak flow is consistently fine, and inhalors dont help at all.  I have to clear my throat a lot and feel like it is full of something but when I cough not much happens (sorry for the details!) and my back aches when I take a breath.  Went to the doc and he definately thinks its due to reflux and was given Omeprazole 20mg once a day, I have been on that for 6 days now, still no heartburn (as normal) but breathing is no better, sometimes slightly worse and cough has got worse.  I have been eating all the right things for a week now and the laboured breathing is making me so upset, I cant enjoy anything its there constantly.  But odly I can still exercise and do my daily jog, its slightly harder to do but the laboured breathing feels more aparent when im at rest.

I don't know how normal this is and if its going to be with me forever ruining any holidays I go on.  I dont know how quickly the breathing should subside once I stopped eating worse and taking the new tablets?  Im also taking gaviscon every night as the doc said that would help.

Please if someone could shed some light on my tight chest, pressure and breathing through a straw breathing I would be so grateful.  I know Acid can cause asthma but my peak flow is good?

Many thanks in advance. x

[bigrroy]

Bile reflux - bloody horrible.

One to two cups of ice cream is something I discovered just a couple of years ago. I'd been to the emergency ward once and to a couple of docs ... and on the 'net ... and nobody knew a quick fix. With acid reflux you can take antacides, etc. With bile reflux they just tell you to eat better. Which works.

But when you upchuck bile into your lungs in the middle of the night, that's not a fix.

Frozen yoghurt doesn't work - pretty well any flavour ice cream works. I've used chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch.

Good luck - eat properly ... it sure works. Stay away from bread, pies & cakes is what I do.

[selmaS]

HI..the other issue that could be affecting ur breathing could be  IBS ...do u have issues with ur bowel?

Keep track of ur  eliminations....they should be at least 3 to 4 a day and sizable...if not if can cause bloating , discomfort and breathing issues as a result of the bloating.

I know it can be frustrating until u get a dx and begin to feel better.And the breathing issue is scary too.

Do modify ur diet to try to help with what may affect u...even keeping a journal on how u feel, what u ate, may help u find a trigger.

"selma"

[LynnBruce]

Hi Selma

Thanks for your reply, I had a test for h pylori and it was negative, my main problem is the breathing, I cant tell whether its asthma or something else, I would have thought the lansoprazole and omeprazole would have cleared up the acid by now if it was that causing the asthma.  I have been avoiding any foods that can cause reflux for a week now but the breathing seems to be getting worse.  I am constantly clearing my throat, and my salbutamol inhalor takes the edge off the breathing but dosnt take it all off like it would normally do if I had an asthma attack.  

I went back to the doctor today and she felt my tummy and said I had gastritis, I have been looking it up but as far as I can tell that does list difficulty breathing as one of the symptoms either.  I just feel so up in the air with it all and dont know what to do, its a very scary lonely feeling.  I would rather most other types of pain than not being able to breathe.  The worst bit is not knowing what is causing it or how to make it feel better.  Im only 28 and this is the second time in 4 months this has happened, the previous time it lasted 4 weeks and completely floored me, I cant begin to imagine this happening every few months, but if I dont know what it is or why its happening I cant control it.  :-(

[selmaS]

Hi..I am not a dr, but a few things I would want ruled out....H.Pylori...and a PH test to see if I had too much or too little stomach acid..they both feel the same!

Next, with the GERD dx and meds, did ur dr advise u to modify diet and life style too?...u need to in order to help the meds give u the best results..and get off the meds.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=236
The above link to the Health Pages has many pages of helpful info including foods to avoid and tips on lifestyle changes.

"selma"