Several Gerd questions.

[CallOfDuty]

I was diagnosed with GERD a year and a half ago.  I believe my GERD is due to stress, you know, making more acid than necessary.  I'am not a smoker, nor am I overweight, and I don't drink.  My Doc believes it might be stress related too.

I did all the necessary life style changes, and I mean ALL, with the exception of putting a board under my bed... instead I just used huge pillows.  GERD has been coming and going in 3 month increments.  So 3 months are painless, and the next 3 will be painful regardless of the life style changes, and even medication(Nexium, it's the only thing that works).  

So yeah, for the past 4 months I wake up with heart burn despite not eating anything 4 hours before bedtime.  I wake up with that disgusting taste in my mouth as well.  When I first was diagnosed I considered surgery, just to get rid of the pain.  But now I guess I've become a coward to it, and am afraid it may be the only option left. It's supposedly an easy procedure but sounds freaky.

I'm in mourning, and Lately, I've began to drink.  Wine mostly for the past 2 weeks.  I know it's not a good way to deal with a death of a loved one but that's what it is.  So I know drinking isn't helping the whole situation, and have stopped.

My questions are as follows:

Is there something else I can do to prevent heartburn in the morning?

Something I should know about surgery to ease the way I look at it?

How long after having GERD does it take for your esophagus to develop Barret's Esophagus?

How can I prevent it if I can't even prevent heartburn?

Does Barret's Esophagus ensure that Esophagul Cancer is in one's future?(I dont have any cancers in my family, both immediate and distant... and I know them all, we have kids at an early age.)

Any natural remedies to prevent heartburn?

I've been experiencing a lot of mucus in the throat, and even with blood... can that be due to the GERD?

Sometimes when my throat is badly burned from the acid in the morning, I will get sick like flu/cold... that common?

Thank you all for taking the time in reading my post.

[Jangela]

Hi, glad you are trying my suggestions. If you get a chance, read what I wrote to Polen under the headline Untreatable GERD? It's a lot of info. and I don't want to write it all over again!  Good luck. I wish you the best. I know all too well the desperation and anxiety you go through after I lived with it (through my husband) for over ten years, but thank God it's over. Now if I can just help one other person...

[CallOfDuty]

Hehe, I waited a long time for a reply to my post(GERD board isn't too popular), but it was well worth the wait!  I will be trying your suggestion out today.  And I'll send you a message in a couple of weeks to let you know how it's going.

If this works, I'll be forever grateful.  Thanks again!

[Jangela]

I hope you got my e-mail on the aloe juice and charcoal. I'm convinced these will work for you. Yes, the blood and excess mucus is definitely an effect of acid washing into your throat. Gargle with the aloe juice to help it sooth your throat, as well as drink it to coat your esophagus and stomach. Using Nexium should heal your throat, but then I would discontinue it and let your body chemistry work with the aloe and charcoal so that your natural acid balance can return. The aloe will neutralize your stomach acid so that even when it washes up, it shouldn't burn, but then the charcoal capsules will sop up the excess and get rid of it alltogether. Take the charcoal anytime you get heartburn or "pressure". Yes, you can get flulike symptoms from reflux. Your poor throat is so hashed and scratchy, and with the tightness in the chest and mucous, it can mimic a flu. I think you will be good as new if you give your throat a chance to heal by neutralizing the acid. It worked for my husband. No more scratchy throat, and he rarely needs charcoal anymore. Just 3 digestive enzymes a day with his meals to help the food move quickly thru his system, and the aloe before bed at night.