Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Untreatable GERD?

Hi, I'm 31 years old and I have been diagnosed with slight gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome a year ago. I had visited a gastroenterologist due to heartburn complaints which were significantly imrpoved when I took anti-acids and digestive enzymes. But I didn't want to use these medications without asking an expert. The doc carried out an endoscopy and perscribed me lansoprazole for a month. Then I got my first reflux instance day after. I had a feeling as if I had swallowed a big baloon and it was pressing my chest, I could'nt swallow anything. I called the doc, and he said that maybe I couldn't tolerate the drug due to my IBS, so he recommended me to stop taking it since I didn't have a serious gastritis problem at all and perscribed an anti-acid (gaviscon). However, after stopping the PPI, my condition even worsened due to extreme acid secretion after cutting the drug that was blocking it. I remember crying of pain those days. Then I started Zantac and I was ok for a month and then the reflux started coming back occasionally. Even if it was not as bad as the first occasion, it was still discomfortable. I cut Zantac and suddenly I was ok! It seemed that the drug prevented any kind of digestion and caused reflux as a result of that. Still I would take gaviscon from time to time when I needed it. Well, I was not very careful with my diet and now after few months  have that chest pain and fullness and pressure in my chest back again and it's not going away. I take digestive enzymes after the meals and they seem to work, but I have to take them every meal (it's been 2 weeks). I can't understand how the medications designed to heal something actually caused the illness itself in me. I don't know if I need to carry out other tests or what is the problem causing it. I visited another doc and he asked for a blood test to test for H. Pyroli antigens, the test gave a negative result. Shall I repeat it? The doc believes it's only stress. do you recommend other tests or anithing else? Thanks in advance.
18 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I also had a sore throat and diagnosed with GERD. First placed on Prilosec , then Nexium and now dexilant. I never had indigestion problems until I started on these drugs. I suggested that I stop taking them with an ok from the doc. Within a few days I had the most excruciating abdominall pains so I ended up back on the dexilant. My symptoms have worsened. Incredible bloating which frequently progresses to severe chest pain. I'm afraid to eat almost anything. I have followed all the aci reflux rules which are not helping. I am convinced the dexilant(PPI) is the culprit. I am seeing a GI doc who just performed another endoscopy. Results some irritation in lower esophagus  and a few polyps which are being biopsied. I want to get off this drug but I want to avoid the awful pain . Any ideas?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
        If his throat continues to hurt, you should definitely have an endoscopy to see if it is badly acid burned. If it continues, his esophagus could narrow and he will have trouble swallowing as well.
       In terms of eating, after my husband's condition stabilized, I was able to slowly reintroduce "problem" foods back into his diet, so it's not like you can never eat certain foods again. The key is to eat mostly alkaline foods, then add the more acidic foods as your digestion will tolerate. Even now, my husband eats chocolate, drinks beer and coffee, and they do upset his stomach sometimes, but then he pops a couple of charcoal capsules, and that usually takes care of it. But make sure to view a food chart, because some foods which you would think are "acid" are actually alkaline, like lemons for example. But don't let your husband eat anything that hurts his throat even if it is alkaline, at least until it feels better.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you very much Polen and Jangela. I really appreciate your comments. My husband will continue with his gastric diet and we'll do our best to eat alkaline foods although a bit difficult to eliminate meat, coffee, sugar and the rest. i bought my husband Aloe Vera. i read on the internet that it helps the digestive system.  Hope his throat gets better because this morning he had a very sore throat. his nose is also blocked. so i am not sure if the sore throat is caused becasue he is only breathing from his mouth.. well, thanks again. hope we'll manage this condition

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
       No need to be confused. My husband had all the things your husband was diagnosed with. Yes, it sounds like your husband has a hernia and reflux, and the burping is caused by excess gas from the improper digestion . It was hard to pinpoint my husband's ailments at first, because his symptoms were so sporadic . One day, I would think he was lactose intolerant, so I tried eliminating dairy. Nope, still problems. Increase his fiber? Nope, not that.... This went on for years, some days good, some days bad, til finally, his dentist said,"You have a lot of acid wear on your teeth. Are you bulemic?" Well, that was the first time we even suspected reflux. Then, the obvious symptoms started, with the burned, raspy throat, the sore chest, but by then it was too late. He needed Prilosec for 2-3 weeks to help his esophagus heal, then we went to natural supplements, which, over time, worked like a charm. He also had bad luck with Nexium, which was why I thought,"There has to be a better way".  I guess you could try Gaviscon, but Activated charcoal capsules are natural, and my husband swears by them for gas/burping/heartburn. Why don't you hear more about charcoal? Probably because it cost less than $10 a bottle- No money to be made on it! Therefore, no expensive advertising campaigns. The hiatal hernia means his stomach has shifted and now is at an angle where acid can travel up more easily, so that is probably why he gets heartburn. Because of this, he should try to eat PH balanced meals to keep the acid neutral (where it can't burn). Do a search on "list of alkaline foods". It will help him plan his meals and manage his condition.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,

I really don't know much about hiatal hernia (if it is genetic and if it can be healed completely without surgery), but I'm pretty sure that diet is very important to heal gastritis and even if you may feel ok in a short time, this does not mean you may be completely healed and the diet shall be continued for long time (sometimes maybe a year for complete healing). Actually, if you ask me, a diet which avoids foods that make you sick shall be for life-time. Fat, creames, too much meat, sugar, excess alcohol, smoking these are the foods that most of us consume and that make us sick. Everybody faces diferent concequences but increased rates of gastiris and GERD are generally the result of our bad diets. So I would recommend that your husband continues his diet.

Someimes something you concider unimportant can turn out to be just the opposite. For instance, yesterday I took a small cup of icecream, since I was feeling ok for few days now I decided it will be ok. But I had a very bad night afterwards.

My father says that he hates any kind of dessert or sweet stuff, and I had always found this strange. But now I know why. He had ulcer when he was a kid, and he also had reflux, but than he healed completely. He probably (maybe unconsciously) discovered that sugar is not ok for him and quitted.

IBS can be diagnosed based on symptoms, but it is not a disease, it's a physiological condition, thus cannot be something you heal. You have to avoid foods that make you feel uncomfortable. For me the main ones are those that make lots of gas (i.e. beans, corn...).

Ofcourse, diagnosis of the problem is much more important. But you said that your husband has been diagnosed with h. hernia and gastritis. I know gastritis can be healed but as I said before, I don't know anything about h. hernia.

Hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello,

My husband was diagnosed with acid reflux, hiatal hernia, gastritis and flactuence... Doctor is not sure what his problem really is.  After he eats certain meals like pasta with cream, pies, and all food that contain a lot of onion, garlic and oil, he feels bloated, wants to burp and finds difficult to burp.  sometimes he burps for nothing - just taking air out of his mouth without relief.

he's been having a sore throat since last december. doctor thinks he has acid reflux but now his throat is back to normal. he's on a gastric diet (eating whole meal, bananas, apples, and all the healthy food but nothing related to acid). he is doing well. he does not have a heart burn but sometimes (very few times) he feels pain in his left side of the chest.

Doctor gave him nexion tablets but he did not do well with them. he had dark urine and we stopped them immediately. maybe something else like gaviscon would have helped more with not much side effects.  i am concerned about the fact that  I dont exactly know what he has.. all i know is that he still has a lot of gas from both sides. could this only be flactuence? can it be IBS (although he digests properly - no constipation and no diahorrea)?  is it acid reflux? or hiatal hernia?  i am confused and worried at the same time . please help... i trust you..

thanks in advance
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Jangela,

I've given blood for blood work and they'll also carry out test for giardia etc. But the internal specialist suspects that the main reason is my IBS and I could not tolerate all those med that I was given for my gastritis. The extra gas prevents my gastritis from healing since all digestion related organs are somewhat interconnected. So probably with the supplements you've suggested, the probiotics and a careful diet I will handle the problem. Let's see the result of the tests.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
   I'm glad to hear you are having some success.
      If taking the aloe juice concerns you, you can also drink any kind of "green" juice such as wheatgrass or barley juice. I suspect these juices are so helpful because they are alkaline, so they neutralize acid very well. Also, they feed the good bacteria and give you essential minerals and amino acids that you can't get anywhere else. You can buy it in powder form and mix your own drink. When my husband gets really burpy, I give him this, and the gas is gone rather quickly.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I wanted to warn you since I heard in the news that aloe vera can be dangerous if you have cancer and you are not aware of it, since it promotes cell growth and this means growth of cancerous cells as well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well I had endoscopy when I initially visited the GE, but by then I did not have such a problem, I don't know if something like that can occur in a year due to sideeffect of PPI and antiacid treatment. Right now, the probiotic just did a miracle I guess. I'm quite ok since yesterday, I feel almost as if I have no problem at all. The constipation is also gone since I have started the enzymes. I plan to have a detailed blood work and then I will continue the enzymes and the probiotics for a while. I'll also continue my diet, and for lifetime if necessary. Then I'll cut down slowly the supplements and see what happens. If the problem reoccurs, maybe that will mean I need another endoscopy. I also drank small cup of soy milk yesterday and it was also very helpful.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was wondering, have you ever been checked for a hiatal hernia? If your stomach has moved from its normal position, that would explain why you get such severe digestive problems and pain. If that is the case, you might always have digestive problems even with a good diet, as is my husband's problem, but as long as he takes his supplements, he eats and drinks almost everything now. The main thing is to keep everything moving down through your system and avoid constipation with the aloe juice and enzymes. When my husband is constipated, that is when his heartburn acts up, because nothing is moving.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try them. By the way I've started a probiotic.

And I also plan to have my gallbladder checked or visit an internal specialist. I have white stolls, but this may be due to the antiacids.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I forgot to add, yes, I also believe that people with reflux don't have enough healthy bacteria in their intestines. They may have an overgrowth of candida, which is bad bacteria fueled by too much refined sugar and carbs. Eat lots of plain yogurt and/or take probiotic supplements. My husband eats yogurt everyday. Candida can make you gassy, too.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I read about proton pump inhibitors after my husband was prescribed them for his reflux, and I really don't trust them at all, especially long term.He took Prilosec for a few weeks until his throat healed, then I tried every natural remedy on him I could think of. That is how I found the combination that worked best, which is the enzymes, aloe and charcoal. When my husband was at his worst, he thought for sure he was dying, and he had every medical test imaginable, but nothing was ever found except for GERD. Then, he went to a chiropractor because he was desperate, and there he discovered another piece of the puzzle. One of his middle vertebrae had a subluxation, which means it was injured and the flow of energy through his spine was not working. It was affecting his digestion, and the nerves from the spine were mimicking chest pain. When she adjusted his back over a few months, he felt like a new man. Also, yoga is a great idea. It will help you relax, and my husband also felt that he benefited from doing yoga. But, no matter what he ate or how much or when, it always came back up or gave him stomach pain until he tried the supplements I bought. Let me say this, at least try the charcoal capsules. They are natural and work like magic. It's like taking a sponge and soaking up every piece of junk in your stomach. At hospitals, they give charcoal to people who have taken a drug overdose to clean out their system. It works that well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
For those who cannot open the article's link, details are:

Proton-Pump Inhibitor Therapy Induces Acid-Related Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers After Withdrawal of Therapy
Christina Reimer; Bo Søndergaard; Linda Hilsted; Peter Bytzer
Gastroenterology. 2009;137(1):80-87. © 2009 AGA Institute

You can also send me a private message if you'd like me to e-mail you the full-text.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I guess you're absolutely right. Check this link please: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706183
It's an article regarding PPI's and is entitled: "Proton-Pump Inhibitor Therapy Induces Acid-Related Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers After Withdrawal of Therapy" and was published in the Gastroenterology Journal.

I think there's something absolutely wrong with those medicines, maybe they are not for everybody? Moreover I read another article recently. It was about how the antibiotics used to treat helico bacter, killed the useful bacteria in the body as well and sometimes it took the body to restore them back as much as 4 years. I don't suggest that people shall not be treated. What I mean is that some measures against side effect shall be taken as well and each individual shall be treated individually according to their special needs. That is to say, we shall not be simply given the prescriptions and sent away.

I think I'm getting better slowly with the enzymes, it will take time I can see it, but the pain has slowed down in 2 days. I also changed my diet considerably. I allow myself fish once a week and no other meat at all and some easily digestible vegetables.

I'm just concerned if the indigestion problem is solely due to gastritis (or due to stress or both) or shall I take some other tests for something else? I also plan to start yoga soon for stress control and also for its benefits to the body.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Continue with the enzymes. They are perfectly safe and natural supplements. They should be taken with every meal, every day. Also drink aloe vera juice from the health food store. It will help with your constipation, which will get rid of the gas in your belly, which is why your belly hurts. Also take charcoal capsules from the health/vitamin shop as needed. They absorb gas and acid, and you should feel much better. I personally don't like the idea of taking all those pharmaceutical medicines, especially long term. How can you digest your food if you don't have any stomach acid at all?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
By the way, I forgot to tell. There's no acid coming up my throat when I burp, and there's no acidic feeling which was the initial complaint that took me to the gastroenterologist in the first place. It's only that terrible pressure and feeling of fullness as if a baloon is going to explode and the pain.

Moreover, my IBS seems to be ok, since I have quitted smoking and wearing tight clothes, at least there's no pain that I feel. Yet I am often constipated, especially when I have the reflux or the problem in digesting.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the GERD (Acid Reflux) Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem