constant acid

anon53727290 · November 9, 2016, 1:18am

I'm at my whits end. I've had scans and h.poly test nothing turned up. My doctors solution is to give me generic advice, the main one obviously to stop smoking which ive done but symptoms are just getting worse. I've been living off absolute basic food but its just getting out of control, 20mg omeporzol is doing absolutely nothing. I'm literally eating double strenght gaviscon throughout the day.

Sleeping is the worse. I wake up with acid in my mouth, my teeth feel like their about to drop out and my mouth feels like razor blades. Its getting worse in the sense that throughout the day all i can taste is acid in my mouth, its not even heartburn anymore. its in my mouth, on my tounge and even my lips, constant burning.

My girlfriend kissed me today, and recoiled in disgust when she said she could actually taste blood and acid. I can't concentrate at work, I don't know what to eat, what to drink, all I can think of is "just avoid everything" It's getting to the point where there's no point even eating anymore.

Is there any point in going back to the doctors when all I'll get is "here have some more omeprozol" and the usual rubbish "avoid spicy and acidic food"

I'm 30 years old. 30. And all my friends and everyone else I see's eats, drinks and smokes whatever but I can hardly touch a thing. The doctors can't give me a reason for this - no obvious reason why this started in the first place and its slowly getting more and more out of control. 2 months now, and at this point all I keep thinking about is when I'm going to get cancer. I daren't sleep, I daren't eat, I give up. I feel depressed because no one listens, and it feels like no one can help at all.

Ya know, I've wanted to propose to my girlfriend, I want to start a family with her, but all I can think of is "whats the point when I'll probably be found dead in the morning one day in a pool of blood acid and vomit"

anon53727290 · November 9, 2016, 1:20am

I dont even understand how gravity doesn't do anything anymore. How is it I'm up and walking about and STILL acid burns not my throat but my mouth, tounge and lips.

nh_user_843789 · November 9, 2016, 8:49am

Hi me

i don't know how long you've been on the omeprazole but it dose take time to work for me 3 mths.

You'd be better to take 20 mg at night as well till it settles down and scrap the gaviscon. You can take too much ant acids, your body will produce more acid to try and over come the ant acid if you get me.

i would suggest no alcohol for a while and eat little and often.

i was just like you but had a cough which was relentless and went on for several mouths.

Hope this helps bless you

Debs

nh_user_744899 · November 9, 2016, 9:49am

There are two elements that need to be controlled - acid and reflux.

20mg omeprazole is a standard maintenance dose but to get your acidity sorted initially, it may require 40mg for a few weeks. Discuss this with your doctor. Take them every day - about half an hour before breakfast is best.

They take a few days before you will start noticing the effect. But they control acid not reflux. And it can take a few weeks for your oesophagitis (which may have caused some bleeding) to heal.

To control reflux, you'll need to follow the lifestyle modification advice. You've given up smoking. Good. Do you need to lose weight?

Much dietary advice is based on propgated myth. Spicy and acidic foods generally won't cause harm. However, whilst you have inflammation of oesophagitis, you will feel it as they pass over it. Your stomach is a reservoir of very strong acid and small amounts of weak acid make no difference to it.

It's not what we eat but how we eat that's important.

Avoid over-filling your stomach; eat smaller portions, slowly, chewing well and with the body upright. Five or six half-sized meals spread through the day are better than 3 big ones.

Avoid compressing, tipping or shaking a full stomach; avoid tight clothing, avoid exercise after food apart from something like walking (which will actually help the food move on through the stomach) .

Leave at least 3 hours between your last meal and going to bed.

Your reflux is probably due to a hiatus hernia which doesn't permit the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) to close properly. However, a normal functioning LOS may be affected by drugs - nicotine, caffeine, alcohol. These may need to be reduced (though if the sphincter is compromised as suggested, the relaxant effect of these drugs is negligible.

I do sympathis with the bad breath bit. It's a curse most of us refluxers have to deal with. I carry around a mouth spray but it barely maks the taste.

I don't know if you're in UK but the general advice GPs follow is to provide omeprazole for a few weeks. If you return because it's not working, you'll be given a higher dose. If there are risk factors, quoted as white male over 55, overweight and with a family history of oesophageal cancer, you'll be sent for an endoscope. Even if you don't fall into that category, if you push for it, they can send you to a gastroenterologist and they'll probably give you a scope. (Some doctors are reticent about doing this as it comes out of their budget. )

Frequent reflux of acid and bile can cause some of the cells lining the oesophagus to be replaced by columnar ones to prevent the body damaging itself. This is a condition known as Barrett's Oesophagus which in a very small number of people can lead to cancer. (See attached graphiic. )

anon53727290 · November 9, 2016, 9:54am

Hello feel so sorry for you. My husband is also suffering and are considering having the Lynx operation.many on this site recommend it.here in uk a hospital in Exeter perform this op.very good surgeon it seems performs this operation. Obviously your situation warrants urgent action. No quality of life for you. All the best. Dee law

anon53727290 · November 9, 2016, 10:27am

ok but PPI's literally are stopping ur organ from doing its function.. once u start the PPI its so hard to come off it becauss the organ is never the same... i was on a PPI for 14 days and when i stopped it my acid was 5times worse. months later still my acid is s way worse then before i started the PPI. yes PPI will help ur esophagus inflamation go down, but once u stop ur acid is gona come back wit a vengeance... im 21 so i cant be on PPIs the rest of my life, it carries so many problems, jus like this 30 year old dude. Then again currently while ur esophagus gets eatin away u runthe risk of barrets. i reccomend trying the GAPS diet, thats my next attemp at curing this. the idea is that carbs create gas because and gas pushes acid up, so possible eliminating carbs can heal ur reflex, as well as no carbs kills off the bad bacteria in ur stomach/intestinesthat might be built up and causing acid/gas

anon53727290 · November 10, 2016, 3:28am

ay bro im 21 and in the same boat. It's probly ur lower Esophagus spchinter valve has eroded away from smoking.. Im a long time smoker and while taking a hit i felt something down ther feel wierd a few months ago. Since then I've had constant acid, its horrible and im depressed. My life was great, was playing rugby and on track to go pro, now i can't play anymore it's so bad, and i just hide in my room and play video games. A way to test that valve is chug 10ounces of carbonated water/soda. Don't burp, see where ur burp is held. If its held down in ur chest, ur valve still works, but if it's like mine, it goes right through there and the gas doesn't get held up untill my adams apple area (upper valve). Most times my if I hold my burp it would just fade away, but it's not supposed to do that.

anon53727290 · November 11, 2016, 3:45am

I am listening.

I will help.

Have you seen a gastroenterologist?

Have you had an endoscopy?

Has a hiatal hernia been ruled out?

To much antacid is not a good thing.

Is the head of your bed elevated 5 inches?

Do you have black stools?

Do not eat large meals.

Do not bend over.

Drink a lot of water...water will neutralize the stomach acid.

I will be watching for your post...you may use PM

kind regards

judith

anon53727290 · November 11, 2016, 3:46am