GERD and Hiatal Hernia symptoms suddenly worse

Digestive health
1

A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with GERD and a hiatal hernia and I started taking omeprazole, and later switched to lansoprazole, and I was able to manage my symptoms pretty well. I stopped taking the medicine after the worst of my symptoms stopped. It's been about 4 years since then and the worst my pain has gotten was mild and easily sorted out by taking tums- or it would pass after I slept and I'd be fine in the morning.

I noticed in June that I suddenly had a bad reaction to foods I normally eat all the time, but I didn't think anything of it more than just a bad flare up. It passed like all the other times. There were a few other times after that that I had bad acid reflux symptoms at night, but again they all would pass by the morning. Despite this, because the symptoms were more frequent, I started taking the lansoprazole again.

Not long after I started taking them, about a month ago, I suddenly had much worse pain. My acid reflux has been acting up, constantly burning in my throat. I kept taking the lansoprazole, and now I'm on omeprazole twice daily again, along with trying Pepcid on top of it but none of these have helped. Tums doesn't help me either. I also have severe abdominal pain in the upper middle area, ranging from a burning sensation to throbbing, and a sharp stabbing pain on my right side. When I wake up in the morning, I have a burning sensation in my lower abdomen.

I've been to two doctors since then and I've had some blood tests done and most of them have come back normal. Currently I'm waiting for the results on possible gluten allergy and a test for h. pylori. On Wednesday, I'm having an ultrasound to check for gallstones and I'm also scheduled to have an endoscopy on Sept. 22nd.

Both doctors have told me to keep taking the meds and to watch what I've been eating, and I have been but the symptoms continue. Nothing is helping me and the pain is inconsistent. Every morning I eat a piece of toast and a banana and sometimes it causes worse acid reflux and other days it doesn't cause any. For lunch, at work, I eat a plain piece of grilled chicken and it usually makes the pain go away for a little while. If I eat the chicken in a sandwich, it can cause more pain. Dinner, I've been varied on but usually being home and resting helps the pain from feeling any worse- but not always. I've also only been drinking water for most of this time. I recently started drinking almond milk also in hopes of coating my throat, but it also hasn't had any effect. All in all, the pain never really stops, it just varies in degrees of how badly it hurts.

Symptoms usually feel worse when I'm active and walking around. I still feel them when I'm sitting and I usually feel best when I'm lying down.

After a full month of no real diagnosis yet, I'm mostly just wondering if other people have gone through similar symptoms and what they were diagnosed with, what they did to treat it or at least lessen the symptoms. I'm starting to get a little distressed trying to deal with this pain, to the point of being in tears nearly everyday this week- and I'm not usually one to cry about anything!

Other notes:

- I'm a 23 y/o female

- I weigh about 94 lbs, which is 5 lbs less than the beginning of the month

- I do have pretty high anxiety, and this situation has made it worse

- Symptoms feel worse when I'm at work, so it might be stress related?

- I almost always feel dehydrated, I'm not sure if this is related

- I currently have my period and cramps have made the pain worse

2

Sounds like you have all the bases covered for tests.  Maintain a bland diet no preservatives or additives. Just eating clean for awhile will help. The GB HAS ENZYMES THAT BREAK UP,FATTYNFOODS. WHEN ITS COMpromised it will not help,with eating high fatty foods even milk. Any foods with fats. Sit up at night to sleep at least keep stomach above feet will help keep the acid from passing thru to the esophagus. 

Also I took Lactobacillus acidophilus is a species of gram positive bacteria in the genus Lactobacillus That help balance good bacteria in the gut.

This is so painful and until the results of the tests are in its trying what's gives relief.

ask your dr for enzymes it a RX and 

3

Thanks for the input! I know we have a pillow somewhere that can help me sleep upright at night so I'm gonna try using that. I don't really have a way to prop up my mattress like I've read other sources say, so hopefully the pillow helps.

And I'll look into the lactobacillus acidophilus too.

4

Hi Elise, sorry you're having such a bad time. While you wait for tests and results, it is a good idea to take lactobacillus/acidophilus. Available from health food stores usually. I tried them and take a bottle with me on holidays too. At home I use live yogurt, I prefer the Greek one, 'Fage Total' from supermarkets here in UK. I've been eating it every day since being diagnosed with Reflux, (gerd or gord), depending where you live. I also have to take Omeprazole to reduce acid. Hope you get some results soon so you can start dealing with it. Best wishes, 

 Pollyanna UK rolleyes

5

So, update from yesterday:

I tried sleeping upright like was suggested and I didn't have any acid reflux when I woke up, but I was in pretty severe pain. I couldn't sleep throughout most of the night, so I decided to go to the ER. They gave me an IV and some pain medicine which helped for a little while, and they also performed the ultrasound test early.

The tests proved normal, so I'm gallstone free and there's nothing wrong with my pancreas or kidneys. They took some more blood and all of my bloodtests came back normal as well.

The doctor prescribed me some Carafate in addition to the Omeprezole and told me to take it 4 times a day. They also gave me some medicine to numb my stomach while I was there, just to test if it was really a stomach issue, and it did help for about half an hour.

He thinks I have Gastritis or an ulcer, which is pretty likely, but I won't really find out until I have the endoscopy. I'm going to try and see if I can reschedule the appointment for a closer date because I'm not sure I can wait 3 weeks.

The numbing medicine really messed with me after it wore off, but it might have been because they gave me so much medicine on an empty stomach. I felt really sick after I ate, but I came home and lied down with a heating pad on my stomach and I'm starting to feel better. I'm munching a little bit on veggies too just to get something else in my belly.

I appreciate the feedback and stuff from you guys, and it's kinda nice just to have some place to talk about all of this because it's been a pain to deal with. I'll keep you all updated if you're interested.

6

Hi Ellise it's a good thing that you know when is your endoscopy and  you will find out soon what's going on. Me the waiting fot the hospital call for my my endoscopy is making me even more stress.I still don't know when it's gonna be. Please keep updated as we really do have the same situation.

7

It's been a little while since I've given any update on this topic, but I figured I might as well go ahead and say that I had my endoscopy done and I was tested positive for H. pylori. I'll be starting treatment very soon and I'll let you all know how it goes!

8

Hi elise,

 I have been reading your posts about GERD and Hiatal hernia.  You have been describing my daughter. (you two could be twins)  She has been dealing with this for 5 years with Dr after Dr diagnosing everything but this issue.  she is now on her 3rd gasto Dr. and has an endoscopy on May 4th (she has had several endoscopys)

At least now we can make sure they address this issue!  Her emotional stauts is going down hill because of all this and no relief.   Thank you for sharing this so Kellie can see there are others that suffer from the same type of issues.  I will continue to follow you and will update with the info and sloutions we get and hopefully you and her get some relief.  God Bless

 

9

Hi Elise. Any update? I'd love to know if you or the other posters have made progress

I'm a 27yo, relatively fit male who suddenly started getting extreme acid reflux shortly after coming home from a trip to Europe. 

Diagnosed with h pylori, cured it with the antibiotics and now take 20mg of omeprezole daily. I think it helps, but I worry there is an underlying issue causing the reflux and that the antacids and PPIs only address the symptoms. 

It's just very odd to me that I suddenly got terrible symptoms and still suffer after removing caffeine, alcohol, and acidic foods from my diet (I don't smoke either) 

10

Hi my name is pauline just wondering if anyone could help ive had gastritis in the past but 5 years ago . 4 weeks ago i had pain in my upper stomach very siular to what ihad with gastritis thats what made me think it was a flare .but ive also got new symptoms like burping a lot burning sensation in my throat and back of nose white coated tongue . Feeling nauseas especiay in the morning on wakeing and when hungry .feel a little reliefe when ive eated .like a lump in my throat as if a tablet is stuck and not gone down not sure if its an hernia or not im taking gavascon and 1 20 mg omeprazole in the morning and again at night .anyone had any of these symptoms please as im a born worryer and have anxiety and panic attacks and know these dont help and everything and all sites ive read always end up saying cancer if its acid reflux /gerd and you have had these symptoms how long did they last please xx