I have suffered from reflux for 12 years now and take 40mg daily Omperazole. Over the last month or so my symptoms seem to be getting worse. I am due to have an endoscopy on Tues and i had a scan on Friday (I thought i had gallstones but it's not that, but i seemed to have a lot of 'gas'. I am suffering mild upper abdominal pains. Every morning when i wake up i can hear the regurgitation of my reflux going up and down whilst i am still lying down and i belch a lot first thing in the morning before i even eat or drink anything. The first thing i do when i wake up is take one of my 20mg tablet of Omeprazole. This is really getting me down at the moment, not knowing why my reflux has worsened just lately. Has anyone else had this?
trying getting one end of your bed up on blocks so you are not lying flat
My reflux seems to have come on worse since peri hit, before i wasnt really having problems even though i have a hernia, hormones have put my digestive system out of whack!
I have a large wedge pillow which i have been using for years, just don't know why it has got worse over the last month or so but at least now my symptoms are being investigated.
I went through the menopause about 4 years ago but it's only the last month or so that my reflux has worsened. I used to be Ok with just one 10 or 20mg Omeprazole (sometimes i didn't take a tablet at all) but am now on 40mg and still no better.
its interesting that they never say get a pillow but always block the bed up. Raising the bed means that you are always at an angle where as the pillow just raises your neck and not your entire body. You need to get the stomach lower not the neck.
do you suggest say a couple of wooden blocks (I can get some from work) but would they need to go at the bottom of the bed or at top where my wedge pillow is? also would it help having an extra ordinary pillow underneath me? i just assumed my wedge pillow was doing the trick. Thanks
yes that will do it. I use bricks, they need to be at the top of the bed where the pillow is.
I think the reason they say that blocks under the top legs of the bed is better - is so you can sleep flat. By using a wedge pillow - you are bending the angle of your body and putting more pressure on your stomach (if you get what I mean)
Hi mate do u get a pain on the right side of your throat
but i thought that being flat is worse? the wedge pillow keeps me elevated which is what is best for reflux but if i get the blocks then i may ditch the wedge pillow and see how i am with just the blocks underneath the mattress at the top end of the bed. Does that sound correct?
I had had sore throats with it, feeling of a lump in my throat going up and down (this was on the right side), pain underneath my right shoulder blade. Reflux is terrible and just seems to be getting worse for me just lately but am having tests done now to see why.
You need to be flat BUT at an ANGLE. If you raise the bed at the top then are sleeping at an angle albeit you are flat.
Imagine a ladder that is leant against a wall at an angle. If you lie on the ladder you are flat but your body is at an angle.
Now imagine the ladder on the ground and you bend the top of the ladder at an angle, that is what you are doing with the pillow. Does this help explaine why you need blocks
Hello, i have also had this and just like you thought it was gallstones, had an endoscopy and was told that the food is not going where its suppose to go.. The doctors says Its when the diaphram around your stomach is open instead of close togather as it should be So wind is trapped inside that area which causes the gas to build up and causes severe pain
I am getting quite nervous about this test as i know they can find out a lot from an endoscopy but luckily i got a cancellation through so i go on Tues instead of a 4 - 6 week wait which i was told originally. I need to know why my symptoms have worsened as for years now i happily took a 10 - 20mg daily Omeprazole (sometimes i didn't take one at all) but i could get on quite happily with life but now just lately my symptoms are really concerning me :-(
From what i have being told following my endoscopy
If its what they diagnose me with the hiatus hernia it can be fixed through a small key hole surgery.
They normally give us the meds to see if it can contain it or makes us feel better but if not them they resort to the operation..
Which i think is better than the different types of medication..
You will be okay hopefully after the endoscopy they can come to some decision to fix it other than trying out different medication..
My doctor told me that without the operation i will still feel the pains
Much better explanation than mine LOL
Also the doctor once told me that the pillows can cause a dip i you see what i mean which would encourage inflammation, where as the bed elevated is better because it elevates your upper half gradually if that makes sense!, i think in the past my pillows were too high, so i raised the bed instead
Well explained!
I don't have a problem with my stomach. It's just my side side of neck. Was told I had reflux. I don't taste acid just like a build up of flem in my throat feels like am chocking ang gagging for breath. Hope the docs give u hope