the trials and errors of coping with acid reflux

Digestive health
1

Hi all,

I have lately been having a really tough time with reflux.

Here is my story - I am 30 years old. 5 years ago I was getting constant indigestion and heartburn (though absolutely no reflux at that time) the pain was terrible so after a gastroscopy, it was determined that I had gastritis and a simple 15mg dose of lansoprazole would keep this at baywhich is fine.

4 years on, the lansoprazole continued to work it's magic preventing the indigestion and heartburn but last year, towards the end, I started developing the reflux. I noticed that I would sometimes wake up choking with acid or could feel it just as I was waking up wrecking havoc at the back of my throat so I went back to the doctors ad advised me to take 15mg lansoprazole in the morning and then 15mg lasoprazole at night but it didn't really do much for the reflux. I started getting the dreaded sore throats when i would wake up in the morning. I only tend to get issues at night when I sleep, during the day , I am fine but the symptoms from the night last troughout the day.

The doctor then prescribed me nexium 20mg once daily which i took for 3 days. It seemed to help the reflux at night (though didn't get enough time to test this) but in the day, the terrible indigestion was there and was almost intolerable so I stopped taking this and now on 30mg lansprazole in the morning and 30mg lansoprazole at night which doesn't appear to dint the reflux at all (but stops the daily indigestion)

The past few days, the sore throats have been really painful and I feel soreness when I breathe in as well as when i eat food, my voice has become raspy and for the past month, I constantly find myself clearing my throat.

I have tried dietry change as much as possible, I am only 10 stone (5 foot 11) so quite slim and not in need to lose weight, I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke and only drink water. I have tried eating foods hours before bedtime, I have tried sleeping on inclines, with books below the bed and mattress, I have tried sleeping solely on the left hand side as recommended - I suppose it's slightly better if I do sleep on the left but not by much. I have also noticed whenever I lie down on my left hand side, I get constant throat gurgles and throat burps! which is irritating to say the least. I do not get this on my right side when I lie down however. 

I am at a loss as to what to do. I am going back to the doctors again on a review of the increased dosage .After some research, I may ask to get a h2 blocker in addition to my current lansoprazole to see if this has any impact. I may also try other PPI medications to see if any show improvements. The Nexium I could try again but I would need to definitely take another dose in the morning rather than just 1 dose as I got the indigestion during the day when I took this at night. My doctor did discuss surgery to strengthen the LES valve but I hate the thought of this and is an absolute LAST resort!

Currently I am feeling sorry for myself with a sore throat, a cough and a fear of going to sleep at night with the reflux, does anybody have any thoughts to share and add to this with their own experiences or suggestions in medications etc that might help if you have seen a similar thing happen to you.

thanks

2

Hi There

I feel your pain I really do.

Not sure I can offer much advice as I'm struggling myself but it's nice to know that someone understands!

I had the nissen fundoplication last May. It's a horrible operation and a long recovery. By September I was doing fine with occasional difficulty in swallowing. Fast forward to last week when my throat started burning and I really couldn't swallow, spent a few days in hospital on liquid diet only to be told my 'wrap' is in tact so they don't understand it. They don't want to know really if it's the throat and didn't even mention LPR to me. But I know that's what it is. This morning I had half a cup of coffee, first in around 10 says, now I'm reslly suffering. I have a horrid taste in my mouth and my throat feels so so sore! The nissen doesn't necessarily fix LPR, you can't vomit or burp afterwards and they wont just reverse it if you're not happy. Saying that a lot of people are very happy with it and I must say its cured my asthma and obv my oesophagitis.

Anyway that's my story, just don't feel alone! Hope you get done answers soon.

3

Hi Gary. Thanks for letting us know that sleeping on your right is better than the left, I keep telling people here that it's better but no one agrees.

I am 31 with LPR. I had tried many things too, recently been trying to sleep sitting down, but just can't fall asleep. I had an idea I wanted to try, is to take Gaviscon (which lasts 4 hours) before sleeping and then setting my alarm 4 hours later to wake up and take another, then sleep for another 3-4 hours.

 

4

I have been staying away from PPIs due to the reported side effects. They're also not meant to be taken for a long time, advised period is about 6 weeks.

5

Is the pain when you breathe in at the very bottom of your throat? I've been getting this for months. I wake up with it at its worst but happens during the day too. It's scaring me

6

there are a lot of good suggestions by ines on the site "how i cured my gastritis". do take a look. in my case non of the medication prescribed by my doctors helped my acid reflux. an alkaline diet, some of which was similar to "how i cured my gastritis" did help some, but i lost a lot of weight.

what helped me most is exercise. not strenous. what you might try is brisk walking but where you try breathing a bit faster as tho you were running. no need to run, the importance is the intake of oxygen which gets the circulation going and not the running so just walk briskly. you can also try taking 2 quick shallow breaths in and one quick shallow breath out whilst walking briskly. if possible walk 40 mins each time twice or three times a day. it helped me get rid of my acid reflux