Young and very sick from silent reflux

Digestive health
1

Hello I am a 20 year old girl use to be a sport student but had to quit due to really severe gerd. It came out of no where last July I was very healthy never drank alcohol or smoked was studying sport at college.

First I was coughing for 6 weeks non stop to the point of coughing up blood visited doctors 8 times didn't do anything for me as they said my lungs sounded fine. Then came the constant vomiting, I woke up one night covered in vomit and had no idea how it happened in my sleep. This went on for 2 more months I vomited all day every day even water made me, I would throw up in the streets on my way to the doctor it was humiliating.

Anyway fast forward to today my gerd has turned into silent reflux I am on one omeprazole once and day and ranitidine at night. But I have a huge problem with my throat it is constantly tight and spasming to the point I can't eat or drink anymore or exercise it has completely immobilised me I have constant nausea too.

Has anyone else had this and does anyone have any remedies? Would greatly appreciate it, gerd is ruining my life to the point where I don't want to live.. thank you

2

Have you had a endoscopy?

3

If this began with coughing....,I would get tested for tuberculosis. If not properly treated, tuberculosis can spread to the stomach. This is called Abdominal Tuberculosis. It is becoming much more common. Google it, and see if it matches your symptoms.

4

I would do a ASAP endoscopy to see if anything is going on... If not then it's something else probably...

5

No I have not, the doctor mentioned it once but never referred me. Have you had one? I'm a little scared of having one

6

Thanks for reply I will look into it

7

Oh my darling my heart goes out to you. I agree with the other replies you must have an endoscopy to see what is going on. Go to your doc and demand one. Tell them you are feeling suicidial. I totally understand how gerd can make u feel like this. My gerd came out of the blue too. I'd never had reflux in my life however mine started when I was 41. I thought it may be hormonal, then I thought the chiropractor may have caused it from smaking me on the back so hard (top mid spine), then I wondered if Colonic irrigation had caused it??? But I think the main contributing factor was STRESS!! It coincided with me going back to work and my daughter becoming a very difficult teenager.

Were you under a lot of stress when it started?

You need to find a good gastro doc. You may need to see one that specialises in LPR as it's your throats that is suffering most. My gerd is under control now but I still have relapses. I don't take stomach meds cos they don't help me. In fact make it worse. Here's list of what helps me:

Raising top of bed with 2 bricks

Avoiding diet triggers (they can be different for everyone. I avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, spicy, citrus and dairy. Sugar is bad too)

Dgl licorice (brilliant)

Slippery elm (sometimes helps)

No eating after dinner (6.30pm)

Exercise 2 hrs after food (walking, Pilates, yoga and cycling) be careful with stomach exercises. Might have to avoid all together.

I had terrible nausea at the start but I never actually vomitted. I think stomach meds made nausea worse. Have u tried weak ginger tea. I say weak because if you have sensitive stomach like me ginger can make it worse.

These are tests I've had done:

3 endoscopies over 3 years.

1 colonoscopy

Barium swallow

Ultra sound (stomach, gall bladder, and pancreas)

Ph study and 24 hr monitoring ( tests LES muscle)

Food intolerance test ( natropath)

SIBO test

Fructose and lactose intolerance test

What country do u live in? If it's free for you I would try and get all the above tests done.

I have inflammation in my eosphagus quite high up and I have a small hiatus hernia. Also get tested for Celia disease when you have endoscopy and H pylori.

My blessings to you Hun. Hang in on there you will get better. For stress I'm on lexapro 10mg per day. This has helped a lot. Also I do yoga and deep breathing.

Let us know how you get on. Don't be overwhelmed by the tests. One step at a time. Also there is nothing to fear all the tests are not painful. The 24hr monitor test is uncomfortable that's all. Positive thinking can get you a long way. Try not to focus on it. You will be able to exercise again I'm sure. btw I studied PE!

Warm blessings

Dominique

8

Hi, thanks so much for the reply it was really comforting I live in London so I think most test are free but the doctors in my area are so awful they really don't care about patients especially ones with LPR, one doctor at my surgery didn't help a pregnant woman who was bleeding she ended up going to a&e and found out it was an ectopic pregnancy! I wasn't under stress when I first had gerd I was the happiest I had ever been this has completely ruined my life I am now unemployed and not in education because of it but thank you for advice I'll keep trying to push for test and hope you are feeling well xx

9

Hi Shan

I was also having severe Gerd with many severe symptoms, but for the last week I changed my diet completely and I take omeprazole 20mg once daily,

I eat only meat cooked with only carrots and green peas No oil at all just add some water while cooking,

and I eat very little pasta or rice because I am avoiding carbs as they hugely aggravate my Gerd, I also eat bananas. No bread at all because of the carbs, and I drink from 6 to 8 glasses of water as they wash out the toxics from the body.

it's also important to avoid stress and anxiety, go out and hang out with friends or watch something you interesting, Make ur self busy to forget about the pain.

That is my diet and lifestyle at the moment and I am feeling huge differences. Wanna continue this method for 3 months then when I feel symptoms free will reintroduce the other foods very slowly.

Get well soon

Mo

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Hi Domiique, I need your advice. My reflux came suddenly last year. I was 43. I felt bitter taste in my mouth. Went doc they told me gastric. I am a vegetarian. I have cut on coffeedaoru, chocolate, spicy, citrus food and soya products. I have been having like globus in my throat since I was kid, not sure it's silent reflux or tonsils. Of late I started feeling like a needle prickling in my tounge all the time and at time feel like lack of breath also feel like the right side under my breast feels warm. Is there any remedies that can heal this. I feel so lost and sad. This has caused anxiety too.

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Thank you I have been vegetarian for 9 years now my diet is very plain but at the moment I can't eat anything speaking to the doctor again on Tuesday hopefully will have some progress

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Hello how did u get on with advice .I had problems logging in

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Hi I am trying manuka honey, probiotics and dgl liquorice to help me it seems to settle my stomach but the throat is still a huge problem. I visited doctor again and they just told me to take 6 PPI's a day! I couldn't believe it I'm not going to go back to them any time soon they have pretty much wiped their hands with me. I want to try and save money to see a private doctor but I'm lucky to have £10 left at the end of the week so have been so miserable this week it's been horrible thank you for checking on me I really appreciate it hope you are well

14

Hello shan I'm glad you found some things to help with stomach. Mines is really sovere reflux I can't eat Wat I want and I'm fed up with this illnesses my gp don't care about me either they just keep giving more tablets. Hope you feel better soon keep in touch:-):-)

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Hello my how did you get on with my advice my account got suspension but hopefully I'm back

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Feeling very low today, it's my 21st birthday in a few days and I can't even celebrate, eat or drink what's the point of turning 21 I have the health of a 80 year old im back on the antibiotics again this week have been on them 4 times already this year

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Hello shan cheer up we all need each other on here .on your birthday go and have a spa sauna steam and drive and watch a film do everything else you enjoy. I feel the same I can't eat things i enjoy or drink or smoke my whole life has been turned around within a month I was gonna end myself yesterday but Dominique and few other people on my group talked me out of it .Because life's to short we can beat this together I promise I help u we all help you and each other and we can beat this we have to work with it not against (reflux) it .I'm here for you shan;-)

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Thank you, you can private message me anytime you need to I find it comforting to talk to and help anyone with this horrible illness so message me it my not seem serious to others who don't have this but it is life changing and it's so hard to keep faith when everyday is a painful uncomfortable battle. But I'm so thankful for all of you on here and hopefully we can get through with each others support

19

When coughing, drink water very slowly to rinse irritant off your esophagus. I have stage 3 esophagitis. I while ago I got a cough that lasted about 6 months. I was recommended all kinds of things, none of which worked. What I discovered, is that once it went away, if I ate or drank certain things I'd start coughing again. That's when it occurred to me that it was an irritant in my food, sticking to my esophagus. I then tried "rinsing it" by drinking a lot of water VERY SLOWLY and found that it worked. I use purified water, so not sure if other types would work as well. It happens to me anytime I eat anything with salt. And also when I drink one of those "energy-shot" type drinks, but goes away after rinsing in that way.

By the way, I also quite taking all acid blockers (like Omeprazole) about 6 monthis ago when I found out that the lack of acid prevents processing of protein and certain vitamins when I found out that "too little" acid can also cause reflux. I now take HCL which "adds" acid to my stomach, along with an enzyme that helps process the acid. I now have no reflux during day after eating. However, If I eat past 5pm in evening and then go to bed by 9pm, I will have reflux if I lay on my right side (where stomach is) but not on my left side, since my spincter valve is also stuck open. Research the HCL since it usually takes more than just one capsule to work, and also needs tweaked for the amount of protein consumed. Protein is what triggers the body to add acid to the stomach, but things like stress and other factors can too since the body may automatically prepare itself for a meal by injecting acid even if you never actually eat.

Good luck.

20

A little more about my condition, cough, and reason for quiting the acid blockers.

I was diagnosed about 3 years ago with stage 3 esophagitis after increasing heart-burn which at times had symptoms similar to a heart attack. An endoscopy showed a very inflamed esophagus that looks like the pictures a Google search would show of the condition - a pretty scary time for me. I also experienced my first season (about 6 months, starting one winter) of the cough that seemed similar to a "whooping cough." at first it was both in the chest (felt like it was in my lungs) and also higher up which made me choke to nearly the point of passing out. I was told I would need to stay on acid-blockers (PPIs) the rest of my life.

I've always been into fitness and good health and had yearly physicals. All bloodwork had always been okay until I began taking the acid-blocker, afterwhich time my protein levels (also shown on the tests) began to fall. I consume about 180 grams of protein each day in the form of whey protein powder, chicken breast, red meat, and other natural food proteins, which, if anything, should, and always had made my proteing levels just a bit high. That's when I began to be concerned. Protein in the body does so much more than build muscle, so I began to research what was causing the problem. All my research led to the use of the PPIs (for me, omeprazole), which not only block metabolism of protein but also many other nutrients. That was when I also researched more into acid reflux and discovered too little acid can have a similar affect as too much acid since the pressure created within the stomach, or the sensing of "enough acid" is what causes the sphincter to close tighter, preventing up-flow of acid into the esophagus.

More research led me to the discovery of the betaine HCL supplement, and more, to the protein digesting enzymes. However, the cough still came back the following winter and lasted about 4 months on into the spring. One doctor then diagnosed me with what he referred to as a "cold weather asthma" and prescribed an inhaler which I used with no success. I then discovered that wearing a carbon type painter mask (the paper type, not the rubber type with cartridges) while outside in the cold (and even indoors) helped prevent the cough. Not sure why that worked, but guessing it may have provided enough "warm moist air" into my esophagus, or lungs (if lungs inflammed from so much coughing). I had researched why it seemed to warm the air and found out that carbon does react with air and warm it a bit, as well as just some of the warm exhaled air staying close within the mask to be then inhaled. Anyhow, one day I got to thinking and it occured to me that the cough got worse after eating or drinking certain things (anything with salt, or the dark chocolate which I also love and eat for it's antioxidants and beneficial nutrients), which is when I tried rinsing my esophagus after eating or drinking anything that provoked the coughing. I no longer have any heartburn so I figure my esophagus has healed significantly, but do still get the cough which too is much less affected by eating, even without taking a drink afterwards. I haven't yet had another endoscopy done to see it's current state, but plan to have that done soon.