PPI's not working-acid reflux

[Winnie]

I had an endoscopy two weeks ago and have not got my official results back yet.  I feel that my acid reflux is getting worse.  I have constant phlem but it doesn't burn or bother me.  I sleep on a wedge, plus pillows, although I find myself at the bottom by morning.  I follow the diet perfectly, plus all of the other things that I need to avoid. 

I am puzzled on what to do next.  I have no control over this.  Is my rx not working?  I eat a bland diet but cheat by having my nightly sugar.  Hey, I have to have some food pleasure! I use some garlic and onion powder daily to make things taste better. 

Could it be my calcium supplement?

Any suggestions besides putting blocks under my bed or getting a hospital bed.  My husband would love that!!    My neck and back hurt in the mornings and I assume it is from sleeping all kinked up.

Winnie

[iraisin]

Hi Winnie,

Sounds like misery - so sorry you are going thru this.

I noticed you have a hiatal hernia - you'll know more when the test results get back in - but it may be time to get it repaired. Until then, it may help to do some stretching before you go to bed to help it's contents get below it into your stomach.

Good luck. Let us know what the doc says. Many of us have this issue in combination with the hernia.

Take care - hope you improve.

[Rachel F.]

My brother had a hiatal hernia and found a chiropractor that was able to adjust it into place without surgery! That is crazy. Now he doesn't have those issues but his issue was that he would have heartburn while exercising.

Do you drink a lot of water at night? I thought that would make it worse for me-- I get heartburn at night- but it seems when I drink water it actually helps. I wonder if it dilutes the acid. Just some thoughts. Good luck on finding answers!

[gold55]

I had issues with acid stomach from these arthritis pills plus a hiatal hernia and now I have way less to no issues drinking water all day long.  I have it with my dinner as well.....my friend with diabetes also combats acid stomach by drinking a lot of water.  I keep a water bottle with me at all times.  With SJS I would think all of us have to be guzzling water.

[matildamillicent]

I use to get bad GERD. But now my doctor has added Zantac as well as a PPI. Not all PPIs are the same. Some work better than others. For example, Omeprazole and Pantoprazole didn't do much, but Lansoprazole works well.

If I had a bad day I put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a large glass of water and drink it. It tastes revolting, but definitely helps.

I've also found if you can get a large amount of saliva (haha yes I know I'm talking to people with Sjogren's!) in your mouth and swallow it all at once that can help. It usually takes me about 5 minutes to produce the amount needed.

Find out what foods trigger it and avoid them.

That's all that I've found helpful. Good luck!

[Bonnie]

Hi Winnie,

I also have a bed wedge and wake up scrunched at the bottom, I had given up using it for a while because I didn't think it helped at all, but have been back to using it for a few weeks and it does help. 

I take nexium and domperidone and have to watch what I eat.

Rachel F, I am very interested in the chiropractor treatment.  I have been googling and I think I may try to find one who can help with this.

I will keep everyone posted.

[Liz D.]

Winnie,

My rheumy told me that garlic and onions were making my reflux worse.  I do notice now that whenever I have anything with garlic or garlic flavoring in it, I am sick all night.  It is a bummer to stay away from because I love it and makes food taste so much better.   

Hope you can get some help.  Acid reflux is so painful. (Also, sometimes I use papaya enzymes from Walmart after a meal and that helps.)

Liz D.

[Tivia]

I had an endoscopy two weeks ago and have not got my official results back yet.  I feel that my acid reflux is getting worse.  I have constant phlem but it doesn't burn or bother me.  I sleep on a wedge, plus pillows, although I find myself at the bottom by morning.  I follow the diet perfectly, plus all of the other things that I need to avoid. 

I am puzzled on what to do next.  I have no control over this.  Is my rx not working?  I eat a bland diet but cheat by having my nightly sugar.  Hey, I have to have some food pleasure! I use some garlic and onion powder daily to make things taste better. 

Could it be my calcium supplement?

Any suggestions besides putting blocks under my bed or getting a hospital bed.  My husband would love that!!    My neck and back hurt in the mornings and I assume it is from sleeping all kinked up.

Winnie

Hello Winni, I understand where you are coming from I am on high doses of PPI's and creon because I have severe Gerd complicated by a hiatal hernia, and pancreatic insufficiency . Even with the ppi's I still have the reflux although thank god its not acidic the ppi's neutralize it I guess. Some things to try, first off I tried the wedge no dice..I actually had to get risers and lift the head of my bed about 6 inches. This helps because as you stated just sleeping on a wedge or pillows means in the night you shift position and can lose the upright position..that dont happen with bed risers.
Your body stays in a position where gravity takes over.

I have severe pain from the hernia that just radiates up my chest and into my back, as others have said stretch gently dont hunch over or wear tight cloths around your middle. I had to give up tight bras and underwires also. Another thing to consider is esophageal spasms, I get these its like a rolling cramp that starts low by the sternum and travels up to mid neck. You may want to ask your doc about that. Btw Winni did you ever get the results? They should be back by now.

[Dolly Dimples]

  I find that eating  Plain Probiotic yoghurt helps with acid , I take all my pills with it, and  a heaped spoonful at bedtime. 
This would also help with any calcium defiency . 
   Matilda M What saliva??     
   Tivia is right , one must have some pleasure too!
                            Dolly x

[Winnie]

Sorry I forgot that I posted this on Sunday.  I have been busy.  Went to the Rhuemmy doc today and got good news.  I had gained 4 pounds in 6 months and no new symptoms.  The doctor was "tickled pink" and so was my husband.   

I drink 90+ ounces of water a day and I weigh 110 pounds!  So I don't think I am dehydrated. 

Sometimes the acid seems to rattle in my chest.  I can't figure out if it is something that I am eating or doing to make it worse. 

No results yet, I will call on Thursday if no results tomorrow.  This GI doctor did not circle on my discharge papers that I have a hietal hernia.  I will have to ask him about that.  I wonder if he forgot or was I misdiagnosed 5 years prior.  Who knows!! Thanks for the suggestions and I will let u know after I call on Thursday.

I sure hope I can get my gi system under control.  Life would be really good then.  I dream of going on a normal vacation with my family and go eat out without tummy problems or worries of food intolerances.  It is ok to dream, right?  I have had such good news today that I don't want anything to spoil it!!

Winnie

[Styx]

You complained in your initial post about phlegm mostly. Are you sure that this is related to reflux? Doctors love to blame everything on reflux, but typically, if PPI therapy succeeds in eliminating the symptoms of hyper-acidity (burning, etc.) but fails to control other symptoms attributed to reflux, the latter is probably not due to reflux.

Styx

[Winnie]

Styx
Yes that has always been a thought of mine.  I thought that it was the food intolerances and I may have more that I don't know. 
I have esophagus damage from something.....
Then I thought that it may be low acid, but have not received a clear response to that question from my GI doctor. 
Not sure what else it may be?  Scared to research and find out.......

Winnie

[Violet4]

My GI told me to put the head of our bed up on blocks.  We just used small blocks and it seems to help a little.  The information he gave me stated that sleeping all propped up with wedges and pillows puts more pressure on the digestive system.  Good luck!

[A66eyroad]

I took a PPI for three years. It seemed to work the first year or so, then my reflux came back and got worse and worse. Nothing I did -- ate, not ate, drank, the ways I slept -- made a difference. I was in terrible pain all the time. I didn't think I would ever be well again.

I talked with my former college roommate who has a doctorate in nursing and teaches at the local university. She told me to add carafate, a very cheap and very old medicine. I talked to my doctor and he was like, Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about that medicine! Let's go ahead and try it!"

So I took it religiously four times a day -- a half-hour before each meal (I set an alarm on my cell phone) and right before bed.

It took about three months, but one day I realized that I was all healed up! I am still considered as having Barrett's Esophagus (I get scoped for it every March) but I no longer have that horrible and constant pain in my chest. And I actually have stopped taking my Purple Pill (which I understand is meant only for short-term use anyway!).

Hope this helps.

[irish]

I have to tell you that using pillows, etc and all kinds of positioning sometimes adds to the reflux problems. The elevating of the head of the bed is the bed way to make sure that you have your head above the cardiac sphincter or top opening of your stomach. This is where the acid escapes into the esophagus. You can buy some blocks specifically for the purpose or you can make your own.

I tried the 6 inches that was advised and I could not stay in my bed. I literally would slide down over the course of the night. I finally did 4 inches and that helps with the reflux, plus, I don't slide out of bed anymore. By propping yourself with pillows the body sort of makes these kinks in all the wrong places and the acid can still come up and get trapped in areas of the esophagus. Keeping the body with the head higher than the stomach plus keeping the body in alignment helps a lot.

Also, try drinking more water as this will dilute the acid in your stomach. Also, my hubby got no relief ono the omeprazole or pepcid and I finally put him back on the Zantac and he had relief. We are all different and react to meds differently. Good luck. Irish