Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Hurdity on September 25, 2020, 01:17:53 PM
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Hi here everyone
It's not often I ask for advice but I would love to hear any experiences and comments about this. I realise there are other threads but thought I would ask in relation to me.
I've had digestive problems for ages - hiccuping and excess air (not quite burping as I can't do that but similar), feeling bloated, indigestion, sometimes nausea etc. I don't usually bother to talk about them and just use Rennies or Milk of Magnesia which seemed to do the trick. Went to doc a couple of years ago and she suggested cutting out wheat ( I think I might have posted about this?) and if that didn't work then try the Low Fodmap (Google it!). Well the latter is prohibitive so no way was I going to do that but I have cut down wheat although I am not at all strict so don't really know if it has worked.
Anyway symptoms got worse - stomach pains a while after eating, feeling full quickly, cough etc. I DON'T have acid reflux as far as I know nor usually heartburn - at least only occasional pain in central sternum but mostly other parts of stomach and general discomfort and symptoms as described. Went to doc in summer and had blood tests and everything normal that could be so no further investigations but a couple of days ago (phone consultation) doc suggested a course of Omeprazole to "heal the stomach" + poo test for H.pylori.
So have now got said meds - anyone who knows me will know I am reluctant to take meds and all I take are painkillers and migraine tabs - when I get a migraine (bio-identical HRT does not count as medication - it is replacing a hormone deficiency) so having looked at the sdie effects, of course I am now worried!
I do remember being prescribed these some years ago for similar problems ( though very minor compared with now) and never took them because of these and in fact healed myself. This time the symptoms are bad and I do need to do something apart from what I already do ie eat smaller meals, low fat, low wheat, hardly any alcohol (boo!) etc.
Of course this will not be long term - I can see it's mean to be a short-term med - and I've been given an 8 week course - but to go back either if symptoms get worse while taking it or if they return when I've finished.
I have read that they interfere with vitamin absorption but doc said take it at night. Also I presume this will not be too much of an issue in the short term. The instructions say take in the morning. The common side effects look horrible and the same as the symptoms they are trying to treat!
Please any feedback on
- whether it worked for you
- what symptoms you had to start with
- how long you took them for
- did symptoms come back when you stopped
- did you get side effects if so which
- what time of day you took it and did it make a difference
All info and experiences gratefully received!
Many thanks :)
Hurdity x
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I've had indigestion from an early age. Milk of Magnesia tablets were my Best Friend! [should that be friends?]. That was a queasy gut and indigestion i.e. pain in the middle chest and behind the shoulders. When rubbed gently we can feel/hear the wind moving :o
I find the Magenesia liquid or 'Rennies' has been helpful. Symptoms more recently have been reflux which is a burning in the back of the throat with excess saliva when I lay down in bed, enough to dribble uncontrollably! I need to sleep as upright as possible until the reflux eases. 2-3 Rennie chewable sweets :-X helped. Not eating too late in the evening and eating more slowly in the day.
Occasionally I can feel the reflux building during the evening. I haven't found any difference as to when I take the omeprazolol and if necessary add Magenesia liquid.
Now I have an irritating clearing throat cough in the day GP gave me Omeprazolol capsules. 1 at night but I do add a 2nd in the morning if the cough is a nuisance. No problems in the night, fortunately.
The reflux burning is the worst issue 4 me.
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I can tolerate pizza but find meat makes my gut/bowel really slow .
I don't have any particular trigger for the reflux other than eating too quickly.
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Hi Hurdity,
Although I can’t answer your questions as I only take Peptac (which I think is the same as Gaviscon Advance), I just wanted to offer my support, I don’t like taking medication either so understand your concern/questions.
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Was found to have H Pylori 25 years ago after developing upper GI inflammatory type pain, most intense just above the navel, having been diagnosed with IBS-C 10 years before that which hadn't responded to any change of diet, the various prescription IBS meds, supplements or alternative therapies. Was prescribed a short course of Omeprazole with Amoxycillin & Metronidazole for the H Pylori. This combo helped with what felt like upper digestive inflammation but had no effect on the IBS or lower abdo pain.
10 years later gastritis was found on gastroscopy & I was again given Omeprazole for a month which worsened upper GI tract pain as did a subsequent course of Pariet - both PPIs. It seemed possible that the inflammation was being caused by too little acid rather than too much so the PPIs were stopped. These were changed for a course of Ranitidine, an H2 blocker which did help the gastritis pain. We concluded the inflammation was likely a result of food intolerance & I set about experimenting further with diet to try to manage the gastritis naturally. As with you Hurdity, the FODMAP diet is completely impractical for me as I eat a high fibre diet including just about everything it excludes!
I found like Sparkle that any type of fat (even healthy fats such as olive oil/oily fish) alcohol, coffee (even decaff), cocoa, acidic foods & drinks such as fruit juice & citrus fruits made matters worse. Sugar was especially troublesome & I cut out all sugar-containing foods & even began making my own sugar-free baked beans. I also cut out high salicylate foods e.g. raspberries & discarded the acidic seeds from tomatoes before including them in any meal. My notes tell me the natural yoghurt I'd been eating for years was another irritant at that time - possibly because of its high histamine content. I went dairy free for a number of years & this, combined with cutting out the foods mentioned above seemed to help. Gastroscopy wasn't repeated until 7 years after initial diagnosis, by which time no further gastritis was found, so the dietary measures had resolved the issues. I never knowingly had reflux.
Some years later, back on dairy but taking a lactase supplement daily, I was advised to try a low-wheat diet for the still troublesome IBS-C & when this didn't help I went completely GF for 13 months. Gradually my entire digestive tract began to function better but I discontinued the GF diet as at the same time I'd been advised to start it a new IBS drug was prescribed & I wasn't sure which had been responsible for the improvement. At first going back on gluten containing foods didn't seem problematical but after a while the former levels of malfunction returned & in fact became worse. Now back on a low gluten diet, but not completely GF - I exclude wheat entirely, eat only GF oats but can seem to tolerate a little whole rye bread a couple of days a week. I no longer drink alcohol :'( , have continued to avoid sugar as much as possible, eat little meat & take care not to have too much fat or overly acidic foods, but otherwise my diet is very varied. Occasionally I can feel a transient flare of gastritis but 15 years on from first diagnosis this has continued to be completely manageable by care with diet alone - no meds have been necessary.
As the others have said it can be a laborious process working out what the cause is & is probably worth trying a short course of Omeprazole to see if it helps.
Wx
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Forgot to ask - have they scanned your gallbladder? Think you've posted you are on quite high oestrogen so just wondering about stones.
Also I think you said on another thread that like mine, your diet is tweaked to manage reactive hypoglycaemia - if you've reduced overall carb intake is it possible you're not getting a high enough proportion of bland carbs at each meal to buffer more potentially irritant foods? I try to make sure I have reasonable sized portions of (protein-buffered) complex carbs at every meal, which for me seems to help both with keeping gastritis at bay & preventing sugars going too low. I'm thinking brown rice (sorry!) porridge, GF pasta, root veg based soups & stews (not tomato based), sweet potato etc - always buffered with protein & the fibre from veg/fruit to spread the glycaemic load. Not big portions of carbs, but enough to provide a bit more of a buffer in the acidic environment of the stomach. Just a thought.
Wx
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Hi everyone - thanks so much for all your comments. Have had visitors at the weekend hence late reply! Took first one this morning - so far so good......ie haven't been sick yet (that was the side effect I was especially worried about!).
I'm going to answer each separately as I will get in a muddle otherwise and all these issues ie treating them in this way - are new to me.
I've had indigestion from an early age. Milk of Magnesia tablets were my Best Friend! [should that be friends?]. That was a queasy gut and indigestion i.e. pain in the middle chest and behind the shoulders. When rubbed gently we can feel/hear the wind moving :o
I find the Magenesia liquid or 'Rennies' has been helpful. Symptoms more recently have been reflux which is a burning in the back of the throat with excess saliva when I lay down in bed, enough to dribble uncontrollably! I need to sleep as upright as possible until the reflux eases. 2-3 Rennie chewable sweets :-X helped. Not eating too late in the evening and eating more slowly in the day.
Occasionally I can feel the reflux building during the evening. I haven't found any difference as to when I take the omeprazolol and if necessary add Magenesia liquid.
Now I have an irritating clearing throat cough in the day GP gave me Omeprazolol capsules. 1 at night but I do add a 2nd in the morning if the cough is a nuisance. No problems in the night, fortunately.
The reflux burning is the worst issue 4 me.
Thanks CLKD. I definitely don't have any feeling of reflux or throat burning although have had the cough probably sincre April though this is improving and maybe feel a bit hoarse and throat- cleary ( more than usual). Like I said Milk of Mag and Rennies have always been my friends too, increasingly in recent years and it was only when they stopped working and symptoms also got worse that I thought I should consult doc. Maybe the sternum pain is reflux lower down - I've no idea, but it's linked to excess air and my version of burping (!). Only had pain spreading up the oesophagus a couple of times.
Will go through the other replies in order!
Thanks again everyone
Hurdity x
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I take Esomeprazole and have done in one form or another for approximately two years.
My symptoms were much as you describe. I have had the usual investigations done. I had an endoscopy. I had and still suffer from intermittent gastritis. I have tried stopping but after such a long while it becomes difficult. I think the majority of people can take a short term course and get back to normal, but for a few it's an acute issue.
The consultant I saw told me it was very important to take at the correct time in order for them to work correctly. First thing in the morning at least an hour before food. They turn off the acid production in your stomach. Therefore having an empty stomach is really the only time they will work properly. Milk of Magnesia or Rennies is simply a waste of time unfortunately.The consultant also prescribed Gaviscon Advance. Her words were, everything else is totally pointless. This can be taken after every meal and especially before bedtime.
Although you might not think you are damaging your gullet, leaving things untreated can cause much damage. It's likely you have silent reflux which is very common.
I do take a good multi vitamin, also on the advice of the consultant along with a vitamin D pill. I think it's now recognised that it's important to do so.
My side effects have been minimal. Feeling a bit empty is one, going to the toilet a bit more often is another.
You will likely get a great deal of relief from a short course and that maybe all you would need, but you will never know until you try.
Goodness me. I have a twin that I never knew about.
I could have written that sparkle.
I agree that an endoscopy is really important to rule out anything nasty.
I also find red meat harder and harder to digest too. It can end up being a restricted diet. Sweet things are really bad, as is pizza for some reason.
It's the silent reflux that's the tricky one. So much damage can be done before you are aware. I live in fear of developing barts oesophagus.
Thanks FrannyB. I have had occasional bouts of what has been described as gastriitis by doc, a couple of times in the past 25 years and like I said once was prescribed Omep. but didn't take them, and another time, Ranitidine and didn't take that either!
"Usual investigations" ??? None of these have eve been offered - just blood tests. Whereabouts are you? Maybe different areas have different rules. My doc said if she referred me the specialists would question this becauses my bloods are all normal and none of my symptoms suggest cancer, but in my view what happenes if it is at an early stage? Maybe one wouldn't have extreme symptoms but might catch it early? My husband said an endoscopy/gastroscopy was very invasive and thought it wouldn't be advisable to have one unless you absolutely had to, as tube has to go down oesophagus. I wouldn't relish that but would agree, if it was thought necessary.
I took the Omep in the morning but with half a banana. The PIL said with or without food but with water. Was worried about being sick if I took on empty stomach!
Thanks for info re Gaviscon Advance - have never taken anything like that. Will investigate what's in it! I often chew a Rennie type tab just before going to sleep! I'm just worreid about becoming dependent on meds as I take nothing on a regualr basis as I said. The migraine tabs only once every few weeks or so and that's it....
I don't know about slient reflux? It can't be that as I do get indigestion. What I mean is I get the symptoms of the silent reflx as well as those of acid stomach and indigestion? I really have never looked into it as I've been happily chewing my rennies and glugging milk of mag for years!
Hopefully I will only need a short course. I don't really want to have to take vitamins as generally I don't need to ( apart from the odd bit of cod liver oil from winter onwards eg December to March/April when my vit D stores may be running low and before the sunshine, though we have plenty of fish inc oily fish. I know this thread isn't about the pros and cons of vits but that would worry me - if absorption from diet was impaired significantly because my diet is such that I am not deficient. Like I said provided I got most of vit D from sunshine ( I get lots of that!) then most of the year I don't need to worry....
Re restricted diet. Fatty foods and alcohol definitely make it worse, and possibly too much wheat but still not absolutely sure on that one.
Anyway thanks for your comments
Hurdity x
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Can't really add to what's been said already. I'm a carbon copy almost of FrannyB. I do think an endoscopy is important so that you know whether or not you have a hiatus hernia and to check for gastritis and any other damage that might be going on. I'm on lansoprazole and Gaviscon advance, have been since 2012 although first started with omeprazole. My symptoms are reasonably well controlled but I still get flare ups even on the meds. I also have silent reflux where you can have no heartburn, it's the throat that's affected.
It's tricky trying to work out which foods trigger it but definitely too much fat even good fats, I can't tolerate salmon or oily fish anymore, too many carbs, chocolate, alcohol (haven't drunk any since 2012), coffee (I don't drink coffee but it's a known trigger), too much tea (can't quite give it up though). I find meat quite hard to digest so tend not to have it often.
Worth buying a wedge pillow to prop yourself up at night, pillows don't have the same effect.
I take the lansoprazole an hour before breakfast and then the Gaviscon Advance after my evening meal and before bed. I do increase that to after every meal if it's bad though
Remember that if/when you stop taking the omeprazole, wean off slowly otherwise you'll get a rebound effect from the increased acid production.
I also take a vit D combo containing magnesium and occasionally when I remember a b12 supplement.
Thanks sparkle - I knew you were one that has stomach problems so I'm pleased you replied!
Wow that's a long time to have suffered this and also to take the meds? I presume the lansoprazole is another version of Omeprazole?
Also oh dear re your diet! Good to know what makes it worse though but I wouldn't want to have to cut out all of those. Like I said in previous post we eat LOTS of fish and oily fish is so good for you. I do like to have a bit of alcohol to drink (just a bit!). Also occasional choc when I get given it! I drink gallons of coffee and tea!! Also meat but not often red meat. Must be quite worrying still to get symptoms despite all of that?
Re pillows - I don't find I need to be propped up especially as I don't get regurgitation or anything like that tho very occasionally have woken with a sudden cough and then can't sleep because of throat irritiation so maybe that's what it is? Then I have to suck a "Nippit" = "Vigroid" = "Nigroid" (tiny little black things which stop throat irritation!). Also I sleep really deeply now for some strange reason. A few years ago I bought new pillows so have a medium feather pillow underneath and goosedown one on top which I can mould to however I want so sometimes i feel I need to be propped so move them accordingly. Othertimes flatter so ditto. They are very comfortable! I get migraines so my neck needs to be right - if too propped or neck at a weird angle I can get neck pain which sets off a migriane. I will bear that in mind though because I presume a wedge pillow rasies up all of your upper body not just neck?
Thanks for info about weaning off. Nothing was said about this. Doc said normally for people with my symptoms it's a 6 week course but she always says 8 weeks so perhaps the last two weeks I can reduce to taking alternate days etc - provded it's worked and hasn't got worse?
Thanks again :)
Hurdity x
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HI Wrensong - thanks so much for detailed posts and telling me about your situation. Will reply to these later! :)
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity,
since reducing, then stopping HRT (off it for 1 week now) I had the unexpected side effect of acid reflux, including waking up and coughing at night. I tried antacids but found I had to take at least 6 or 7 of them to stop the acid reflux and so started on Nexium Control which I purchased over the counter from Boots. It's Esomeprazole (which I think is just another brand of Omeprazole).
In answer to your points:
Yes - it has worked wonders for me - I have had no acid reflux virtually from the day I started it.
My symptoms were acid reflux, especially at night.
I have been taking them for 1 month.
I haven't tried stopping them yet but will let you know when I do whether the symptoms return
I have no side effects.
I take it at my evening meal because that is when symptoms usually kicked off (after dinner and overnight).
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Hi again Wrensong
Have had a chance to read your posts properly. Thanks for going into such detail. it is all about the detail! What an ordeal you have had over the years! Glad you've managed to sort it out with diet eventually.
I woudn't have known where to start - apart from the wheat which was suggested about 20 months ago - although I still eat it. My symptoms were pretty severe so I had to do something and I am hoping this course of Omeprazole will heal the stomach lining as the doc suggests, and then as I wean off I can be more strict to see if I can pinpoint anything triggers the symptoms - although I have had the basic ones for years (burping, hiccups, indigestion, especially after too much alcohol ( for me) and too much bad fat/very creamy foods (eg fish and chips or rich meals out!). I really don't want to have to give up " any type of fat (even healthy fats such as olive oil/oily fish) alcohol, coffee (even decaff), cocoa, acidic foods & drinks such as fruit juice & citrus fruits" so I am hoping that once healed I can just be careful.... but who knows.
Forgot to ask - have they scanned your gallbladder? Think you've posted you are on quite high oestrogen so just wondering about stones.
Also I think you said on another thread that like mine, your diet is tweaked to manage reactive hypoglycaemia - if you've reduced overall carb intake is it possible you're not getting a high enough proportion of bland carbs at each meal to buffer more potentially irritant foods? I try to make sure I have reasonable sized portions of (protein-buffered) complex carbs at every meal, which for me seems to help both with keeping gastritis at bay & preventing sugars going too low. I'm thinking brown rice (sorry!) porridge, GF pasta, root veg based soups & stews (not tomato based), sweet potato etc - always buffered with protein & the fibre from veg/fruit to spread the glycaemic load. Not big portions of carbs, but enough to provide a bit more of a buffer in the acidic environment of the stomach. Just a thought.
Wx
The doc said she would love to say it was gallbladder and recommend a scan but I just did not have any pain on that side at all so no indication of it.
Re hypoglycaemia - thanks for all that. I expect you will have seen that I frequently post about this type of diet to others! Thanks re the carbs - yes I had reduced them to some extent in the past because I was not managing to lose any more weight and wanted to reduce further but in recent months I have in fact been eating much more in the way of carbs. Yes I do know I am supposed to eat wholewheat pasta and brown rice - (and back in the day ( 1970s) chewed my way through more than my fair share of these!) but my husband does most of the cooking when we eat these sorts of carbs and he hates them (the wholewheat variety) so I don't insist! However interestingly I naturally eat more of the bland carbs anyway when my gut feels irritated - ie it tells me what it wants! When normal i do eat lots of fruit including citrus but well balanced with bananas etc. I used not to eat bread for lunch but have done so now for about a year. Sometimes i don't eat the carbs with the eve meal - well not the high carb foods eg pasta and rice - or just a little but I am eating a small pportion and eg spuds which i used not to. I was getting so hungry late eve it was counterproudctive and was probably not eating enough protein to compensate even though still having a fairly large portion - loads of veg though. Yes - because of my low blood sugar tendencies I am always very conscious of the glycaemic load and barely eat any added sugar - and am ALWAYS going on about it on here to others (about reducing sugar and refined carbs etc). I expect you've noticed!! Anyway great advice - thanks Wrensong!
By the way I always eat either porridge or muesli for breakfast and have done for years - along with fruit (usually a banana + other fruit in season, sometimes yogurt, sometimes toast and definitely a boiled egg if I'm doing any exercise - Zumba or walking or gardening or just out for the morning. Always carry a little pot of nuts and raisins and a clementine to stave off the low blood sugar!
How different we all are and how very specific are our dietary irritants and needs?
Seems to be more prevalent in older women than men maybe?
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity,
since reducing, then stopping HRT (off it for 1 week now) I had the unexpected side effect of acid reflux, including waking up and coughing at night. I tried antacids but found I had to take at least 6 or 7 of them to stop the acid reflux and so started on Nexium Control which I purchased over the counter from Boots. It's Esomeprazole (which I think is just another brand of Omeprazole).
In answer to your points:
Yes - it has worked wonders for me - I have had no acid reflux virtually from the day I started it.
My symptoms were acid reflux, especially at night.
I have been taking them for 1 month.
I haven't tried stopping them yet but will let you know when I do whether the symptoms return
I have no side effects.
I take it at my evening meal because that is when symptoms usually kicked off (after dinner and overnight).
Thanks for this Beaker! Interesting that you can buy proton pump inhibitors OTC? Glad it's working for you do far. Yes will be interested to hear how you do.
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity
Just to add to the advice & comments made. I take a regular dose of Omeprazole - and quite a high dose when needed - no side effects other than fixing the problem - it’s like the little firemen on the Gaviscon advertisement!
Due to a bad combination of menopause and stress at work 2 years ago I ended up with a severe bout of oesophagitis and spent 24 hours in hospital thinking I was having a heart attack - turns out the muscles In the chest wall that control the oesophagus also control the nerves to the heart - terrifyingly like a heart attack - severe radiating pain across chest, into arm, jaw and back. No idea such a condition existed until I got it. Did not happen overnight but looking back built up slowly over months. Incredibly painful and also has left some lasting damage - any major stress and it flares - even though I may not feel stressed! The Omeprazole has been really great for me, and the trick is to get the condition under control and then maintain - over the counter meds just don’t work or last in the same way for me. As other have said fat is a trigger, but it’s an everything in moderation type thing. Ibuprofen on an empty tummy is a trigger as well - not always at the time, but the stomach acid is always bubbling away and so it can be on a ‘slow burn’. The big difference diet wise is switching to organic sourdough bread and taking a daily probiotic - helps. I also make fresh fruit smoothies and add almond butter and yogurt to balance the fruit acid.
HRT also affects it, especially high oestrogen and it seems to affect the digestive system more.. I started HRT at 45 (Now 53) and have had a terrible menopause and struggled to find a workable solution as I have become older - I’ve just tried evorel sequi patches, really hopeful, but just had to come off it after 6 weeks due to it causing major flare up and also massive water retention - which I am now on water tablets and no HRT to bring my body back to human size! same problem on the utro/gel combo as well - the only HRT I can now tolerate is Femonston conti - and even that causes a bit of reflux and water retention - tablets unfortunately but my digestive system seems to tolerate them, and the progesterone is kinder to me. I also use vagifem but that seems OK
Hope that helps x
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Thanks for your post Nairn - I've only just seen this!
I've come back to this thread as I'm now on the last week of the 8 weeks course of Omeprazole (6 tabs to go) and mostly it has been absolutely magic! I still get some hiccuping but hardly any gurgling and air coming up and almost no nausea, all abdominal pains and discomfort mostly gone - incredible! Hardly ever need to chew the Rennies type tablets. Hardly ever get the catch in my throat at night.... I do get return of the central sternum pain and gurgling etc after alcohol ( the next day) unfortunately :( . Also although the cough has pretty much gone I'm still a bit hoarse?
The thing is - the weaning off - sparkle if you're there especially?
Do I just now start taking every other day and then stop? I might have left it too late for a proper weaning though? I haven't really changed my diet and haven't needed to nut perhpas when I astop the Omep I might have to?
Any more insights or advice from anyone as to the next stage, gratefully received please!
Hurdity x
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After 8 weeks then you shouldn’t have too many issues.
Reducing to one tablet every other day is the way to go. You will get some reaction if you just stop.
I would buy Gaviscon Advance to get you over the hard part of stopping. Take after every meal for a week or so to ease yourself off.
However if you go back to the same symptoms after a few weeks then you may have to consider a maintenance dose.
It might not be what you want but acid reflux into the gullet comes with it’s own risks as I’m sure you are aware of.
Sometimes there is a trade off.
There are lots of alternative options that can really help if you don’t w@nt to be on the heavy duty medication.
Silica Gel being one, Kefir milk helps., I could go on but I’m not sure how open you are to trying this kind of thing.
Good luck with stopping, I hope you will be just fine .
Thanks FrannyB.
I live in the country and haven't been out (apart from a couple of walks) since I wrote my post but I will buy some Gaviscon Advance when I next go out which is before the tabs run out.
"but acid reflux into the gullet comes with it’s own risks as I’m sure you are aware of. " This is one area I haven't even looked into at all because I've never had problems like now - just mild gastritis and indigestion etc like most people, treated with Rennies and Milk of Mag as I mentioned earlier which always worked before! So no - I know nothing about it and been too busy to read about it! I will do when I come off the meds. Also I was never told it was actually acid reflux as I never got anything in my mouth or heart burn as such ( only occasionally) just the pain below sternum and other parts of stomach as well as all the gurglings and belching (yuk!!).
"I could go on but I’m not sure how open you are to trying this kind of thing..." :-\ err - where do you get that idea? ;) I have never been into medication of any sort if I can possibly help it - but couple of years ago had to start on the triptans for migraines and now this. I really don't want to become a meds junkie and would ALWAYS prefer to deal with it naturally if I could - if it worked that is. Resorted to meds because like I said the dietary changes and chewing chalk didn't do it for me!! I would consider anything dietary or more natural if there was evidence to support its efficacy so fire away with your remedies please Franny! Not sure about silica gel though - sounds like it would gum up your insides? I worked in a lab once and had to dip test-tubes in silica to line them as part of the experiment!!!
Thanks again :)
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity, great to hear you've noticed such a big improvement.
I can't really add anything to what FrannyB has said, she's given great advice. I agree with having Gaviscon Advance to hand as you wean off the tablets. When you say you've got six to go, is that taking two a day and then nothing? In my experience that's too quick. I'm on a maintenance dose of 15mg lansoprazole which I think is equivalent to 20mg of omeprazole, maybe someone else can confirm this? I can be fine on that dose for weeks and then something will trigger an episode of reflux and it sets me back and I have to up the dose to 30mg again. So really you need to have enough to hand to be able to slowly wean off or to be able to increase the dose if necessary. It's really a trial and error situation unfortunately. I would say if you're noticing alcohol has an affect while you're on the higher dose then it will almost certainly be worse on the lower dose or when you stop it completely, sorry!
I'm having a flare up at the moment but the main symptom isn't so much heartburn, it's more a sore throat and a feeling like it's swollen around my epiglottis which is classic for reflux as well as feeling queasy.
I think you take cod liver oil? You may find this aggravates your heartburn as might oily fish. I can't eat salmon anymore, it triggers reflux and makes me feel very queasy.
Are you due to go back to the GP?
Thanks sparkle.
My dose is 20 mg once daily in the morning so the 6 tabs are now being taken alternate days. The middle day in between I have started getting central sternum twinges even before I eat which is a bit weird? Not so bad today. Tomorrow is tablet day....
Oh no! Don't say that about alcohol! I like a little mini-tipple at the weekends. Just a sherry or a G and T or small glass of wine... I'm going to suffer aren't I if I have it?! You have to have some pleasures in life especially coming to the end of 2020!!!
Soerry to hear about your flare-up. I do get a slightly swollen throat feeling and still a bit hoarse.
I haven't been taking cod-liver-oil ( well-remembered!) yet. I normally take it usually December-ish until about March or so when my Vit D stores in my own liver will have run low. I was in the sun most of the summer and end of Sept and into October when it was hot (I live in SW Engalnd - mild climate) and even now sit outside in the sun for morning coffee even at this time of year so hopefully will still get a bit - but yes that is the main reason I don't like the diea of the PPIs because of inhibition of absorption of vitamins and I get most of mine from my diet. Presumably even taking supplements there can be a problem with absorption due to the PPIs?
I haven't noticed any problem with oily fish although we're not eating that much at this time of year. We don't really eat farmed salmon - just mackerel and trout (caught by my husband!) in the season. Too much fatty food does give me gripes though yes....
GP said if my symptoms come back either while I'm taking it or get worse, or return after I stop - then to go back, otherwise I'm cured (?!). She talked about the healing process as if it was a temporary condition that just needed to get better....
Thanks for your insights and advice.
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity,
just seen your post. I had eactly the same thing - investigations and given omeprazole course. No nausea, but dreadful constipation, so I had to stop. So the GP put me on Ranitidine 150mg twice daily. That appeared to work after a couple of months taking them. I had a healing stomach ulcer.
I hope you recover fully quickly.
Pepperminty X