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[jasmine5]

Hello - Over the past six weeks I have been suffering with awful acid reflux which is so bad that my oesophagus feels swollen inside and and it feels really uncomfortable to swallow.  I also suffer  with hiccups when eating and when my stomach is empty in the morning I have a dull ache in the middle of my chest which disappears when I have eaten.  Apparently the science bit is that during the menopause certain muscles become slack, and in turn the small sphincter muscle in the top of the stomach is allowing acid to regugitate up into my oesophagus causing the burning and pain.

My doctor has increased my Lanzoprazole from 15mg twice daily to 30mg and also prescribed Dolperidone three times daily.   I am also on a waiting list to have the camera down for a look (yikes!).  On top of this I have IBS and constipation which is probably all connected - Happy days!!!

Any fellow sufferers out there?

Jaz x

[honeybun]

Sounds really bad.

I have had this although not as severe. I was on PPIs for many years and after the camera down to have a look and also a barium swallow I was told I had nervous dyspepsia.

I was eventually able to come off my increasingly strong pills with the help of an alternative practitioner.

I had been on pills for many years.

Hopefully you will be able to get sorted out. Have you tried keeping a food diary because for me there were foods that I could not tolerate.
If you can exclude them from your diet then that will help.
I started with a very bland diet and then added things in to see what made me worse.

It was the alternative medicine that helped me and now I am not perfect but more or less ok.

Honeyb
X

[English Rose]

Hi Jaz
Sorry to hear you've been suffering.  At least you are going to get properly checked out now.

I have GERD/acid reflux and have suffered on and off for some years - along with intermittent IBS. One can offset the other. I take ranitidine regularly - recently both conditions have been particularly bad but I'm not sure why. It's very scary having an acid reflux episode at night with the choking feeling, if I forget to take the antacids. I saw a gastroenterologist several years ago but at that point he said no need for any further investigations (just had bloods at the time which were fine and was screened for coeliac disease (negative) ).  I'm thinking of going back to the GP though to ask for a referral again, as it does worry me when I have a bad patch, which can negatively affect things like holidays and eating out. I've never had endoscopy/colonoscopy and sometimes I think I should.

I think tiredness and stress can exacerbate the condition, and rich foods don't help either. But saying all that, I can have periods when I am fine for weeks on end. It's a strange condition.

Best of luck with your tests and hope you feel better soon
ER x

[jasmine5]

Yes I agree its very scary when you're suddenly woken with a terrible burning pain in your chest and throat, I always keep a big bottle of Gaviscon by the bed and can often be heard glugging in the middle of the night lol. 

I was on holiday in March and what with eating different food and drinking a bit more alcohol than normal,  I think this is what has set off this latest episode.  I had a test for an infection Helicobactor Pylori (spelling?) but all normal,  so feeling a little miserable at the moment as I'm afraid to eat anything tasty or have a drink in case it  sets off the symptoms.  Oh and the Lanzoprazole is giving me painful wind too - oh the joys!!!!

Jaz x

[annieb]

hi jasmine5
I had a gastroscopy about 7 years ago. It sounds awful but at my hospital you were given the option of staying awake and just having a throat numbing spray or having an injection which , though it did not put you to sleep, it made you forget what had happened.  Now I know that sounds weird and as far as I was concerned I went to sleep but the nurse swears blind I was awake the whole time.  they did give me the throat spray which made me panic a bit as your throat goes numb but the nurse was very calming Then they put the needle in my arm and the next thing I remember was being in the recovery room!!  I was told that I may have some memory loss of events during the rest of the day but I was just fine (couldn't drive of course and was warned not to try to cook anything etc!!) The only side effect was a sore throat for a few days.  I was diagnosed with hiatus hernia which was causing the acid reflux. I manage it with Omeprosale usually though at the moment I have confused my usual Spring hay fever symtpoms with acid reflux according to my doctor.  I'd be interested to know if anyone else has symptoms of soreness at the back of the nose( not in the throat) and thick mucus at the back of the nose (can't blow it out) SORRY to be so gorey.  I thought it was hay fever by doctor reckons it's an inflammation caused by acid reflux but have never had this before
ANYWAY really I just wanted to re-assure you that the gastroscopy is not so awful as long as you go for the "knock out" drops!!

[Taz2]

I've had a gastroscopy without sedation jasmine and it was fine. The worst part was the horrible taste of the numbing throat spray. It is most peculiar, also, to swallow but not feel it. I had mine done at my local doctors surgery and they were really good. I watched it on the screen and found it really interesting having a look inside. It was all over in ten minutes or so and I drove home and went out with friends a few hours later for the evening.

Obviously it's not something you would want to have done everyday but it was nowhere as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Taz x

[ellie]

Jasmine5 I have had it done twice, both times without sedation.Its uncomfortable but not at all painful...So whatever you choose,please don't worry about it ...

[rosie c]

 annieB... The mucus is related to acid reflux, and I have confused it in the past with hayfever, as well. The mucus is produced as a reaction to acid coming up as far as throat , sometimes it can affect the ears as well ! I remember reading an article on children who were having grommits put in their ears, turned out all they needed was a PPI. There  also seems to be a link between people who suffer acid reflux and allergies.  ( leaky gut ). x

[annieb]

Thanks Rosie c. Makes me feel better knowing what's causing it and it is calming a bit now x

[Taz2]

Hi annieb - the condition that causes the catarrh and mucus is called Silent Reflux and is different to the normal acid reflux. Lots of people have it and are never diagnosed. I only know about it because my youngest son had it as a baby and it took a long time for anyone at the hospital to come up with this diagnosis. There is info here http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/laryngopharyngeal-reflux-silent-reflux  It could be that you have both the normal acid reflux caused by your hiatus hernia together with the silent type as well.

Taz x

[Meadowblue]

Hi Jasmine

I posted with almost exactly the same problems as you a few weeks' ago. Awful acid reflux since peri-menopause, ibs since my 20's also.  I was on omeprozole as the lanzoprozole stopped working.  This was fine but if I stopped the tablets even for a day or so was back to square one.  Had the camera down 3 weeks' ago (with sedation and fine).  They diagnosed the h-pylori infection which has now been treated.  I am much better and have some off the tablets.  Although not perfect.  Sorry in a way this wasn't found for you as it just involves a course of 2 antibiotics for a week.  My Doctor swears blind that acid reflux is not made worse by the menopause but mine certainly has, as has lots of others on the forum.  I have found that taking aloe vera juice first thing in the morning does help quite a bit.  Also the homeopathic remedy centaurium which Honeybun kindly told me about is very good.  Hope you manage to find an answer soon as it is a truly horrible condition.

[jasmine5]

I'm actually wondering now if the Urtrogestan capsules that I take for 14 days out of 28 might actually be aggravating the acid reflux.  I'm not sure but I have started to take it vaginally to try and bypass my stomach and to see if it makes any difference.  The acid problem seems to be a little more settled today but still aware of a sort of swollen feeling in my oesophagus.  I also have a feeling that the Lanzoprazole is making me constipated - hence the painful wind!

Jaz x

[rosie c]

 Could be. Acid reduction = slower digestion. But the domperidone should be helping in  that department. Progesterone is known to make acid reflux worse,  and constipation worse. Thats why so many pregnant ladies suffer badly in the first trimester, when progesterone levels are really high. Bloody hormones! can't live with them, cant live without them. x