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I have been suffering for a while now. I am on a ppi. Pant..something. Been on it for about 3weeks can't tell any difference. I have a constant pain in the top of my stomach between my rib cage. I feel very bloated. Always wake up with a stopped up nose and congestion. I am scheduled for a barium swallow tomorrow morning. Does anyone hurt constantly or just after eating? My back hurts. I am so scared of this. The doctor, just seeing me for 5 minutes thinks it's my esophagus. I do have choking occasionally with a few bad episodes of choking. I can't really pinpoint a food causing any worse symptoms except fried food. I don't eat it much but it kills me. I guess I am looking for reassurance that this isn't fatal!! I am in constant pain... Scary
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charmayne28375 pamela43792
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pamela43792 charmayne28375
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robtheprint charmayne28375
Posted
You are certainly not alone in thinking the worse but it does appear (thankfully) not to be fatal. My main problem is the pain/lump in the throat which is with me most of the time. I have started a 'healthy' diet to help minimise the problems. My back and shoulders also give me trouble but unsure if it is connected or not. I had the usual tests at the hospital and the consultant did try and re assure me that all was Ok i.e. no tumours. It has been over 6 months now with no signs of real improvement but I do feel that I can at least cope with it and hopefully the diet and some exercise will be of some use.
All the best with your tests
robtheprint pamela43792
Posted
I mistakenly sent my reply to Charmayne instead of you
paul38620 pamela43792
Posted
Diet, avoiding the foods Charmayne says, is key. Several medium meals per day (I have seven, one every two hours or bit longer), rather than fewer bigger ones are ideal, so that you don't overfill and stretch/pressure the stomach. Be sat upright for and after meals, not bent or slouching, so you don't squash your tum and press its contents upwards.
PPI can help some people, but I weaned off them because they made my tum and eosophagus feel worse and my throat and mouth very dry. Diet and these other measures are all I use, along with nutrition drinks from my dietician, for having low-fat foods makes the calorie intake too low in my case.
It can take time to have some improvement, and after three years I'm not free of gastritis, but it's better to what it was the first two years. Because we're all different you might find some foods are ok or bad with you compared to other people, so it's a matter of experimentation and patience. Chocolate (a little white seems ok with me, being caffeine-free) and salty foods are also bad. Spicy and hot foods can also aggravate the trouble for some people. Minty foods relax the lower eosophageal muscle, so they are best avoided. I use a fruity toothpaste rather than mint. Stress and excercise that affect the stomach are also to be avoided. Be as calm and stress-free as you can.
You may find, as I did, that waiting to be too empty before going to bed actually causes hunger discomfort and keeps you awake. Because of this I lie-down (on my right is best for me) about an hour and a half to two hours after last meal, and this is much better.
Another thing which has helped me greatly, is to not burp after about ten or so minutes after eating, as this can bring acid up and cause burn damage that then has to heal, even after a gaviscon. And don't take antacids routinely unless you need to during heartburn and during this worst period of your troubles.
The impact of these types of illnesses on you mentally can be as major as the physical issues, so you will not be alone if that is so in your case. Pain and discomfort can naturally be depressing and hard to cope with, and the sufferer can feel a grief for the life they took for granted and have suddenly lost. Share this with your doctor, family and friends if you need to, and know that you can post here anytime.
pamela43792 paul38620
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