Acid reflux and Oesophagitus

Interested in your support group Suze. Are you suggesting that anyone that is interested should post on this site under the heading Acid Reflux?

Jean

Hello Jean

Thanks for replying - I thought I was on my own for a while! I am open to ideas - whether keeping in touch here (perhaps create a new subject title eg. acid reflux support group??? bit boring but says what it is), or perhaps if we get enough people there must be some facility for us to chat amongst ourselves - what do you think?

Are you a sufferer? I have been bumped up to 60mg a day lansoprazole yesterday as I began to get the excruciating pains again - I am sooo fed up with this debilitating condition. I haven't had a cup of coffee or glass of wine since November.... :cry:

Hope to hear from you - and other sufferers soon (if you check out the M.E. pages they seem to have a great group helping each other through - it cheered me up just reading their twitterings!

Suze

Morning to all,

I've just been diagnosed and still in hospital at the moment, should have been allowed home

yesterday but the surgeon team went home and did not prescribe any medication before

leaving so spent yet another joyful night in the ACU ward!

As nobody has taken the time yet to advise the cause or any future prevention I've been

Surfing the net for answers and stumbled across you guys, not a great diagnosis eh?

Looks like a change of diet is in order and gonna try to monitor acid intake in attempt

To not be so reliant on medication, not sure if this will work as still don't know what will be

Prescribed yet!

What are your thoughts?

Regards,

Rich

As a long time sufferer there seems that there is no one solution for all. Some people can eat what they like and others can't. I think it does catch up with everyone in the end though. From experience I hope these tips will help:

Eat little and often and low fat

Culprit foods could be tomatoes, (iceberg lettuce can be a killer), salad in general, coffee and tea (I drink tea but use Lactofree milk), reduce dairy products, citrus fruits and fruit juices, onion and garlic, spices, chocolate (I can tolerate a Crunchie), red meat, cheese (Cathedral city do a good lower fat version but don't be tempted to have a lot, just a sliver). Use low fat spreads (Bertolli do a nice one). Vege mince is a good alternative for meat but use Oxo vegetable stock to keep everything moist. Do not drink ice cold drinks and give Coke and fizzy drinks the heave ho. Try not to eat a main meal late at night and keep it small. I have lost 4stone 7lbs through this illness and gallbladder problems. It is by far better to split your eating into small sections throughout the day. Weight Watchers do a good oaty honey and seed bar and caramel wafers that do not seem to cause problems and they are a life line when not feeling good.

Raise your pillow in bed or better still raise the bedhead by about 8\". Make sure you keep your bowels open regularly. This sounds silly but how many of you feel worse when you haven't been able to go to the toilet?

This is all so boring but a few lifestyle changes could reduce the painful attacks. Keep a food chart for a few weeks and note any triggers. Remember that the reaction could happen the next day.

It's good to discuss problems with other sufferers as there seems to be little verbal help from anywhere else.

Hope I haven't rattled on too long, sorry.

Ensure that meals have plenty of moisture. Dry food will cause problems.

Hi Rich

Try not to get too despondent, I know every thing is a bit confusing but I promise if you are determined you will conquer this. I was rushed in to hospital last year with severe pains (I won't bore you with the details unless you think it will help you).

Anyway I am almost recovered, just battling with a few niggles, so here are my helpful hints (Gemini's post was excellent and I support the points too!):

- food diary a must (I recorded pain and various physical reactions immediately and each evening). Incredibly tedious but when you glance back it becomes BLATANTLY obvious which foods are the killers for pain. You need a longer term overview because I mistakingly thought a certain food was bothering me, but when combined with something else later on I realised it was another culprit I had eaten that day!

- wedge pillow (uncomfy at first but completely stopped my night time reflux allowing my very damaged oesophagus to heal)

- cut out all the naughties and eat very simple, unrefined, unprocessed meals for as long as you need and then slowly reintroduce a few things. It will give your body time to heal, adjust to the meds (I am on nexium now, but not much) and also help you shift a few pounds if you need it!

If you haven't had one - ask for an endoscopy if you are really suffering (camera down throat). I have had two over the year, it showed the damage and latterly the healing. It eliminated any panic over ulcers, hernias, barretts. h pylori etc.

My reflux was chronic and I gave up my part time job because I was off work so much as well as struggling with being a mum. Pain was so bad they put me on morphine. But now, almost a year on, I am fit, healthy and weaning myself off the tablets. What they have discovered is that I am severly wheat intolerant and that caused the inflammation, leading to IBS and reflux. I am on a gluten free diet and the change to my body is amazing. I feel almost normal and I CAN drink a glass of wine without pain now! I know that food intolerance isn't the cause for everyone, but it is another reason for keeping a food diary. I thought it was almost everything that was causing my initial pain but it was actually the bread and pasta that triggered it!

I found that my GPs were lovely but not that informative. I did see a gastro consultant at the hospital though and because of my diaries I was able to give him a quick run through of the year of ups and downs - and he was able to provide me with answers and get me ultrasounds and biopsies sorted.

Get fit, eat healthy, lose weight and take your tablets only for as long as you need them. It's boring, but eat little and often, never before bedtime, cut out the coffee and beers and drink lots of water.

\"Reflux for dummies\" was really useful in the early stages for me - check it out.

Hope it helps and good luck with the recovery!

Suze

Hi

'Reflux for Dummies' is this a book or information leaflet? I found your experience very helpful - thank you!

Hi Bryn

It is the same range as \"Computers for Dummies\" you know the black and yellow books. Any major bookstore will have it. I got it online. I can't remember the author - I have lent the book out. It provides really basic info about the whole digestive system. It was excellent at the start and enabled me to arm myself with info when I went in to see the doctors.

I am delighted to say that I have been off the meds (I have been on lansoprasole, omeprazole, nexium etc) for 9 days without any reflux whatsoever. I am still on a sensible diet and exercise programme and don't think I will ever be able to be excessive eating or drinking again, but I can enjoy the occasional treat now. Still on gluten free but there are some great alternatives.

This time last year I was in hospital for days and in excruciating pain, now I am feeling 90% back to normal. I sincerely hope you are able to conquer this too.

If there is anything I can do to help you through, please feel free to ask.

Best wishes

Suze

:bubbly: