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Acid Reflux/Gastritis

Posted , 8 users are following.

t92012
t92012

I’ve been suffering from stomach problems for almost two years now, brought on by a very stressful time in my life and I imagine my poor diet was also to blame. I’m at a loss with how to get better at this point if I’m honest.

I originally went to the doctor with stomach pain and vomiting and without looking further into it they put me on 20mg of omeprazole and sent me on my way. It eased the symptoms for a while so I thought all was fine. Gradually though they started to come back and I was put on 40mg. Ironically before I was put on this medication I had no acid reflux at all and just sickness every now and then, now I get acid reflux and bad rebound so the medication has actually made me worse! Not only that I have a pretty severe b12 deficiency which I now need injections for and a list of other problems. I started to realise that it was masking the problem also rather than “curing” it so I went back and they eventually hesitatantly ordered an endoscopy, however I wasn’t given any instructions on how to come off the tablets in preparation for the test other than needing to be 7 days clean from them so I stopped them cold turkey and then had an awful rebound affect that left me in the hospital twice in one week. Then I had to go back on it because the symptoms I was having were so severe.

I had my endoscopy which came back normal, although as I was back on the tablets it’s hard to know for sure if it was accurate. I would guess not considering I’m still having so many problems. I’m now weaning myself off them by myself so that I can have a test done for H. Pylori and I’m down to 20mg again but with great difficulty. The burning sensation has come back in my stomach pretty badly and acid reflux in my throat is so bad I can’t sleep at night and I can’t lay down without pain. I’ve changed my diet and cut out a lot of stuff but nothing seems to work. 

Has anyone else been in this situation that could advise me on how to fix this or ease my symptoms at least? I’m really struggling.

0 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest t92012

    Posted

    Hello. First of all, sorry for bad english because im from Norway. What you describe is actually the same thing thats happened to me. I woke up one morning ate breakfast and out of nowhere it started burning in the stomach. Never had acid reflux. Was put on nexium and the same day i got heartburn from hell. I swallowed the tube 3 times in three months but nothing was found. Negative for Helicobacter and evrething. I spent 10.000 doallars on every test you can think about. 9 doctors has looked but they could not find anything. Almost when i gave up i tried the last doctor i knew about. Next day burning stopped. I was in so much pain for 3 months until i found him. He said i promise you. Its bacteria. I went on 2 different antibiotics and i was pain free. But im stil struggling with small stomach problems. It hurts some times but just a little. Burning went away same day as i started the cure. But i struggled a lot with anxiety when the pain was there. And i had a little anxiety 3 months later because i was afraid it would come back. It almost a year since i had the burning stomach and acid reflux but still im afraid😁 The problem is now im constant think it will come back and i do not like that i never got an answer on what it was. But the trippel therapy did the trick. The rebound was pure hell for me as well. I tried to quit 3 times and everytime it was pure hell. I started on 40 , down to 20 and then 10mg. When i was on 10 mg i took it every other day evry 3 day and so on. I had problems for 3 days evry time i cut down. I also tried 4 different ppis until i found one that worked. I also took sucralfat with the last tappering and then i made it. 3 months with pain and 3 months with small stomacg problems and no i have small pain every other week but nothing i cant live with. I also just did juicing. No solid food. I sleept in the chair in 70 days😁

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Guest

      Posted

      Maybe you had h pylori which is a common stomach bacteria.  It is treated with triple therapy antibiotics.  The residual pain may be down to the h pylori which can ravage your stomach and the strong antibiotics.  Eventually this pain should clear up.
    • t92012
      t92012 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you for taking the time to reply. Happy to hear you’re feeling a little better. I think for me too it’s bacteria but as the tests have come back normal they won’t go any further and I wouldn’t be able to get the antibiotics without a positive result in it sad 
    • Guest
      Guest pippa58442

      Posted

      Hello and thanks for your reply. I had three tests for HELICOBACTER😁😁 but it was always negative😁 So i dont know what it was. They did not se anything on the endoscpoe 3 times. They took biopsies and evrything. But always negstive. Also they could not se gastritt. Evrything was fine. But still i was in much pain for three months. But after the antibiotics burning stopped:-( Im so curious of what it was. And the heartburn also was gone after 4 weeks with tapering of ppis.

    • t92012
      t92012 Guest

      Posted

      Definitely seems familiar to my situation. My endoscopy came back normal, even with the two biopsies they took. All other tests normal too. So strange. Really hope I can get rid of this without antibiotics as they won’t give them to me with a negative test result. I’m glad you’re doing a lot better now. Gives me hope I can get there!
    • t92012
      t92012 Guest

      Posted

      Did you taper off PPIs before or after the antibiotics? 
    • Guest
      Guest t92012

      Posted

      I started actually right after the antibiotics. But i had two or 3 bad days after tapering and then it was stable.
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Guest

      Posted

      Probably some other unidentified infection; at least though you are feeling better.
  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 t92012

    Posted

    Try some milk which is very good for acid reflux.  Try it warm at night before going to bed or have it cold, straight from the fridge.
  • Guest
    Guest t92012

    Posted

    I wish you the best. I have to have an endoscopy soon. Wish I could give you some suggestions. But sending you thoughts of good health and healing 
    • t92012
      t92012 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you for replying to me. I can’t seem to tolerate milk so I’m not sure if that’s an option for me but I guess anything is worth a try at this point. I wish you luck with your endoscopy.
  • Lindy1234
    Lindy1234 t92012

    Posted

    I just got off 40 mgs. a day.  It took several months to titrate so I wouldn't get the rebound acid.  Sounds like you are trying to come off too fast.  It takes awhile.  Also take the H2 Blocker-Ritinidine.  I think it's spelled wrong, but you can find it at walmart where the antacids are located. It helps a lot with making the transition.  If you want to know exactly how I got off, just let me know.

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Hi Lindy,

      I have been taking 40mg of somac (ppi) for 6 months and want to ween off. I seen my gastro specialist on Monday who prescribed me 150mg ranitadine twice a day instead of the somac. Can you please advise me how you weened off the ppi and onto the ranitidine?

      Thanks smile

    • t92012
      t92012 Lindy1234

      Posted

      After my nightmare being hospitalised I went back to doctor and they advised me to try weening off 10mg every two weeks, to me this was too quick so I’ve been cutting down 10mg every month instead. So, I’m not sure it’s that? I’d love to know how you made the transition and switched to the H2 blocker though. Although I’m curious the difference between that and the PPI, aren’t they one and the same? I don’t want to stop one bad medication and go onto another sad 
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 t92012

      Posted

      Both suppress gastric acid secretion. They are different, however, in how they do this. While PPIs shut down the proton pumps in the stomach, H2 blockers work by blocking the histamine receptors in acid-producing cells in the stomach.
    • t92012
      t92012 pippa58442

      Posted

      So, do you know if is this a better one that comes with less severe side effects? 
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 t92012

      Posted

      H2 blockers give you quicker relief than a PPI which takes longer to start working. However, PPIs give you longer relief than H2 Blockers. I take Gaviscon and I don’t get any problems.
    • Lindy1234
      Lindy1234 vicki85531

      Posted

      Sure, I'll do my best.  I was on one 20 mg. in the am and 20 mg. in the pm. I started by by reducing one pill a week at least 2 weeks between each elimination.   Each time I cut back, I took Renitadine at the time I would normally take the ppi. I had very little acid backlash tapering this way.   I needed the evening dose the most, so I eliminated my morn. doses first.  Now I take only the Renitadine and am not having any symptoms or problems.  I hope this was clear enough.  If not, just let me know, and I'll try to explain it better..  Good luck with your venture. 

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply, makes perfect sense. So you can take ranitidine whilst taking ppi? Is that right?
    • Lindy1234
      Lindy1234 vicki85531

      Posted

      No, take the ranitidine at the times that you would normally take the ppi
    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Ok thanks. So I take ppi every morning so would you suggest rather then weening off it and then start my ranitidine I should just replace my usual ppi use to ranitidine?
    • Lindy1234
      Lindy1234 vicki85531

      Posted

      I think you would get acid if you do it that way.  You need to taper off.  Reduce by 1 pill every couple of weeks.   Take 6 for 2 wks., then take 5 for a couple of weeks, then 4 and so on till you finish. Take a ranitidine each time you would normally take the ppi as you reduce.  If you get the acid backlash, take another ranitidine at night.  This schedule has worked for me.  Hopefully it will work for you.
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