Been having lots of problems recently...

Hi Louise,

please remember that I am not medically qualified. Anything I suggest is because I have investigated or experimented with. Firstly, the Gaviscon and Ranitidine suppress the manufacture of stomach acid and is a short term benefit only. I think there is a misunderstanding among doctors about acidity/heartburn/reflux. You really don't want to suppress stomach acid making, BUT in the interim perhaps stay on the Ranitidine until the underlying problem is dealt with satisfactorily. One thing you can try: first thing in the morning and an hour before bed, drink some apple cider vinegar /or lemon juice in a glass of water. This will help to neutralise acid in your stomach and give relief especially at night. Apparently the acid you are experiencing is acid the bad bugs (por pathogens as they are called) create when they feed on the undigested /rotting food in your stomach.!

The important thing therefore is to improve your digestion (perhaps with a supplement, see below) and feed the good bacteria in your tummy with good food and the aid of a probiotic. My suggestion is that you change your diet to steamed vegetables to begin with and cut out all processed food, sugar, all grains, and even starchy vegetables like potatoes and rice, alcohol tea and coffee and even dairy, to begin with. Find a good probiotic from your health food store, one that has many strains of good bacteria and in terms of dose take as indicated on the bottle.

 Eat small portions of your lovely vegies throughout the day, but at night make sure there is a 2 hour gap between eating and going to sleep. Drink water throughout the day to help your kidneys flush out toxins, but only drink between meals, not with meals. See how you go during week one of the diet changeover. This is key: Tuning in to your body and what it's doing ie watch out for symptoms returning as you progress through the diet incorporating more and more different foods.

Every now and then I have a little setback and so I reflect on what I had eaten and especially how much I ate in the last 24 hours and also whether I got cross, upset or worried about something! Stress and worry are really bad for one and when the gut is already upset, one must be ultra careful. If all goes well with the vegies, add a small portion of meat or fish (no bigger than the palm of your hand) to your meal.As time goes on, add a little bit of fruit as a snack. The best diet for us sufferers is I think, is the Paleo diet. You can also try taking a capsule of Betaine Hydrochloride with every meal which will help with digestion. Make your mealtimes happy and tranquil, create a nice environment in which to eat and remember to chew well! Surround yourself with people and things that give you fulfilment and make you happy and try and eliminate the negative which also includes negative thoughts...one has to retrain one's brain to think positively. 

The thinking these days is that disease starts in the gut and doctors' thinking is slowly changing in terms of diet and lifestyle. By all means chat to your doctor about this and if he isn't receptive perhaps look for a practitioner who is open to a different view on this. good luck 

I am not in the least qualified to tell you whether or not you have IBS; I shouldn't think many people on this forum, but I do know that sometimes (not commonly though) Ranitidine can cause diarrhoea, along with other side effects. If you haven't been taking the drug for too long you may find the side effects wear off after a while as your body gets used to it. I THINK (you need to check) that IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that you should be tested for other possible problems first. Probably worth mentioning to your clinician that you are concerned.

Louise, if you are waking up with acid in your throat then it's possible that you might have hiatus hernia. This can prevent the osophagial sphincter to the stomach from closing completely and allow migration of stomach acid into the osophagus when you lay down. I have this problem. I recently raised the head of my bed 5.5 inches. Because the bed is still flat it allows you to change body position unlike an automatic bed that keeps you on your back. I need to sleep on my side to prevent sleep apnoea. Well it worked to prevent reflux and I didn't snore either. With regard to the renetadine. I was put on it to treat inflammation in my osophagus. Bear in mind that I didn't suffer with reflux during the day. After one week I was gushing acid. I immediately stopped the renetadine and the acid reflux stopped. Now i only use the renetadine if I feel acidy after eating something that hasn't agreed with me. At the same time as I take the tablet I will eat a couple of dry cream crackers. This settles things down within 15 min. What I do is take digestive enzymes ( incorporating betaine hydrochloride). This helps to digest the food correctly and prevents bloating and excess gas (belching). Also don't let yourself get constipated. This can cause bloating. Bloating is caused by excess pressure in the bowel which forces bile back into the stomach. This reacts with the stomach acid to create excess gas, pressure and pain. When this happens sipping water makes it worse. This is when I take the renetadine and dry cream crackers. Eat little and often. Don't wear tight clothing. There is other advice on the forums about cureing a porous bowel or balancing gut flora. What I would say is milk is something to be avoided if you have ibs. Stress is also a big trigger for ibs. Keep a diary and be your own detective. 

Louise, the pain before you need to go is your bowel struggling to move constipated matter along. Milk of magnesia works well for constipation. Most pain relief causes it.