GERD, Silent reflux struggle, im 23 - nausea, headaches

And last question: Did you also have nausea and forehead/temple/jaw headaches with GERD?

Hi Sarah, again I have to say,? So young! I'm 67! Mine started about 3 years ago, coughing, throat clearing, so put on PPI's!!!!!  Get off them now! One side effect is fatigue, secondary? They rob your body of everything, especially  magnesium ie fatigue, and in later life brittle bones,ie osteoporosis! I'm a massive anxiety and stress person for nearly 60 years now! And it can create any symptom in the book. Diet,find out what effects you? I love my beer, self medicate for stress. Bottom line is you can't have to much acid, it means the body is not disposing  of acid, unless you've a Hiatus Hernia? The acid will come back up the esophagus burning it ie taste in you're mouth being acidic. Let me know I you want to know more about low acid, tests etc. I also lived and worked around Europe, and live In the Welsh mountains, so language wise I'm also stuck for words.

Hi Sara,

You will find my response different to most others so its up to you to filter the suggestions.

Sorry for the length of this post.

Consider doing this:

1/ Elevate the head of your bed by 15cm

2/ Stay on the PPI's at least until you are through this flareup.

PPI's "protect" you from cancer of the esophagus.  It is insidious and erosion will happen below the pain threshold.  Long term PPI use may cause loss of bone density which is important especially as you as female.

Bone density can be monitored so don't be too concerned about long term ppi use.

3/ Alcohol during a flareup is a no no. You will never "heal up" if you consume alcohol.

Once you are over this flareup you may find you can get away with small amounts early in the evening occasionally.  A heavy bout of alcohol consumption take 2 weeks to heal up. Tea should be fine.

That was reflux101.

Now your problem:

You likely have Sleep Apnea. 

You don't fit the typical demographics of being male, overweight and over 60.

Sleep Apnea can also happen that a young girl who needs a decent feed as well.

eg. My niece was 20 when she was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.

Count off the ticks to your question list:

What is Sleep Apnea . When you sleep the structures in the neck relax and close off the air path to your lungs. Eventually the body panics and wakens a part of the brain enough to restore breathing for a few seconds then the breathing stops again. In my case I stop breathing 30 times an hour with the longest span without air of 1 minute and 15 seconds. So this happens hundreds of times per night.  When the breathing restores it can be almost silent to an observer but the action pumps up reflux material if you have a reflux defect..

I have never woken gasping for air, You cannot detect it yourself.

Only a Sleep Study can determine for sure if you have Sleep Apnea.  You take home a small electronic device, stick on a couple of pads and return the device in the morning, all for a low cost.

My theory: Everyone who has upper esophagus reflux while following the basic precautions (eg, bed tipped up etc.) has Sleep Apnea.

The reflux material is being pumped up into your mouth assisted by Sleep Apnea. It then gets into your sinuses.  If you ate Salmon last night then rotten Salmon is what you breathe over everyone for the next couple of days it comes back out of your sinuses and deposits on the back of your tongue. Buy a tongue scraper and also use when teeth brushing.

The acid in your mouth over a couple of years will strip the enamel off all of your teeth.

You will have a blocked, stuffy ear depending on which side you sleep.

Part of my sinuses has been eroded away by reflux to the point that xrays suggest I have had a sinus operation but I know I have not.

It can even affect your eyes, perhaps difficulty undoing an eye for a few minutes after wakening.

The effects of the ear contribute to vertigo and nausea.

You will wake in the morning and still feel tired.  You feel tired all day especially if you take a rest. You will have a headache but may not notice it if you have had SA long term. You mouth does not taste great.  You have bad breathe+.  You feel lethargic and know there's something wrong but you continue on consuming larger and larger amount of coffee as its effect drops off.

Longer term effects of Sleep Apnea:

Typically the oxygen concentration in the blood is eg. 98%

For someone experiencing SA it can get low eg. 40%

Many vital organs are easily damaged by low oxygen levels.

The kidney is one, when it suffers then you blood pressure rises leading to strokes.

Heart disease, heart attacks, type 2 diabetes can all be triggered by SA

Untreated SA can reduce you life expectancy by 10 years.

80% of people with SA do not know they have it.

It also causes mood swings, anxiety that leads to depression. 

Recent UCLA studies show the mood swings/depression restores in 12 months.

I met a guy the other day who is being treated for SA because of his depression.

Now the big one:

Doctors and Specialists for some reason seem to reject this approach.  Instead you are passed around and many expensive investigations (I am sure some are required) are performed over many years while you continue to suffer. Think of the driver, the doorman and the bellboy who all demand a tip each time you enter a hotel.

You may see a doctor who rejects the SA notion and you will probably need to be assertive to get a referral for a sleep study.

Best of luck - I hope it is as simple as Sleep Apnea - the sleep study is the key to this.. 

.

 

I am 18 and experience a lot of the same things you are. I am pretty positive the excessive yawning is a reflux thing, I get that all the time and it drives me insane. Most likely the stressful time you are in is wreaking havoc on your body. stress effects us in ways we do not necessarily realize and it can wear you down over time. For the reflux/nausea/fatigue, I would go for a more wholistic approach including eliminating dairy, fast food and any other foods you suspect may trigger it. A mixture of baking soda and water is a simple but often extremely effective remedy for short term reflux help(I forget the excact amount because I usually just eyeball it, google it to be sure) Medication is a very temporary easy fix, any long term fix is going to be work unfortunately. Keeping you in my prayers