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How long for esophagus to heal?

Posted , 10 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hello again,

I posted about a week ago about my reflux.  I took a drug which relaxed my LES and caused me to have pretty bad reflux.  I have been off the drug now for about 2 weeks.  

I was taking Zantac twice daily up until a few days ago.  The reason I stopped was because I was waking up with raging headaches in the middle of the night and I have read that Zantac can cause them.  Despite stopping the zantac, I was starting to feel better for the last 3 days.  The key to this was probably my diet...very bland, low acid.  

Well tonight, I ate hamburger with a few spices on it (onion powder) and I am in pain all over again.  So, I took a Tagamet (hoping it won't cause a headache like zantac seemed to be).  No relief.  

So, I guess my question is how long might I have to eat this very bland diet for?  I know it has only been 2 weeks, but I was feeling quite a bit better.  Could I have set myself back by eating what I did?  

I am also taking DGL licorice and slippery elm, as well as Rolaids, Mylanta and Gaviscon.  

I am pretty bummed that I'm feeling so bad again.  

Thanks, 

Jane

2 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • joyabella1975
    joyabella1975 Guest

    Posted

    I just want to sympathize with you for support. I'm sorry for the discomfort your going through. I know it all too well. Hope you get some answers and can get to a point quickly where you're back to feeling better ??

  • robtheprint
    robtheprint Guest

    Posted

    Hi Jane

    I think you will find that sorting this out will take a lot more than 2 weeks. I have been suffering for over 2 years and although I do feel it is very much improved I have to be very careful with diet and still take a daily pppi. If I know a trigger food/drink I certainly stay away from them. Diet does not have to be bland once you know what triggers it. 

    All the best

    Robin

  • karen77710
    karen77710 Guest

    Posted

    Hi Jane I’m the same, swallowed a large hard sweet yesterday whole by mistake and it’s set my effluent off real bad, and sometimes takes into 4-6 weeks to feel normal again x
  • gilda17265
    gilda17265 Guest

    Posted

    This is a very long process - it is not a quick fix and you might have flares throughout your life. You need sometimes to take meds, and the proper ones, and then you need to find the ones that you find help. For  me, diet helped a lot, eating little meals throughout the day - no sweets, no greasy heavy food, no milk, and taking digestive enzymes helped. Sleep upright, don't eat 3 hours before going to bed. No stress. Exercise- walk after meals. Everything is trying to see what works for you. But it is a continued effort and can take a very long time.

  • don21900
    don21900 Guest

    Posted

    Whatdrug did you have trouble with? Inhaled corticosteroids for asthma may to hurt me.
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Thank you all so much for your advice.  This board is so great.  

    I have gone back to my bland diet and have started to feel better again.  It's not perfect, but better than it was.  I guess it was wishful thinking to think I could be healed in 2 weeks.  

    Don, I took Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, to try and prevent my migraines.  It is a known drug to relax the LES and cause reflux.  I think the week I had the bad heartburn, I did some damage to my esophagus and it's just going to take some time to heal.  

    I have heard of steroids causing reflux as well.  It's so aggravating that the meds that are supposed to help us, end up hurting us many times.

    Are you still taking the steroids?

    • Gillian1956
      Gillian1956 Guest

      Posted

      Im having a flare myself at moment and I know it could be months before it heals I've had it before I'm to blame really I was eating  chocolate and drinking coffee again these are both big triggers for me so now I have to eat the bland food and stay  off coffee and chocolate again 🙁

    • robtheprint
      robtheprint Gillian1956

      Posted

      Hi Gillian

      Problem I have is that if I feel OK for a few days I then begin to eat the wrong food as it is what I miss but it soon reminds me why I should not eat it.

      All the best

      Robin

  • don21900
    don21900 Guest

    Posted

    Yes I'm still using them but going to discuss with Dr if I could be causing myself problems with the inhaler

  • kate99483
    kate99483 Guest

    Posted

    Jane, just wondered how your feeling? 

    I have a loose LES and I’m having Nissan F operation in April. 

    For over a year I’ve managed my acid reflux with no damage with ranitinde and it’s been absolutely fine. 

    However. I STUPIDLY started a juicing diet in January and put in loads of acid fruits etc, and I’ve given myself esophogitis. I’m SO upset, as normally I’m absolutely fine. It’s been about a week and I’m on a diet on mashed banana, porridge, mashed potato and almond milk etc - I’m hoping to recover as it’s so crushing and so frustrating as normally I’m absolutely fine and this horrible burning and pain is my own fault !! The burning is awful and chest pain in .. I’m hoping you have recovered ?? 

    • Guest
      Guest kate99483

      Posted

      Hi Kate,

      I did recover! It took about a month though. Felt great for the last two months... No meds, eating whatever.

      Then about a week ago, I felt the pain coming back, so I immediately changed my diet and started my meds. I have found that zantac really doesn't help me nearly as much as taking the slippery elm before every meal. I stopped the zantac 2 days ago.

      I am recovering much quicker this time, but I think it's because I changed my ways at the first moment I felt the pain /burning.

      Yeah, I'm sure the acidity of the fruit was what did it. Hopefully with your new bland diet and meds, you will heal quickly. Reflux is no joke! It's miserable!

      I hope your feel better soon!

    • kate99483
      kate99483 Guest

      Posted

      God that’s so so helpful - I’m in so much pain !! Normally Zantac always works for me with no problem .. I will get some slippery elm tomorrow if you say that works?! I’m taking aloe Vera also, Manuka honey etc. I can ‘just’ get by on mashed up banana, porridge, mashed sweet potatoes etc. 

      My poor esophigas feels SO sore and inflamed it’s awful, two young kids to look after it’s horrendous. Was your pain as bad as I’m explaining?? SO relieved to know you’ve healed ! X 

    • Guest
      Guest kate99483

      Posted

      Yes, my pain was horrible a few months ago.  It hurt all the way from the pit of my stomach up to my throat, sometimes burning, sometimes just plain pain.  I couldn't get any relief some days.  I had to take ambien to sleep!

      I buy Slippery Elm capsules from Amazon and take 2 before each meal.  It says to take 4 capsules 3 times per day, so you could take more.  It helps to drink warm water with it.  It coats your stomach.  I find it much more helpful than zantac.  I can't take PPIs, but they help a lot of people.  Can you try one of those?

      Yes, I didn't think I would get better.  Scared me pretty bad. It was just slow.  I had to be patient and stick to small, bland meals.  No eating 3 hours before bed and I bought a wedge pillow to sleep with.  I usually could only sleep on it for 3-4 hours before I had to toss it off the bed, but I figured it was better than nothing.

      It must be very hard to have 2 little ones to take care of with that pain.  I always thought "heartburn" was no big deal until it happened to me!  Now I know what they're talking about!

      Oh, and one other thing that helped me was chewing juicy fruit gum after every meal.

      I hope this helps,

      Jane

    • kate99483
      kate99483 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks so much - your right it is scary. Especially at night! I wake up in a heap of pain sweating! It’s just horrendous. Physically and mentally .. 

      Just to know it does heal is helpful, I will get some Slipperly elm and let you know how I get on with it - if I could heal like you in a month I would be SO happy. I’ve read so much that esophigeal burns are capable of healing themselves so I’m trusting the process! As horrible and gruelling it is. 

      Thanks so much X 

    • willy98128
      willy98128 kate99483

      Posted

      Just ran into this thread and was wondering if youre feeling any better?

      I have the same issue horrible pain in my esophagus and been on bland diet for about 10 days and still not feeling better... will be having an endoscopy tomorrow to check the issue.. also been tested positive for H-pylori not sure if this is what caused it

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