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Link between acid reflux and UC?

Posted , 4 users are following.

FoodiewithUC
FoodiewithUC

I have UC and have for years had bad acid reflux. I think they are related, but my doctor is unconcerned about the acid reflux and sees no link. They seem to flare up together, which seems suspect, although I confess that's often when I drink a lot of wine, which aggravates both. Anyone else get both and see a link?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • kittd
    kittd FoodiewithUC

    Posted

    Hi FoodiewithUC,

    I've had UC for 8 years but recently started having terrible stomach pains waking me in the night. They feel like hunger pains (but i know they're not) which my GP thinks is acid reflux & started me on Gaviscon which helps. I've had a breath test which was negative for H. Pylori. When I mentioned this to my Gastroenterologist he thinks it's gall stones & referred me for a scan.

    Just wondered what are your symptoms and how was your acid reflux diagnosed? I'd be interested to know if it's related to UC.

    Kitti

    • FoodiewithUC
      FoodiewithUC kittd

      Posted

      My acid reflux is right behind my breastbone and is a searing pain that makes me feel short of breath when really bad. I haven't had it investigated by a doctor because my GP is not concerned - if you're not vomiting blood, I'm not too worried/ if you do or don't have an ulcer it's the same treatment (stop drinking alcohol, take large doses of ranitidine every day for a month), was the verdict. I just can't help feeling they are linked, as they get better and worse in tandem.

  • cjb106
    cjb106 FoodiewithUC

    Posted

    I have both conditions - hiatus hernia diagnosed 2011 and UC diagnosed 2015 - but don’t see a direct link between the two. The one is a muscular failure - the lower esophageal sphincter is not working properly so allows stomach acid to reflux into the oesophagus and the other is an auto-immune condition which causes inflammation of the colon and rectum.

    Wine can be one of the worst culprits for triggering reflux. A few years back, there was an episode of the Food Doctor TV series where one of the patients, a singer, was losing the top register of her vocal range. She explained that she would drink a couple of glasses of wine late at night to wind down after a gig and go to bed soon after. The doctor diagnosed acid reflux, said the acid was literally burning her vocal cords. Once put on a special diet to remedy the reflux (including no alcohol) her voice recovered. That programme showed just how damaging acid leakage into the oesophagus can be.

    That dramatic example aside, generally, alcohol irritates the digestive system. Drinking even a little makes the stomach produce more acid than usual, which can in turn cause gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). This can trigger stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea and, in heavy drinkers, even bleeding.

    The food guide published by Crohns and Colitis UK confirms that alcohol can cause diarrhea and dehydration in IBD sufferers.

    That said, research has shown that small amounts of alcohol can lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a powerful signal of inflammation but too much alcohol has the opposite effect.

    You say that your symptoms flare when you drink a LOT of wine. By doing do you will be producing excess acid AND triggering inflammation throughout the digestive tract which could aggravate both conditions.

    The thought of a lifetime taking proton pump inhibitors for the GERD and anti-inflammatory drugs for the UC fills me with dismay so I try to control both conditions through diet. I’m a vegetarian and find that eliminating dairy, grains and alcohol and trying to eat foods which have not been artificially processed and laced with additives does help.

  • louisep
    louisep FoodiewithUC

    Posted

    I also suffer from both UC and acid reflux. After 4 years of taking Omeprasol with very little improvement for my reflux I have eventually narrowed it down to having an intolerance to cooked tomatoes. However one of the biggest aggrevators for me are prednisolone steroids. My consultant is aware of this and won't prescribe them for me now as this is a recognised side effect.

    I hope you can get your GP to refer you for further investigations as it is a uncomfortable condition to have to live with.

    Good luck, I hope you are feeling better soon.

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