My Reflux Hell!!
Posted , 80 users are following.
I just wanted to let everyone know about my story and just how ill this reflux can make you feel. I gave birth to my second child and 4 months after began to feel tired and drained, general lack of appetite, shortness of breath, chronic rhinitis and sinus pain and an odd feeling down my upper left!
i began getting pains in my stomach, and my weight began to drop. It was difficult to say what was related to post baby weight loss and what was abnormal. I felt dreadful. Then i started suffering with a lump in my throat and difficulty swallowing. Food was getting stuck in my throat and I felt utterly dreadful.
After many visits to my Gp, who suggested I had post natal depression, followed by anxiety. Then the sickness began. I couldn't eat, felt nausea 24 hours a day! It was hell.
Despite my protests that I was happy it was just the feeling of lousiness everyday that was wearing me down, I ended up been put on diazepam tablets first. They over prescribed the dose, I couldn't get out of bed for weeks! I didn't actually know they were valium, and that they should not just be stopped. I stopped them and ended up in hospital for a week. I was vomitting daily. I had an endoscopy in hospital which I had begged for as I was feeling so ill. It showed nothing! They tried 12 different anti-sickness drugs to stop my vomitting....non of which worked! By this time, I had lost 2 stone in weight and was convinced I had cancer. All the blood works I had done showed nothing, apart from low calcium?
They sent me home from hospital and told me to take some more diazapam, I was horrified! I was so weak I could hardly walk from the weight loss and sickness.
I continued to be sick every day for four months, I laid in bed too weak to move around. I felt so utterly dreadful i cannot explain!
Finally, out of sympathy for me, my GP sent me to an ENT specialist to apparently 'prove' to me that there was nothing wrong with my throat and the difficulty in swallowing i was experiencing was 'all in my head'
I recall his 2 line letter to the ENT specialist. \"this woman is suffering from anxiety please reassure her there is nothing wrong with her throat\" He smirked at me, numbed my throat and shoved a camera down it. As a precaution he sent me for a barium swallow!
This swallow was the key to my diagnosis....the minute they laid me back on the bed...my whole stomach contents came straight back up on their screens. I was diagnosed with Gross Reflux and am now waiting to see the Consultant. I paid privately for the following:-
Ultrasound scan of stomach and pelvis
Colonoscopy
Ultrasound of Throat
Chest X Ray
I was put on diazapam, anti depressents (in the end I volunteered to see a pyschiatric nurse just to prove to them I wasn't suffering from PNDepression, Anxiety and anything else!)
I had a week in hospital where blood tests and endoscopy showed normal..therefore I was sent home suffering from anxiety - because their little minds could not stretch past test normal test results!
I actually began to doubt myself in the end, despite my screams that there was SOMETHING WRONG!
I am on 600mg Ranitidine daily and have Pharmeceutical Gaviscon. It helps but i'm still suffering! I also take Fortisip nutritional drinks daily to ensure vitamins are absorbed more readily. My GP hasn't apologised, but now at least he can't blame PND or Anxiety!
I sleep with my bed head raised 6 inches, and eat small regular meals. I drink copious amounts of bottled water only! I have more of an appetite now, haven't been sick for 3 months. I still get nausea, chest pain and problems with my throat and swallowing. I think back to how bad I felt and I can now manage in comparison.
Don't underestimate how bad this dreadful Reflux can make you feel. I was convinced i was going to die I was so weak and poorly!
10 likes, 113 replies
Tasha1987 Guest
Posted
monica11312 Tasha1987
Posted
Have them test you for H Pylori?
nick51955 Guest
Posted
I know it should be taken every day but i realize when stressed it comes back even more, I know when it comes back when my throat hurts so i take 30 mg lanzo 5 days then drop to 15mg for a month then take as and when needed, I even realized i got throat infections and coughs because of this when i would take 30 mg of lanzo daily they would go in 3-4 days or symtoms would dramatically reduce.
Doctors these days in UK do not want to refer you it seems, as they have incentives not to crowd the NHS.
If its really bad i think 30-60 mg of lanzo in am and 30-60 mg ranitidine at night should be a start point for a month, be wary that it may effect your digestion at the start, breathning excercies will calm you aswell and help.
I actually do same as original post also i raise the bed when my head is 6 inches this defo helps Reflux is hell if its bad my throat used to be in pain all the time ear ache ringing headache hot fklushes stinging eyes tired..hope this helps someone.
take care peeps
chelsea_43291 Guest
Posted
Everything you have written hear i have experinced minus having a baby and tests..
by gp wont listen and keeps saying that it is all in my head.. i was getting chest pain frequently and so short of breath that i too convinced myself i had a heart problem and in turn had a full blown panic attack. This kept happening plus the awful.burning sensation down my throat and in my tummy, it also feels like i am going to swallow my tongue or my tonsils. I have had the sharp pains also all over and i too have convinced myself something is not right..but no.one will listen 
emma93878 Guest
Posted
I have all this & I'm 17 years old, had this problem since I was 13ish, all through GCSE's now college, I feel so weak, can't breathe and I feel as if I can't move from bed, I'll have high moments and be fine for 2 weeks then for 4-5 weeks be in bed in the most uncomfortable of diseases as my gp told me I had gastro reflux disease and this toke them 3 years to diagnose me, I still am in pain from taking very high dosage of omeprazole tablets and they don't know what's happening, no one understands the pain that I am in and how bad gastro reflux disease is, I don't know what to do
kathy80845 Guest
Posted
carmwoman Guest
Posted
I had and still have Crohns Disease 40 years ago, 3 resections operated on did not fix a thing, however I have suffered with bad heartburn ever since, with
With very bad urging heartburn for many years, now for the last 4 years, I am suffering with severe breathlessness.
Because I have admitted to being a former smoker and I have difficulty blowing quickly and strongly through the spirometry test and have a very low Fev score.
The doctors diagnosed me as suffering with Emphysema,however I really believe it is from severe Gerd, coming up to my throat and toungue and draining a bit of acid through to my Lungs, because all my openings feel narrowed, however APART FROM TAKING
RANITDENE, AND Ga vision, I don't know how to stop this severe breathlessness.
Has anyone had great difficulty walking far without being Breathless?
ximena79748 Guest
Posted
john94486 Guest
Posted
sam84426 Guest
Posted
Out of interest have any of you been tested for thyroid issues? I am a absent thyroid sufferer and have been experiencing the same symptoms of late. I read that thyroid issues can cause Acid Reflux. Might be worth investigating.
It really is horrible this Acid Reflux.
dane521 Guest
Posted
SK8490 Guest
Posted
My experience is you need to watch what you eat that is causing the acidity and gas in your intestines.
It takes many months to realise what sort of food your system rejects or find it hard to digest. Take notes of your food and reaction .
I myself took 18 months to realise I have many sensitivities to food especially chocolates , coffee , cow’s milk , cheese , red meat ,fried stuff , fat and sugar and even flour and grains like rice, wheat.
My own treatment that works for me:
1) What I take now for carbs are quinoa mixed with brown calrose rice and cooked to very soft texture, then lots of steamed soft pumpkin ,soft sweet potatoes.
2 ) Take goat's milk , takes pro biotic yogurt (not the fruity sweet ones)
3) Organic bread flourless, non-gluten .
4) Smaller portion of meat , use more minced meat too , eat with fresh salad sprinkled with some lemon juice. Chew food to very soft meshy texture before swallow.
5) Carrot or cantaloupe drink (all alkaline ) in the morning at least 10 mins before solid food
5) Do not exercise the abs in the evening or exercise that involves lying down (e.g bench press , sit-ups etc), somehow this put pressure on the already irritated intestine and oesophagus
6 ) Have early dinner followed by a soft snack if needed. 30 minutes before meal take an enzyme tables (I take the super strength Bioglan brand enzymes tables.
7) 30 minute before bed time , a cup of cantaloupe juice or pieces, they are excellent with soothing and reducing intestinal and stomach inflammation due to their high choline content. Then take an enzyme tablet again before sleep.
8) Get an elevated pillow (Ebay has them) if the acid rises up to your throat. You need to keep the acid down or the problems spreads to your oesophagus and throat.
9)Take up Yoga or light exercises with postures that assist digestion , esp the abdominal twisting postures.
Finally be patient , you won’t get instant relief on day 1, you should find slight improvement in week1 , then better and better after 4 weeks.
It takes a whole 6 months for Tissues to heal depending on your age and food discipline.
Remember the digestive systems are soft tissues and are can get inflamed if not looked after, so you need to eat food that is alkaline , soft and non-inflammatory.
I have tried tumeric drinks but ok to a certain extent , enzymes tablets and cantaloupe juice seems to work much better for me.
I also have an water alkaline tablet (only about $10 in ebay , last for 400 litres of water) which I use for drinking and I make it a habit of sipping weak black Chinese tea (Pueh-tea not other types) because they are alkaline and anti-inflammatory. (look it up in google) for research
tina16975 SK8490
Posted
Just starting reading n wanna say yes to diet. But are doctors shoould know this juz saying. Anyways, this is part of functional medicine as well, which is new n up n coming.
Our bodies accumulate parasites n bacterias over time from foods n air n dust n particles we breathe n more.
As we age, things are alot harder on the digestive tracks. Mostly from poor choices n earlier times.
I'm glad I came across this post n forum. I'm real sick n praying for diagnois of some sort n start healing my gut. Pray I can get it back on track asap.
Ty! For the added info:
Sk8490 😍😇🙏
vanessa1021 Guest
Posted
Same problem here but no kids I was 15 at the time. Got really sick I must have thrown up at least 15 times then proceeded to be ill at least once a month. After that I had horrible sharp stomach pains and extreme nausea. This is going to sound disgusting but I was pooping nothing but blood at time s and I lived on a diet of antacids soups crackers and toast and V8 it was all I could eat. Ran back and forth to the DR trying to find answers and nothing they chalked it up to GERD. Today I'm 21 and still taking ranitidine and omeprozole with the feeling of a lump in my throat upset tummy bloating and difficulty swallowing. Everyday.
Guest Guest
Posted
-Christina