What now?

I also had a barium swallow ad told me that they see reflux and also a hiatal hernia. Ive been on omperzole for about 1 month and a week , i feel better but i feel like a lump in throat and nauseous all the time, i feel the heartburn sometimes but it doesnt annoy me as much as nausea.

Hello Pamela,

Not sure if I commented to you in the past. You seem to be doing some of the things that helped my gastritis improve, which I'll put below anyway, but bear in mind that it can take a long time for improvement to come, for the stomach is busy with digestion everyday and even its non-acidic fluids can irritate the tissues of the oesophagus and so on if reflux is occurring. So think long-term and avoid stress as much as you can, hard though it is in such discomfort, for that can cause or worsen stomach illnesses.

Over two years I have wrestled with my trouble, developing and learning through trial and error what harms and helps, and I'm better than I was, but it is still a work in progress with variations of discomfort and setbacks. Best wishes.

Several small/medium meals per day (I have seven medium, one every two hours or so), rather than fewer bigger ones, so you don't overfill your stomach. Eat relaxed, chew well. Be sat upright for and after meals, not bent or reclining, so you don't squash your stomach and press its contents upwards.

Fried foods, high-fat foods/meats, dairy, high-salt foods, spicy-hot foods, tomatoes, carbonated drinks, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate can all impact on stomach and reflux troubles for some people, so personal experimentation is key. Minty foods relax the lower oesophageal muscle which can let acid up easier, so they are bad. I use a fruity toothpaste, and strawberry gaviscon tablest for the now only occasional acid burn.

Wholewheat bread, cereals, bananas, hardboiled eggs are a few of the foods that suit me, but there are pulses, rice, various beans (not kidney beans apparently) and many other things to try. Chicken is one of the best meats due to its lower fat content, though even that can hit me and is not eaten lately.

Stress, excercise and bending activity that pressure and squeeze the stomach are also to be avoided. Be as calm and stress-free as you can.

Having your last meal a few hours before bed can prevent or lessen reflux at night, but I found that waiting to be too empty caused hunger discomfort and kept me awake. Because of this I lie-down about an hour and a half to two hours after last meal, and this is much better. I lie raised a bit on three pillows, on my right side, which is best for me, though the left side is usually recommended. Other people raise the bed-head itself about 6 to 8 inches.

Another thing that helps me greatly is to not burp after ten minutes after eating, as this can bring acid up and cause heartburn.

I just started with Pantoprazole 10 days ago because even if I only have mild reflux/gastritis, mild acid is showing on the back of my throat and vocals. I also have chest heaviness all day long unless I'm laying back or sleeping.   I will have a barium swallow next week.  So far I have not noticed any weight gain and in my case I lost 50 pounds the last 2 years because of this and the diet. I don't have heartburn, flare ups, or any other symptoms besides the chest heaviness  which also create breathing problems.  I have been cleared from my cardio and Pulmo. Already had 5 CT's the last 2 years so I'm nt loooking forward to add more radiation to my body even if these have much less than a regular CT. like 20% from a chest CT.  Yes, just like you I have eliminated any fo that will trigger any sumptom but I don;t have exactly I fod that does that so I just eliminated 80% Gluten and  90% dairy from my diet. And even Soy. I eat lots of veggies and fruits so I'm not sure what to do now.  I was better before I stated all this diet to eliminate the mild reflux/gastritis I have.   My primary was LOL because she said the next thing is to check if I'm pregnanent because everyting is different for me.  I told her, she will be surprised how many people are on the same boat I'm in so they must be a reason they just dont have the answer.

I can only reiterate what the previous replies have said , no dairy products,

curries, alchahol, bread , no indigestion tabs when taking GP prescriptions .

eat plenty of natural food like veg ,gluten free , herb teas chamomile , no eating anything before bed at least 3to 4 hours take fresh water with you this dilutes acid , plus ask the GP if you can take paracetamol for pain when retiring.

good luck

Hi Pamela,

Have you tried to take Zantac at night? The pain at night cause d by too much acid in your stomach. I had pain in between and under the chest bones. But when I take Zantac at night, the pain gone. So take care.

In my opinion i gained weight primarily because i can't do abdominal crunches or exercises that involves bending. Tried so hard to limit my food intake but small frequent meals is what i do.