ADHD and GERD?

[RoseNylund2]

hello! Anyone have experience with adhd and GERD? My current hypothesis is that my LO have GERD (we’re sick often, postnasal drip with no allergies, random sore throats, random nausea, general malaise some days). I’m 95% sure I do, and it’s something that runs in my family. Currently waiting to have a gastro referral, but trying to see what at home changes we can make in the meantime. TY!

[Gma1]

Sorry to hear you're generally unwell, Rose. That only adds to the difficulties of having ADHD! I suffer most acutely from executive function disorder symptoms such as chronic disorganization, time blindness, & distraction. Have also had GERD for years, with daily heartburn of varying intensity... Best practices I have found that help are:

- no caffeine! Always drink decaf coffee & tea. Chocolate in small amts isn't quite as bad...

- no aspirin

-no spicy foods

-avoid acidic foods, or add sugar, eg. to tomato sauce. Rare alcohol.

-Best meds:

1) Nexium 24 hr ( Esomeprazole- Brand name only!!)

2) Sulcrate plus suspn ( Sucralfate)

3) Gaviscon

-Avoid over eating. Don't lie down after eating.

-put2×4s under the top 2 bed legs to elevate the head of the bed.

-use two+ pillows, or add foam bed wedge, to elevate head & torso .

Good luck to u, Rose! It all sounds onerus, but the dietary changes become mostly routine, and are backed by "aversion therapy" if you get sloppy, or think the odd slip won't matter haha...

Try different medications to find what works best for you. Always follow up with your doctor, & expect to have gastroscopies every 5- 10 years to rule out any malignant changes.

[RoseNylund2 in reply to Gma1]

Thank you! This is almost exactly what my mom has been recommending as well. She’s an expert at this point 🙃 sounds like you are, too.

[brownc2017]

hello my son has ADHD and GERD as well. We went to a gastroenterologist when he was about 2 and was prescribed Lansoprazole and he has been on that for about 5 years. He too was sick a lot and had random bouts of nausea.

I read a lot and I recently saw that acid reflux and stomach issues are common in those with ADHD and ASD. His doctor recommended fish oil, magnesium, and Vitamin D as well. In regards to his GERD, we did a lot of trial and error on what was causing his GERD episodes and found out that fruit and food with high acidity were the main causes. All that combined, he has been doing extremely well. Hope all the best for you guys

[RoseNylund2 in reply to brownc2017]

Good to know, thank you! I’m putting a meal plan together for us because I think while we’re waiting for gastro this could be very helpful.

[Mamamichl]

my cousin’s kid has gerd. My daughter has had chronic constipation, upset stomach’s, sore throat and stuffy nose. I thought the last 3 were due to her being in an old, dusty room. We are also working on me and her being diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, extra fascia, since we have hypermobility. I was told constipation and EDS are colored with adhd a lot.

[STEM_Dad]

There is definitely a correlation between ADHD and a higher likelihood of gastrointestinal (GI) comorbidities, including GERD.

There have been some studies on this correlation, including this one with a large cohort (33k participants with an ADHD diagnosis, and 355k neurotypical participants as controls). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

I'm sure that I've heard and read before that the correlation of ADHD with GI issues and/or immunodeficiency issues (like asthma or allergies) often goes back to birth. [I know that I've read that these correlations are even stronger with Autism Spectrum Disorder.]

~~~~~

Yes, there are treatments available. Diet is one of the best ones. However, like ADHD, these can be lifelong conditions (or at least recurring tendencies), and can require ongoing treatment.

For some people, GI issues can come about from other causes, separate from this correlation. It could be from:

• an illness (my mom has has GI issues she had a bad bout of food poisoning well over a decade ago

• over medication (someone else in my family has had IBS since being prescribed an extremely potent antibiotic for an infection several years ago)

• age, weight, &/or other health changes (I didn't start getting heartburn by the time I was 40, and gaining weight since then seems to have made it more frequent; it has become frequent enough along with a corresponding cough that I should ask my doctor if it might be GERD)

If GERD started in childhood, then I think it's likely that the child was born with the predisposition.

One of my kids developed GERD as an infant (which thankfully went away by the time he was 6 months old). He's my one kid who seems to have Combined ADHD (still undiagnosed). This discussion make me realize that as he is now becoming a teenager, I should be mindful of any health changes, like the possible resurgence of GERD. (He has recently been much more prone to illness.)