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acid reflux

elanaoali profile image
11 Replies

Dear All 

those who suffer acid re flux is that like heartburn because I think I have this. I notice that this is occurring more often . This cross my mind as the asthma nurse I was talking to Wednesday asked if I suffered this. What treatments are there out their and how did people come to the diagnosis it i.e. history and going to their local GP. Thanks all and have a great bank holiday one more day for me to spend with my amazing family. 

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elanaoali profile image
elanaoali
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11 Replies

Hi,

if your nurse thinks you have an acid-reflux issue, they will most likely try you with a proton-pump-inhibitor (PPI), Lansoprazole is what I was given. You should see quite a quick improvement in your acid, and maybe your asthma. If acid reflux is your trigger, then the next step is to find what foods are causing it. The most common are caffeine, chocolate, spicy food, alcohol, citrus fruit (orange, lemon, grapefruit), oily fish, oily nuts, onions, garlic, leeks etc. Many people are a lot better after PPI treatment (though it should mainly be used occasionally, not permanently, some do have to have it permanently). You should get a lot more good advice here.

Good luck,

Mark

Kinikea profile image
Kinikea

I have acid reflux too.  The doctors seems to think it plays a role in my wheezing.  I do wake up in the morning with a hoarse voice.  Acid reflux Is pretty  common.  I take Ranitidine and I think it  helps.  It is a  Histamine-2 receptor antagonist, whatever that is.  I need to watch what I eat but I don't.  Good luck to  you..

Moonbear profile image
Moonbear

I have just been referred to ENT as an emergency, got an appointment in five days to see a consultant. My GP was really concerned as my voice started being crokey one , to vertically no voice in a month! She thought I had a throat cancer. Anyway after a lot of tests biopsies, they discovered I have servers acid reflux burns to my voice box! I was told that I now need to take Gaviscon after I eat anything, but the damage is irreparable, that my voice box and back of my tongue are very scared.

I'm on Omeprazol twice a day have been for well over 20 yrs. ENT are referring me back to Gastrology, as they've said I could land up with no voice eventually became it's so swollen and scared. I already know I also have a sliding Hiatus Hernia which slides up my osophogus. 

Now I ve also been told Never Ever leave a horse/crokey voice if you have constantly for more than three weeks. Get it checked out.

Rachh8 profile image
Rachh8 in reply toMoonbear

we replied about the same time but did you see my response below? I also had a hiatus hernia and was given life-changing surgery. Have you been told about that?

Rachh8 profile image
Rachh8

Yes acid reflux is heartburn. I had it for many years quite bad. The way they diagnosed me was with a camera down the nose and then down the throat but I was very resistant to that and the second time round asked them to give me an anaesthetic which I did privately which cost money obviously but was worth it. It was a very mild general and I was awake fully after about half an hour but they could have a good look around the stomach etc as well. I then went privately to skip the queue after years of pain when the Iraq war was on and doctors were going out there and had fundoplication done which is a wrap at the top of the stomach which was life changing and I've never really had reflux that I'm aware off since then etc very mildly and perhaps 2 or 3 times in 10 years or more. It was a really worthwhile operation but it can be done on the NHS. I had it done keyhole which quickens the recovery time. The only thing I would say is after the operation I felt nauseous really badly for quite a while and the doctor said that was my reaction to the operation. You don't eat much directly afterwards it takes a while to settle down again (doc said suck chocolate!) however as I say it was really worthwhile. Hope this helps you anyway. I had small hiatus hernia like guy above.

Moonbear profile image
Moonbear in reply toRachh8

I had a scan and a camera looked down my throat, which I've now had done now four times, once in ICU when they thought my airway was closing during an asthma attack. I  suffer from a rare asthma, I have an allergy to Ventolin, if I'm given it by mistake I stop breathing. The problem I have is finding someone to that will give me an anesthetic! I need surgery on my back because I have advanced osteoporosis in my back, I need some lady surgery Lol, I need this flipping hiatus hernia which was sliding across my osophogus. But after having a barium swallow X-ray (tests) only two years ago they discover the hernia slides up my osophogus now, but worded of all is that the flap that goes over your airway to stop food going into your lungs, moves very slowly, so I choke on food! 

If I sit thinking of all myproblems I think I'd go stir crazy.

But I don't I get on with my life to my best abilities. Life is to far to short to worry💖

After taking steroids for PMR my Asthma really got very bad. I had GERD (Reflux) and constantly took Rennie's.  After several years I was referred to a specialist who arranged an endoscopy.  I had Barrett's Oesophogus and was prescribed PPI's,  within a week to ten days most of my Asthma symptoms had completely disappeared. I am now in my 3rd year of taking Lansoprazole, 30mg every day

Reflux definitely does worsen Asthma!

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

thanks for all the advice I have a sore throat at the moment but that's due to thrush in my mouth. Will be sorting that and then will monitor my re-flux to see when and where it happens. I don't eat anything acid ,alcoholic or caffeine filled drinks as this would aggravate on IC (interstitial cystics) I do eat nuts and dairy products. I think I sometimes rush my eating and need to slow it down. Any advice on eating slowly I eat fast always have since I was a child. I was brought up by a WW2 child so never leave anything on my plate. Plus I come from a big family. 

On the upside spring in my garden is so beautiful out there to get as much vitamin D as possible. 

in reply toelanaoali

The standard advice is that you need to chew each mouthful of food at least thirty times.  Personally, I don't find this enough.  Depending on what I am eating the number of 'chews' each mouthful of food gets varies for anything between 50 and 100.

Eating smaller portions helps.  I have to be very careful of not just what I eat, but how much I eat and when I eat it.  As an example, I might eat breakfast (porridge made with milk and topped with a tablespoon each of sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds, and a pear (peeled), with a out a third of a pint of diluted cranberry juice) at about 7.45.  At about 11.00 I will have a banana milkshake (a whole banana, half a pint of semi skimmed milk and a very heaped tablespoon of full fat Greek Fage yogurt) and maybe a small scone with butter.  Lunch, at about 1.30, might be a large jacket potato with cheese, a green salad and sometimes a dessert spoon of Fage yogurt as a dressing (tomatoes can cause problems if you have reflux issues) followed by an apple.  This is quite a substantial meal, and as I have issues with delayed stomach emptying, I find I will have problems if I snack during the afternoon.  That won't be the case with everyone, however.  I aim to have dinner reasonably early (around 6.30pm) which will be served on a small dinner plate (about 9 ins diameter) to keep portion size at a reasonable level.  I don't have a pudding with this meal.  I find having one is too much.  It is important to ensure that you allow at least three, preferably four hours between finishing dinner at going to bed to ensure your stomach is empty when you lie down.  

Other things to remember:  try not to slump, bend over at the waist, or slouch for at least an hour after you have eaten.  Doing so will only make things worse).

You say you have thrush in you mouth, have you been given anything for that?

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali in reply to

Yes I got stuff for db it thanks

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Interesting my heart burn i think is

down to a bussy life style too busy.  I think love school hols and weekend when life slows down. 

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