bronchiectasis and indigestion

[StClares]

i was diagnosed with bronchiectasis some years ago and as predicted it has gradually got more difficult to deal with. Recently I have developed indigestion almost at every meal.i m wondering if this has been caused by so much coughing. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Warrior4104]

Ive had it until I was prescribed esomeperazole before food. It helps me. Ask your doc about it

[StClares]

thank you - I'll try that!

[Lizzab]

easily digested foods. Fruit should be ripe and sweet otherwise cook it. Potatoes cook them for as long as you dare - 40 minutes.

chew food really well.

bread and flour products aren't that easy to digest.

chew food really well.

experiment with food. It's worth the effort.

[StClares in reply to Lizzab]

Thank you for this Lizzab, really helpful and hopeful. I’m only just coming to terms with this, a later development. Does anyone know why this happens?

[Blackcat99]

Both Lizzab and Sufferer have given you very useful advice. I've rarely had indigestion which I recognised as such, although I find eating the first mouthful or so of a bread product quite painful, difficult to swallow, despite chewing well. I was also getting intermittent nighttime pains, thought to be a form of angina (I have mild heart disease + familial high cholesterol) GP spoke to cardiology consultant who asked me to try to exclude indigestion first, put me onto omeprazole 20mg once a day. It's early days yet but so far no nighttime pain, so may well be connected to indigestion/bronchiectasis?

No clear idea why this would be connected, but wonder if it might be part of the post-nasal drip scenario?

[StClares in reply to Blackcat99]

Thanks for this Blackcat. I’m interested to hear you have the problem with bread specially - difficult and painful swallowing at first - which I share. It’s reassuring. This is a fairly new phenomenon for me. And I was wondering if it could relate to too much coughing, for example if I could have given myself a hiatus hernia. I hadn’t thought it related to heart stuff though I do have afib plus a flutter, high cholesterol and the meds to go with it. But no nasal drip, though a new antibiotic, good old septrin replacing doxycycline as a prophylactic. I ‘ll ask about omeprazole reluctant tho I am to add to my library of drugs. I’m just taken aback - I like to eat and to cook!

[Sugarmckinley]

Do you know what the cause of your bronchiectasis is? Is it possible you had “silent reflux” this whole time that could have led to aspiration-induced bronchiectasis?

I’ve posted about my case in a similar thread previously but thought it might be worth sharing again… I developed bronchiectasis as an otherwise young and healthy 30 yo. It took several years and many specialists before someone finally made the connection that my severe GERD symptoms could be the cause of my recurrent pneumonias and eventual bronchiectasis. The acid reducing meds like Omeprazole can help the symptoms but don’t actually resolve the reflux. Mine was severe enough that I had surgery (a Nissen fundoplication) that stopped my reflux and completely changed- and maybe saved- my life. I went from having significant daily symptoms to now only having 1-2 flares a year.

I know this might not be the same case for you but could be worth talking to your doctor about. Good luck!

[StClares in reply to Sugarmckinley]

thank you very much for sharing this.! I don’t know if reflux was involved with precipitating my bronchiectasis, but I’d really like to find out. The consultants here seem content with explaining it as the result of a childhood living in the damp industrial Midlands,with lots of chest infections and coal smoke for 6 months of the year. I am concerned to do something about it though because of the further damage to my lungs. I’m so glad you had access to the surgery and that it has been such a success for you and thanks for telling me about it.

[eleanordigby]

Gastric reflux is a frequent complication of bronchiectasis, or sometimes a cause. Coughing weakens the valve at the top of the diaphragm, lets stomach acid up & you get heartburn. You have to get it under control because you’ll be breathing in tiny droplets of the acid, which damages the lungs. It’s very hard to control with diet alone. To start with you might find Gaviscon Advance after every meal & at bedtime works well. If not you could try famotidine. But eventually you’re likely to need a drug like esomeprazole. Raising the head of your bed about 15cm helps too

[StClares in reply to eleanordigby]

Thank you very much for this info and advice - which I will follow. I’ll also ask my consultant what he thinks about esomeprazole. I’m actually relieved to know there’s a link with bronchiectasis, otherwise it felt like yet another unrelated thing to deal with. So thank you! Oh and I’d found for myself that elevating my upper half a bit helps. A shame because I’ve slept without pillows for most of my life….

[eleanordigby in reply to StClares]

you can still sleep without pillows! as long as you put the top end of the bed on bricks or similar, aim for a rise of 12-15cm. It’s better than pillows as your whole body is lying on the same plane. Just type “bed risers” into Amazon. If you have a partner it means them sleeping like it too, but you won’t slide down the bed or anything, it’s really comfortable

[StClares in reply to eleanordigby]

oh I see! Like chair risers! Thanks for the hint. I’ll try it. Tina

[Patk1 in reply to StClares]

I have gerd too and omeprazole is v gd

[StClares in reply to Patk1]

thank you Pat. It’s so helpful to hear others’ experiences. This is a newish problem for me and I’m quite keen to see if I can head it off before taking more prescription drugs (I already take 8 different ones twice a day plus 3 inhalers). I will be paying attention to diet and keeping Gaviscon handy. I’m also wondering if anyone has experience with a little muscle training device called IQoro which is approved by NICE for hiatus hernia but seems effective for silent reflux too?

[Patk1 in reply to StClares]

It is important to treat as can cause more lung problems.Im not familiar with that

[StClares in reply to Patk1]

thanks for the warning Pat, I’m seeing the respiratory consultant who wants to check on some new meds he’s prescribed before Christmas so I’ll ask him about omeprazole. I want to do what I can beforehand.

[Janlyn1953]

HiI have Bronchiectasis and allergic Aspergillosis.

I suffer with diverticulitis and find a lot of the drugs they give me effect my bowel.

I also get indigestion.

I don't think I will ever get on the right drug , I find rennie helps.

I'm now on another drug up to now no side effects.

Hope you can get sorted out.

Janet.