Flare ups and acid reflux

[Lafleur2020]

Hi, I’m new here. Was just wondering does anyone else get bad acid reflux when having an endo flare up? It’s been so bad lately and nothing is working to get rid of it. Any advice would be much appreciated

[Dee_EndoUK Moderator Endometriosis UK]

Hi Lafleur

First of all, a really warm welcome to the forum and thanks for reaching out to our community. Acid reflux can certainly be one of the many symptoms of endometriosis and can sometimes be caused by regular use of pain medication to relieve endometriosis pain too. What sort of things have you tried so far to reduce acid reflux?

Along with our forum, we also have face-to-face support groups all over the country, where you can discuss endometriosis and the issues you are experiencing with other sufferers. You can find out if there's one in your area at endometriosis-uk.org/find-a.... If not, we also have an online support group.

Wishing you all the best x

[Lafleur2020 in reply to Dee_EndoUK]

Thank you, I’ve tried lansoprazole that didn’t work I’m now on omoprezole which is helping a bit but it’s giving me tummy ache. I’m trying not to take pain medication but sometimes I have no choice. I didn’t realise that endometriosis can cause so many other problems.

[Dee_EndoUK Moderator Endometriosis UK in reply to Lafleur2020]

You're welcome! It may be worth trying a more holistic approach to improve acid reflux by consulting a qualified nutritional therapist in order to reduce inflammation and to support gut health. Look for a practitioner who specialises in women's health and endometriosis specifically - the website for finding a practitioner is bant.org.uk

Almost all of them will offer free 30-minute discovery calls. Make the most of this time by jotting down key symptoms, along with the medication you're currently taking. You'll get some really valuable advice this way. Good luck! x

[Lafleur2020 in reply to Dee_EndoUK]

that’s great thank you so much, I will give that a go. Acid reflux is a new symptom for me so I’m struggling to deal with it amongst all the other symptoms endo throws at you .

[Kay92jay]

Hi sorry to hear you are suffering, when ever I have acid reflux or an upset tummy, I have a peppermint tea and it does the trick. I hope that helps. X

[Lafleur2020 in reply to Kay92jay]

thank you, I will give that a try, prescription medication seems to be making it worse or I’m getting horrible side effects. Thank you so much for your advice x

[Inonge1 in reply to Lafleur2020]

I also find difficulties with omepazole, I was prescribed it together with naproxen. I now mostly rely on peppermint tea and over the counter antiacids.

[BluePanda7]

I get reflux too but changing my diet has really helped-no spicy/acidic foods/alcohol and sleeping with extra pillows so my head is raised. I can't take any NSAIDs so if you take naproxen/tranexamic acid/mefanaxmic acid/ibuprofen you may need to stop until it settles. Hope you find something that helps soon 🤞 xx

[Lafleur2020 in reply to BluePanda7]

thank you so much for commenting, I have stopped all pain meds apart from paracetamol because I think I have damaged my stomach. I will try an extra pillow and hope that helps xx

[BluePanda7]

I hope you get some relief soon. It can take a while for the stomach lining to heal xx

[BloomingMarvellous]

Hello, as above 👆. Used to be an acupuncturist & nutritionist so that’s the route I used to tackle this issue for myself. An overall inflammed system makes the whole pain receptive system worse so working on the digestive tract as a whole is a good approach from mouth all the way through. I did lots of research and looked at a large number of studies before using anything at all so felt was making the right moves for myself. There are no prizes for martyrs in this game and pain isn’t something to be tolerated or accept as a norm ! Pain relief is really important and thinking about how to stem the triggers before they kick off is the best way forward. Balancing this with meds when needed often gives better long term outcomes; so you’re heading in a good route to try for your magic formula. Everyone is different.

There are some basic knows though. Paracetamol is thought to possibly challenge the healthy fat levels and excessive use liver function- so while it’s useful occasionally it can be an aggravating factor with long or frequent usage. Fats being out of balance can affect the leakiness of the gut and ergo further reactiveness of the gut to intolerances becoming more problematic. Equals more gut/stomach problems . Particularly important is Omega 3 - Endo / gynaecologically challenged women are often in need of additional omega 3 (as 6,&9 are often in greater abundance in our diets already it makes our greater need more out of balance) . Omega 3 helps with inflammation and gut leakiness. A high quality liquid formula daily is my go to with milk thistle in juice . Sorting out my dehydration has been key - unless there is a specific medical reason why not it can make a big difference. Some physios recommend up to 4litres per day depending on weight. I manage 3 ! Bromelian is an important anti-inflammatory as well as digestive enzyme as gastric reflux can sometimes be aggravated by poor supplies of digestive enzymes - it’s been seen to really help with endo so not a bad call and I found a daily morning dose helps with the pain too. Liquid probiotic taken daily after had been on my omega 3 for two months ( to help seal the porous tissue )has really helped calm my system down and kept the reflux and whole system happier, helped stopping my UTI’s along with going low lactose .

Everyone is different so you may have developed an intolerance to a regular food as a side issue - but trialling that one at a time is important. Scorched earth here isn’t necessarily helpful. We all need a wide ranging healthy diet with the least restrictions to stay well . Highly limited diets aren’t long term recipe for good health or mental well being 😊. Always check with your medic if you want to start a regime to ensure it’s not going to badly interfer or interact with other meds and look for the best quality supplements you can. There’s a lot of rubbish out there 💝 Supplements at the right dose can take up to 3 months to have a discernible effect so give them time . It’s the long game.

[Silks32 in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

Just to say thank you for this, I found it really useful! Any advice on supplements in general for endo or does it depend on each individual and symptoms? Thanks

[BloomingMarvellous in reply to Silks32]

There are some good general ones as above and others . Finding reputable fellow warriors who are also qualified nutritionists is a useful heads up for places to look. Don’t however follow slavishly every recommendation others you’ll be broke, rattle and won’t know what helps it doesn’t. Working specifics out means looking at studies and seeing whether you fit into the endo phenotype they are using in the study. Lots swear by NAC but I found Reservatoral works better for lesion reduction for me as example . I tend to figure on a) those to heal/ reduce inflammation b) those that slow/reduce lesions/adhesions c) those that suit my genetic bundle well. ( so the gene that seems to be pretty much the family culprit is NSPR1 so that’s a guide ) d) those that help my body to carry out the waste toxins that endo tends to overload the body with. ( say chia seeds or milk thistle or castor oil packs …) e) Pain is another consideration Some cover more than one category . Ensuring that I’ve got each area covered has been key rather than expecting one to do all the heavy lifting. There are up to 65 plus potential varieties of endo phenotypes let alone staging , so not every one is going to response to the same regime.

[Silks32 in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

Hello, thanks so much for your response and good tip to look for a qualified nutritionist who also has endo, I’ll start looking for one. Thank you also for your insight on the types of supplements to look for and how they can help. There is a lot of information out there and so far it’s mostly been guesswork for me. Thanks again, best wishes x

[Lafleur2020 in reply to BloomingMarvellous]

thank you so much for all this info. I will definitely look into some of those options, some I’m already doing but will start back on the omega 3 I was taking it but didn’t think it was doing anything. I’ll give it another go and I’ll get some peppermint tea too! Xx

[BloomingMarvellous in reply to Lafleur2020]

I’ve DM you 💝

[Washington1]

I have acid reflux and am also trying to calm it down. I sadly find chocolate and tomatoes make it worse. I'm taking good probiotics and am using things like peppermint and also ginger tea. I've also got some slippery elm which I'm going to try as it's supposed to be a good digestive aid. Hope it gets better for you soon. x