Heartburn and chest pain that just won't go away

[Ryanmac84]

Hi all me again .Let me again thank you all for all the support on this forum since I joined the past couple of months .

As the title says I have been having chronic reflux and problems with acid the last number of years .Been off and on ppis for several years now but the last couple of years the problem doesn't seem to go away!

I was back down to ranitidine twice a day the past year but have had to go on lansoprazole again which I took the last month or more and am now on to emeroprazole which is nexuim 40mg !Chest pains been getting no better before the problem seemed to be just my throats would be sore ,although now I'm worried as I'm having a lot of chest discomfort the past few months .

I had to go to A and E on one occasion it was so bad .They said they didn't think it was heart related on that time .Do any of you suffer from chronic heartburn ?I assume this is what it is as there's always a gritty taste in my mouth at same time .

I attending a lupus clinic for the first time next week after complaining of other symptoms and my S anti s DNA test levels coming back high .Hoping for answers then

[whisperit]

Hello Ryanmac84,

Heartburn and gastritis is just horrible. I can't remember whether I have told you my experience already, but if so, bear with me while I tell it again! I had typical stress-related gastritis for years, easily recognised and treated with ranitidine.

But just before I was diagnosed with UCTD, I developed chest tightness which gradually escalated until I was experiencing crushing chest pain. Naturally, I was admitted to A&E with suspected MI or PE. Nothing was found and I was discharged without any treatment. My GP suggested a trial of omeprazole, which cleared the problem up like magic. So I learned that my gastritis had evolved to present in a very different way.

Over the last couple of years - since my UCTD diagnosis - I've added chronic heartburn, which feels like I have swallowed a brick whole and appears regularly in the mornings.

Possibly useful info:

1. I've been on lansoprazole for a year and it's only in the last 3 months that it is really working - but it is working brilliantly!

2. I find sipping water is a surprisingly effective way of damping down heartburn for an hour or two in an emergency. I take a bottle of water everywhere!

3. Switching between lansoprazole and ranitidine causes rebound gastritis. My GP said that patients often fail to switch between PPIs because it takes several weeks for the rebound to settle down, so they end up relapsing onto the original med. He recommends a gradual switching regime involving taking both for a while.

Hope something there is useful x

[Lupiknits in reply to whisperit]

All my problems started this way. I'd had bouts of stress related reflux and gastritis at work, but about four years ago it came back very suddenly and I neglected it for some time, which has caused a lot of problems that are my own fault. I didn't see the GP even though I was waking up choking on the acid. I've had a couple of gastostropies to take a look.

2 omeprazole twice a day takes it all away unless I try foods which trigger it, or eat too late at night.

I agree with whisperit that sipping water helps a lot.

[Ryanmac84 in reply to whisperit]

Maybe I need to switch back and forward I was on lansprazole but now on nexuim and just getting worse !

So uncomfortable and that raw taste in mouth that comes along with it .I went to doctor yesterday and was told just to carry on taking pills and wait til Monday to see the rheumatologist and wait on another camera test done endoscopy

[whisperit in reply to Ryanmac84]

that sounds like reasonable advice from your GP. If it is unbearable, talk to her/him about whether going back to lansoprazole is worthwhile. In the meantime, have you found anything that helps? As well as sipping water, I sometimes find that nibbling on crystallised chunks of ginger or dry oat biscuits or taking tea made with chunks of raw ginger root helps.

If you haven't had a gastroscopy before, I would recommend taking whatever relaxant is offered - I tried to tough out my first one without the suggested diazepam and regretted it! x

[Ryanmac84 in reply to whisperit]

I've already had the camera down My throat and like you chose not to be sedated lol

I'm waiting on another endoscopy but dear knows when that will be .I know that drinking and eating certain things will make me worse but then again I think I'm already in a lot of discomfort anyway no matter what I do !

I'm hoping on Monday when I attend the lupus clinic maybe il get some sort of explanation as to why I've this problem among others

[Hidden]

Hi. I've suffered these gastric problems as well. After a gastroscopy it was found I had a massive hernia which was causing the problem. My GP suggested I raise the head of my bed and never go to bed until at least 4 hours after eating and this has certainly helped me. I am also very careful with my diet - very low fat and no spicy foods boring but worth it. Do hope you find something to help you it is a miserable problem to live with.

[Ryanmac84 in reply to Hidden]

Silly me overdone the alcohol last night and had a Chinese aswell not long before bed so you can imagine how bad I'm feeling now !

I had camera down before and all that was discovered was inflammation blamed on alcohol

Thanks for the advice

[Treetop33]

As others have said, it's worth getting it investigated in case it's a physical problem. I had horrible GERD for years, which I manage to control by food elimination, chewing food and, if I do still get a problem, propping myself up on pillows at night. I don't take the medication, and take coated tablets for the Lupus.

I'm set off by tomatoes, coffee, alcohol and gluten. Going low carb and high protein really helped too.

[Ryanmac84 in reply to Treetop33]

Fatty foods and anything with sauce do send it into overdrive .I agree on the high protein advice meat seems easier to digest although sometimes beef or lamb will repeat on me .Im thinking it's auto immune problem and hoping to get some answers on Monday at my first appointment at the lupus clinic