Gerd

[Fantasy93]

hi friends i am a 22 year old female i am a student of engineering and from the past couple of months i have been suffereing from severe acidity i dont know what to do i suppose my life is ruined i find myself in tears every now and then at being stuck with this misery at such a young age and from what i have found this disease is a life long problem i have tried everything be it allopathy homeopathy physio you name it i just want to live like a normal person and get rid of this sickening problem looking forward to some help

[patchworker]

Hi fantasy,

The most important thing is to find out what is causing your problem Have you seen a Doctor? If so what did he say? If not, why not? Get an appointment as soon as possible.

You say you have GERD. Did a Doctor tell you that? or are you just guessing? If a Doctor told you that, what did he prescribe?

Fantasy, you're 22years old, I'm 77years old, I have granddaughters your age, so think of me as your Granny. If my first sentences sound a bit sharp, it's because I'm worried about you. Your problem could be something that can be easily fixed by a Doctor, or It could be serious. So wipe your eyes, and get that Doctor's appointment. Then let me know what he said.

I'm sending you a big hug,

Jane xx

[Fantasy93 in reply to patchworker]

Awww granny hugs from my side as well and no you didnt sound sharp to me at all yes i have been to doctors i went to a gastroentrologist and he said i needn't worry and that i was fine i got all my tests done ultrsound and stool tests all was normal but the problem persisted this time i went to a physician and he said that i had gerd he prescribed pan D But that didnt help as well and i started having severe hairfall and then i went for accupuncture burning continued i finally went to a homeopathic physician and he diagnosed bipolar he said that the connection between my mind and stomach had gone kaput because of all the stress i had been taking due to college and he gave me a medicine but he told it would take time and not to worry but still the burning bugs me thanks

[patchworker in reply to Fantasy93]

Dear granddaughter, I'm so glad you've been sensible, and apologies for doubting you!!!

Seriously, I can't advise you, I've never had any form of indigestion pain. My esophageal cancer was discovered by chance when having tests for a neuro problem.

I hope other people on here will have some useful suggestions , this is a very good place to get help. I hope you'll feel better soon. xx

[Fantasy93 in reply to patchworker]

Yes granny and thanks for making me feel like your child yes i too hope that i will soon find a solution to my problem thanks anyway

[Curlymac]

Oh dear. Well I suffered with bad heartburn all my life from the age of 15 on . I'm 60 now. About 10 years ago I was sent my my Dr to a specialist who did a gastroscope and determined I did have GERDS. So he prescribed a drug called Pariet. 10 mg once a day. Preferably at supper as it will carry you better through the night. I also had to have my esophagus dilated during the scope. I could swallow much better after that. I still take Pariet and will always have to take it, but it works . I only rarely have heartburn and when I do I take a tablespoon or 2 of vinegar. Awful stuff but it works too. Apparently heartburn is caused by not Enough acid. So there is a fix for this and you will feel fine. I do. 😊

[Fantasy93 in reply to Curlymac]

hello thankyou

i tried apple cidar vinegar but it only aggravated the problem i have been trying to calm down but things havent been going on too well in my life i am always angry and tensed and stress is known to be a major cause of gerd i have been trying to not lose my cool and let my mind relax but my hectic shedule is making matters much worse i will try my level best to come out of this problem and i am glad i found a place where people offer some really good advice

[Curlymac in reply to Fantasy93]

Gee sorry to hear that:(. Sounds like you need sme time off to rest. Stress does make GERDS much worse . I too used to be stressed and my Dr prescribed Effexor to help me calm down and relax . It worked well and I was able to get back on track and finally get off Effexor . It's an antidepressant but does work with anxiety anger and other issues.

[spanner16 in reply to Fantasy93]

Fantasy - I had never really suffered from heartburn before being diagnosed with stage 3 oesophageal cancer at 27 (big shock to everyone) so I don't know what you're going through in terms of that but the only advice I can give is take a deep breath and calm down - I'm an engineer too so I know that college / uni is tough as an engineering student, lots of pressures on your time etc but nothing is more important than your health and if your health is being affected by your stress then deal with it. If you can take a step back you might find that there's not as much to worry about as you thought.

I also find writing lists helps, I even write the little things down that I know will get done anyway because crossing off things on my list / seeing things crossed off my list is very calming for me - I feel like I've accomplished something at least. It also helps me remove that from my mind which stops it churning away in there and manifesting itself into something bigger than it actually is. Even if I break my tasks down into the tiniest activities (including put on laundry, hoover flat etc), it might look daunting at first but it's great when you realise you can cross of several things in quick succession - if you only write down the big tasks and not the steps to get there then it'll feel huge.

Plus as people on here have said, the heartburn thing doesn't necessarily mean worse things for you - people on here have suffered (I don't deny that you are suffering and not sleeping/ being constantly tired is awful I know) for years with that and it hasn't become anything more sinister.

The only thing I can truly say is take a deep breath and try and live in the moment and deal with what can be done right now. Believe me at 29 and 2 years cancer free from this I get moments of 'what ifs' at times but my philosophy is I can either live life stressed out and worrying or I can embrace this awesome second chance / life / all the experiences that are open to me and have a blumming awesome life - we all die in the end anyway and I know how I want to go!

Sorry for the essay! Big hugs to you.

[Fantasy93 in reply to spanner16]

Hello mam

oh my goodness and i thought my problem was the biggest in the world i thought i am stuck with this misery at such a young age and now i know how you must feel and i found your reply really illuminating from now on ill try to take a step back and relax and i look up to you and to all people who fight cancer because i have seen my loved ones suffer and i might not be able to feel their pain but i can see it through their eyes i am sorry if i sound demeaning...your post made me feel really good and yeah we all have to die someday and it is indeed important to live life to the fullest....you are like an elder sister....can i just say you are beautiful....hugs....

[cherrybailey in reply to spanner16]

Spanner you brave, positive girl such a hard thing to go through so young well done!!

Good advice too.

[spanner16 in reply to cherrybailey]

Ha ha thanks - I wouldn't say I was brave really, believe me I have my moments but like I said, I'd rather grab any and all opportunities and then at least at the end I can say I've lived a life and not spent it in fear and worry.

[cherrybailey in reply to spanner16]

It is good to have a positive attitude I am sure it helps. I thought I was young 47 lost my stomach too. I try and do as much as I can with what I live with and still have my moments. 8 years next week must be doing something right. ha ha The picture you see was me 2 years after my op on a Nile cruise.

You go girl live it to the full! x

[spanner16 in reply to cherrybailey]

I totally agree! I'm of the opinion that if your brain gives up then what chance do your other 'non intelligent' organs have?!

Wow! 8 years! I dream of when I'm that far down the line!

I'm hoping you'll be having an epic party when you hit double figures!!

[OzOC2000]

Hi Fantasy, I'm over in Australia and I used to pop Quick-eze like Tic Taks so I know a thing or two about acid reflux. Get a second opinion. Seriously, if I didn't have a stand up argument with my GP at the age of 32 I wouldn't be here now. You can take all sorts of beta blockers to reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes, Losec, Nexium are a couple. Here in Australia we sell Metamucil in supermarkets as well as pharmacies. The main ingredient is psyllium husk powder and this gives it it's jelly like characteristics. This stuff keeps you regular and sets like jelly to keep a lid on your stomach contents. Get it treated and don't self medicate or you may end up with a bigger problem or surgery. Regards Derrick

[Fantasy93 in reply to OzOC2000]

Hi derrick i haven't been self medicating when i was 21 constipation was a problem that i was facing and it sort of escalated and gave way to acidity at that time i tried psyllium husk i am from india and it is known as isab gol over here to help relieve constipation i took it for a couple of days and my bowel movements went back to normal again but i ended up with acidity i am continuing with homeopathy at the moment because it does'nt have side effects i was also on rantac and pan d but suffered hairloss hence i had to resort to homeopathy Thanks for your advice hope you are well

[OzOC2000 in reply to Fantasy93]

Sounds like you are a very sensible person and I can only hope that you find a solution that works for you and gives you back a great quality of life. Take care. D

[Fantasy93 in reply to OzOC2000]

Thankyou that's really sweet of you

[listen]

Have you had a endoscopy? I would think that would be the first thing to do. Have your doctor or by over the counter a Proton Pump Inhibitor-PPI. I call it the purple pill Nexium now a over the counter drug I take a 20mg in morn and 20mg at night have rarely experienced acid reflux since I started taking it and looking back probably had GERD for years but just chose to ignore it and was not discovered until I had a tumor!

Hang in there. I am not a physician but do know that a sensitive digestive should be nurtured even if you have to take a prescription…I always tried to do the holistic path but be careful! A lot of mindful caring people on this site that has helped me so much!

[Fantasy93 in reply to listen]

Hi listen thankyou for your advice but i got a few tests done ultrasound, blood and stool tests all were normal and i dont want to be stuck with having to take medicines forever so i am currently undergoing homeopathic treatment that might take some time but has no side efects

thankyou

[listen]

Have you had a endoscopy?

[Fantasy93 in reply to listen]

No doctor recommended an endoscopy i have been to a physician and he asked to get Three tests done bood stool and ultrasound

[listen in reply to Fantasy93]

You need to request a endoscopy if you are stating that you have constant acid reflux and possibly GERD. The doctor cannot tell until you have a endoscopy. Just letting you know that is how you may be able to not end up with a tumor of the esophagus. Wish I had avoided it. Just allowing you to know if you are having acid reflux you need a endoscopy! Hope this helps you as the tests you have had done do not relate to acid reflux and GERD. Wishing you well and hopefully you will take or have for doctor to take action on this before it turns into cancer as my surgeon told me I had GERD for years and my cancer and esphogectomy could have been avoided. All I can do is to give you advice upon my own experience and whether you choose to listen is up to you? Wishing you well!

[Fantasy93 in reply to listen]

hello sir

i totally appreciate and respect your kind words i will get it done As soon as possible

[golfking]

Yes I would strongly recommend an endoscopy,this is the only way to look for any abnormal growths/tumours,I suffered for 30 years with heartburn popping rennies,gaviscon and mints trying to get relief until I went to a doctor,and he sent me for an endoscope where they discovered I had Barretts Oesophagos which happens when you have constant acid reflux that eventually eats the wall of your oesophagos and this in turn turns into cancer if its not treated with the proper medication,so I urge you to get your Doctor to refer you for this test for peace of mind if nothing else and also its imperative to get it at the early stage.Good luck for the future,prayers and thoughts are with you...

[Fantasy93 in reply to golfking]

Hello sir

thankyou for your advice

i will get it done as soon as possible

[Hidden]

Having the amount of acid reflux that you describe is not normal, and it is best to have a proper diagnosis from the doctors. It can be quite a number of things, and they may well have to do a series of tests, including an endoscopy. They might prescribe medication to switch off some of the acid producing capacity of your stomach (eg omeprazole or another proton pump inhibitor) but it is important that they get to the bottom of why it is happening in the first place. There are over-the-counter things that you can take. Gaviscon, for instance, works in the UK by creating a protective raft (it is an alginate) for an hour or two. So they can be very helpful. Antacids (eg Rennies, Tums) can also help; they counteract the acid imbalance.

Stress levels do not help the acid levels, so trying to find ways of relaxing may be a good thing for you anyway. There are many thousands of people who suffer from GORD, but it is only a small proportion of them who suffer the severe complications that you can read about on this site.

There may be some changes to your diet that might help as well. Although this is easier said than done when you have to rush around and be busy, try and relax when you eat, give yourself time to digest things, avoid spicy foods and monitor whether some types of food give you more trouble than others with a food diary.

[Fantasy93 in reply to Hidden]

Hello sir

i will try to reduce stress and thankyou for your advice....

[mulligan]

Hi GO SEE A DOCTOR VERY SOON

Best of luck. Yours john

[Fantasy93 in reply to mulligan]

Hello sir

yeah i am on homeopathic medicine i hope it helps

thanks

[patchworker]

Hi, it's granny again. You really, really do need an endoscopy. Get it done soon. x

[Fantasy93 in reply to patchworker]

Hi granny yes i surely will...

[lilia]

My son had a similar problem in his student days had all the test and all came back normal. Stress was the main cause. He is now settled with his fiance and the father of a super grandson and two beautiful twin girls. Take a chill pill but also insist on an endoscopy.

[Fantasy93 in reply to lilia]

Thankyou mam

that really helped i think i am feeling better already after reading all these posts....

[RobinAylott]

Hi Fantasy,

Along with most of the other people I can't stress enough the importance of having an endoscopy. I had reflux which led to Barrett's oesophagus, but thanks to regular endoscopies my cancer was detected early and I'm glad to be still here to talk about it. Your problem is most likely to be stress related, but it is essential to get the right diagnosis and treatment. I don't want to sound cynical but I wouldn't put all my faith in homeopathy, without a physician's opinion. I've been trying for a few years to talk a young friend into having a gastroscopy, even since my oesophagectomy, but he still won't have one - too scared of what they might find! I' m still alive thanks to having regular checks. We are all part of a caring , experienced community here at the OPA, and pool all our experiences for the good of others. Have the procedure and remove one of the stress factors in your life! Let us know how you get on, and we can have a virtual grougroup hug!!

[Fantasy93 in reply to RobinAylott]

Hello sir

actually my parents aren't too keen on getting many tests done they say that it is stress and i shouldnt be undertaking such tests at a young age

i just want to say i will try and convince them

thankyou

[listen]

Hello Fantasy, You are now 22 so you are an adult and your parents may not be to keen on you having a test done but that is where you need to make the decision. Holistic and homeopathic is great but I just lost a friend whom only ate organic food she was 56. Died from stage 4 lung cancer and was stage two when she was diagnosed. Was a surfer and only ate organic and did only holistic medicine mind you this woman never smoked or drank she chose not to do conventional medicine until it was too late it had metastasized! I am hugely into the eastern meets western and am so grateful that my surgeon put me on the purple pill and if knowing if I would have taken it earlier and quit dismissing my symptoms would have helped. Again, I urge you to have an endoscopy! My name is Lisa and I am quite certain I had Barrett's esophagus at your age! As, I too was a full time University student and worked. I too had stress which does not help but when I was your age there was not a word in our vocabulary such as stress. You do what you have to do but taking care of my acid reflux may have changed me going through my medical journey. Good luck and I will not repeat myself to you anymore. If you choose to listen, great! I am so grateful that I have listened to all of the other wonderful people that share my journey because without them I would not be responding to you but am grateful that you are searching now instead of later!

[Fantasy93 in reply to listen]

Hello lisa

i am so sorry about your friend, my name is deepshikha and i wonder where to begin actually i never really had such issues back when i was in school but i used to eat utter rubbish and that led to tummy issues but i totally blame myself for this problem i never cared and ignored my groaning stomach and continued eating whatever the hell i liked my mom used to tell me not to eat out and to eat home cooked healthy food but my cravings would always compell me to give in and that's the time when i started having conatipation and then when my bowel movements went back to normal i ended up with acidity so in a way i blame myself and i have these pangs of guilt and i feel that i should be punished and stress over my stomach a lot i fuss a lot and that's driving my mum mad i don't know whether i'd ever be able to get back to being healthy and normal again but i do know that i have to i have my whole life ahead hell i havent even had a drink ever in my life and now because of this problem would never be able to try even...oh god help me.. And sorry for the long essay and thanks

[fortunatus]

dear fantasy,

The advice is clear. Get an endoscopy and tell your parents that this is your decision as a responsible adult. Like many others who have responded to your worrying post, I ignored acid reflux for far too long and as a result developed the dreaded Barretts which in turn produced a T3 tumour. This was successfully (so far ) resected 21/2 years ago. The moral of this tale is find out what is going on and the ONLY WAY to do that is to see a good gastroenterologist. I rarely post, but your history cried out for a strong but supportive response. All the best,

fortunatus

[Fantasy93 in reply to fortunatus]

thankyou fortunatus

i will try and convince my parents

thanks

[drsteve]

Hello,

Please see this: chriskresser.com/heartburn.

As many have said, get yourself properly examined (EGD, pH monitoring) to make sure you do not have any damage to your esophageal mucosa. That being said, PPIs cause severe nutrient depletion and this may be just as likely (my opinion) to cause cancer as the irritation to your mucosa. Determining if you have healthy or damaged tissue from the start will guide your decisions on how to take care of yourself.

Good luck to you.