Annie: Hi my name is Annie I have been... - Oesophageal & Gas...

Oesophageal & Gastric Cancer

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Annie

welcome_123 profile image
13 Replies

Hi my name is Annie

I have been having a lot of reflux which happens through the night.. Which takes forever to bring up...have been on esomprazole for a very long time 40mg every day...was. Back to hospital as this is not making a difference...they have sent me for a ph and a metametery! Test not sure if this is the correct name for the test....can someone explain theses test tome as I'm not sure what they are for....

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welcome_123
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13 Replies
AlanWare profile image
AlanWare

I suspect you are not suffering from Acid reflux, but rather bile reflux. The ph test will find out which. If it is bile, then antacid meds will be of no use and will probably make things worse.

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to AlanWare

Thank you for you reply...will let you know when I get my results from test...

Medication like Omeprazole, Esomeorazole and so on are called proton pump inhibitors. they switch off the production of acid in the stomach, and when you have had surgery like an oesophagectomy, these become neessary to prevent the acid reflux as the lower oesophageal spgincter no longer exists. There are other medications that do a similar thing like antacids that combat the acid in your system.

Sometimes, though, the reflux is bile, which is alkali, not acid, and the test is to work out whether it is acid or alkali because the medication would be different.

Gaviscon is an alginate, in that it creates a prtoective barrier for a few hours against acid or alkali, so Gaviscon should work for both.

At night, the gravity effect tends to cause the relfux to travel up your system towards your throat. Experimenting with having raised pillows (or bricks under the head of the bed) can make a difference.

It might be a manometry test? This is to measure the pressure at various points in your oesophagus / digestive system to test how your swallowing function is operating, and is very useful for pinpointing where any problems are occurring, especially if there is an issue of achalasia.

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to

Thank you for taking the time to explain thins for me and yes it was a manometry test I had done..can you tell me what is achalasia?

in reply to welcome_123

It is a problem with the swallowing mechanism

opa.org.uk/pages/achalasia....

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to

Thank you...again I am waiting on word from the tests...i will let you know what they say if that is okay?

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to welcome_123

Sorry for being a pest...If my results come back and it is to much acid what will they do if anything? If it is bile reflux what happens. Next...It is yellow. Greenish in colour I bring up and is vile to taste....

Spikey profile image
Spikey in reply to welcome_123

This definitely sounds like bile reflux, rather than acid. If so, there are medications they can give you to help combat it. Or, as Alan suggests, you could try Gaviscon, which provides a protective barrier. Changing your diet might also help. In particular, adopting a low fat diet reduces the body's production of bile in the first place.

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to Spikey

Thank you for getting back to me...i will try changing. My diet and see if that help Thanks again..

If it,s the same as I had they put a small tube down through your nose into your stomach.They then ask you to sip water while the test the acid result in your tum,which will tell if you have an acid stomach.Then they will take it out to replace it with a smaller tube and send you home for 24 hrs and ask you to carry on as normal,eating etc then go back to have it removed and the monitor which was connected to the tube will be sent away.It takes about another week to get the results.It,s a little uncomfortable for a while but you soon get used to it.

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123 in reply to

Thanks for explaining this for me...i hope your results where good....

welcome_123 profile image
welcome_123

Hi can anybody tell me what is worse and can do more damage...bye reflux or acid refux please?...

1960finas profile image
1960finas

Hi my daughter had terrible acid reflux and oesophagitis had to have 5 pillows to be able to get any sleep coughing all night taking umpteen ppi and antihistamines and was on waiting list for op,she takes no medication only one pillow no coughing took off waiting list.Asked if she could have endoscopy to make sure what I was giving her wasn't masking the problem Drs can't believe it there is no inflimation all's good cheers Colin 1960finas

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