Recovering from gerd

[Jaby86]

Hi everyone, I read and reply to a lot of posts on here after suffering very badly with acid reflux and I found this forum so helpful and encouraging when I felt my worst.At the moment I would say I am mostly symptom free from reflux after 2 severe episodes followed by months of PPIs and eventually figuring out my root cause and healing myself.

I thought I would put the things I did as a main post on this forum so that more people would be able to see rather than replying to individual posts.

I am not medically trained and the most important thing to state first is that everyone's triggers are different but this is what worked for me so hoping it might help someone else.

I was originally put on Lansoprazole for my first episode which after 2 months completely resolved my issues but as I didn't change a thing in my lifestyle and eating habits, the reflux came back with a vengeance a few months later. Being put back on lansoprazole didn't work, a higher dose didnt work and switching to omeprazole didn't work. I was sent for endoscopy, abdominal scans and blood tests which all came back clear thankfully but also frustrated me as I almost wanted there to be something causing my symptoms that could be fixed.

My main symptoms were a uncomfortable pain/burning in my upper abdomen which travelled up to my throat. Burning sensation in my mouth and nose, constant swallowing, throat clearing and post nasal drip. I would also get the classic heart burn pain centre of my chest and pain up into my upper back. It was horrendous.

When thinking about what was going on in my life when these 2 episodes began I realised they were both periods of stress which also led to under eating/over exercising and eating lots of acidic foods mainly tomatoes, fruit balsamic vinegar and alcohol.

I immediately cut them all out. I also cut out a load of other foods out of desperation but this made things worse. Speak to a Nutritionist or dietician to help you pin point your triggers if you are struggling to identify them as the cause may be food intolerances you didn't know you had.

I started following Molly Pelletier on Instagram and Facebook who has some brilliant resources on acid reflux and IBS and can help with sign posting to some supplements that were key in my healing, slippery elm root, marshmallow root and chewable DGL licorice tablets which all support a healthy digestive system and maintain the lining of your digestive tract which can be affected by increased stomach acid.

My biggest improvement came when I addressed the root cause of my issues which I belive to be anxiety. There's a wealth of information and studies to support the brain/gut connection and once I began to address my anxiety (meditation, breathing exercises and acupuncture as well as reducing the high intensity exercise I was doing and incorporating more yoga and pilates based exercise) my symptoms massively subsided.

Without addressing the root cause you will just be managing your symptoms rather than healing. I found the Internet very overwhelming when I first started researching cures and you are bombarded with all sorts of medications, potions and tricks which I'll be honest I tried but once I realised what my root cause was all the medications stopped.

Don't get me wrong PPIs and other medicines can be very beneficial and sometimes necessary for some but if they aren't working for you I would suggest working your GP or Nutritionist or just yourself to figure what is the root cause.

Sorry for the rambling post but hope this helps someone in some way! Feel free to ask any questions I'll be happy to help!! Sending lots of love.

[meadfoot]

So pleased to hear you are finding solutions to your acid reflux and have researched long and hard plus trial and error to get you back to a place of comfort.

Very useful tips, thank you. Stress is a big one for me and I too can not eat acidic foods especially tomatoes. My body is very quick to let me know when I have upset it with wrong choices.

Thank you for your ideas and suggestions. I hope you remain in a good healthy place.

[Inominate]

Thank you for your informative and encouraging post. And congratulations on what you have achieved. If not too personal, can I ask if you could expand a bit more on how you addressed your anxiety and the psychological aspects of your recovery? Whilst everyone is different, it would be good to know the techniques that worked for you. With thanks.

[Jaby86 in reply to Inominate]

Of course! This was the biggest thing for me I think. My main aim was to make sure I took time out every day to focus on myself and did something that made me think about what was causing me to be anxious at that time. Like a mental list of worries and working out if they were rationale and if they were what I could to problem solve. A lot of the time my anxiety stems from irrational thoughts or over thinking so talking to myself about the anxious thought and making time for that was very helpful. There's a lot of information on this in CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) if that sounds like it would be helpful. Meditating was another big help as that was another change to check in with how I was feeling and helps calm an anxious mind. Even if it's just 5 minutes I found it beneficial. This along with acupuncture and exercise have really changed my mind set and I can now stop myself if I feel anxious thoughts coming on. Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever not be an anxious person but I know how to let it not impact my life as much now. Hope that helps.

[Inominate]

Thank you for sharing. I can empathise with those thought processes you describe which cause anxiety and a lot of the time I don't realise I am ruminating. I have also not been exercising much because it exacerbates the reflux and I had a foot injury, but exercise has always been my mood boost in the week. I shall try to get back to exercise and look at the other things you have mentioned. Many thanks, yes, very helpful .

[Jaby86 in reply to Inominate]

Yes you have to catch yourself thinking negative thoughts as soon as you notice and change it to a positive thought. Harder to do in practice but I'm trying! I bought a spin bike as that's a good one for not aggravating reflux symptoms and also yoga and pilates are also very effective low impact exercise. Wish you the best of luck!

[Inominate in reply to Jaby86]

Many thanks 😀

[FarflameX]

Interesting that you mention over-exercising, because my reflux started shortly after my old dog died and not only was that stressful and upsetting and may have started the problem (although in fairness, it had been coming for years due to my terrible diet), but I started over-exercising at that point. I also have a younger dog, who could now go on much longer walks since the older dog was gone. These walks got longer and longer, sometimes up to 4 or 5 hours a day. I was enjoying them, and so was he, so I just really got into it. A few months later, my reflux started.

It wasn't until this year that I saw an article about this and wondered if it could be contributing. I realise I'm only talking about walking here and it's hardly an intense activity, but it's a lot of walking and it's every day. My main, and only real bothersome symptom, is chest pains at night, which are worrying as they come from the heart area. The article pointed out that your heart attempts to rebuild muscle while you're sleeping, by pumping cortisol around the body and if you never rest it just never gets a chance to stop. So people who go to the gym regularly are encouraged to never go two days in a row.

I have tried cutting down the walks and I am getting better, although I may just be getting better anyway. I've massively improved my diet, I take a few supplements etc. I've tried getting a friend to look after my dog for a day or two and it does seem to help with the symptoms, but as you pointed out, it's very easy to get lost in the masses of ideas and information and I may just be imagining things. Also of course, both me and my dog want and need the walks.

Also I should point out that I do get some obvious reflux symptoms, though very mildly. I have a mild acid taste in the mouth and if I eat junk food, I can easily get heartburn. I have mild swallowing difficulties sometimes etc.

I should also say that I've been to the doctor and had tests and there's no sign of any problems in my stomach or heart.

Still, I think this exercise issue may be having some impact.

[Jaby86]

Sorry to hear this and yes over exercising and under eating I think massively contributed to my symptoms that along with anxiety. One of the things I have incorporated into my day is snacks between meals to up my calorie intake and also not let myself too hungry and the acid to build up. Could you take some healthy snacks with you on your walks? If you enjoy them and it helps with anxiety and your mental health it would seem a shame to stop but also know that there shouldn't be any guilt or anxiety if you don't go or don't go for as long. A fruit and a protein is a good snack on the go! Hope things continue to improve for you.

[SweetheartSSC]

Many thanks for your encouraging and informative post - what PPI dosage were you placed on? I'm currently struggling to eat or drink anything without getting heartburn/lump in my throat although I'm trying to eat as much as I can to keep my calories up as I've nearly lost 1stone in the past 6 weeks - I was on 40mg omeprazole and waited 4 weeks for it to kick in but it didn't cure this so under my GP I've just started 30mg lansoprazole twice a day - I've also had bloods, chest scan and endoscopy which were all 'unremarkable' so really hoping the lansoprazole does the job - I'm currently signed off work and prior to this I had a healthy lifestyle and never had any issues with reflux or heartburn but like yourself I think I was guilty of undereating due to my job and how busy it would get - I also know I shouldn't get anxious but my quality of life has decreased so significantly and it's had a significant impact on my mental health and overall wellbeing as a result.

[Jaby86 in reply to SweetheartSSC]

Ps smoothies are a really good option (eat them with a spoon if you struggle with a lot of liquid) I have one every day with unflavoured protein powder, nut milk, spinach, banana blueberries maple syrup flaxseed and almond butter. You could also add avocado if you want to add in more healthy fats and calories.

[Jaby86]

Hello so sorry you're struggling your experience sounds exactly like mine was when it was at its worst. I also lost a stone in a very short space of time and limited my food intake a lot and made my diet very bland as food gave me huge anxiety worrying about what symptoms I was going to get.I was originally on 30mg of lansoprazole once daily but when that didn't work I was put onto 20mg once daily of omeprazole. To be honest I don't think it was the medication that helped me, I believe eating more protein rich meals and having healthy snacks between meals along with my other strategies above were the main ways I saw improvement. I try to take my time when eating and do some deep breathing before I eat to calm my nervous system down and chew chew chew. But honestly I was exactly where you are now 6 months ago and I feel so much better. I'm not 100% I don't think I ever will be but it's so much more manageable. I've put the weight back on and reintroduced so many foods I thought I'd never be able to eat again. It can get better if you address the root cause!

[SweetheartSSC in reply to Jaby86]

thank you so much for replying - how long were you on your PPI before you started to notice a difference? i've been told it can take some time and improvement doesn't necessarily happen overnight - prior to getting this reflux disease my diet was very protein rich anyway and i used to eat lots of fruit and vegetables so i'm really unsure what the root cause could be - i don't smoke, i'm a healthy weight and i hardly drink alcohol too. i have an appointment with a gastroenterologist this friday and i'm really hoping for some reassurance as the more i read about this condition on the internet the more scared i get that this is going to be stubborn or led to complications....

[SonofGod in reply to SweetheartSSC]

Hello,

Please google user reviews for the prazole drugs and see how more than 80% of users mentioned worsening anxiety and depression while on them .The side effects and pathways it uses to shut down acid from the cells causes a couple of other stuff .

I have been there and I know my personal experience on the PPIs was horrible

[Jaby86]

Glad you have an appointment with a gastro so soon. I hope they can shed some light on what's going on.I was told it would take 2 weeks but I'd say it took between 4 and 6 weeks.

Im sure you've looked at food triggers but I also ate lots of fruit and veg but I think some of that was the issue, too much onion and leek, and citrus fruits like grapefruit. I now eat lots of blueberries, apple and banana which don't cause me any issues.

Hope you get some answers! Let me know what they suggest!