waking almost choking/vomiting on acid reflux!!!

[Kerry72]

sorry for hogging the questions panel with all my things but this happens once a night, about 5 times over the last few weeks. I jolt myself awake practically coughing so much with a feeling of choking!!! its quite frightening and almost makes me vomit. (i havent yet).anyone have experience of this. at the mo i take 20mg of omeprazole. i cant raise the head of my bed as its huge...to me it would be pointless using loads of pillows as during the night i work my way down the bed and barely sleep on one, also i tend not to eat much after about 8pm. Last night was the worst ive had it as it felt like my stomach contents was all in my mouth...sorry to be so gross!!! any advice please...going back to gp in about 1-2weeks. thanks x

[living-the-dream-ssc-ray]

Hi Kerry sorry to read about this !! I take 20mg omeprazole morning and night and this seems to help with my acid reflux as well as being cautious with the food that I eat- avoiding trigger foods ! I was told at the Royal Free last week that most scleroderma patients are on 40mg of omeprazole a day so maybe try upping your dose ??? hope this helps x

[Kerry72]

that was kinda what i was thinking...that the dose needs upping..thank you i will speak to the gp and see what she suggests x

[Yorky]

Hello, I also have 20mg of omeprazole twice daily, and I have have just had ranitidine added for last thing at night, although this doesn't seem to have helped much. I always have a good spoonful of gaviscon last thing, this does seem to help. I still sometimes have to get up in the night with reflux, but another dose of gaviscon seems to sort it.

[wartsandall]

Hi Kerry, I recently had the same experience, despite taking 40mg raprepazole twice a day and 20mg of domperidone 4 times a day, I agree with you it is very frightening. I had the same advice given you, extra pillows, propping the bed head up etc, but, I find the that if I take smaller portions and eat earlier rather than later in the evening I am much better and less likely to wake up choking, hope you get sorted out soon x

[glyn]

I' suffer from reynauds not scleroderma i had probs at night so had it checked . Doc had bloods done and found i'm on the cusp of diabetes, so control by life style change for me , all i have done so far is cut out suger and pastries and it has made differance to my sleep , i get less acid attacks at night.

[Alexandra-M]

Hi Kerry,I'm so sorry that you are suffering with this.Sadly it is one of the classic issues with GI involvement with Scleroderma.what is hopeful for you though is that there are still things you can do.Esomeprazole is I believe even more powerful,I take 40 mg daily and have been told by The ROyal Free that this can be upped to twice daily,so 80mg if having a bad episode.

I have had mouthfuls of acid that sudden pour into my mouth at night , and it is always when I have fallen asleep and the muscles have relaxed.This acid can go into the lungs and be quite nasty.This stopped for me on this dose of ezomeprazole and a v pillow which can't slip down.Also there is a gadget that slips under your mattress not bed that raises up the upper body to whatever degree you want.my OT showed me in one of the disability aids catalogues.They are good as you can take them if staying over with anyone.

Sadly 6pm is often the time recommended to stop eating after...so early!

I hope you can get some relief soon,and that the GP can help.

Take care

Alex x

[Ruth462]

I manage by not eating after 7pm and no drinks after 9pm (going to bed 10:30-11pm) plus the 20mg omeprazole morning and night. I gave up trying to identify the trigger foods.

Also we took the carpet out of the bed room and curtains (replacing with boards and shutters) and my lovely feather duvet had to go . It's made it better but the occasional attack still gets me. Only thing left to throw out of the bed is the old man but I'd miss the cuddles!

[SandraMarie]

I was once recommended Slippery Elm, but it's so revolting I had to give up on it! I'm very anti taking of the omzoprozoles etc. as I was told initally that you shouldn't take them on long -term basis?? You've really just got to keep trying different methods of propping yourself up, you'll get there in the end. Try putting something at the bottom of your bed so you can't slide down etc. etc. It really is just trial and error, I do think upping dosages of drugs though, is a slippery slope. Mine is bad but I've learnt ways to deal with it without interfering with my life too much, and I rarely take medication now. Good luck!

[winifred]

I have CREST and have suffered from reflux for some years. I found that Lansoprazole didn't touch it, but Esomeprazole (40mg) was very sucessful as long as I don't eat a heavy meal after about 6pm. A teaspoon of gaviscon sorts it out if I have eaten late and wake up with reflux. If it isn't too bad a glass of milk often works too.

[lifeforce]

I agree with Winifred, but instead of upping your dosage take it twice a day. Make sure and wait 1 hour before eating again after your pill. Also at night I take 3 ultra Tums right before I lay down. Also I have realized my reflux is much worse if I am gassie,so if I feel bloated I take 2 Gas-X and it helps as well. Good luck, I have been at this for 12 years and you kinda have to figure out what works for you.

[AnnieMc]

Hi, I have felt the same as the majority of you for the last year. I had a really bad episode last october, was really ill for about 3 weeks, i felt i had been kicked in the stomach and bruised. I was referred by consultant at Royal Free to a gastroenterologist for endoscopy of the oesophagus which was clear. Since then I have had another two bad episodes so am back to the gastroenterologist for more investigations into the stomach and duedenum. I was on lansoprazole, which has now been changed to Pantoprazole 2 x 40mg a day, I also take ranitadine 150mg x 2 a day, and domperidone 10mg x 3 a day. I don't find any of these help much. Also take Gaviscon when really bad which helps a little. Take care all you fellow sufferers and good luck in finding what helps for you.

[Kerry72]

thank you everyone for your support and comments...ive some things to think about and consider trying so thanks again x

[Grandma7]

I get that sometimes at nights even when I miss just one pill.. I notice it works if I take it at dinner time then that is when it works instead of double taking. Plus stay away from foods that triggers it and eat small portions too..

I already know with the test they did with the scope my stomach doesn't digest food fast enough. An that is when the acid reflex comes in.. I take Nexium really works.. I tried everyone an down the line it didn't help until now..

Hope this helps..

[DebKate]

It is scary, i know... bless you! I take Nexium...the "purple pill" ... this pretty much takes care of it for me...especially if don't eat past 8pm and stay away from spicy or greasy foods (especially for dinner). Ompeprazole does NOT work as good for me... the Nexium, I understand, promotes healing of the esophegus, as well as taking care of Gastric Reflux... I DO stay propped up much in bed ... with pillows...and that helps much, too! I noticed a new Ompeprazole capsule that DOES work better for me than the hard pill... so if I need something at night I take it, as opposed to another Nexium... Nexium is NOT an Over The Counter Drug...and NOTHING else works for me like Nexium... hope you get to try it! Be blessed...there's always an answer!

[Suze932]

I sympathise as I too have very bad acid reflux, often even when I am upright! Ask your Rheumatologist to up your dose of Lanzoprazole/Omeprazole. I take 3 x 30 mg daily and if necessary, Ranitidine (Zantac) for night time use if he/she thinks it appropriate in your case. The reflux can damage your throat if left so best to seek advice asap. My doctor also suggested six small meals daily instead of 3, with the last no later than around 6pm. Difficult to stick to to begin with but worth giving it a go. Good luck.

[Yelena]

I used to suffer from same thing for several years and it was a real nightmare and nothing helped ... then stopped eating meat and the nightmare vanished. Now I can eat some chicken before 4pm but not later and something really light for early dinner. Sleep much better in general and on a very flat bed at that

[Maggs3petts]

Yep, I have it too. I was on 30mg/day of Lanzoprole and they moved it up to 60 which helps no end. Also have a bottle of peptac beside the bed just in case. It is horrible. All the best, Maggs (

[Grannani]

I am going to get an endoscopy this week. I have had 2 Nissen fundoplications…1 in 2009 another in 2010 to fix the one in 2009. Now my CT scan shows another hernia. I am choking and coughing day and night to the point I was hospitalized for possible COPD or pneumonia. Lungs show occasional debris.

I have Parkinson's disease so now the doctors think it's related to that…if anyone understands the correlation, please tell me. I can feel something start moving up my esophagus then into my throat and cough up phlegm or foam. Get choked on food so badly I have to make myself throw up.

I hope there is something they can do without more surgery. It was awful!

[marilynmcl in reply to Grannani]

I get this all the time....have to just about choke myself trying to cough it out and it is usually yellow gunk I bring up....sometimes foam if I don't cough it out hard enough...I have had the endoscopy and it showed that I have a hiatus hernia and damage to my gullet through the acid reflux ..nodules on my oesophagus too. I take esomeprazole but the acid seems to be just hovering in the background all the time. Night time seems to be free of all symptoms of reflux though....how weird to be opposite of all the others on here! I sleep on a memory foam bed and a memory foam pillow if that makes any difference?. I have COPD and two other lung damages through sclero. Hope everyone gets some sort of relief from horrible symptoms of S. Sc. xx

[cleoshome]

I take same med, I also have had episodes like yours , not so frequently. Definitely make appointment to be seen. As we can get something called Barrett's esophagus.