What a pain

[Cimmy]

Hi all, another day another pain! This week I went to my doctors AGAIN, been having chest pains, which I found quiet scary, trying to explain to him( while he yawned) about my symptoms, had a ECG on Wednesday, came back good :-), but been told it is acid and anxiety, has anybody else suffered this with their IBS, I'm so down at the moment, the only people I found that are interested in what I've got to moan about is you lot( so thank you for that), I wish people would spend a day in my shoes and yours, then they might not dismiss this illness with a yawn and a sigh

[Hidden]

Hi Cimmy,

Yes, it's a good job we've all got one another at least, most of us may not be medically qualified, but we do listen and understand.

2 years ago, I too had a problem with chest pains and acid - actually it felt more like a brick sitting there (corners and all). My GP sent me for a gastroscopy and I'd actually got a small duodenal ulcer which was not caused by H. pylori - no known cause in fact. It was treated with Omeprazole and a low fat diet and doesn't give me too many problems these days, if it does have a jab, then I just take the Omep. for a week or so, cut out fats and away it goes.

My own personal take on this is that the ulcer was caused by IBS as I'm sure it creates acid (along with all its other complications) throughout the whole digestive system.

If you want to give Omep. a go, it's available off prescription from Boots (own brand) and is called Acid Reflux.

Hope this helps.

Pagan

[Idalmis]

Hi Cimmy,

I too suffered from acid reflux and anxiety. A few years ago, I had panic attacks thinking I was going to die. Been diagnosed with IBS C so bought 3 books on it, joined this group and bingo, I found what was wrong. I have been under a nutritionist for 4 years who told me to be on a high fibre diet. I spent a fortune on supplements and I still bloated. The book is by John Hunter, a gastro and I read that in my case I should be on a low fibre diet with flax seeds for bulk. I've only done it for a week and I've recovered my flat stomach and no more heartburn. I am so happy. Went to my yoga class yesterday and people asked me whether I'd lost weight. Great. I also took Omeprazole which brought some relief but have stopped now. I don't need it. Being on such a healthy diet was not suiting me. Shame it took me so long at some expense to find that out.

Good luck.

Idalmis

[Hidden in reply to Idalmis]

Thanks for the reminder about John Hunter's book, so many people have recommended it on here, I'm just on the point of ordering it.

Hope things continue to go well for you.

Pagan

[PatV in reply to Hidden]

yes very helpful to me too!

[686868 in reply to Idalmis]

That's so interesting about high fibre diet recommendation and then finding out from the John Hunter book that your need is low fibre and flax seeds. I know thta high fibre is not good for me even though it has been recommended in the past. I must buy this book. Thanks

[Cimmy]

Thank you for your speedy reply, I've had investigations and my endoscopy was clear, thank goodness, I'm just so fed up at the moment, the acid thing is very unnerving, I have just started on omeprazole, so hopefully it will take the edge of my chesty acid, I seem to get 1 thing under control and something else jumps out at me, I feel a bit better now reading your reply, it is comforting to know that there are people who seem to help me more that the so called professionals.

Thank you pagan x

[Hidden in reply to Cimmy]

You may already know this, but Omeprazole isn't an instant fix, its effects are cumulative and it usually takes 4 - 5 days to work properly. I hope it works for you and relieves the anxiety along with the acid and pain.

I'm also about to order the book by John Hunter as recommended by Idalmis and a lot of other people on here. Bit more expense, but got to be worth a go!

Pagan

[MarkBrennan]

Just to play devils advocate here, Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor. Our local nutritionist said they are terrible things as the body will fight to produce more acid and that as soon as we stop taking them the problem will return. He said the way to help the body right itself is to take Betaine Hydrochloride which increases the stomach acid. He said it sounded counter intuitive but it was the right thing to do. I can't say it helped me but then I was taking so many different things at the time it was hard to tell.

My sister who is into using natural methods where possible says that apple cider vinegar (must be one that contains 'mother') helps a lot - which goes along with the nutritionists theory.

Also very recently her 10 year old was diagnosed with GERD. His doctor has wanted to start him on proton pump inhibitors but my sister asked the doctor if she could try giving him Pukka Aloe Juice for a week to see if it helped (she hates the idea of giving kids strong meds) first. Within a few days his symptoms had disappeared. She gives him 10ml every night and he has been fine for over a month now - he had previously been crying with the pain and refusing all kinds of food previously.

I don't know what the answer is, but I stopped taking proton pump inhibitors and started taking ranitidine instead - which I think works in a similar way but is a weaker type of medication. When I had a bad attack, I just took a teaspoon of bicarb in some water for instant relief. I rarely get heartburn/reflux now. I'm sure like many others with IBS, my symptoms mutate.

So no answers here, but just sharing my own experiences.

[Hidden in reply to MarkBrennan]

Whatever your views, Omeprazole worked brilliantly for me with no ill-effects - quite the reverse, in fact.

I last ordered a repeat of it in January this year and the pack is still more than three-quarters full which quite contradicts the views of your nutritionist.

It's wrong to put people off trying remedies for their problems just because it didn't work for you or somebody you know. At least let them try it for themselves first, we're all different and no one size fits all.

Pagan

[686868 in reply to MarkBrennan]

Mark - An afterthought - cider apple juice containing 'mother., what do you mean? What's that please

[MarkBrennan]

I don't think I am trying to put people off trying things, but the same time, although I'm not a great believer in 'alternative medicine', I think it is only right the people should know about alternatives.

The list of side-effects for Omeprazole are common IBS symptoms. I am sure there is a place for drugs like that - if it works for you, that is great. I also wouldn't want to mess about trying alternatives if I had an ulcer for example.

nhs.uk/medicine-guides/page...

[686868 in reply to MarkBrennan]

I am glad to see what you wrote and just as glad to see paganmoon's comment too. I take 10 mg omeprazole(20mg was recommended but I said I wanted to try the lowest dose first) daily and find it so much more suited to my needs than the 'gold standard' lanzoprazole which made me so nauseated and generally ill. Would you believe it I was given lanzoprazole by mistake when I was in hospital for 10 days with pneumonia.6 six years ago A previous occupant must have left it in a locker beside the bed where I was admitted as an emergency and put straight into an special unit to find out what was wrong with me. (2 different docs had visited me at home but couldn't decide what I was suffering from and on day 5 I took myself to the docs and they decided to call an ambulance for my 'anxiety'). The hospital told me that my docs hadn't done their job properly. However, the hospital made their error in giving me someone else's medication plus 2 lots of antibiotics for the pnemonia. No wonder I kept vomiting. When I left hospital and was 'compus mentis 'enough to ask what all the different medications were for, the error was discovered. My digestive problems became a lot worse after my stay in hospital. I suppose I could have taken the matter further but frankly I was too weak but glad to be alive!

[binks]

PPI's such as Omeprazole are very effective but they can get you into a cycle whereby you can't stop taking them. I take the minimum dose of 10mg/day and I have no side effects from this - it works well for me. The 20mg/day capsules exacerbate my IBS and are no more effective for my heartburn. Try taking them just for a short period to let your stomach heal a bit, and then stop. The nutrient situation is only an issue if you are taking them for a long time - PPI's inhibit the absorption of vitamin B12 for example. x

[coppertop]

I suffer with chest pains, didn't get acid reflux, just chest pains sometimes under my left boon, sometimes going up to my shoulder. Had an endoscopy showed grazed ulcer caused by h piolory ( not spelt like that) & hiatus hernia. Had triple antibiotics & omeprazole but GP insists I stay on omeprazole 20 mg for hernia. Problem now is omeprazole seems to aggravate my ibsa but every time I try to reduce it I get chest pain & now reflux! I've been on it 2years now & although it works I do worry about long term side effects

[Cimmy]

I've read everybody's comments on omperazole and don't really want to take it, as I've seemed to have done ok without it, the chest pains were my major issue, but I will give it a go and see what happens, I can't get it into my head that acid reflux can cause chest pain, I've been told so many different things from different professionals I'm at a complete loss ant the moment CONFUSED!, I think so, but a big thank you to all of you for your feed back, I've taken on board some of your feedback and will look into to it, I will let you all know how things go. I wish you all well

Thank you everybody

Regards

Linda

[sickandsore]

Ive been prescribed lansoprazole too as have ulcers in my ilium (colonoscopy diagnosed) but suffer from acid indigestion and often chest pain..however I discovered an old fashioned remedy my dear old dad used to take magnesium tricylicate..its really cheap to buy, you can find it in most pharmacies and let me tell you it works a treat!! try it

[hollypeg]

Hi i am new to the site , i came across this thread whilst trying to find some answers to my constant stomach pain , i have been told by gp that i have ibs but to be honest i dont think i have , i have been taking 20mg of omoprozole for about 5 years now , i started on them when i was suffering as Coppertop was , no acid just terrible chest pain which came up into my neck and down my left arm , i thought i was having a heart attack , after several ecgs over a couple of years i was prescribed omoprozole and they have worked great , but im now in so much pain and discomfort around my solar plexis area !! its dull ache to griping grabbing pain !! doc told me to double my dose of omoprozole and im sure im worse !! im thinking of trying to come off them to see if the ibs symptoms are actually omoprozole over use symptoms , i have ordered some apple vinigar tablets as i know i wont be able to drink the stuff , i have renitidene in which i buy for the dog lol !! so will use them if i do get heartburn !! will see how i go , i would be interested in your views

thanx x