A little advice please...!

[Ollyburr]

Hi all and thanks for reading! Back in January 2019 I was prescribed PPI's for terrible reflux and right sided pain just under the part of the rib before it curves around. A month on these and I felt better, pain gone. HPylori test taken 10 days after stopping treatment and negative. Pain and reflux came back within a month so fast forward to now a year later and I am still on PPi's esomeprazole. I have had a barium swallow which on the doctors notes was 'remarkable' with only a slight acid spill. I cut out coffee for months but now allow myself one a day. Symptoms seem to flare up with wine and caffeine so trying to lay off both. Reflux is okay but the pain keeps coming back. I have quite a bad fear of choking so at the minute an endoscopy is out of the question. Recently started taking zinc l carnosine after reading research on this. I also have hashimotos so really want to come off the PPi's as I am up taking tablets hours before I can eat. My question i suppose is , has anyone had similar situation to mine?

[Hidden]

Hi Olly I too used to suffer with reflux and my doctor put me on a tablet called Tagamet 100 it has an ingredient called cimetidine in it which are great there also ranitidine too ask your doctor. Hope this helps.

Best regards

Shaun

[Philbs1980]

Have you tried DGL Licourice?

[Cats15 in reply to Philbs1980]

Hi. I’m just reading about DGL licourice. Does it help acid reflux and how much does one take? Is that better than slippery elm? Tksfor advice!

[Hidden]

Did you say your had h pylori and it was treated? You can still get ongoing symptoms for at least 6 mths after eradication. Eat small little and often

[Ollyburr in reply to Hidden]

Hi all and thanks for replying. I wasn't tested for H Pylori prior to staring treatment so I don't know if I had it. I have tried DGL Liquorice and Slippery Elm to no avail. The reflux is under control but the pain comes and goes. I have pin pointed it (playing doctor with myself) to the duodenum area and not the stomach as nothing showed on the barium as been wrong in the stomach. I wondered if it could be a duodenal ulcer.

[Hidden in reply to Ollyburr]

Slightly confused!You were tested for HP after treatment and after 10 days from stopping your ppi? That’s normal. Was it a breath or stool test? Are you due for a endoscopy? Do you have any blood in your stool? ( dark) are you getting any symptoms of bloating, gas, wind, turning or gripping feeling or anxiety?

[Ollyburr in reply to Hidden]

Hi, yes they started me on PPi's I have never been offered the antibiotics. After the first course (one months worth of treatment ) they took a stool sample for HPylori which was negative. I suffer with anxiety anyway and have a genuine fear of choking which causes me to have panic attacks hence the no go on an endoscopy. I have it under control until I go off track and have coffee or wine then the pain comes back. I do belch a fair bit sometimes even with water but no acid comes up. I have also had the camera up my nose and down the back of my throat which was hideous but all clear.

[Ollyburr in reply to Ollyburr]

No blood in stools ...all normal

[Hidden in reply to Ollyburr]

So no pylori that’s good.The endoscopy is absolutely fine. It’s a spray so you can’t feel it. The scope goes to the left of your throat to avoid the reflex. Or you can have under sedation and you won’t even remember much about it. I strongly recommend you have this to look for any ulcers and abnormal issues (if any) it only takes a few minutes and will put your mind at rest regards to your dyspepsia

[Ollyburr in reply to Hidden]

Thank you...43 years of age and the thought of it petrifies me. Thank you all for your help and advice. For now I think I will have to put up with the pain until I grow some balls!

[Hidden in reply to Ollyburr]

Lol yes I was the same until I actually did it. Tbh the worst bit it the anxiety before going. As always 😀. The spray not pleasant but the scope is a doddle. Far better than the front end one I had! Now that was horrible.Get the sedation and go

[Ollyburr in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the encouragement...I do appreciate it!

[Hidden]

Hi there have you had gallbladder checked ? I had same turned out to be gallstones x

[Ollyburr in reply to Hidden]

Hi Pansy yip had the scans on my Liver and Gallbladder all clear and all bloods normal. Thank you for taking time to reply!

[one-n-den]

Hi,Sounds like classic gallstones symptoms to me - has that been ruled out?

Hope that helps.

[one-n-den]

Oooops! Just seen Pansy2’s reply and yours to her - not gallstones then?

[Ollyburr]

🤣 thank you for replying though!

[Dee12345678]

Hi Ollyburr, I too have a fear of choking but have had 6 endocopies over the years, you can ask for sedation which is fantastic, I have never been aware of the procedure when I have sedation, it is worth screwing up your courage to get it done then any fear about what is going on in your stomach will be over and done with. I know fear is an awful thing but trust me if you get sedation you will wonder why you didnt have it done before. Good luck.

[Ollyburr in reply to Dee12345678]

Thank you Dee...Great to meet a fellow sufferer!

[Liz1234ty]

Hi - I recently had a capsule endoscopy. it was fine - I went to the hospital, swallowed a pill with a tiny camera in it and then the camera takes pictures as it moves down the system and after about 8 hours I returned to the NHS Hosp so they could take away the belt I was wearing which captures the images. There was no tube involved. The only unpleasant bit is the food fast and bowel clean the day before but the pill itself was easy to swallow.

[Ollyburr]

Hi Liz, did you ask for this or did they recommend. The gastro doctor has my notes with panic disorder written on them but still hasn't offered this method