Stomach Acid Issues

[LilyR]

I was wondering if anyone has had issues with stomach acid before they were diagnosed, and if so, did the excess stomach acid got better after a few months of going no-gluten?

Before my doctors suggested I go gluten-free, this past winter I was put on a prescription med (pantoprazole) for excess stomach acid.  I have had heartburn in the past, sure, but not frequently.  Just when eating a very spicy dinner too close to bedtime and I'd get acid reflux in the ight.  But it was not anything that happened very often, like maybe just once or twice a year at most.  They did find some acid damage in my esophagus and tested for Barrets throat, but luckily I didn't have it.  But for the most part, I never really ever had heartburn or stomach acid issues in the past. 

But this past winter when all my health issues seemed to flair up (chronic fever, fatigue, and bad stomach issues), they put me on the stomach acid med.  Well, now my stomach dr has tapered me off that, and I was just on 150 mg Zantac, twice a day.  I asked about tapering off that (if gluten is really my issue), and so I am now down to 75 mg, twice a day, and in a week will go to just once a day, then no more Zantac (unless needed, take it only when needed).  

I just realized though, since I went down to the 75 mg I have been having bad bloat and issues.  I was wondering if it was something I had eaten, but now wonder if it's the lower dose of Zantac.   I really hate to live on Zantac, daily, the rest of my life.  I am not sure it's safe.  But yet if it was helping, I hate to stop it.  

Although I did have some stomach issues when first tapering off the pantoprazole too, so maybe my stomach is just adjusting to the new dosage and being weened off it?  I was just curious if anyone else has had stomach acid issues, or if anyone takes a stomach med every day, per dr's orders, long-term, or if your stomach acid and bloat issues went away after a few months of no gluten.  In addition to bloat, I sometimes get this ache that is in the area right above my stomach and it sometimes goes into my back as well.  I have been checked for other things like gall bladder and pancreas issues, etc.  so just wondering if that and stomach acid issues can be related to gluten issues? 

[Gemini]

Hi Lily.........please have a look at these blog posts by a doctor who addresses the whole acid reflux problem and the right way to correct it.  No, it is not safe to use acid suppressants long term.  It is one of my personal pet peeves with doctors, even though I have never had acid reflux.  My mother does and her doctor is seriously screwing her up. 

They overuse them as they did with antibiotics and there are long term ramifications to that.  There are 3 parts and it is very interesting reading because it's how things really work with your gut and acid.  He is a real doctor and the hospital he is affiliated with is one the best in Massachusetts, which also includes a medical school and trauma center. I think you will be able to get off these meds and use other protocol to stop your problem. 

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

It is a good bit of reading but take your time and read all of it!

 

[Ennis-TX]

No it is not that safe to be on those kinds of med for long term, and there is some MAJOR side effects that can develop from long term use (I am not one to talk but I know some of the issues being on them for 10+ years still) IF you have normal reflux there is one method to deal with it using a HCL supplement  , one of our regulars PosterBoy can help you out and even wean you off the pills using this method it has proven successful for many. I unfortunate am not one it will work for but I have type of acid reflux that was induced by something stupid as a kid.....and caused a sorta of permanent malfunction with my stomach and take the PPI pills to keep it under control.   

As for my suggestions to help with it, digestive enzymes help many of us with the occasional upset stomach and preventing bloat if not related to a gluten exposure or some other underlying issues like Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns, IBS,  SIBO, Pyori, or Candida, Enzymes I take are a Jarrow version and a super papaya version.

Other thoughts keep a food diary and write down everything you eat, spices, and drink. See if you notice a pattern with that pain you get. It might be a food intolerance, or a certain food/spice that is triggering a flare up of another health issue like UC. I myself get bloat and distention with many foods for a mix of intolerance, and flare ups with my UC.  Have you had a endoscope, and colonoscopy done to inspect for other digestive issues, ulcers, etc?

[Posterboy]

LilyR,

Gemini has given you good links.

I also recommend chris kresser's articles on the topic that are very similar.

you want to learn more about my story with low stomach acid (misdiagnosed) see my celiac.com posterboy blog post on this topic. chris kresser's article about this topic is linked inside my post about this topic.

research shows what you suspect that the two conditions might be linked (in some unknown as of yet way).

https://www.celiac.com/articles/23432/1/Do-Proton-Pump-Inhibitors-Increase-Risk-of-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

I hope this is helpful.  you can PM if you still have questions but I think I tried to make an exhaustive post summarizing many of the issues with taking BetaineHCL.

As Ennis_tx noted many people are helped by taking stomach acid but a few like Ennis_tx were not helped.

It is worth at least researching it some to see if it might help you.

but long term PPI's use can be worse than the cure (temporary) relief of the symptom's.

All heartburn is not equal. IF your stomach acid is truly high then it WILL occur between meals when there is no food to tamp down the fire (occurring in your stomach) not your esophagus.

doctor's forget to take in account the timeline of when the heartburn is occurring.

Not all heartburn is equal if food triggers it then the your stomach acid is already too low to start with has been my experience.

Cutting out carbs (think Ketogenic) diet can help keep the carbs from fermenting which can help you transition off the PPI's.

see jolynneshane's post about how she struggled to finally get off PPI's.  It is possible.

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You will probably have to use the BetaineHCL to replace the stomach acid the PPI's are blocking for to help you get off of them for good (hopefully).

This (low stomach acid) is a vicious cycle. STRONG stomach acid makes it a virtuous circle/cycle.

I found that when I began burping (without bloating) I begin to stop having heartburn.

I don't know if it will help you are not??? but it couldn't hurt to try.

***** this is not medical advice but some medical doctor's are starting to agree that long term use of PPI"s are not worth the risk.

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if you can get off them then it is worth trying.

posterboy,

 

 

[TexasJen]

Did your doctor test for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)?  It is like "asthma of the esophagus.  Typically, it causes heartburn type symptoms that often times get better with anti-acids but the cause is an allergic reaction.70% of the time it's from either gluten or dairy. The other 30% of the time it is soy, fish, nuts, eggs or something else. And it typically doesn't show up on routine allergy testing so the treatment is an elimination diet to see what makes it better. It is more common in people with celiac. A biopsy of the early part of the esophagus can show it but you have to take several biopsies so as not to miss it.

 Or gastroparesis (a slowing of the entire digestive system) which leads to more reflux?

Both of these conditions are more common in celiacs and not "typical" reflux.

If you meet with your GI, have the appropriate tests and determine that you have regular, run of the mill reflux, there are a lot of lifestyle changes you can make to control your symptoms so that you can avoid long term medication.  Eat small, more frequent meals, avoid caffeine, avoid peppermint or other mint flavoring, avoid citrus food and tomato based products, avoid alcohol, avoid spicy food, avoid eating or drinking anything within 2 hours of laying down, avoid wearing tight clothes, lose weight if you are overweight. 

The AGA just came out with this statement about using medication for reflux. As with all medications, you want to weigh the risks and the benefits of each medication. If the risks are outweighed by benefits, even if there are side effects to a given medication, it might be worth it.  

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[LilyR]

Thanks so much, everyone, for the links to articles and the help.  It all feels overwhelming right now, and a bit scary. Sometimes I try to think....does my stomach feel like it's hot or burning...because I am not having the feeling of heartburn and rarely get the acid reflux (like I said, maybe once or twice a year at most, and I know it's when I ate something spicy I normally don't have for dinner, so I rarely ever do that...I won't do it at all anymore).  My stomach dr originally told me staying on the pantorazole prescription long term was safe, even though I think it was the actual pantoprazole website that made it sound like it was NOT. It does make you question doctors.

I am going to try still tapering off the Zantac.  I had been nervous to, but my dr said I can cut to taking it once a day instead of twice (on the 75 mg instead of the 150), for a week and then be off it.  And I guess I will then see how I feel.  I will also be reading all the articles above that you all mentioned.  I have been having lemon in my ice tea, and of course caffeine from the tea, so I will stop having that.

I really appreciate the replies. It helps knowing I am not the only one trying to get through all these symptoms.  

 I used to take papaya enzymes years ago.  I tend to have sluggish digestion.  I will have to look for one with no gluten.  Once I am off the Zantac, I'll try taking the papaya again.  I am not going to bother seeing my stomach dr until Oct since he and my rheum dr said to try going gluten-free three months and see how I feel then.  It all costs so much, all these appts and tests, and that is very stressful.  

Thanks everyone.  

[LilyR]

On 8/3/2017 at 11:43 AM, Gemini said:

Hi Lily.........please have a look at these blog posts by a doctor who addresses the whole acid reflux problem and the right way to correct it.  No, it is not safe to use acid suppressants long term.  It is one of my personal pet peeves with doctors, even though I have never had acid reflux.  My mother does and her doctor is seriously screwing her up. 

They overuse them as they did with antibiotics and there are long term ramifications to that.  There are 3 parts and it is very interesting reading because it's how things really work with your gut and acid.  He is a real doctor and the hospital he is affiliated with is one the best in Massachusetts, which also includes a medical school and trauma center. I think you will be able to get off these meds and use other protocol to stop your problem. 

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

It is a good bit of reading but take your time and read all of it!

 

He's in Worcester, not to far from me.  My primary care provider was wanting to send me out of state, but apparently my insurance is not covering that anymore. Great. But thank you for the article.