Need help with reflux

[DJFL77I]

I just got back from ENT doctor who looked up my nose and down the back with a little camera.. he said I have reflux that's causing some damage back there.  Most likely causes by the Celiac.. hopefully once it's completely shut off it will go away... I've been off gluten now for 6 months. My levels dropped from over 100 to 11.   11 was still considered active as 0 - 3 is normal range. Anyway he wants me to take omeprazole for 3 months and gaviscon to heal.. and raise my bed. I'm not sure about the omeprazole.. Im planning to just take gaviscon and raise my bed 6 inches.. ?

[knitty kitty]

I thought these articles might help.....

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/importance-stomach-acid-antacids-make-you-sick/

 

And....

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4110863/#!po=43.3333

Proton pump inhibitors and risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency: evidence and clinical implications

Omeprazole just made me more ill and contributed to severe vitamin deficiencies I developed during my search for a Celiac diagnosis.  I would not recommend them.

 

 

[trents]

Sounds like you have a good plan. You might also need to consider some lifestyle changes like avoiding caffeine and acidic spicy foods, avoiding bending over soon after eating, etc.

[DJFL77I]

  On 1/21/2021 at 9:40 PM, trents said:

Sounds like you have a good plan. You might also need to consider some lifestyle changes like avoiding caffeine and acidic spicy foods, avoiding bending over soon after eating, etc.

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I never eat spicy foods and don't drink coffee . Only water 

[Posterboy]

James,

I wrote my Posterboy blog posts so I wouldn't have to over explain things all the time.

So I will just link you to the one(s) I think will help most.....

And this one might help too!

Read as many or as little as you need too.....just search for the Posterboy on Celic.com and they will come up....

I have written a lot about because IT happened to me....going misdiagnosed.

Popular ulcers medicines can create the right conditions for ulcers....not the other way around as IS commonly believed....

https://www.hhmi.org/news/excessive-growth-bacteria-may-also-be-major-cause-stomach-ulcers

I also recommend Chris Kresser's series of articles on this topic...

https://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd/

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Now I need to get to a few other things tonight....

But I think this will point you in the right direction.

2 Timothy 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,

[CMCM]

I am currently having a big problem with upper abdominal pain after eating various things.  This used to be sporadic, now it happens too frequently.  I heard a discussion on the radio just last night suggesting that 6-9 mg. of melatonin taken once in the evening over 4 to 6 weeks can often get rid of the GERD type symptoms.  Interesting.....I read a few articles about it, but haven't drawn a conclusion yet for myself.  However, the structure of melatonin appears to be similar to that of Omaprazole, which is also interesting.  Of course, the pharma companies would probably prefer we buy the much more expensive Omaprazole than use a fairly inexpensive OTC melatonin for this problem.  This information seems to have been out there since at least 2010.  Here's a link to one of the articles I read:  https://www.wjgnet.com/2150-5349/full/v1/i5/102.htm

I have Omeprazole which I take only on the isolated occasions that I feel the pain coming on.  Much of the time it helps a bit, but not always.  It doesn't bother me or anything, but I would never take it daily as a prophylactic, the data on this drug are frightening.  I'm going to give the melatonin a try starting tonight.

[trents]

Have you been checked for a peptic ulcer?

And if you are only taking Omeprazole PRN, why not try something less likely to cause other health problems like Tums as needed?

Please keep in mind that, a far as I know, there haven't been any good longitudinal studies done on the safety of melatonin. And if, as you say, it has a similar chemical structure Omeprazole, it could have similar risks.

Have you tried elevating the head of your bed, eliminating acidic foods and caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda? There are some lifestyle changes that can make a significant impact on GERD. I struggled with this myself and was on a PPI for 18 years. I grew increasingly concerned about the risks of that med long term so I managed to wean myself off it a few months ago. And it was a struggle. I had to change some of my eating habits as well.

[Posterboy]

  On 1/22/2021 at 9:50 PM, CMCM said:

I have Omeprazole which I take only on the isolated occasions that I feel the pain coming on.  Much of the time it helps a bit, but not always.  It doesn't bother me or anything, but I would never take it daily as a prophylactic, the data on this drug are frightening.  I'm going to give the melatonin a try starting tonight.

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  On 1/22/2021 at 9:50 PM, CMCM said:

 However, the structure of melatonin appears to be similar to that of Omaprazole, which is also interesting.  Of course, the pharma companies would probably prefer we buy the much more expensive Omaprazole than use a fairly inexpensive OTC melatonin for this problem.  This information seems to have been out there since at least 2010.  Here's a link to one of the articles I read:  https://www.wjgnet.com/2150-5349/full/v1/i5/102.htm

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CMCM,

Be careful with the Melatonin.....it can raise your Blood Sugar!

I had a friend who had your problem......he began to be Pre-Diabetic on Melatonin....

Here is a nice thread about it...

https://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/threads/melatonin-effect-on-fasting-bg.95891/

If your not taking an acid reducer (PPIs) on a regular basis then taking Niacinamide will help your heartburn...

I explain why I prefer the Niacinamide form in this Posteboy blog post....and why frequency is more important than the amount.

It explains how Niacin has been shown to help GI problems like GERD/Heartburn and IBS.

Summarized here....

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/niacin-treats-digestive-problems.htm

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[knitty kitty]

My vote is for tryptophan.  Tryptophan has been shown to help Gerd without increasing melatonin.

Tryptophan can be transformed into melatonin or into niacin as the body needs.  Tryptophan is water soluble. Any excess your body doesn't need will be excreted.

Melatonin independent protective role of l-tryptophan in experimental reflux esophagitis in rats

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21527345/

 

The B vitamins all work together.....

Regression of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms using dietary supplementation with melatonin, vitamins and aminoacids: comparison with omeprazole

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16948779/

"A single blind randomized study was performed in which 176 patients underwent treatment using the supplement cited above (group A) and 175 received treatment of 20 mg omeprazole (group B). Symptoms were recorded in a diary and changes in severity of symptoms noted. All patients of the group A (100%) reported a complete regression of symptoms after 40 days of treatment. On the other hand, 115 subjects (65.7%) of the omeprazole reported regression of symptoms in the same period."

 

[CMCM]

Always so many different possibilities, you never know for sure what to do I guess.  What I'm thinking I have at the moment is some sort of gastritis.  For awhile it was at the point where I thought there was virtually nothing I can eat.  It's somewhat better now, but I have to be really careful.  I'm eating a very limited group of foods right now.  I already know from past experience not to eat tomato, especially foods with tomato sauce.  Spaghetti sauce kills me, and has for years.  Actually, most acidic things bother me.  I've always been a big taker of vitamins, but I must always take them with food and not too many at a time.  Last night my husband handed me a fish oil pill.  I buy fairly expensive ones from Carlson, labeled gluten-free, but I shouldn't have taken it an hour after eating.  Within 5 minutes I felt the pain beginning.  I took an omeprazole and the discomfort was limited to a couple of hours and I was able to sleep.  All is OK today.  I've been eating cream of rice with a half banana for breakfast, green tea, and home made chicken soup for dinner for at least a week.  I have to be careful to not eat much volume, as well. I don't know what set all this off to this extent, but I just have to wait and see.  I already take B vitamins which my doctor prescribed for my foot neuropathy....you have to have a prescription for it, but the Bs that are in it are a more expensive, supposedly more bioavailable and absorbable form.  The jury is still out as to whether it does much, however.  In general, I've taken vitamins my whole life as my mother used to read Adele Davis and follow many of her recommendations.

[trents]

Niacin supplementation gives me tummy burn. I know it has a reputation for doing that for some people. It's supposed to be transient but having just recently gone through PPI elimination withdrawal and come out on the other side I'm still very wary of things that irritate my gut.

[CMCM]

  On 1/23/2021 at 12:31 AM, trents said:

Niacin supplementation gives me tummy burn. I know it has a reputation for doing that for some people. It's supposed to be transient but having just recently gone through PPI elimination withdrawal and come out on the other side I'm still very wary of things that irritate my gut.

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What is the PPI elimination withdrawal?  Were you taking something on a regular daily basis?  

[trents]

  On 1/23/2021 at 11:16 PM, CMCM said:

What is the PPI elimination withdrawal?  Were you taking something on a regular daily basis?  

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Proton Pump Inhibitor. Omeprazole (Prilosec) , Protonix, etc. A class of meds that actually blocks the production of stomach acid as opposed to neutralizing it like Tums or Gaviscon. There are also H2 receptor inhibitors like Zantac and Pepcid which aren't as strong as PPIs but may create less dependency. Yes, I was taking the PPI on a daily basis. Took care of the GERD just fine but I became worried about malabsorption of vitamins and minerals due to the resultant higher stomach PH (ie., less stomach acid). It is designed to be taken on a daily basis but there is always the warning on the label to not take it for more than three consecutive weeks. But the warning is typically disregarded and most prescribing doctors seem unconcerned to follow up once they put you on it. There is also some research that suggests PPIs may contribute to villi blunting.

Edited January 24, 2021 by trents

[Posterboy]

  On 1/23/2021 at 12:31 AM, trents said:

Niacin supplementation gives me tummy burn. I know it has a reputation for doing that for some people. It's supposed to be transient but having just recently gone through PPI elimination withdrawal and come out on the other side I'm still very wary of things that irritate my gut.

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Trents,

You may have an ulcer.....

Taking a PPI long(er) term can trigger an ulcer.

https://www.hhmi.org/news/excessive-growth-bacteria-may-also-be-major-cause-stomach-ulcers

Mastic gum has been shown to help ulcers.

Cabbage Juice is also recommended for Ulcers....

You cant try some Tryptophan as Knitty Kitty cited.....

Our body used Tryptophan to manufacture about 80% of the bodies daily needs of Niacin....

Tryptophan was recently shown to help Villi healing in Celiac's too!

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201022/Tryptophan-found-in-turkeys-can-accelerate-intestinal-healing-in-people-with-celiac-disease.aspx

I recommended Niacinamide because it does not flush the way Niacin does.....and is considered to be well tolerated!

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[trents]

Posterboy, I don't see other signs of an ulcer. I would think if I had an ulcer it would produce pain at other times.

[GFinDC]

  On 1/21/2021 at 5:23 PM, JamesDelaney said:

I just got back from ENT doctor who looked up my nose and down the back with a little camera.. he said I have reflux that's causing some damage back there.  Most likely causes by the Celiac.. hopefully once it's completely shut off it will go away... I've been off gluten now for 6 months. My levels dropped from over 100 to 11.   11 was still considered active as 0 - 3 is normal range. Anyway he wants me to take omeprazole for 3 months and gaviscon to heal.. and raise my bed. I'm not sure about the omeprazole.. Im planning to just take gaviscon and raise my bed 6 inches.. ?

Expand Quote  

That sounds like a cautious plan and a good approach James.  Here's a link with info on Gaviscon.

https://www.drugs.com/cdi/gaviscon.html

Another thing i can suggest is stopping all cola type soft drinks.  They can be hard on the stomach.

[DJFL77I]

Seems better already.  Don't have a bad taste in my mouth anymore when I wake up in the morning. See how it goes 🤔

[Gloria L]

  On 1/25/2021 at 9:35 AM, JamesDelaney said:

Seems better already.  Don't have a bad taste in my mouth anymore when I wake up in the morning. See how it goes 🤔

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Hi James, is gaviscon gluten free? is it helping you with the GERD? How long can you take it for? I also have a bad case of gerd, just started a gluten-free diet, thank you.

[DJFL77I]

Ya it's gluten free. I take the extra strength version. Ya seems to be helping.  

My Dr said to take it for a month. But it says you can take it for months or years depending on how you need it

[Gloria L]

  On 1/27/2021 at 10:22 AM, JamesDelaney said:

Ya it's gluten free. I take the extra strength version. Ya seems to be helping.  

My Dr said to take it for a month. But it says you can take it for months or years depending on how you need it

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Thank you James, I'm hoping that the gluten-free diet will make it go away. You made a lot of progress in 6 months with your levels dropping to 11.

[DJFL77I]

I don't think just eating gluten-free will make it go away. I've been eating gluten-free for around 6 months and it was always there. I was not treating it the whole time though.

Never had any kind of problems with reflux though before celiac symptoms started so maybe after celiac is no longer active

[Gloria L]

  On 1/28/2021 at 1:26 PM, JamesDelaney said:

I don't think just eating gluten-free will make it go away. I've been eating gluten-free for around 6 months and it was always there. I was not treating it the whole time though.

Never had any kind of problems with reflux though before celiac symptoms started so maybe after celiac is no longer active

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Yeah, I'm hoping the same too. I never had Gerd/acid reflux until I started having symptoms of celiac disease. I wish there was somebody who had the same issues with GERD or acid reflux and could tell us if they got rid of those once the celiac disease was no longer active. My GERD symptoms are horrible, pain, burning, indigestion. It's really bad. 

[trents]

Sometimes PPI therapy is needed on a temporary basis to get GERD under control. It really does work well for that. Just covenant with yourself to taper off of them when the situation improves. Toughing it out is not worth a peptic ulcer or Barret's Esophagitis.

Edited January 28, 2021 by trents

[Gloria L]

  On 1/28/2021 at 3:36 PM, trents said:

Sometimes PPI therapy is needed on a temporary basis to get GERD under control. It really does work well for that. Just covenant with yourself to taper off of them when the situation improves. Toughing it out is not worth a peptic ulcer or Barret's Esophagitis.

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Hi Trents, I'm taking famotidine, it helps a little. Did you have the same issue? Did the GERD or reflux go away after a while?

[trents]

  On 1/28/2021 at 3:43 PM, Gloria L said:

Hi Trents, I'm taking famotidine, it helps a little. Did you have the same issue? Did the GERD or reflux go away after a while?

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I tried famotidine when I was weaning myself off of 18 years of PPI therapy. It did not seem to help at all. But the issue may have been that it was not gluten free. I ditched it an went with Kirkland (Costco) extra strength calcium carbonate as a bridge. Some formulations of Pepsid/Pepsid AC are not gluten free so maybe you need to check on that. And as well, some Tums-like antacids are not gluten free either.