Acid Reflux

[jknnej]

I think I may have it...my symptoms are clear cut, but here they are:

heartburn sometimes-I didn't realize what I had was heartburn until the doc told me yesterday. i get chest pain and always thought it was a heart problem!

Nausea

raspy voice (last few months only)

ear aches

anyone think this could be causing my nausea problems? Or does reflux not cause nausea? Doc says it's possible but I would like to know from someone else who has it if they have nausea?

Also, does Nexium or Prevacid help?

[bmorrow]

I started out my diagnosis journey with acid reflux. Four years ago I started having burning and pain in my chest and back. It was worse at night, after I went to bed. It progressed to the point that I was losing my breath, felt like I was having a heart attack. I finally went to the doctor and after many tests he found that I had GERD. I was treated for a year with Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid. None of the drugs worked and I now had pneumonia, an inflamed esphogaus, and I could barely talk. The doctors wanted me to have surgery, because they were concerned that I was going to get cancer in my esphogaus or throat. I had a Nissen Fundoliplication two years ago. I didn't have the reflux anymore, but I still had severe GI problems, and that has finally led to the diagnosis of Celiac and Microscopic colitis.

Nausea, earaches, sinus infections, and pneumonia can all be symptons of GERD.

Let me know, if you have anymore questions.

[ianm]

I used to get severe heartburn and acid reflux. Since going gluten-free I don't get that anymore. Acid reflux and heartburn is basically caused by eating junk. Since I can't eat that anymore the problem is gone.

[jknnej]

How do you get rid of the nausea?

[KaitiUSA]

This has helped me with nausea:

-Teas..peppermint, chamomile, ginger.

-Altoids(peppermint, cinnamon) or other strong mints

-Rice

[rmmadden]

My diagnosis also started off as Acid Reflux. I was on Prevacid for 5-months which took care of the heartburn but I was still feeling lousy. That's when I had the Endoscopy and they found the Celiac.

I now take Zantac as needed and try to stay away from acidic & hard to digest foods. I know the chest feeling you describe and also thought in the beginning that it was my heart. But, I've always felt relief from taking either Pepto Bismol, Zantac or Imodium Maximum Strength GasAid which takes away the bloating, full feeling.

I also get relief by taking walks after I eat. I think it helps with digestion. Finally, I sleep with the head of my bed raised 6-inches to help keep the stomach fluids where they belong.

Best Of Luck!

Cleveland Bob

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

I had acid reflux and was diagnosed with GERD before my real diagnosis. I also had heartburn and problems. But all that disappeared on the glutenfree diet.

[Guest Viola]

Acid Reflux, or GERD can also be caused by a hiatus hernia, and may not go away with the gluten free diet. Medication/diet and sometimes surgery is required. Keep checking with your doctor if it persists.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Yes, you're right, Shirley. That's what I actually ment, but I was a little bit in a hurry yesterday. And so some things came out wrong. I ment, mine went away on the glutenfree diet, but you always should go to your doctor.

[uclangel422]

For the past two years i have been on every acid reducing medication on the market and i am only 24. The best i took was Nexium if you want to take a pill.

I have been strict gluten-free for about two weeks and am starting to see a change in those symptoms. I still take the Nexium but hope to get off of it soon.

Good luck with this.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Same problem with me here. I had a lot of acid reflux medications, but nothing helped. Couple of weeks on the gluten-free diet worked wonders with me.

Good luck, Stef

[steadyed]

My wife is the one with the acid reflux. When she gets an attack she munches on Tums as if they were candy.

Ed

[emeraldskies]

I developed acid reflux eight years ago (when I was 19). I had an upper GI and a barium X-ray done, and when doctors couldn't find a clear cause, they called it GERD. Every minute, I was eating Rolaids alternating with cough drops, to relieve the sore throat the reflux caused. The cough drops seemed to cause more reflux, so it was a vicious cycle. Eventually, I had my tonsils removed at the age of 22 because of chronic strep infections. I think overdoing it on the antacids contributed to my osteomalacia. I had to take Prevacid every 24 hours or the reflux would be unbearable, and sometimes it was at this stage at 10 hours or less. After I eliminated gluten and casein from my diet, the reflux completely disappeared. The only time it would recur was when I would accidentally reingest gluten or casein. So, in my case, I think the GERD was caused only by food allergies.

[skbird]

Just wanted to mention I found out the hard way that Tums have gluten in them, when I was trying to deal with some acid reflux of my own about a month ago. Took me two weeks to get over the sickness 4 Tums caused me.

Stephanie

[emeraldskies]

Stephanie: That's good to know. Fortunately, I never liked Tums because they never helped my reflux (probably because they were just causing more!). I believe my father is at least gluten intolerant if he doesn't have full-blown celiac disease, but he refuses to get tested and eats Tums regularly.

[Guest zipy]

yeah, I found out about the tums too...ick, for nausea during pregnancy they suggest chewing a minty gum, it always worked for me and it still works!~good luck

[Guest sushi]

I was diagnosed with acid reflux also before the celiac disease diagnosis, was put on medication, and developed an allergy to it. I am currently eating yogurt for the acidophilus with my meals. I had no bacteria in my gut at all. This helps and also eating early about 2-3 hours before going to bed. If I can't eat early, I sleep with a double pillow so that I am partially upright. Not the most pleasant way to sleep, but it works.

Aloha from Hawaii,

Susette

[Ignatia]

Are you on the "gluten-free" diet?

Within two weeks of avoiding gluten, my acid reflux left me. I waited about 3 weeks before I quit taking the little purple pill. Now, after 5 years, I don't take any medication at all, except Advill for occasional sinus headaches (allergic to mold). It seems to me that if you are on the diet, you shouldn't be having these acid reflux symtoms.

And, yes, you can feel upset to your stomach, often. My mother lives with me and is on the diet also. I am sure I inherited the disease from her family. Her throat seems to have healed a lot and she has less trouble swallowing. She is 88 but the diet has helped her too. Her father and 4 brothers all died of colon cancer. Maybe I won't have to deal with that.

Maybe your diet still have some gluten in it?

Susan in Texas

[elonwy]

I also , began the diagnosis journey with Acid Reflux which dissappeared (crossed fingers) a couple days ago.

I was on Nexium and then Aciphex, both which did nothing, which is part of what led me, finally to celiac disease. Now I am on Prevacid ( which helped) but will stop that in a few days. I am on the Prevacid because they found Ulcers while they were doing my biopsy. When I eat Gluten though, the heartburn hits me really bad. I pop a pepcid and it kills my heartburn.

If you aren't getting Gluten in your diet, it may be Hiatal (spel?) Hernia, which a friend of mine has, or maybe some little ulcers. Escpecially with the raspy voice, that leads me to think hernia, but you should really get a doctor to look at it. They told me I had that though, and were talking surgery ( the success rate for which is 4 out of 10 I don't think so!) and it ended up being completely different which is why they should loook, not just give you meds.

I also sleep with a double pillow which elevates my head to reduce esophagal damage from the acid, I found this helped ALOT when I was in the middle of it all.

HTH

Elonwy

Oh yeah and breathing makes my stomach upset, so can't really help you there.

[Guest sushi]

I am on a gluten-free diet. I had an endoscopy to check on the acid reflux and everything checked out fine. Thank you for your concern. I concluded that my liver was overworkng and I needed bacteria to help me digest my food. I also had my liver checked recently and thankfully, everything checked out fine there too. I felt like I was not getting any nutrients when I ate. You see, I was also not gaining any weight. I have been very diligent this summer to increase my food intake and have gained one or two pounds. Hopefully, this will not disappear once I have to start teaching school in the fall.

Mahalo,

Susette

[skbird]

I don't believe I ever had acid reflux before going gluten-free. But now when I get glutened and when I eat other things that affect me poorly, I seem to be prone to it. I went through a phase this summer where I was popping Pepcids all the time. But I'm not sure that was the answer for me, either. I never got the weird voice but my throat did seem to feel hard, like it was lined with plastic. It's weird to me that this would have developed post-gluten-free diet for me.

Stephanie

[milanoGFgirl]

I am celiac, and have had reflux for the past four years. I attibuted the fact that I could not eat garlic, peppers, spices, onion, etc to the mere fact that I have now have a "delicate stomach".

This july, i went in for my anual endoscopy (Dr. Green, the best, at Columbia Pres), only to be diagnosed not only with a hiatal hernia (which is common to about 40%of the world population or so, apparently, btw) but with Barrett's Esophagus. The second of these is a condition which was brought on by the years of reflux, and probably because of my discovering about my being celiac only four years ago. It is a pretty serious condition, which can be controlled and so is fine, but must be controlled.

I am now on prescription Prevacid to keep it under control.

I highly recommend, to anyone who is having serious reflux, to go in for an endoscopy, or to at least discuss the various scenarios with a good specialist.

[Eliza13]

Milano...

My aunt had surgery yesterday for Barrett's esophogus. I've tried telling her (and the rest of the family) about celiac, to no avail. Why do people not take food intolerances seriously? I think it is because they have been primarily characterized as "digestive" problems, while the more serious symptoms get side-lined.

SKAR

[sonjaf]

I also had severe nausea and heartburn/acid reflux before I found out I had celiac disease.

Since then, I took an acid reflux medicine (my mind has gone blank, can't think of it right now) and over about 6 months it seems to have gone away. I was so sick I couldn't sleep laying down most nights. I slept (ha ha) in a recliner. Now, I am back in the bed. I still have nausea some, but my symptoms are so much better since I am gluten-free.

I suggest taking over the counter heartburn medicine if you have a severe problem. It might help with the nausea. Be sure to tell your doctor first. He/She might have another suggestion.

Sonja

[samia]

Hi guys. I found these posts really helpful and similar to my symptoms. I am 22 and i have been suffering from GI problems for the past one year. The doctors have tried everything they could possibly do. I was diagnosed with Camplybacter jejuni bacteria at first which I don't have anymore. Then, I started to have these symptoms. The symptoms first started with a feeling of lump on my throat, then it gradually started to get worse and worse. Right now my symptoms include regurgitation, feeling of nausea,vomiting, bloating, pain all around the stomach, ibs symptoms and the worst one is feeling the need to burp but CANNOT..a constant pressure on the chest and feeling full.. and it becomes really hard for me to breath. These symptoms are there everyday and everytime I eat something. I had a Endoscopy and biopsy, 24 pH monitoring, barium exam, thyroid check but the only thing that was found was a slow digestion and slightly weak sphincter muscle. I have lost about 30 lb over the year, im always tired and very weak, i get headaches...feel dizzy. I went to a nutritionist and have been on a special reflux diet for 2 months but nothing has changed. I am a 4th university student but missed a full year of school because of this, my social and family life has also changed drastically. I really don't know what to do, my life is really static right now.

If anyone had a similar situation and survived or doing something that's helping you, please let know.

Hoping to hear from you guys soon.

Thanks