Who has acid reflux?

worriedindebt

I use bicarbonate of soda now as I found gaviscon et al to be expensive and not much cop.
I drop a teaspoon into some water and knock it back.. Tastes foul but by golly does it work!

Lorian

Gaviscon is expensive, but in the best MSE tradition there is an alternative product, at about half the price, but you won't find it on the shelf, you have to go the pharmacy and ask for "Peptac Liquid". Usually they will then try to sell you Gaviscon. Resist, and ask them again for Petac. 2 mins later they will come back with it, say something like "we only usually get asked for this on prescription" and then charge you about £3.50 for a 500ml bottle.


I find it outrageous they don't just put it on the shelf next to Gaviscon.


There is something even better for free. Don't eat anything late, for me it helps the most.


Reflux can also affect your teeth. Mention you have it to your dentist. Bicarb Toothpaste (like arm&Hammer) and Gum with xylitol sweetner are supposed to help teeth resist the acid.

Nada666

Who has acid reflux?

I have both - much prefer the original animated shorts to the live action remake (but even it was still more fun than some belittlers claim.)

I find rantidine about it on the Web of limited help - you just end up in an unwinnable debate with some obstinate whiner who thinks they're entitled because they read the galleys never mind the proofs.

Lorian

Nada666 wrote: »

Who has acid reflux?

I have both - much prefer the original animated shorts to the live action remake (but even it was still more fun than some belittlers claim.)

I find rantidine about it on the Web of limited help - you just end up in an unwinnable debate with some obstinate whiner who thinks they're entitled because they read the galleys never mind the proofs.

I need pain killers now.

calleyw

teddysmum wrote: »

How odd.

At my annual diabetes check up, last week, the nurse advised me that NICE has recommended that people being prescribed aspirin should also take Omeprazole, my aspirin being a long term recommendation.

Because Omeprazole protects the stomach.

I was told that if taking AD and ibuprofen everyday I would need something to protect my stomach as they both irritate the lining of the stomach.

Yours

Calley

lessonlearned

Yes Omeprazole is used as stomach protector when used in combination with certain drug regimes.

However if you "0nly" have GORD or IBS the new guidelines suggest short term use only until the condition has stabilised.

The problem with all PPIs is that they are designed to inhibit the production of stomach acid at source which in the longer term does present further difficulties. You need some stomach acid because it contains digestive enzymes which are necessary for the digestive process. Without these enzymes the body cannot utilise all the nutrients in food, leading to vitamin and trace mineral deficiencies.

Not in all cases, but in some, diet and lifestyle can be a major contributory factor, stress was always a big trigger point for me, coupled with wheat intolerance.

Once I managed to address those two issues I managed to wean myself off Omeprazole. I can honestly say after nearly 60 years of stomach problems I am finally symptom free And no longer rely on medication.

I took omeprazole for over 10 years so weaning myself off it had to be done slowly. It took about six months. If you try to do it too quickly the reflux rebound is horrific.

teddysmum

calleyw wrote: »

Because Omeprazole protects the stomach.

I was told that if taking AD and ibuprofen everyday I would need something to protect my stomach as they both irritate the lining of the stomach.

Yours

Calley

I know that it is to protect , as originally I couldn't tolerate normal aspirin so was given gastro-enteric protected and Lansoprazole, but I developed a well known problem from taking the latter long term and was transferred to Omeprazole.


As I take several drugs, I stopped taking the Omeprazole, unless I actually got heartburn, until given the advice last week.


I'm just surprised that , as it is now prescribed long term ,the poster above says it is not advisable.

maddiemay

Yes, it is surprising, but it is fact that many medics prescribe it long term, even though it is not advisable:eek: When discussing my reservations with a previous GP, he said in a very sarcastic manner "well I have never treated anyone with malnutrition because of it", well for me malnutrition was a step too far, one can feel pretty ill and do a lot of damage for a long time before formal diagnosis of malnutrition!

I belong to an International support group for a chronic and treatable but incurable illness, and a significant number of members (not me because I will not take it) believe that their problems have been caused by prolonged use of PPI's.

It takes a while to recognise the triggers for acid reflux (a food diary is helpful here, as is noting significant stress and upsets in life), but with a lot of time and effort most people can reduce if not prevent episodes or GERD. If prescribed to protect the stomach when using anti-inflammatory drugs, then the individual has to make an informed decision on what to take. I would always take a good quality multi-mineral and also multi-vitamin to be on the safe side. Much as I respect my medics, I know that they receive very little training in nutrition and nutritional deficiencies.

Best wishes to downshifted, I have experienced the same symptoms, still do if I get things wrong:( and I know how awful it can be, I hope that you can find the cause of your problem.

lessonlearned

One thing I did notice is that over time Omeprazole became less effective anyway. I think that perhaps its like a lot of medication, the body adjusts and develops a tolerance. So, you either increase the dosage or look for alternatives.

teddysmum - I do appreciate that when Omeprazole is taken as a stomach protector as part of a drug regime such as NSAIDs, Or prednisalone etc then options may be limited. These drugs are very corrosive to the stomach lining and the patient has no real choice but to try and protect the stomach, so PPIs will be the only real choice.

However, my point Was if you are taking PPIs purely for Gord then it might be worth trying other avenues, firstly to,avoid the side effects such as vitamin deficiency and secondly because over time the body develops a tolerance and they are therefore less effective.

I realise that not all Gord or IBS is diet related or linked to lifestyle factors such as stress and of course not all Gord sufferers are wheat intolerant.

However modifying the diet and introducing a few lifestyle changes such as reducing stress, some relaxation techniques and some gentle exercise has to be worth a try.

And Maddie is quite right. GPs are only offered one 2 hour lecture in nutrition and that is optional......yes entirely optional......Some Medical students don't even bother turning up for it.

Unless your GP has a particular interest in nutrition and have taken it upon themselves to study the subject a little, then they often really don't know very much about issues around food. Their standard knee jerk reaction is typical to Maddies GPs sarcasm. They lack knowledge but will rarely admit it.

My GP was quite the reverse. He was extremely supportive in helping me wean myself off Omeprazole and gave me a lot of advice regarding diet, lifestyle and simple home or over the counter remedies, herbs etc.

If anyone wants to try, then just google "quitting Omeprazole". There is a wealth of information, tips and advice, support groups, published papers by nutrtionists.

I was heavily reliant on Omeprazole for a long time, to the extent that it was no,longer having any real effect. My Gord was escalating. I had two choices, keep increasing the amount of medication I took, or try something else.

Thankfully the "something else" worked for me. I have been free of all medication now for over 1 year and Im finally pain free. If I slip up and eat too much wheat then I will struggle until I cut back again.

I know now what my trigger points are so avoid them. It's no,different to migraine sufferers, migraines also have triggers and sufferers soon learn how to avoid them.

In fact I also used to suffer crippling headaches but Thankfully i seem to have fewer and less painful headaches now too. Maybe there was a connection between my gord and my headaches.

As Maddie says keep a food diary and see if you can spot any patterns. Try eliminating all grains for three weeks and see how you feel, and then reintroduce them slowly, one at a time, and see what happens.

It is a bit of a balancing act and I do slip up at times but generally if I stick to my more or less grain free regime then I feel fine.

lessonlearned

Ps just edited to add, long term untreated gord can lead to some very unpleasant complications such as narrowing and scarring of the oesophagus.. My dad now has this and the effects are very distressing.

He takes a cocktail of drugs and has been taking Omeprazole for years as a stomach protector. He has been taking it for so long it doesn't work any more, his body has become resistant.

He really needs surgery to open up the oesophagus but it is so badly damaged and fragile due to scar tissue from the acid that they are loathe to operate. Last time he had the camera examination they had to do it under sedation and they had to give up because he bled out.

I'm determined not to go down the same route which is why I decided it was time to quit omeprazole. I thought it better to address the cause of my gord rather than simply treating the symptoms.