What is wrong with me? I need serious answers please!!?
Monday, June 7th, 2010 at
10:16 am
I’ve been having problems with indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, and excessive burping for the past 5 months. Doctors tell me that it is GERD but the meds they give me just dont work. What works most for me is to avoid eating dairy products and raw food like lettuce or sushi. Is this IBS? or am I lactose intolerant? or is it something else? Please help me, it would be very much appreciated.
Tagged with: Answers • need • please • Serious • wrong
Filed under: Acid Reflux Foods to Avoid
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Go to your Doctor and tell him the meds don’t work.
I believe that you have gerd as well, however if not eating dairy or lettuce and sushi help you by all means don’t eat them. I found that romaine lettuce doesn’t bother me while iceburg does. everybody has differennt things that make it worse. You must stay on your medication faithfully it you want it to work, also try sticking a brick under the Top part of your bed under each foot on both sides to help keep you a little elevated while sleeping, this also helps alot.
If you get the problem after taking certain food (as you have found out) it is like food allergy. Try to avoid such food and you will be OK. Naming the problem is not important.
Good luck!
I too suffer with GERD and I bet I went through 5 different medications. My Gastroenterologist placed a catheter in my throat and I wore that for 24 hours so they could see the amount of acid that was returning in my esophagus and also so they could see how high up it was going. I was astonished, as was my doctor, at the acid contents that was returning into my esophagus (throat). We decided to do a Laparoscopic fundoplication (google this). Within 2 weeks after the surgery, I had little to no reflux. I haven’t had to take medication for almost 6 months now. I only take it now if I am in high stress situations (I am in nursing school) as stress can cause issues with GERD sufferers. Read about this procedure, it was an out-patient procedure and only needed 2 days off of work, and then discuss it with your Internal Medicine or Gastroenterologist.
GOOD LUCK>
Well, you’ve obviously been to a doctor, by what you’ve said above, so the next step is a naturopath. And that’s a serious suggestion, not a stupid remark.
It sounds to me like you could be eating something that you should not be eating. There is a book called “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet” with a very healthy but strict diet. Maybe your library has it. In the book is a recipe for a very plain chicken soup. Basically, if you make that soup and eat pretty much just that for a few days, see if your symptoms go away. Then you can decide if you want to stay on the diet and what foods to add. Meanwhile, make an appointment with your doctor, who should know that the medicine isn’t working. If it’s not working, you shouldn’t take it, but you need to let the doctor know before you just stop taking it. Sometimes you to wean yourself off some medications slowly.
What I know of IBS, a major symptom that you have not mentioned is diarrhea.
Did the doctor check you for gallbladder disease? When I had your symptoms and went to the emergency room, I wound up with 4 little scars and now am without my gallbladder.
I do think you need to go back to your doctor.
In the midst of Aera’s answer is what your problem sounds like to me. I think you should have a test of your gallbladder. Ask your Dr. about this.
Have you ever had a scope of your esophagus done? If not, it might be time. Are you seeing a specialist for this? You may need to get a referal to a Gastroenterologist or “GI Dr”. This type of physician performs the EGD scope and is more knowledgable about GERD because it is his speciality.
Also it is very important that you take the medications exactly as prescribed. Medications that limit acid can only work if they are taken consistently. When you skip a dose you allow extra acid to form which starts the cycle over again.
I have also had the Nissen Fundoplication done by laprascope. It was the answer to years of discomfort. When you Google this, you will discover that there is a lot of controversay on the effectiveness of this procedure. Some “authorities” call it useless surgery. Read everything you can about it and make your own decision. If you are not in a large enough community that they can perform the needed acid testing (as described in another answer) then ask for a referal to a bigger institution. This testing is called Esophageal Manometry and tests not only the acid washing up into the esophagus but the competency of the lower esophageal sphincter. If you decide on the surgery make sure it is done by a surgeon that has done many of them not just a couple a year. When mine was done the surgeon was doing more a month than the surgeons at the famed Cleveland Clinic. I live in the broad Cleveland area.
There are many factors that can contribute to your problem. Make sure you try following the Dr’s instructions to the letter and limiting foods that you know are causing you trouble. Do everything right for 4 weeks to give the modifications a chance to work and then go from there. I feel strongly that you need to have your gallbladder checked.
Good luck to you.
Claudia