Tell me about acid reflux

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_I have a question
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _I have a question »

Imagine having a madras curry wedged in your gullet adjacent to the rib cage.

It intensifies and subsides. It can be VERY uncomfortable.

Sometimes eating can make it subside (depending on what's causing it), small mouthfuls of room temperature milk can make it subside.

From my experience the cure has simply been to lose weight, eat less, avoid fatty, greasy, spicy foods.
And....wait for it....Alcohol is NOT helpful.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

Well, fortunately or unfortunately, I have a follow up to this thread. I have myself sorted out good and proper now. Had the burning tonight after eating but not even as close to bad as it was back in June, went directly into afib do not pass go, do not collect 200$.

Had the paramedics here and everything. Accepted transport to the ER because who knew what was going to happen. Got checked out and to make a long story short, I managed to get myself out of the afib on my own. So no types of treatment whatsoever. Bunch of labs done, everything came back normal.

The burning, for me, has nothing to do with acid reflux. The fact that I ate prior to now two events is simply coincidental. The burning is associated with afib and nothing but afib. And as I look back on the past couple of years or so, I think I had afib every single time I thought I had heart burn, though it never triggered a tachycardia response like it did in June.

So anyway, I'm okay and now that I look back on this evening I made a couple of mistakes in my responses because I was scared crapless that the burning would be horrible like it was the first time. But, I managed to get myself through an episode of afib and actually got MYSELF out of it.

Wow, what a crazy thing this is to deal with and talk about a learning experience/trial by fire! I'll know better what to do if this happens again.

Whew!

And thanks, guys, for all the responses you shared here. I appreciate it!

Aside to afib: You have met your match!
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
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_AmyJo
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _AmyJo »

Dr. Shades wrote:I had it until a gastroenterologist cured it for me.

The pain is quite literally unbearable. We're talking suicide-level pain.


How were you able to cure it? My doctor put me on Prilosec for mine. Although there was/is no accompanying pain with mine.

I've had gallstones for more than two decades, without suffering pain from those. So far I haven't needed it removed. If that contributes to acid reflux, maybe I should.
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

I would just like to offer a word of caution to those who regularly take a meds for acid reflux that are classified as Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPI's when used for long periods of time (years) can cause bone loss. If you are in that category of folks who do take PPI's long term, a good idea is to have a bone density test via DXA scan and see how you're doing bone-wise and follow on scans at 2 year intervals.

I started having DXA scans 4 years ago. To make a long story short, I discovered that my bones are A-Okay but that took 2.5 years of stress and aggravation to learn. Long, long, long, story. Along the way I learned about PPI's (which I do not take) and the impact on bone density. I don't take PPI's but would just like to pass that information along for those who do.

Not trying to scare anyone, just inform.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
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_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

AmyJo wrote:
Dr. Shades wrote:I had it until a gastroenterologist cured it for me.

The pain is quite literally unbearable. We're talking suicide-level pain.


How were you able to cure it? My doctor put me on Prilosec for mine. Although there was/is no accompanying pain with mine.

I've had gallstones for more than two decades, without suffering pain from those. So far I haven't needed it removed. If that contributes to acid reflux, maybe I should.


I'm not sure if gallstones contribute to acid reflux. That's a good question for your doc. You're lucky that you don't have gall bladder attacks because they feel much like what Shades described with reflux and what I described as having to do with afib. I did have my gall bladder out years ago (pretty easy breezy compared to other surgeries and absolutely easier than how they did the gall bladder removal back in the day) but I can tell you that the pain associated with gall bladders attack will make you think you're having a heart attack.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
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_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

AmyJo wrote:
Dr. Shades wrote:I had it until a gastroenterologist cured it for me.

The pain is quite literally unbearable. We're talking suicide-level pain.


How were you able to cure it? My doctor put me on Prilosec for mine. Although there was/is no accompanying pain with mine.

I've had gallstones for more than two decades, without suffering pain from those. So far I haven't needed it removed. If that contributes to acid reflux, maybe I should.


I'm just bumping this question up in the hopes that Shades will answer the question you asked, because I'd like to hear how his doc cured his issues as well if he's willing to share.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Dr. Shades
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Dr. Shades »

AmyJo wrote:
Dr. Shades wrote:I had it until a gastroenterologist cured it for me.

The pain is quite literally unbearable. We're talking suicide-level pain.

How were you able to cure it? My doctor put me on Prilosec for mine. Although there was/is no accompanying pain with mine.

If there was no accompanying pain, then I doubt you have acid reflux disease.

But to answer your original question, my doctor prescribed Protonix for me, which I took for a number of months until I stopped having symptoms.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"

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_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

Dr. Shades wrote:If there was no accompanying pain, then I doubt you have acid reflux disease.

But to answer your original question, my doctor prescribed Protonix for me, which I took for a number of months until I stopped having symptoms.


That's pretty darn great! I'm happy that you're free of it!
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Jersey Girl »

So back on this little horse I've been riding. I've been identifying and working to avoid my own triggers for this AFIB business. Caffeine is top of the list so I'm reducing intake as we speak.

Remember when I said that I thought that acid reflux was involved? My doctor and the paramedics poo-pooed the idea.

My ASS. Yes, there IS an association between acid reflux and AFIB.

Take a look: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19911354

Good to know. I'm hot on the trail of possible reflux triggers as well now. Bite me, AFIB!
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Dr. Shades
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Re: Tell me about acid reflux

Post by _Dr. Shades »

Jersey Girl wrote:That's pretty darn great! I'm happy that you're free of it!

Thank you. It's so good to be free (of that).

In other news, I assume "AFIB" = aortic fibrillation?
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"

--Louis Midgley
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