Does indigestion cause reflux or the other way around? - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

vintagegirl · 08-09-2005, 12:53 PM

As I continue to take 40 mg Protonix twice daily, (I'm on the 10th week with my symptom free 4 week break in between/then relapse...) I am noticing an increase in episodes of a "tight" feeling right beneath my adam's apple (maybe an inch below). If I try to take a deep breath inward, the breath feels constricted. It doesn't happen everytime after I eat--but it now happens at least once a day--which wasn't happening before. Burping helps, and within an hour, it's usually gone and the base of my throat may feel a little tender, but then that rebounds and goes away too. I can't figure out what foods set me off....chips no, coffee no, other salty snacks yes, then this afternnoon I had green beans and hell to pay???????

So is what I'm describing a reflux episode----or was it just indigestion? Or both? I don't know what's going on.

I have read that reflux is caused by indigestion. Which explains why some docs put people on Reglan, I suppose. But if this is true, then aren't the PPI's doing more harm than good by keeping down acid that helps our food digest?

Or maybe my Protonix has reached a plateau and is no longer working? Any ideas?

tizimare · 08-10-2005, 12:20 AM

I am skeptical of PPI's for the same reason you pointed out. My doc wants me on Prilosec OTC because it works like a charm for me. But I'm afraid that one day I'll need something stronger...and then stronger....until my digestive system is messed up from lack of proper acid in the stomach.

I'm taking Pepcid Complete, an H2-blocker. It's not as strong as a PPI so I have to be extra careful of what I eat. I'm still not so sure that the Pepcid Complete is all that 'safe' either. I've been taking digestive enzymes to help aid in food digestion but I honestly don't know if it's a help or a hinder to my recovery. I read somewhere (in this GERD forum) that digestive enzymes cause the stomach to produce MORE acid. If that's the case and there are several who are throwing their meds away and taking digestive enzymes instead....how is it possible that they are feeling better unless it's true that GERD is caused from not enough stomach acid rather than "too much"?

I began this GERD journey May 31st of this year...out of the blue. I've seen a GI doc and have had tests and I'm STILL trying to find the right foods to eat or not eat. The doctors list of "no-no foods" just doesn't cover all the trigger foods. I just don't think doctors have all the answers when it comes to treating GERD/acid reflux. Online research concludes much the same...PPI's are not good to take. But do we believe this stuff? It makes perfect sense, in reality.

vintagegirl · 08-10-2005, 06:36 AM

Thanks for your reply...The hard part is accepting that what we have has fallen under the umbrella of western medicine's "pharmaceutical" cure-all.
And the PPI's obviously aren't working. If they were, we would be feeling better by now. Someone on here mentioned a test available for too little acid...and I also heard of some Type 1 diabetic (I'm Type 1) people with too little acid--though I don't know if reflux was their presenting symptom. I realize that I have only been taking PPI's for 10 weeks, but I'm not satisfied with the way I feel. Some days I feel just as bad as I did when I first started them....and now the symptoms are mutating. I don't take this as a good sign or that the Protonix is working. For those of you who got relief from PPI's, at about what week did you see a turn around? I would hate to abandon this too soon, but am getting disgusted.