Question about GERD - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

jpeder04 · 05-27-2007, 12:37 PM

I've just recently been diagnosed with GERD. I have so many questions - hopefully some you all can address (please!):

I'm a 36 year old female - Am I too young to get this?

I've had a history of having an anxiety disorder (but haven't had any problems with it for about a year) - could I have gotten this from my body being stressed out from anxiety?

My doctor gave me a six week supply of protonix - which works most of the time - but every 7-8 days, I get some symptoms, then they go away. I have a feeling that once I go off the meds, GERD will return as it was before....what happens next? Will they put me on more meds or would surgery be considered?

How long have you been dealing with this disease?

nova-pyrgold · 05-27-2007, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpeder04

I've just recently been diagnosed with GERD. I have so many questions - hopefully some you all can address (please!):

I'm a 36 year old female - Am I too young to get this?

I've had a history of having an anxiety disorder (but haven't had any problems with it for about a year) - could I have gotten this from my body being stressed out from anxiety?

My doctor gave me a six week supply of protonix - which works most of the time - but every 7-8 days, I get some symptoms, then they go away. I have a feeling that once I go off the meds, GERD will return as it was before....what happens next? Will they put me on more meds or would surgery be considered?

How long have you been dealing with this disease?

nova-pyrgold · 05-27-2007, 04:19 PM

Hi. I have just joined the board and GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) is something I am very familiar with and have suffered for many years and was on Pariet prescibed by my Doctor, prior to that I have taken other medications that can now be bought over the counter. What bothers me is that Doctors are happy to give us these pills and not look any further than the diagnosis. There are several things that can cause acid reflux and I think you have to discover what your triggers are and eliminate them, literally!!

I recently read about taking raw apple cider vingegar before meals, it creates a better environment for food to be digested in the stomach. Most of us do not have enough enzymes to do this job and we create more acid than we need and then we get too much and it becomes acid reflux, where it creeps or rushes up into our throats to cause discomfort and concern. I have been taking the RACV for about a week now and am having some success. I have stopped taking Pariet because I don't want to be taking it all my life. My triggers seem to be anything made with flour, I think milk, coffee for sure and I stay away from anything spicy or fried foods to name a few. So try and be proactive and decide what it is that really starts an episode and cut them out of your diet, it will be worth the effort. I take the raw apple cider vinegar with apple juice, it tastes very good this way, I emphasize that it be raw and unpasteurised and not what they sell at the grocery store, I found mine at the Health Food store. Ask you doctor if he thinks it would be a good idea. I am not sure if he will while you are on the medication but maybe down the road you could consider it.

*DottieGirl* · 05-28-2007, 10:36 PM

You may have a hiatal hernia. You can have surgery but most doctors will tell you not to bother, but rather watch your diet. I'm not going to bother with surgery. Most importantly, don't eat strong foods with spicy stuff in it. That will really aggravate your system. Bland foods is the best. Protonix should be taken for about 8 weeks. Supposedly this will heal the sores inside your body (the stomach) from the acid which caused the discomfort. I used to take prilosec which helped, however, it wasn't strong enough. So my doctor prescribed protonix and that worked better. Though I did have days when I had to take both Protonix and Prilosec together. My doctor told me not too, but the acid reflex was bothering me too much. However, you do need to replace your digestive enzymes because adults tend to lose them with aging. Some more than others, and so I'd recommend Papaya tablets. Just take one after you eat, but not every day. The protonix should help you over time with your acid reflex, so just wait it out and see what it does. I'm still taking it, but I've noticed I've gotten better physically since I've started taking it. So continue with that, watch your diet and get regular excercise.

shelovescliche · 05-29-2007, 06:07 PM

[QUOTE=jpeder04;3008346]

I'm a 36 year old female - Am I too young to get this?QUOTE]

I'm 17, and I've had GERD since I was 10, so you're certainly not too young. They've told me that it's pretty rare to see someone get it so young, but that the younger you are, the more likely it is for the GERD to go away.

Anxiety can cause GERD; the doctors that I've seen all told me that stress and anxiety were definitely the reason that I developed it.

I'm on protonix, too. 40 mg twice a day, which is the maximum dose. It doesn't get rid of all of the symptoms. None of the medication will.

And yes, if it does help, and you stop the protonix, the gerd symptoms will get worse again. I've experienced it too thoroughly when I miss a dose by accident and then get horrible acid buildup for the next few days.

One thing that does help, though, is acidopholus (sp?). I'm not really sure why, but it helps control it somewhat. They say that it's good to take acidopholos when you go on antibiotics or something that rids your body of bacteria, and acidopholus puts good bacteria back in. I still don't understand why it works for gerd, but it does help.