Has anyone had relief from GERD? - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

Preston11 · 09-12-2008, 07:02 PM

I have experienced symptoms of GERD for the past 2 months. I have an excessive amount of saliva even when I am eating or not. I have not been able to eat solid foods. I have only been able to drink Ensure and vanilla ice cream. I am not throwing up the food only saliva most of the time.

The saliva and having to swallow causes a feeling of a "lump" in the throat and feels relieved when I regurgitate.

Has anyone felt any relief from these symptoms? What foods have worked for you? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

CharBerry · 09-12-2008, 10:13 PM

With GERD many people do get relief from taking PPI's. The LPR is much harder to control. I'm sure your Dr. would give you a script for these symptoms (they do everyone else) or try OTC Prilosec for a few weeks. Sorry if you've already been on meds with no relief. I was told just this week that even if PPI's stop your symptoms, you are still not cured and never will be. The do not cure you, only make the symptoms go away. Many people go thru remission periods (even myself) but GERD will usually re-appear later on down the line again. It is a chronic disease.

CharBerry

Vanessa74 · 09-13-2008, 07:05 PM

I have been suffering from SEVERE GERD for about (5) months now. I had heartburn off and on before that - but this has been continuous for (5) months now....

My symptoms are CONSTANT burning pain and pressure in my mid chest, burning throat, the feeling of burning acid coming up my throat - a quesy burning stomach off and on.....

I take (1) Prevacid 30mg and (4) Carafate everyday and have modified my diet radically (I also add Mylanta and Pepcid quite often) .... Though this never took it AWAY it did seem to help somewhat for a month a two -- it has come back with a VENGENCE and in spite of the diet and medication regiment - IT FEELS WORSE than BEFORE I went on meds... CAN SOMEONE ANYONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT TO ME????

The GI Specialist that I am seeing said "it must not be reflux if the medicine is not helping'? WELL WHAT IS IT THEN????

I am having an endoscopy on Friday (he will NOT modify my medication regiment until I let him look inside) ... I am at my wits END with this and the constant pain I live in.... I want relief SO BAD............

If you find relief and answers - please let me know... Best of luck to you...

I don't mean to be such a Debbie Downer - this is just hurting me so badly that it is making me VERY depressed.....

shrtcak81 · 09-13-2008, 09:22 PM

Vanessa,

Currently I am having the same problem. I've had GERD since I was 16 (I'm 27) and it was always controlled by PPIs until this last January. Prilosec worked for me for a couple years and then it became ineffective. So I tried Nexium with no relief (I had been on it before with success, but this second time it didn't work), Protonix with very little relief and now I'm on Aciphex twice a day and still don't feel the relief I need. I still have to take Zantac and rolaids everyday on top of it. I'm so sick of the burning feeling in my throat and stomach. I also have hunger pains after I eat, which sounds like an ulcer....but it seems that it would have been helped by all these PPIs I'm taking. I have no clue! I'm seeing a gastro Tuesday and will hopefully get an endoscopy as well. There is only one more PPI to try, Prevacid and if that doesn't work...then what? I'm so scared that I may never find relief again

So I totally know where you're coming from....you're not alone.

Crystal

MountainReader · 09-13-2008, 10:02 PM

I'm in the same boat with the PPI's. I supplement with Gaviscon though- per my GI doc.

There is also a newer PPI called Zegrid. Basically it has the same active medication as Prilosec plus sodium bicarbonate. Evidently the second ingredient coats the stomach to make the active ingredient more effective. It did OK for me (not great though), but it is absolutely not covered by my insurance so it isn't a possibility.

I started with Prilosec, then Protonix, then Prevacid x2-which worked great for 3 years, then Nexium (made me sick), Aciphex and Zegrid. I had symptoms with all of them lately. For me, the worst reflux symptom is a constant cough and major flare-ups of my asthma. I knew it was coming, but it was frustrating at my last GI appt to have my doc tell me to "take my pick" of which PPI I wanted to take and refer me to a surgeon because there wasn't anything else he could really do. I have surgery on the 2nd. The asthma attacks, which are triggered by my reflux, are scary sometimes and at this point, I feel the surgery really is my only option.

Shrtcak81- I took Prevacid Solutabs two times per day for 3 years. I felt so much better during that time. When I went on the Prevacid, it was my "magic" answer to a four month flare-up of constant coughing. They are worth a try.