I'm New!!- I have a complicated digestive history...please read!! - Digestive Disorders Message Board

rach923 · 04-29-2003, 06:37 PM

THIS IS A little LONG, BUT PLEASE READ IF YOU HAVE TIME! Thanks!
i accidently stumbled across this website while doing some other research, and i love it!! just a little history about me (in the medical respect)...i started having problems elemntary school with slight motion sickness and frequent nausea. in 8th grade i stared having diarhhea and heartburn, and was given zantac, then my 10th grade year i came down with what i supposed to be a stomach virus....that never went away. although i never threw up(i haven't since i was 8), i knew my breaking point, and i would stop eating when i felt full (i kinda have a phobia of vomiting). well, my GI in hershey pa tested me for bacteria imbalance, parasites, liver/pancreas/kidney dysfunction, and ordered a full palate of blood tests (for mono, cancer, and the like). i was also tested (not by him) for lactose intolerence, thyroid dysfunction, and anything that can be found through (2) endoscopies, a 24-hour pH probe, an upper GI, abdominal CAT scan, an ultrasound (for gallbladder) and some kind of (excuse me) poop test where i put stools in a preservative container to be studied in a lab...the pH probe showed that i refluxed ALOT and the second endoscopy said i have a hiatal hernia, but besides that, nata. after 2 mos of near starvation, i was admitted to hershey med center where i was given an IV for five days and an NG tube which went home with me for three mos. i wieghed 95 lbs upon admitance (sp?), at 5'5'', which is a full 30lbs lighter than i am now (and most people think i look like i weight ALOT less than i actually do, so that was ALOT of wieght for me to loose.) oh, and my hershey GI thought i had an eating disorder and was trying to mask it by pretending i had a problem...how ignorant!!!! now, i'm just on this site to try to get some support and suggestions, b/c i'm sick of everybody rolling their eyes at my complaints, b/c noone can really make them go away. here's my current med update- i'm going to the GI on thurs for a check up---i take 80mg of nexium every day (my doc says my reflux is so severe that he doesn't wanna risk surgery cause it may not do anything), peppermint extract (to "aid" in digestion), levbid 2x a day to control IBS and stomach pain, and, although i am not depressed, he put me on zoloft, cause sometimes it helps nausea (it actually does for me...unfortunately, mentally i am now dependent on it)---oh, and the nexium about 98% takes away my heartburn, but non-painful reflux happens all the time---also, from having an NG tube down my throat i have developed SEVERE rhinitis (nasal bleeding and constriction and swelling on nasal passages), which is aided by allegra and nasonex (i can still FEEL the areas where the tube chaffed against my sinuses!), and mild asthma (supposedly from reflux), which is controlled with albuterol as needed. I don't really have any "questions" persay, i just wanted to talk to some people with similar problems, b/c, like i read on many of your posts...alot of you say that people thought it was "all in your head"--yeah right!!! if anyone has any suggestions as to strategies that help ease discomfort (by the way, i do sleep with my bed proped up on wooden blocks), please let me know, otherwise, i'd just like to talk with some of you guys... thanks for reading!!!!

tagger · 04-29-2003, 08:43 PM

Gosh you've been through a lot! I wish I could help you. Hope someone on this board might have some answers or suggestions. Whether any of us can help or not we are with you in spirit. I'm stumped. Anyone have any suggestions?...Tagger

Harry · 04-29-2003, 11:30 PM

Rach,
Sorry about all your problems!!!

That's some story!!!
You didn't go into much detail about what you're eating that produces so much stomach acids??? 80mgs of Nexium is alot of proton pump inhibitors. As you probably know --it make the acid producing cells in your stomach stop producing acid. Too, little acid is not good.

Peppermint is more of an irritant for some people--- for some it hurts more than it helps digestion. It can irritant your throat??? It does mine. You need to take a digestive enzymes for better digestion without any acid in it.

I suggest you start eating yogurt -- 3 or 4 times daily. A good brand is Stonyfield Farm. It contains 6 active cultured bacteri that helps digestion by re-balancing your intestinal fiendly bacteria. There are other good brands at health food stores-- just read the labels to make sure it's good --contains more than just a few active cultures.

I think that you're not drinking enough water. You should be drinking 8 --- 8 ounce glasses daily. It would help flush your Gastro system out. Also, start taking a water soluble fiber supplement daily-- like Metamucil twice daily. It's safe and will bulk up your stool so that your BMs are gentle without straining.

I wish you well!!!
God Bless---Harry

PS Let us know how you're doing.

rach923 · 04-30-2003, 08:01 PM

thank you so much for your reply! lets see if i can answer some of the q's you posted about me...i'm not actually sure what causes such a high acid secretion in my stomach...the hiatal hernia makes it easier to come up, of course, but i haven't actually found a target food...even water will reflux when i'm not on medication (well, it will cause severe heartburn, reflux happens all the time) but, anyway, uh, lemme see if i can remember what you said...i tried digestive enzymnes a couple of years ago, and i didn't really seem to do anything, but there's no harm in trying it again, i suppose...the peppermint can cause irritation, but, oddly enough, i actually find relief in taking it, it coats my stomach or something, like, if i'm nauseous, anything peppermint flavored (the capsule, hard candy or gum) clears it up BETTER THAN ANYTHING...the yogurt thing, i'm not familiar with the type you listed, but i know that dannon fruit-on-bottom is good for other bacterial imbalances, and i like that...would that help, or is the kind you listed best???? let me know...oh, and i took metamucil for awhile, uh, i think it was my freshman (high school) year, and it actually CAUSED more diarehha...so i had to stop...i have my GI appointment tomorrow afternoon, so we'll see what goes on there...i'm gonna ask him about some good foods to eat (i think that would be an easier list than what not to eat!!! haha) oh! i just remembered...i knew that i'm on a high dose of nexium...i switched to prilosec from aciphex and zantac when i was sick, and that was a 20mg, and then since i was still having problems they doubled it when i was admitted, when i transferred to the carlise doc, he discovered the hiatal hernia and saw that my pH probe results were really bad, and i was still having some heartburn, so he doubled that, and its been working great to control the sting, i don't think the reflux is bad without the acid is it??? well, probably...lemme know what you think...i write more if i discovered that i forgot anything!! thank you!!!!

rach

cathy2752 · 04-30-2003, 09:00 PM

Hello......80mg nexium is alot....I have barrett's esophagus (precancer) and I take 100mg. but thats pretty unusual....You should not be taking any MINTS...they can absolutely cause more problems...Im concerned about why your dr. thinks you would not be a good candidate for the fundoplication surgery....Usually, it is recommended when you dont respond well to the PPIs (nexium)If you are taking 80mg then your not responding well to treatment...What happens when you have a hernia is this.... We have what is called a lower esophageal spincter (LES) muscle that is located at the base of our esophagus where it meets the stomach....we get a hernia when that muscle is weakened and a portion of our stomach slips though that LES muscle and is in our esophagus...That means the LES muscle (that usually stays closed except when we are eating or drinking to allow what we have consumed to pass from our esophagus to our stomach) is, to some degree, constantly open allowing the acid to get through (instead 0f staying in our stomach where it belongs)and causing it to reflux back into the esophagus.......Fundoplication surgery repairs the hernia and wraps a portion of your stomach around that muscle and keeps it closed....Most people cant vomit anymore after having it done but they dont usually ever have any reflux symptoms again either. Usually you can be medicine free afterwards.....There are alot of new technics with this surgery and now they say that many of them will last a life time without having to be redone.......I have made the choice for myself not to have this surgery because of the amt. of dysplasia I have with my diagnosis...Im to afraid the surgery would hide the pre-cancer area (as it is known to do in barrett's esophagus) and that I would still be progresssing and it woudl be very hard to biopsy.....Also, I hope you dont eat any chocolate, caffeine, tomatoe products, fried foods,pepper, alcohol, tea,, colas, citrus fruits...You also should not take any aspirin, or NSAIDS...I never eat atleast three hrs before laying down.....If this is all caused from acid-reflux because of the hernia, over alot of yrs. time, if it doesnt get controlled, it can lead to many severe complications, such as, erosive esophagitis, strictures, and many, even more serious things...I hope this info will help you when you are talking to your Dr....Take care...........Cathy