newly diagnosed with gerd, I'm in food hell

[supermariossister]

only diagnosed yesterday have been ill for a couple of weeks with constant nausea, throat issues, rising of acid anyway yesterday was prescribed medication and advised to look at diet and for two weeks try to avoid all of the things that generally tend to make it worse as my throat heals (it is sore at the minute due to the reflux). after that to reintroduce and find what triggers me the most. which sounds a good idea in theory but I don't know what to eat so I'm ending up eating nothing because I'm worried it will make me feel ill then I feel worse as have no energy at all. anyone else suffer with the same who could give me any tips.

Have you tried lactose free milk? Lactose is hard to digest so everyone probably makes more stomach acid trying to do so. It tastes the same as normal milk to me.

just bought goats milk on recommendation will look at that too. think dairy is the big issue. hope everyone else is feeling okay today too

I had a bad flare up yesterday. Makes me want to gouge out my internal organs.

hope your feeling a bit better today, its a horrible feeling

Thanks am slightly better. Still have gnawing and pressure pain.

Doc has spoken of trying a low dose antidepressant.

Hope your doing okay :) feel like hell today cant stop choking like theres something stuck in the back of my throat

Think DD has this. Can't wait for a diagnosis but know it's going to be hard to manage for a 6yo who just wants to eat what she wants.

hope they manage to sort something out for your dd, sure it can be managed better than I am doing it all seems trial and error good luck with everything

I've had gerd for years, and during a recent, horrific bout, discovered Rapidol Express. I went from a shuffling wreck with a spear through her chest to a virtually pain free new woman in around 15 minutes. It's one of the OTC medicines with alginate in it, which forms a layer over the acid and stops it coming up. Highly recommend it.

Wondering if anybody has any views on my situation.

For years, really can't pin point when it started, perhaps during / after pregnancy I've had coughing fits when going from warm temperatures into the cold ie going outside, popping to the loo at night. It's not a normal 'cold' cough, I cough violently till my lungs empty then it stops. It's over in seconds but not nice especially if it makes me sick. I eventually went to the doctors who thought it was stomach related and probably reflux even though I don't actually experience any symptoms and put me on omoprezole but it made me feel gassey and unwell and I'd prefer the short lived cough to the constant feeling of needing to burp. Occasionally I get severe pain while eating something fatty however it's only once a month or so with no obvious trigger ( I can eat the same fatty food with no reaction). Do I have reflux? (It's not asthma.)

I never persued it but now my son is trying to sort out his reflux it seems if I have a problem it will change the way they treat him .

He's 13 and brings up food a few times a day. He did have a hospital consultant a few years ago who filled him with so much medication for reflux and a persistent ( 18month) cough he had a bit of a meltdown about the whole thing, tearfully told me he didn't have a problem with the reflux and just to leave him alone. Rightly or wrongly I did. He has now said reflux is interfering with his sport and would like to try again to stop it. He's on omoprezole and its cutting down the regurgitating but not stopping it. He doesn't experione pain.

I haven't treated either of our situations seriously but am now more aware of the possible cancer risk and it's scarey!

Hi guys , just been diagnosed with a GERD after months of thinking choking & sickness during the night was related to my sleep apnea - Hadn't even heard of GERD till now.
They have prescribed Omeprazole 2 a day & told to go on internet for info -
Cheers doctor ! I'd be grateful for any tips as the only info I have so far is common foods to avoid. X

I have to avoid sugar, fizzy drinks, alcohol on an empty stomach and mint. The tip the consultant gave me which has helped the most is never to wear anything tight around the waist. No belts, stiff waistbands etc. No tight jeans, I don't like it but sticking to loose fitting trousers etc makes a real difference.

I would definitely start probiotics

Article with a bit of info here

www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk/blog/2015/04/acid-reflux-why-to-consider-probiotics

Hope you start to feel better soon

Thanku , what probiotics do you recommend ?

I have GERD and my big triggers are any fizzy drink or fruit juice (squash is ok), coffee, chocolate, biscuits or pretty much any desert or treat with a load of sugar in, citrus fruits and especially tomato based foods-tomato soup, pasta in tomato sauce etc.

I was on lansoprazole for a while which worked but I really don't like some of the research about long term side effects of PPI's so the GP switched me to ranitidine. It's not as powerful but I prefer it.

Bio Kult and optibac are both good

Take in morning with cold drink (heat kills the good bacteria otherwise, stomach acid lowest in morning so more of the good bacteria survive)

I would take a standard dose for a week or so then build up to optibac extra strength

Also if dairy isn't a problem unpasteurised kefir milk might be helpful

www.livestrong.com/article/491763-is-kefir-good-for-acid-reflux/

Article on kefir here

I would start very slowly with it though and build up

Thanks a lot guys ... I'm at the wtf stage as everything I normally eat is on on list of foods to avoid
I will try the things you've suggested & try n avoid the common triggers .... Will let you know how it goes ! Thanks again x

Another sufferer marking place.

My advice would be to avoid PPIs if you can because they become less effective over time. Learn your triggers and change your diet accordingly. Mine are chocolate, tea, fizzy drinks, coffee, cold water, porridge oats and sometimes dairy

I find when I'm on slimming world I have no symptoms. I've been able to come off medication altogether

Thanku abigwideworld. At the moment I am hardly eating anything as I'm afraid to eat the wrong thing. I'm surprised cold water could possibly be a trigger. . I'm grateful that you took time to post

.... my oesophagus has got badly inflamed by the acid which has caused me to have a persistent cough & my voice is very hoarse.
The cough is definitely worse at night & cough bottle doesn't help. Any tips anyone ?

Sorry only just seen this. I find a one off double dose of lanzoprazole helps me when I have a flare up. If I can't have that then I try to stick to a bland diet of foods such as bread etc until the symptoms get better. Particularly eating little but often and avoiding over eating helps.