Well...I went in yesterday and had the scope done....I was very alert afterward and therefore remember everything the doc said. He first told me he saw nothing in my stomach...then he said he did find reflux...I questioned him about damage and he said no but since I was already on Nexium...it could have been there but is just now healed.
I am relieved with this news but feel like I am still where I was before. Why does my stomach burn, why do I have such bad chest pain/belching/etc....? I plan to continue the Nexium as he suggested but other than that the sheet of paper he gave me included anti-reflux stuff I already knew.
I just really feel like I need to get to the root of this whole thing in order to get healed. I had blood work done this week and they called and said everything looked okay. I go to my general doctor in a few days to have a complete workup and discuss the bloodwork and the results of the scope. I am hoping to get some help from him.
Yesterday I did not feel sleepy just kinda heavy so I laid around most of the day. This morning I woke up really refreshed but my ice water I swallowed my Nexium with really hurt my throat and esophagus. I fell back asleep (cause I get up really early to wake the house then nap an hour or so) and my husband woke me up saying there was a weird gurgling sound in my throat. I functioned well for a couple of hours and then sort of petered out. Guess that is why they told me yesterday not to go back to work today. So...I have spent today just lying around the house and getting up to do a load of laundry or dishes or something. I just feel crummy today and the chest pains which are relieved by major burping are unreal. They told me to expect that yesterday but it did not come till today.
Oh well..I just needed to get all that off my chest...
I will keep perusing this site...as it has helped me so much.
Glad I had the scope.....the doctor was just so vague...."found reflux". His perspective is definitely to take the Nexium to relieve the symptoms...his favorite word is CHRONIC!!
Hearty
I am happy for you that is wonderful news. Can you tell me a little of your history with GERD I just like to know to compare with my problems.
Last October I started having swallowing problems that went away after prilosec. about a week ago it started up again. I have been taking fiber supplements and read somewhere as I put in another thread tht they can cause the esophagus to start to narrow so I quit taking them to see if it gets any better.
Swallowing issues freak me out because it makes me get scard that is something worse., thus I get panic attacks etc. etc.
Thanks
Marsha
Three years ago....I had a problem with a tooth(eventually got it cut out....after about a dozen visits to the doc...long story) and also got a nasty infection at the same time from a cat bite.....Therefore, I spent a summer on 5 rounds of antibiotics, prednisone, lortab, nasonex, and one more that I can't remember....the doc was shooting blanks trying to guess what was wrong with me. I think the heavy meds from the tooth fiasco and cat bite combined with the intense pain from the tooth caused trauma and the other symptoms. Well...I was on one of the 5 rounds of antibiotics when I had my first bout of heartburn EVER...I cried and called my doc and her respose was...of course you are having heartburn..it is a side effect. Well, after months of extreme headaches which left me bedridden and made me rapidly lose 35 pounds...I was not a pretty site....I finally got my body weaned of the meds and slowly have recovered. The one thing I am left with is the GERD. I have been on and off the ppis because I start to feel better and decide I don't want to have medicine in me and try something natural like drinking vinegar water or something otc like zantac. I now feel like I need to stay on the Nexium until I am 100% free of the symptoms. 2 years ago I was at the doc about the heartburn and asked him to feel this small hard thing in my stomach that caused no pain..turned out to be a fibroid the size of a football....had major abdominal surgery...it was benign!!!
But my body went from 3 years ago...I never took aspirin...know what I mean? To that summer when I was on so many prescriptions, I could not hold my head up, barely ate, and got so unbelievably skinny...I managed to gain back the weight I needed and am now at a good place. I am so glad the scope showed no damage...I just don't know why I feel bad every day. I also have a lot of burning in my nose and post nasal drip but if I have allergies, I don't know what they are.
I hope this info helps you. So...have you been on the prilosec since last October or did you go off as soon as you felt better? My doc says it is chronic and not to stop taking the ppis (for me).
I take fiber supplements as well as probiotics and the doc yesterday acted like other than the reflux everything looked normal. I asked about damage and he said he did not see any. So happy...just want to feel normal, you know? For some reason, I feel better if I keep food in my stomach. But he said he saw nothing abnormal in my stomach, so I know there is no ulcer or anything like that.
Have you ever had a scope done? I have had a barium swallow test (negative) ekg(negative) gall bladder ultrasound (negative) and scope (reflux) in my quest to find out what is wrong with me. I know 100% it happened the summer I was on those meds. I have researched this and tried everything to figure it out.
Hope you have a good evening....thanks for reading my long post....Oh...and after the tooth finally got cut out (after 6 agonizing months) I had a nerve severed by the dentist which took 11 months to heal...kept that Lortab handy and close by...let me tell you!!
But my body went from 3 years ago...I never took aspirin...know what I mean? To that summer when I was on so many prescriptions, I could not hold my head up, barely ate, and got so unbelievably skinny...I managed to gain back the weight I needed and am now at a good place. I am so glad the scope showed no damage...I just don't know why I feel bad every day. I also have a lot of burning in my nose and post nasal drip but if I have allergies, I don't know what they are.
I hope this info helps you. So...have you been on the prilosec since last October or did you go off as soon as you felt better? My doc says it is chronic and not to stop taking the ppis (for me).
I take fiber supplements as well as probiotics and the doc yesterday acted like other than the reflux everything looked normal. I asked about damage and he said he did not see any. So happy...just want to feel normal, you know? For some reason, I feel better if I keep food in my stomach. But he said he saw nothing abnormal in my stomach, so I know there is no ulcer or anything like that.
Have you ever had a scope done? I have had a barium swallow test (negative) ekg(negative) gall bladder ultrasound (negative) and scope (reflux) in my quest to find out what is wrong with me. I know 100% it happened the summer I was on those meds. I have researched this and tried everything to figure it out.
Hope you have a good evening....thanks for reading my long post....Oh...and after the tooth finally got cut out (after 6 agonizing months) I had a nerve severed by the dentist which took 11 months to heal...kept that Lortab handy and close by...let me tell you!!
You poor thing you have been through the ringer....I thought I had it bad
I went off the prilosec after about a month but then when the swallowing issues came up I started it up again and quit the fiber. I read only some people are affected by the narrowing so I hope this is my case. Prilosec has been a wonder drug and am so glad I still have alot of it left over.
I have not been scoped because I am too scared. I have a physical scheduled for the 26th of this month and will talk to the doctor about it. I would rather wait until September to have it done because we are going to Hawaii in August for a week and don't want to go if its bad news and be depressed. My 52 year old sister was diagnosed with Barrett's a couple of weeks ago but that was from a long history of alcaholism, smoking and narcotics. I read of a study conducted that if one person in the family has it the chances of another member having it are higher. So now I am real freaked out about getting the scope done. I turned 41 in March and my problems started June of 2003 when I was 38. My 15 year old son was killed in May of last year so I have had alot of anxiety as well.
Take care and thanks for replying.
Marsha
We are close in age....I am 39. I am so sorry to hear about your son. Words cannot express...
I, too, am really freaked out about doctors. I put off the scope for 2YEARS!!
But, I have to tell you...if I had to do it again today, tomorrow, the next day, etc.... in a ROW...I would not be nervous at all. This coming from someone who gets nervous going to the doctor even when someone else is the patient!! I did not feel the meds go in the i.v. and next thing I knew I was awake in recovery (this was less than 30 minutes later) and my husband was coming in, I took the gown off myself (still had my clothes on) and sat in a wheelchair to wait for the doctor.
When they did the pre-stuff like bp, pulse, temp...etc...my bp was 157/96!!! I took it today and it was 115/74....I just get super scared at the docs. This procedure was not worth getting nervous about. And since this is treatable..why not go ahead and find out? I am so glad I did. It was worse having to wonder if it was something more serious (that is what my gp was worried about)
I am glad prilosec works for you. My insurance won't cover Nexium and it costs me$5.00 a day to have GERD!! Doesn't sound like much...but it adds up.
Yep..I know I went through a lot but I have to believe God had a greater purpose in it. Gotta stay positive!! Have a good night!!
I, too, am really freaked out about doctors. I put off the scope for 2YEARS!!
But, I have to tell you...if I had to do it again today, tomorrow, the next day, etc.... in a ROW...I would not be nervous at all. This coming from someone who gets nervous going to the doctor even when someone else is the patient!! I did not feel the meds go in the i.v. and next thing I knew I was awake in recovery (this was less than 30 minutes later) and my husband was coming in, I took the gown off myself (still had my clothes on) and sat in a wheelchair to wait for the doctor.
When they did the pre-stuff like bp, pulse, temp...etc...my bp was 157/96!!! I took it today and it was 115/74....I just get super scared at the docs. This procedure was not worth getting nervous about. And since this is treatable..why not go ahead and find out? I am so glad I did. It was worse having to wonder if it was something more serious (that is what my gp was worried about)
I am glad prilosec works for you. My insurance won't cover Nexium and it costs me$5.00 a day to have GERD!! Doesn't sound like much...but it adds up.
Yep..I know I went through a lot but I have to believe God had a greater purpose in it. Gotta stay positive!! Have a good night!!
HAPPY IT WENT GOOD..
GOD bLESS
Thank you Outlaw....I am very grateful.. I wonder what the doctor saw to make him say it is definitely reflux if there was no damage? Do you know?
It was certainly no big deal having it done. I was so scared!! Now I just feel silly.
It was certainly no big deal having it done. I was so scared!! Now I just feel silly.
Hi Hearty...two thoughts, it was probably the painkillers (ie ibuprofin and alleve or whatever) that caused your GERD. Another idea is use Omeprazole (it's the generic) for nexium and should be cheaper. Call your pharmacist and find out if it will be cheaper and then ask your doctor. The 20 mil. is equal to 40 mil of Nexium. I found out that you can take it at night on an empty stomach. I advise everybody to go the library and pick up a book on your condition. That way you can have a well-rounded view and the books are pretty easy to read as they are meant for the patients. The more books you can read the better off you'll be. 
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, EVERYBODY.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, EVERYBODY.
I went to Cosco the summer I was so sick (when I got the gerd) and bought the gigantic size motrin and took it(along with other painkillers) that summer. I basically never was without motrin in my body. I did not know it could damage you.
Hi Hearty,
I'm glad you went through with the scope. Sometimes they just can't find a reason. In my case, my endo and my doctor think it is mainly due to stress and a hiatal hernia (minor role). For me, it does seem to get much worse after a very stressful period (as in several weeks of high stress) and then it calms down some.
Anyway, glad they didn't find anything more serious.
Marburg
I'm glad you went through with the scope. Sometimes they just can't find a reason. In my case, my endo and my doctor think it is mainly due to stress and a hiatal hernia (minor role). For me, it does seem to get much worse after a very stressful period (as in several weeks of high stress) and then it calms down some.
Anyway, glad they didn't find anything more serious.
Marburg
the doc said he saw reflux...that is all he told me....just to keep taking the nexium...i have been doing ok but this past weekend i ate some pasta and bagels and have been flaring up ever since....i wish the purple pill was really the magic pill they advertise it to be....the doc did not act worried in the least and the nurse told me it was good news...etc...etc....
There would have to be damage at least,or something of the sort for him to say he saw reflux..how do u see reflux??
my question exactly...when i questioned him about damage he said he could not say if there HAD been any or not since I was already on the Nexium...so how does he know I have reflux???????? I was still a little goofy from the meds they gave me but my husband was there and he says I am remembering the conversation correctly.
I would love to know what he saw. He sent a copy of the report to my gp and I have a routine physical scheduled for next week so I will ask him.
I would love to know what he saw. He sent a copy of the report to my gp and I have a routine physical scheduled for next week so I will ask him.
Hi Hearty!
Have they checked your gallbladder? I would suggest that as your next step.--Not just an ultrasound to check for stones, but a HIDA scan to see if it functioning properly. I have gone through this chest pain stuff for over 5 years. Heart checked out numerous times. It is great. Went the GERD route too. Scope showed nothing big...a little reflux. Gastro doc said no way could the little she found be causing my problems. The PPIs give me all kinds of problems. Two ultrasounds checked OK.....Finally a HIDA scan was performed and my ejection rate was only 9%. My gallbladder will be coming out in a couple of weeks after our family vacation and I am actually hopeful that I might be getting my life back. !?!?!?!?!?! I HOPE so anyway!
Can you describe the HIDA scan to me? What they do, cost, etc..? I am perplexed why I have so much problems when all I have is a little reflux?! I know what I eat causes it to flare up. Does that sound like a gallbladder issue? I did the ultrasound for my gallbladder (at my request) and it show nothing. My gastro doctor seems to think my reflux and symptoms are perfectly normal but it does not seem right to me that this should be a daily issue for the rest of my life. He says it is chronic but I still feel there is a solution out there. Hope you are 100% after your surgery...please keep us posted.
Do you ever get burning in your nose when your reflux flares up really bad?
Do you ever get burning in your nose when your reflux flares up really bad?
It was my cardiologist that ordered my HIDA scan and my insurance took care of the cost. I was really lucky. I did not think it would show anything. I had already had so many tests that showed nothing. They run an IV in your hand and you lay on a table. This camera takes pictures. Then they inject something that makes your gallbladder contract and it shows how well it is working. When they injected the stuff I got terribly sick at my stomach and my chest started burning. I honestly thought I would throw up but I did not. Then I found out, it was not working at all really. It has been a blessing to discover this! I was SURE it would be fine because my ultrasounds had been fine and I thought they were just wasting my time and insurance money!
You mean your chest started burning as in heartburn? Were you having a reaction to the stuff they injected you with?
Did you have to be hospitalized to do this or is it done at a radiologists?
Did you have to be hospitalized to do this or is it done at a radiologists?
It was done at an imagining center by a radiologist like where they do ultrasounds and mammograms and stuff like that. It was like a burning or stinging sensation. It was not a reaction to the injection. It is a pain I have lived with for a very long time. The doctors have thought it might be heartburn or something with my heart. I have been throughly checked by a cardiologist and they were still trying to find out what was causing the pains. He thought it might be coronary artery spasms. I went on medicaiton for that and of course a ppi for heartburn but I was still having the burning/stinging sensation in my chest every day. He couldn't understand why! For months I lived in fear thinking I was having daily coronary artery spasms and the burning was a type of angina from the spasms. Now it was probably from the gallbladder the whole time. They don't know for sure but it was the same pain as during the test. So it is a good indication!! Funny thing is now I am not so afraid and while I still get it, it is not as bad or as long or as often.
Oh...I was freaking out thinking it was a reaction to the meds..already talking myself out of the test....Yeah...there is a definite mind/body connection with sickness. No doubt about it...a positive mental attitude is beneficial.
Glad you are not so scared anymore.
I go for my annual general exam this week and plan to talk thoroughly to my doc about all this stuff. He should have the results of my scope and will talk to me about it more than the specialist who performed it. My doc is just a really nice, easy to talk to guy so I am fortunate. The one I had before who put me on the meds that caused this should win the Quack of the Year Award!!!!!!!!!
Taught me a lesson about blind trust in doctors.
Glad you are not so scared anymore.
I go for my annual general exam this week and plan to talk thoroughly to my doc about all this stuff. He should have the results of my scope and will talk to me about it more than the specialist who performed it. My doc is just a really nice, easy to talk to guy so I am fortunate. The one I had before who put me on the meds that caused this should win the Quack of the Year Award!!!!!!!!!
Taught me a lesson about blind trust in doctors.
Hi Hearty...I saw on the net that antibiotics can cause ulcers too. I know that excessive aspirin use which I did for my monthly years ago...no other option...and ibuprofen, etc. can contribute to bleeding ulcers. I have been very careful and try to eat food with my pain medicine. The docs should explain all this to us. There should have been something for women for your monthly. A female dentist turned me on to anapox which I gladly paid one dollar each for the pain relief I got.
You know the medical feel has been an all boys club until very recently. I do use male docs through and like my main doc but am concerned about my gi guy. GOOD VIBRATIONS TO EVERYONE.
You know the medical feel has been an all boys club until very recently. I do use male docs through and like my main doc but am concerned about my gi guy. GOOD VIBRATIONS TO EVERYONE.