hunger pains

Diseases & Conditions GERD & Acid Reflux
1
Ever since this gerd stuff started two years ago, I very rarely have hunger pains anymore.  Maybe 5 or 10 times in the past 2 years have I felt hungry...you know that feeling you get in your tummy?  That is so weird to have that go away.  Has anyone else gone through that?
 
I have had a barium swallow test done and nothing showed up.  Would an endoscopy show the doctores something about my stomach that the barium swallow test didn't?  I have never had an endoscopy.
2
I lost my hunger pains when I started with the PPIs. Before that, I would get terrible, unnatural hunger pains from time to time where if I didn't eat like NOW, I wouldn't be very nice to be around :-) . I can't even say that I was actually THAT hungry. When I went off the PPI, I started getting them back, but since I started low-carbing and cut down on sugar, they've pretty much disappeared. When my stomach is indeed empty, the hunger pains aren't really painful, but more like a gentle reminder that it's time to eat. It's hard to explain.
3

Hi!

I had hunger pains before starting the Prevacid & yet being on them too.  If I don't get protein when it happens I get shaky & feel very bad.  Had testing done everything turned out ok.  I wish I were like you!

Debbie

4
i get bad pain sickly burping headache that go up and down my neck and head jsn
5
I don't know if a barrium swallow is effective in determining acid reflux however I do know it is good for finding esophogeal problems as well as hiatal hernias in patients. You should ask your internist about the possibility of an endoscopy.
6
upper gi found my acid reflux and the endoscopy justs lets you know theres nothing else to see jsn
7

is the endoscopy scary?  i have been hesitating for 2 years to have one.

can't get rid of these problems however and need some relief.

not sure what the endoscopy will help with

8
endoscopy is a very routine procedure. It is one hundred percent painless and there is no discomfort afterwards - unless of course you count the gas pain you might have afterward it's fairly easy. Depending on how far your internist wants to go down with the endoscopy, it can even take as little as fifteen minutes to do although I would NOT count on that being the normal amount of time.
9
ok...so the tube goes down your throat, sees your esophagus, stomach, and upper part of your intestines? that is what the paperwork said from my doc. Then it comes back up...isn't that unsanitary?
10
no, thousands of scopes are carried out daily throughout the uk alone we now have specialist nurse carrying out a lot of the procedures and all the scopes are surgically clean and yes it goes down and back up again but this will not cause you to be unwell the gut is not sterile and it only views the very top of your snall bowel, if the large bowel is required to be viewed then a colonoscopy is required which is inserted through your rectum and up the way.
11
hearty said...

is the endoscopy scary?  i have been hesitating for 2 years to have one.

can't get rid of these problems however and need some relief.

not sure what the endoscopy will help with

Hi Hearty,
 
No the endoscopy is not scary.  Basically you quit eating and drinking around 8pm the night before.  When you go in, they take a medical history, list all meds you are currently taking (including OTC, and diet/vitamin supplements).  You may be given spray to numb the gag reflex and an injection to prevent pain.  You will not be completely asleep but most likely will not feel or remember anything.  The entire process takes about 5-15 minutes. If they find anything, they will most likely take a biopsy of it.  Some places give you a print out (picture) of what they saw to take home with you.  Afterward, they will wake you up and you will have to have someone take you home. You have to have someone with you because you will be to groggy to go home.
The endo will also show if there is damage to your esophagus.
 
Hope this eases your fear.
 
Marburg

12
thanks...i called the doc today since my symptoms have gotten worse..he said quit the zantac and go back on the nexium...i mentioned the scope but he acted like it was no big deal....they know i cant afford it
13
I haven't had the normal hungry "stomach pains" for years now.  I feel like I'm never truly hungry, and I hate that. sad
14

Hearty,

 

I hope the nexium works.  Sometimes I don't know which is worse the symptoms or the side effects from the meds.  I'm on my second day of Prilosec (I couldn't take the eso part of nexium) and so far the Priolsec (prescription strength) isn't working--I know, it takes a while for the effects to take hold.  Protonix worked good but insurance refused to cover it any more (only 3 months) and so now I have Priolsec for 2 months (again an insurance issue). 

I fully understand the cost issue.  I have insurance and can't get the meds covered for more than 2-3 months so I have to keep switching them around, otherwise I couldn't afford them either. 

I've heard that in some people the reflux problem isn't too much acid but too little.  One of the things I read to determine if it's too much or too little is to take a spoonful of apple cider vinegar and mix it with a beverage if your reflux symptoms disappear then you might have to little.  Don't know how much stock I'd put in that solution.  Another thing I read is eating golden delicious apples appears to help some, just as eating golden rum soaked raisins.  I'd always heard the raisins helped with arthritis but never heard about it for relux until I went to my local healthfood store.  More me, the Papaya enzymes seem to help in addition to the meds.

Hope you get to feeling better.

 

Marburg

hearty said...
thanks...i called the doc today since my symptoms have gotten worse..he said quit the zantac and go back on the nexium...i mentioned the scope but he acted like it was no big deal....they know i cant afford it
15
i am on day two of the nexium and feel much better but not 100%
thanks for your post
the thing is....i have been doing this for 2 years on and off the meds
my nurse acts like once you start the nexium it is a lifelong drug
with no insurance...it cost me almost $5.00 a day...i am a teacher and dont make that kind of money
i wish i could find the "cure" because i am 99.99999% sure i know the cause of mine...i was sick 2 years ago and on a LOT of meds for 3 months....that was the first time i EVER felt heartburn and my system has been off ever since

Thanks for your postiive post...hope the Prilosec works...sorry about your insurance company