GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD

CCO2012

Anyone out there have GERD? Or other digestive issues?

I had an endoscopy (sp?) back in January for my digestive issues. The doctor told me I had an over abundance of stomach acid causing GERD. Well, I've never really thought I had excessive heart burn and its never caused sore throats or throwing up. So GERD just doesn't make sense to me. I believe him about the acid but maybe GERD isn't the resulting issue? I'm not sure about any of this really, and my stomach hurts so bad right now I can barely think.

So, I'm going to list my symptoms in hopes of one of you amazing ladies telling me that yes it sounds like GERD or nope not even close. Maybe someone will even know what it might be if not GERD.

WARNING: SYPTOMS ARE NOT PLEASENT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Nausea (bad) at night and sometimes with a bowel movement I feel like I'm going to throw up.

Gas, uncontrollable and obnoxious. It hurts my stomach if I don't just let it out.

Bloated stomach.

Bowel movements are somewhat less frequent but loose and smelly when I have them.


Thank in advance for any help! And I apologize if I grossed anyone out! I'm going to bed now and hope my stomach calms down enough for sleep tonight, so I'll check back in the morning. Thanks again!

thejucheidea

Sounds a lot like celiac disease to me. Have you been tested for celiac disease before?

MelissaC315

I'm definitely not a doctor but.... I would look into Crohn's Disease. I have Crohn's and your symptoms are similar. I don't want to freak you out because it might not be but it seems like it's a possibility. It could also possibly be IBS?

Hazel_B

Those symptoms don't line up with GERD really, my thoughts are IBS. However, they don't know much about the causes of IBS from what I understand and people can have very different symptoms.

lunarsongbird

If there is no mucus or blood in your stool....I wouldn't jump to Chron's or Ulcerative Colitis yet. (Both my parents have UC.....and I'll probably get a colonoscopy in December. We talk about bathroom habits quite a bit in my family.)

I think it might be helpful for you to look into some food allergies. Andrew's mom is allergic to corn and has the same symptoms (P.S. Corn is in like...everything).

Have you ever done a food journal to track what you eat and how you feel? Are there every days you DON'T feel bad?

jorja86

Doesn't really sound like GERD to me, but everyone has different symptoms, so it still could be. Is it better or worse after you eat? Are you taking a proton pump inhibitor now? A probiotic or eating yogurt? Do you know if you were tested for H. Pylori bacteria?

CCO2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gerd-stomach-acid-ney-md?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:04637445-a510-48bd-84c4-c6503f629264Post:2998f132-1a98-4b2f-b8da-bf7a3fe01061">Re: GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD</a>:
[QUOTE]Doesn't really sound like GERD to me, but everyone has different symptoms, so it still could be. Is it better or worse after you eat? Are you taking a proton pump inhibitor now? A probiotic or eating yogurt? Do you know if you were tested for H. Pylori bacteria?
Posted by jorja86[/QUOTE]

It is either worse or no change after eating. I take zyrtec and a multivitamin at night, that/s it. I eat yogurt when I feel like it lol. I have not had any blood work done for this, but I probably should.

CCO2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gerd-stomach-acid-ney-md?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:04637445-a510-48bd-84c4-c6503f629264Post:a194a948-98ef-410d-b276-8e81cde34fc7">Re: GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD</a>:
[QUOTE]If there is no mucus or blood in your stool....I wouldn't jump to Chron's or Ulcerative Colitis yet. (Both my parents have UC.....and I'll probably get a colonoscopy in December. We talk about bathroom habits quite a bit in my family.) I think it might be helpful for you to look into some food allergies. Andrew's mom is allergic to corn and has the same symptoms (P.S. Corn is in like...everything). Have you ever done a food journal to track what you eat and how you feel? Are there every days you DON'T feel bad?
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]

I hope it is not corn, I love corn! lol I have tracked my food before for weight loss reasons, but not for this issue. I can go months without feeling terrible, but it seems like I get episodes of a month or two of this almost every night pain.

Beads921

I have mild IBS and I'm lactose intolerant (the 2 are most definitely related). Oh, and I have acid reflux. My digestive abilities basically just suck haha.

Nausea, especially at night while lying down, is definitely a symptom of acid reflux/GERD (according to my doctor). I went on a 2 week course of a powerful antacid medication when I was first diagnosed and it worked wonders. Now I take a milder antacid, and my nausea (which used to be constant) is pretty much gone.

Stress is a major trigger for me. If I get stressed, I will get sick, almost guaranteed. And most things that trigger IBS subsequently trigger acid reflux symptoms. It's not pretty.

I really think you should push the issue a bit more with your doctor. There's probably more going on here than just excessive acid (and even if that is it, you should be treated). Something you can easily do on your own though is to keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, and how you feel. You might be able to identify certain foods upset your stomach which could be a starting point with your doctor (wheat, corn, eggs, dairy...those are all common ones).

CCO2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gerd-stomach-acid-ney-md?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:04637445-a510-48bd-84c4-c6503f629264Post:2b4f4a6e-63ce-4e7d-a08a-4994a040ef03">Re: GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD</a>:
[QUOTE]Those are all symptoms of GERD.  I know, I have it.  (Along with really really bad heartburn, every day.) An endoscopy would show Celiac's, Crohn's, and I believe UC.  So if it didn't show anything when you got that done, then you probably don't have any of those diseases.   You should be on a PPI like jorja mentioned.  The name of the medication is omeprazole.  I forget all the brand names, since the generic form is now available at the pharmacy, and it's much cheaper to get a generic prescription than name brand.  What did your doctor tell you to do after you saw him/her?  I can't imagine they would tell you that you have GERD and then not follow up with a treatment plan.   You may need to visit a GI specialist regularly depending on what they saw in the endoscopy (any changes in the cells lining your esophagus or stomach is an issue, and can be caused by acid reflux - this is something I'm dealing with).  You will also need to adjust your diet, probably.  I had no other choice, and TBH it didn't help at all.  But it was really important to find out that my dietary habits weren't causing my symptoms, or making them worse.   Oh sidenote - the super painful stomach aches?  I get them every time I eat raw tomatoes or bananas.  My doctor had no explanation other than to stop eating them.  So I did.   Some things that people with GERD are encouraged to avoid: Caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, citrus, high-fat content, chocolate, smoking.  
Posted by yaga13[/QUOTE]

I was hoping you would poat on this! I'm hoping I can keep eating spicy foods because they are my fave... I am going to start avoiding everything else thought, and call the doctor for a prescription for the PPI. Thanks for the info!

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gerd-stomach-acid-ney-md?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:04637445-a510-48bd-84c4-c6503f629264Post:e10aa4ec-7902-4ec5-a69f-c0929eb0ff73">Re: GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GERD / Stomach Acid... NEY MD : I was hoping you would poat on this! I'm hoping I can keep eating spicy foods because they are my fave... I am going to start avoiding everything else thought, and call the doctor for a prescription for the PPI. Thanks for the info!
Posted by CCO2012[/QUOTE]

I have a problem with spicy foods, fats, oily foods, caffeine, and other such foods that affect GERD. Oh, and I have GERD.  I stay away from those foods for the most part so that when I want some spicey food, or some greasy fat foods I can eat them and not have too bad of an affect.  I also take maalox (the chewable kind with the gas relief) right before I eat one of these types of foods, or if I'm in a position where I have to eat a lot of these types of foods (like on a business trip to Mexico).  Your symptoms match up with GERD, the bowel movements I associate with having too much acid in the stomach.  It's no fun, just watch what you eat and keep in mind that it can be something else.  Digestive diseases are so hard to diagnose!