At a loss?

[AndiGirl]

Some of my friends on the forum have commented on me staying up late. I guess I can be thick headed at times, but I have a problem brewing. I am having problems with acid reflux.

Last night I went to bed and was drifting off when I noticed that horrible taste and the burning feeling. I am used to heartburn. I've been through it many times. I was plagued with it during pregnancy as well. This has been going on for about a week. I've been staying awake longer hoping that things will settle. I do take antacids and I should be taking a full dose of my Ranitadine. Ranitadine isn't as bad as Omeprazole, but I still get some negative affects. When I faithfully take the acid reducers, or protein pump inhibitors, I notice a big improvement in the acid reflux; however, I notice that my Crohns and the lower pain seems to increase. Am I going our of my head as I'm wondering if the medication just pushes the acid down for me. I don't know which is worse, the horrible reflux and heart burn pain, or the cramping, burning, lower gut pain.

Any ideas? Going to bed is becoming a nightmare for me.

 

[Crohn's 35]

I have a Hiatus hernia but I can mostly control it by having smaller meals more often, heavy meals start to affect me. My rule of thumb is try not to eat much after 6pm, and no acidic foods. Coffee at night for some who can handle it but not me. Last night I got home late and I had chinese food around 7ish, at 2am it was coming up and I almost vomited but luckily had a bottle of water and got up and took some Maalox, talk about gross.

 

[AndiGirl]

Thanks Pen! It took a while for them to diagnose the Crohn's Disease. My Crohn's isn't shy anymore. When I was around 19 they diagnosed me with a hiatus hernia. I guess they saw it on the upper GI. I've gone many years without any trouble with heartburn. It really started kicking in when I turned 30. It would come and go almost with no explanation. I've tried several things, but they always seemed to cause me to feel lower digestive cramps and pain. At my last upper GI, the doctor told me that I didn't have a hiatus hernia. I'm more than confused. My GI doctor doesn't think that I have a h. hernia either. I want to get to the root of the problem, but I'm not excited to struggle to get another diagnosis. Heaven help me! I have tried eating earlier. Sometimes I'll do fine, only to wake up in the middle of the night with horrible reflux. It's like something in my body is pushing the acid button at strange times. Weird!

 

[Crohn's 35]

I find when I have a HH flare, I just go back on Nexium, for a short period, been a crohnie too long and hate popping pills. Strange how you have it and then you dont??? Yeah weird!

 

[AndiGirl]

I'm just afraid of being in limbo again. Somebody must have read something into my x-ray, or left something out. Oh the things that can go wrong.

 

[Lydia]

My mom has really bad acid reflux. She takes prevacid but its really expensive. She says sometimes 1/2 tsp of baking soda stirred into a glass of water can help as much as her prevacid at times. I know its not your typical remedy but it may help.

 

[Pirate]

Tomorrow I start on the generic of Previcid. Our presciption insurance upped my co-pay for Nexium from $50 for 3 month supply to $100. I'll see how it goes.

 

[DustyKat]

Is it possible to raise the head of your bed about 4-6 inches?

Dusty.

 

[AndiGirl]

Thank you for the advice. I would like to see how other Crohns handle the acid reducers. I'm suffering from a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen now, so I'm not sure whether to continue with the Ranitadine. I hate it when doctors who do not have digestive problems think they know it all. My doctor said, "I don't think it causes that." It sure feels like that for me, and it only happens when I'm taking things for the reflux. Everybody and their bodies are different. I will also try to raise the head of my bed. I just ate dinner, peanut butter; that's what I feel I can handle. Hopefully that won't give me heartburn.

 

[Jennjenn]

My specialist the other day said that it is related. She said that yes other people without crohns have acid reflux but having crohns does not help.

My brother who does not have crohns is getting bad acid reflux. They sell prevecid over the counter now and it is expensive. I am scared because this is just getting worse for him as time passes by. He has no health insurance right now and is not able to pay out of pocket for the doctors.

I have I was told acid reflux even though the acid does not always come up with the nasty taste into my mouth. I get a stuck/pressure bad feeling and its painful. I told my doctor this the other day and go back tuesday to work on getting more things on track with me. It is a scary feeling to have though. I used to take prevecid but it worked sometimes. I did not notice a huge difference in symptoms though.

I hope you find the right meds for the acid reflux Andi...even though the symptoms after are not good to have the reflux is defintely not good either.

 

[AndiGirl]

I am still shopping around for a good GI doctor. The one that I have is a dinosaur. I think he's close to retiring. He has a son, who looks just like him, that is also a gastroenterologist. I have the Dr. Sweeney Sr. The Jr. Sweeney has a so-so reputation. I am not impressed with Dr. Sweeney Sr. as he is brusque and seems mean. He doesn't smile at anyone. I don't think he really is mean, but he does not have any kind of bedside manner. The only reason that I'm still sticking with him, is he has the reputation for being the more thorough and competent. He is also a preferred provider with my insurance.

This ought to give you some insight to my GI doc. I was in twilight sedation while having a colonoscopy. I actually heard Dr. Sweeney cussing as he was scoping me. He was cursing about the drug reps. I don't he'd even bat an eye if I told him that I heard his cursing. He actually found a pre-cancerous polyp in my colon when I was 29 years-old. This was a few years before I was diagnosed with CD. That cranky Dr. Sweeney saved my life.

My current general doctor has referred me to Dr. Peach. I know that's a delicious sounding name. He is supposed to be competent and nice. I may switch over, if his practice takes my insurance. I will bring up the reflux and how I feel that if I'm medicated for the reflux it seems to make the Crohns worse.

 

[Rebecca85]

Not sure if you have it over there, but I use Gaviscon Advance for reflux. It works by coating the stomach contents, physically preventing them coming back up. Maybe seeing as it works differently, it wouldn't aggravate your Crohn's so much?

 

[AndiGirl]

Thank you Rebecca. I'm going to look into it. I had the night from heck, last night. I went to bed early because I was hurting and I felt the reflux sneaking up on me. I reluctantly took the Ranitidine and fell asleep. I must have awaken every hour with lower abdominal cramping. I felt some of the reflux, though I didn't have the nausea. The pain in my intestine was uncomfortable. It was sharp, felt like a spasm, then a pulling sensation. Afterwards the pain became dull. My intestines feel like they are burning now. I'm trying to eat lunch. I need some food. The peanut butter and crackers from 6:00 p.m. yesterday will not tide me over.

I am going to probably have to make an appointment with my doctor. I think I'm trying to flare-up again.

 

[whysoserious]

I think it's a good idea to make an appointment. You deserve to at least be able to sleep at night! I hope that you're able to get on a medicine that will help you soon and you get some answers at your appointment.

 

[AndiGirl]

Thanks again for the care and support.

 

[Trev]

hi Andi i use Mylanta. maybe the same as Gaviscon, taste like drinking chalk but great for reflux and doesnt upset my stomach. i buy it at the supermarket, much cheeper than the chemist.

 

[AndiGirl]

I used to take Mylanta all the time, and it does work wonders. They stopped selling the capsules here in AK. I usually buy the chalky tablets. I don't care for the cherry flavored ones, but they still work good. I stopped taking Mylanta mainly because my doctor said not to take it with the Rinitadine. I will probably go off the Rinitadine and go back on the Mylanta, if I can get away with that. I better try the Mylanta again to see if it still works for me.

 

[Trev]

our Mylanta comes in liquid form, probally easier to take tablets, but the liquid coats your throat etc cooling the burning instantly.

 

[AndiGirl]

That's a good idea. I does taste a little better when it's chilled. Now they just need to make a better tasting bowel prep. Like that's going to happen!

 

[Trev]

wow you have been busy, just looked at latest threads and your name is on all of them

 

[AndiGirl]

I don't want to jinx myself, but I had a good night last night. I did wake up with the night sweats, but I didn't need to take anything for the reflux. I'm hoping for a healthy, pain free streak.