Would you .......

Oh sod. I didn't actually m an to post that.

Do you suffer from LPR (silent reflux) Riverwalk? Or did your info come from a quick google?

I do not want to know that after possibly years of trying to cope with this awful condition I'm likely to die of oesophagal cancer anyway! Nor do I wish to know what the chances are, percentage-wise...

Can we please concentrate on helping each other try to find solutions to at least alleviate the worst of the symptoms? I doubt I'd ever go down the surgery route.

PS petra, no, I haven't suffered from shortness of breath (yet, anyway!)

There are lots of things that have a good chance of killing you if you get them. Not knowing of their existence doesn't protect you fromthem - in fact it can make you more likely to put off getting advice because you don't realise the danger. Knowing the likelihood of your symptoms being possibly caused by the big C, and the likelihoodof them being something innocent can stop people either getting paranoid or being fatally ignorant.

Same here Ana. The thought of a flippin' endoscopy alone scares the socks off of me.

I'm thinking of trying tongue rolling with coconut oil. (Yes, that's how desperate I am!) Want a to get rid of this horrible taste and the white tongue.

Actually, I want to be able to enjoy the odd mince pie without the taste being completely ruined.

I am actually doing "bellows breathing" as I post. (Well, it might work)

I've been doing the breathing exercises too, but haven't noticed any improvement since starting (must be months ago now...)

(Sorry, Riverwalk and Elegran, I know you meant to be helpful )

Jings as I said earlier at 07.08 I'm not a sufferer.

However at the ripe old age of 61 I'm still a practising Registered Nurse. I would hope never to be accused of just Googling info and throwing it into a conversation where members are discussing a particular problem.

I only ever post on Health matters if I think that I have something to contribute.

Elegran as for statistics and odds - I presume that Cancer Research UK consider the odds to be significant for them to mention it on their website.

I agree petra that you should tell all doctors if you are on any other medications.
I would not personally touch Chinese medicine with a barge pole. There is no effective regulation on ingredients - are they safe? are they contaminated? do they work?
Chinese friends say "if we feel we need a tonic we take Chinese medicine but if there we have any significant symptoms we go straight to a western doctor"

"bellows breathing" ? Jingle - does that involve your ribs going in and out?

No jess. It's like in your book.

That's what started me off on the other exercises route.

There's a good you tube vid that explains it. Will put it on after 1 o'clock when I can get on big puter again. Can't find it with iPad.

It would be great to chat to a doctor.......about anything. On one occasion I was told I was number 32 in the waiting que. Still waiting

. Our surgery has closed it's lists to new patients now.

bellows breathing

All of you with silent acid reflux or any type of acid reflux - you have my sympathy. It is an absolutely hellish condition, I have had it for 9 years, regarding the worry of the Omeprazole I am just grateful to have it and I use this along with Gaviscon Advance, another Godsend.

The diet part is trial and error, if I go through a bad spell I write down what I eat for a few days and look back and try and work out the trigger. I don't drink much alcohol now as that is an issue as well. I avoid spicy food and CHILLI - which for me is the worst offender and they seem to want chilli in just about everything nowadays. I was told by my Gastroenterologist that Acid Reflux is a strange condition, what affects one person foodwise, does not affect another. I have found this to be accurate. They say avoid fizzy drinks, yet I found the original Coca-Cola to be helpful to me, especially for settling down my IBS. Isn't that odd?

I also have IBS, Diverticular Disease and Asthma. For some of you who may not be aware Acid Reflux and Asthma are quite closely related. Though I was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma years after my acid reflux began. I took acid reflux and all the other Gastro-Intestinal/Bowel related issues after being ill with a virus. The doctors knew I had been ill with something and actually found something in a urine sample, but had no clue as to what it was.

I have a theory that Gastro/Bowel conditions have a hereditary factor also. In my family there were 3 with acid -reflux, 1 Crohn's, 1 Ulcerative Colitis and me with my issues.

Regarding the 'cancer' issue, I know people who are in their 80s who take Omeprazole. I also have a friend with 'Barratt's Oesophagus' which is meant to increase the chances of Oesophageal cancer. He takes his Omeprazole and (touch wood) he is still here and keeps well, though, like myself reduced his alcohol intake and watches his diet. I don't think there is any point to worrying about cancer, just follow whatever regime helps and hope for the best. I'm happy if I do not have the awful burning.

Back to the question in hand, yes, you need to tell your doctor about any homeopathic remedies you are taking. They have to diagnose the whole person. I suffer acute anxiety and receive no treatment from my GP, when it is unbearable I take a natural calming pill (cannot remember the name). My GP wasn't too happy about it but I told her that when I am really bad I need it, and fortunately it is not often I need them. However, incase they react with something or as someone else said remain within your system you need to tell your GP. They may not be happy but it then gives the opportunity to ask 'what is the alternative'?

Forgot to say I NEVER GOOGLE, especially for medical symptoms. It just scares the hell out of you because everything comes up cancer. You are better to go to the doctor, they train for years and I'd rather rely on them than an internet search engine which can come up with anything.

We had a friend with a medical book who was just as bad, eventually we persuaded her to throw the damn thing out, she's a lot more settled in her mind now and happier for this.

Mine came on with a virus! quite out of the blue.

I google loads.

Cher53. That's odd, I suffer from Diverticulitus. Up until a moth ago I haven't had an attack for over 18 months, and yet I've had 2, 2 weeks apart, one so bad that OH had to call an ambulance as I had passed out ( not for long)

Riverwalk. This is another condition that nobody cares about.

Jingle. Was this that bloody awful thing thing we had earlier this year?

After several anti-depressants had completely failed to help me I put myself on St. John's Wort. I told my GP because SJW can interact with other medication. Now I'm on HRT (one of the ones that can interact) and have stopped the SJW. I really ought to tell my GP that I'm also taking progesterone, although with any really specialised medication we have to know a lot more about it than a GP would.

I wish I lived near Rotherham. Take a look on YouTube at this Dr at Rotherham Hospital. Dr Karna D Bardhan. He seems to know what he's talking about.

Probably petra. It was late May I had. Have never felt so ill and weak in all my life. I could hardly move across the bedroom. And I've had this thing ever since.

You should certainly tell your medics about the alternative medicines as they work through their chemical content. They are not tested and the doses of chemicals are not standardised as with tested medicines so mixing the two could cause overdoses or adverse reactions. Alternative medicines can be very powerful and dangerous when self prescribed. Digitalis can cause heart problems and St John's Wort should not be taken with prescription anti-depressants.