Indigestion

Thanks welshwife, I'll give that a go. At least it's a natural food. Jinglbellfrocks, sorry, why is it irresponsible to put that on a forum? As someone said, doctors will give out all sorts of tablets for many reasons. Working in a pharmacy years ago a lot of women found that their contraceptive pill had been changed and everyone was being prescribed the same one. Reason, the doctors were getting BIG benefits from the company supplying them and the rep, well he was salesman of the year! I'm taking Omeprazol, I've since heard that once you're on it, it is almost impossible to stop taking them, and they are chemicals and have long-term bad effects. A doctor, on the radio had been taking them and was finding it impossible to get off them. I've lowered my dose from 20mg to 10mg but I know that if I want to stop taking them I've just got to change my diet. Two members of my family died from stomach cancer, very nasty, I don't want to go down that road. I remember when I was young, there were a lot of older people that would say something like, "oh I love fried onions, but they don't like me", thought they were daft beggars but our bodies change and we should change with them, simples!

Yes HOOLAHOOP I get that pain round the chest up the sides of my neck and into the upper back. i had had home made soup soup with a lot of garlic and onion, never again.

I was advised to raise the head of my bed to combat reflux. I couldn't manage that but did add an extra pillow which seemed to help - or maybe that was the Ranitidine and Gaviscon Advance last thing at night.

I find wholewheat difficult to digest. I eat Kingsmill Oatywhite, which is fine for me.

I also have strong suspicions about the gluten intolerance thing, apart from with actual Coeliac disease.

So what would you suggest my problem is if it isn't gluten intolerance? jing All I know is that since cutting it out I have been physically 100% better. Free of mouth ulcers, stomach pain , skin is clearing etc. What would be the point of eating it?

Whitewave you may very well have Coeliacs, have you been tested?

The other thing to consider in this debate, is the self-fulfilling prophecy and the placebo effect, both extremely powerful forces. The human mind is ever powerful and works in mysterious ways.

OK then if I unknowingly eat gluten and get a reaction how does that figure in your self fulfilling prophecy theory?

Go and get tested, whitewave, it will be a double-blind test, so nothing self-fulfilling about it, and you will have a definite diagnosis.

I agree with whitewave. What alerted me was how I felt after eating homemade soup. I suddenly realised that it only happened when I added barley, which, in my ignorance, I had no idea contained gluten. That set me off on investigating and researching about gluten.

As with whitewave, I've since discovered that, if I inadvertently eat something containing gluten, my skin flares up within hours.

Why are we surprised that suddenly we suffer from indigestion and other food-related problems. If our joints can wear out why not our digestive systems. Nothing lasts forever, we just have to find out what the problem is and adjust our way of life to accommodate the problem.

I'm interested in BAM, too, as I had my gall bladder removed when I was in my twenties and it was then that my skin started to cause issues. So, perhaps there is more than one factor involved for some people?

Have you asked to be tested for Helicobacter pyloris?Your symptoms sound very similar that condition.I have found that for some reason doctors won't test for this unless you ask for the test(it is a simple blood test)the treatment is simple -a course of 2/3different antibiotics for about a week.The results -if you do have this condition so amazing -it really is like a miracle cure,basically because people are silently suffering indigestion etc for months/years and suddenly become symptom free.It certainly worth having the test rather than an endoscopy.

Yes I am toying with the idea of trooping to the Dr. I tend to go though only if I am absolutely forced to go which is about once every 5 years at the maximum I am very happy sorting myself out if possible.

Maggieanne - I agree with your view. Also, we're all different, there's no one reason for indigestion.

So glad I saw this thread. After having a leaden, lumpen feeling in my stomach after meals for ages, I had a couple of colonoscopy over a few years and both came back ok. I take omezaprole twice a day and just sussed the possible vicious circle - neutralising the acid means digestion is compromised hence still getting indigestion after most meals!! Or am I being a bit thick here? Even my lovely morning cuppa in bed's become a chore unless I sit bolt upright afterwards instead of snuggling down for a bit. Grrr
Jinglebellfrocks, colonoscopies are a doddle if you have the mild sedative beforehand, you won't feel a thing.

One thing that helps and probably applies to most people is to drink plenty of water with food.
Evidently many older people don't drink enough plain water.

I've suffered acid reflux for the last few years made worse by talking naproxen lansoprazole is the only thing that gives slight relief plus bicarbonate soda in warm water settlers pennies and the like have no effect .

Most of the literature I have read about indigestion suggests you do not drink water with your food because it dilutes the acid and actually creates the problem you are trying to avoid. Plenty of fluids during the day but not while you are eating.
You will never get a definite answer to whether you have gluten intolerance if you have already cut it out of your diet. The gut recovers in the short term so will give a false result, you need to have the tests while the problem is ongoing.

I did for many years and also IBS. I seem to keep both at bay by taking a probiotic tablet every day. I even spent 2 weeks in Africa last year and didn't have any trouble at all. I always try to avoid any unnnecessary medication if I can and came across this article earlier this week.

www.dailymail.co.uk%2Fhealth%2Farticle-3448276%2FIndigestion-pills-taken-millions-raise-risk-dementia.html&h=zAQG8kEVi&enc=AZPkrdMXQWCCdqOInjsVvCm1mGJEfiED4XdQS9Rt5TFh8jgqVKPUjca9hZytkMH5hoBte-PLm9XOllFLC7VRP0WgWC_gOkKwhJtVHwVlEWl0dBwDccBIHZvWlJSyMPZd7Zd3u6wRtFtFyT2dwrG6AplW&s=1

Big artical in this weeks Daily Mail about inhibitors increasing the risk of dementia by up to 44%. I found that drastically cutting my diet by eating much more protein very few carbs and no acidy food the sytoms completely stopped. I also a take a healthy bacteria tablet every day. They are probaly rubbish but who know? Inhibitors can no way be ok to take for long periods.

That's very true. The only issue with the test is the very strong antibiotics, two different types that made me feel very ill! Also the breath test to see if it's gone is not very reliable. Certainly worth the test though to see if you ahes it. Most of us do with no ill effect.

My son saw an episode of Trust Me I'm a Doctor where a woman in America had a 'poo transplant'. A donor with a tried and tested healthy gut flora provided the poo and it was planted in the woman's digestive tract. Her own gut flora had been completely zapped by mega doses of antibiotics during cancer treatment, allowing one bacterium to colonise and exclude all others. She was quite ill because of this. Her gut problems were cured by this treatment. My daughter studied cancer biology at university and was told by one of the lecturers that there's little chance of probiotic bacteria surviving the acid in the stomach. Apparently, one way to ensure your children have a healthy gut is to keep a dog! I read that recently in the paper (therefore pinch of salt standing by!) Cats don't work even though they're lovely....

I did acknowledge Whitewave that you have gluten intolerance.

The point I was trying to make is that indigestion can be a symptom of other things and it needs to be checked out. IBS has tended to be a generic diagnosis for all sorts of bowel problems (including Crohns) many of which are only now being isolated and treated. I was told that a third of people over 65 have small hiatus hernias which cause indigestion and reflux.

I was told to take Lanzaprozole but it had adverse effects so I've resorted to plan B which is three very small meals plus snack so as not to overload the tum. This is working for me.

DH was told to take probiotic pills which are specially coated to withstand stomach acids! Who to believe!

I completely agree with you Welshwife. It is NOT irresponsible for you to post what you said. There are actually a lot of homeopathic remedies which work very well, and prescrlption meds which DO NOT. Good for you Welshwife.