Reflux

I m no medic but I do know that someone described as you have should have had an endoscopy to see what is happening and no way should you have waited 6 months without shouting from the rooftops It needs following up on Monday morning the referral could have been lost, I would also be going to the GP and expecting him/ her to also check why she are still waiting and see what they can offer her other than gaviscon. Loss of appetite loss of weight and gastric problems always need following urgently just ‘in case’

My daughter was waking with a croaky voice and would be clearing her throat she went to the doctor who referred her straight to the gastro department of the local hospital she got an appointment very quickly and had an endoscopy which showed a small hiatus hernia which was causing reflux a daily tablet keeps her free of symptoms

I found smaller portions and sitting upright afterwards helped -I had the bending over problem too. I feel for her - I have been like that not wanting to eat - I found apples helped a bit. The GP has just started me on Oméprazle - I agree that she needs to go back to the GP and see if the appointment can be speeded up. It must be so colouring her whole life at the moment.

Raising the head of the bed is supposed to help with alleviating reflux. I agree that your GD is long overdue for investigation by a consultant.

Thanks for your replies. My daughter tells me that she has at last got an appointment at the hospital this week. so fingers crossed. She already has to sleep almost sitting up! Poor girl.

I'm shocked that she has had to wait so long, chicken - let's hope she now gets sorted out.

I had reflux caused by helicobacter pylori, and this was treated successfully by a course of strong antibiotics. Unfortunately the symptoms came back a year later. A friend recommended I try Holland & Barrett's high dosage acidophilus tablets, as they'd helped her daughter - they're really just much higher quantities of the "good bacteria" found in probiotic yoghurts etc. They worked for me too, so may help others.

Appalling that your GD has had to wait so long for an investigation. Gaviscon is not the be all and end all. It is a quick fix for people that experience heartburn now and again, especially after i.e.: spicy foods, and it works well. I wonder why her GP did not prescribe something else?
Her GP could maybe have prescribed drugs called PPI's like Omeprazole or Lanzoprazole which are far better for gastric reflux whilst she was waiting for her appointment to see if these were helping her. However, it is still very important that even if they do work, she has further investigations.
Please keep us informed as to her progress. I would love to know how she gets on.

I take medication for reflux and it is quite successful. At a time pain was so severe that it seemed I was having a heart attack but after trying several prescribed medications and the dosage of the last one being doubled I am symptom free most of the time.

I received a phone call yesterday from my local hospital gastric department referring to my gp's request that I be seen for investigation.

It is 2 and a half years since the request was made.!!

Thank you all for your tips and information. Coolgran---WOW --that's unbelievable! I'll report back after she's been seen at the hospital at the end of the week.

Yes, let us know how she goes on chicken

This is very interesting as my daughter has just had an endoscopy and colonscopy on the same day, she has been suffering with this for 2 years, she has Crohns disease and the Dr was putting it down to this, but at last she was referred fairly quickly, and they thought it was gastritis, but it was helicobacter pylori too, and she has 2 lots of ABs and omeprozole,

I had reflux for quite some time. Should have taken out shares in Gaviscon. Since starting the low carb diet it has completely gone. That might be an avenue to explore

Not much further forward, but she will be having an endoscopy in a fortnight's time. It was going to be a month but was brought forward after protests.

I think sometimes dietary changes can help. I was recommended the Dropping Acid - The Reflux Diet - by Jamie Kaufman, by a speech therapist I was seeing because of a croaky voice and lump in the throat feeling, which can be caused by silent reflux. I do find it is better when I don't binge on chocolate!
Good luck and I hope your daughter soon has an answer from the hospital.

These long waits are not acceptable. I hope she gets some treatment soon.

I found minimising carbs helped initially and also when I had my blood pressure meds reduced but gradually it all came back whatever I ate or didn’t eat. It got so bad around Christmastime and I was having so much Gaviscon -which wasn’t always enough - that I really found life very hard not knowing what to eat or drink. I ended up drinking only water or hot water with a spoonful of sugar. I ate mainly plain fish and a few cooked veg.
Then the doctor gave me Oméprazle and my life is transformed!!’! I have gradually being trying out things I could not have and so far have been fine with all - even a glass of wine.
I suddenly realised yesterday I will be able to go back to making quiche for our lunch some days and also apple pie.
I know this is not good as a long term solution but the GP was talking about taking it for about a month and then reducing the number of days the meds are taken.
When I had the endoscopy they could find nothing wrong and told me to just be careful what I ate and drank. I hope all the other poor sufferers out there find some relief.

GD has been on Omeprazole which didn't help much, was moved on to a different drug which gave her violent itching all over her body, so back onto a higher dose of Omeprazole which still has very little effect. DD very worried and just hoping that the endoscopy throws up some clues as to what can be done.

The one I have is 20mg. The first two night I took it I was sick about 20 mins later - but I had been experiencing sickness in the evening. I obviously lost a lot of the drug but what remained was enough to stop all the symptoms.
I so hope they find out what is wrong with your DGD and can sort her out - so miserable when you don’t know what you can eat - and she is so young to have such a problem.