[MERGED] Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

[jtan]

i dont' know if this has been confirmed. you get heart burn when you don't have enough enzymes to digest the food, you also get the same sensation when you have excessive amount of gastric acid.

or have you been stressful lately?

[bjmanabat]

among those implicated are acid, smoking, a bacteria called H. pylori. i believe stress in a way could be a cause but indirectly. the ideal set up is to have an endoscopy first but the problem is a lot of patients can't afford the procedure. so the more popular management nowadays is to put the patient on trial medications first and if it doesn't work that's the only time an endoscopy will be done.

[helenez]

thank you po sa lahat ng nagrespond!

well, last night i bought an antacid. sabi it relieves heartburn daw. i took one last night, i forget if i felt better after taking it, tho. maybe i felt a little better, but only temporarily. dahil kani-kanina lang, i just had a very painful burp. heartburn yun diba? so i dont know what is wrong with me. recently nga, ive only been eating once a day. i dont drink soft drinks naman. but i do sometimes hold my unwanted gas when im at a public place. could that be the reason for my heartburn?

as for being stressful... well, i dont really know what being stressful is, honestly. lol. i would say that im stressed out, but in actuality, im really not. did i make sense? hehe. well basically what im trying to say is that i do worry quite often, but i dont know if that could be considered stress.

doc ira, it's not that im afraid to see a physician per se is just that sometimes i dont know if my problems are for real or im just acting up. so i consult here first.

[Ira]

Whether or not they're minor, if they're a cause of concern for you, then by all means see a doctor.

If you heave heartburn, it feels like a "burn" in the mid-chest, and you feel acid in your throat.

What kind of antacid did you get?

[jtan]

Originally posted by bjmanabat
among those implicated are acid, smoking, a bacteria called H. pylori. i believe stress in a way could be a cause but indirectly. the ideal set up is to have an endoscopy first but the problem is a lot of patients can't afford the procedure. so the more popular management nowadays is to put the patient on trial medications first and if it doesn't work that's the only time an endoscopy will be done.

if you have ulcer chances are you have h. pylori. h. pylori and aspirin is the leading cause of ulcers. stress is not the cause of ulcers, they just magnify the problem.

[bjmanabat]

i said I BELIEVE (which means its debatable although there are actual studies that shows higher incidence of acid peptic diseases among those involved in stressful activities) i said COULD BE (which means not all people involved in stressful activities will develop ulcer) and finally i said INDIRECTLY (which means there are major causes like acid, smoking, H. pylori, abuse of pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen etc.)

[junjani23]

doktor ka ba bj manabat?

[Ira]

bjmanabat is a licensed physician, as are eyedoc and I. I think there are 3 of us who regularly reply to this forum. Some physicians (like Batang Uliran and dog_lover) also occasionally post replies. The others aren't licensed to dispense medical advice.

[zzzodiac]

I have Gastro Esophageal Reflux Dysfunction for one year now - on Protonix but no relief so far. Will be visiting Pinas this X-mas. I might have trouble with local diet.

Help naman, Please!

[Phooey]

Small frequent meals. and nothing heavy before bedtime. happy gorging.

[passing by]

my husband took Nexium (?) sounds like that for his GERD...

[The Phoenix]

GERD is nothing new and is a condition familiar to many Filipino doctors. Protonix may not be available in the Philippines but there are other drug equivalents available. Proton pump inhibitors have been sold in Manila since the late 80's.

Obviously, Protonix is not working for you. It's true certain kinds of food will precipitate reflux but make sure your symptoms are CONTROLLED FIRST before blaming any diet.

[crimsonmoon]

from what i know, wag masyadong busog, not too much on chocolates and oily foods! may classmate kasi akong may GERD din. goodluck!

[zzzodiac]

Thanks Docs, and all replies!

[snuggy4]

ako iniinom ko pariet and zantac. pero talagang dapat yung food intake mo limitado pati lahat ng bawal wag kainin.

[Mister Cyborg]

Just last week, I suddenly felt pain at the center of my chest just below the breastbone while I was walking. Tapat na tapat siya sa heart. Also, I had discomfort in my chest na parang mabigat ang feeling sa loob and sometimes i had difficulty breathing. I thought I had a heart problem, kaya nagpunta ako kagad sa hospital for check-up.

I had ECG and X-Rays and lahat sila normal ang results. I also had normal blood pressure and heartbeat. After some interviews, the doctor said I had heartburn. Ngayon ko lang na-experience ito. It's not a pleasant experience. Masikip ang dibdib mo. Parang hinihigop yung puso mo pataas sa dibdib.

Lately kasi, napadalas ang kain ko ng spicy sandwiches sa Subway, tapos malimit akong makatulog sa gabi pagkatapos kumain. Then sometimes naman, i missed my meals on time. Saka isa pa, i don't sleep with pillows under my head. As in flat sa bed talaga ako matulog. Sumasakit kasi leeg ko sa morning pag may unan ako. My doctor said those conditions could have triggered the heartburn with the excess acid flowing back into the esophagus from the stomach.

The doctor prescribed me to take Pantoprazole 40 mg once a day after dinner for 14 days straight. I'm on my 2nd day as of this writing.

[krissie111]

ive been diagnosed with GERD, esophagitis, gastritis. inflammed din ang vocal cord ko, huhuhu. ang sakit ng endoscopy, grabe. my doc assured me na hindi na kelangan ng part 2, hay thank God, otherwise magpapa-general anesthesia ako! i took ulcepraz for 2 weeks, no effect! now im taking omeprazole as well as stablon (for depression yata) my question is, may natural cure ba sa GERD? bothersome kasi yung feeling sa lalamunan. tska anong food ang makakatulong sa ganitong condition?

help naman po.

[under_alex86]

gerd is commonly called heartburn because the esophageal sphincter doesnt close completely or isnt not that strong to close after ingesting food.. thus, food particularly the stomach's HCL goes back to the esophagus and it irritates it.
natures answer to gerd is to eat in sff or small frequent foods meaning you may have to eat 4-5 times daily in small servings.. and you should try standing after you eat because gravity helps prevent the foof from going back due to its anatomical location..
otc's like kremil-s may work but not completely becoz only decreases the acidity of the stomach but not completely,, you may have to ask your doctor for proton pump inhibitors to prevent ulcers..

[krissie111]

^thanks a lot. im into PPI right now (omeprazole) hopefully may positive effect. honestly ang hirap ng pakiramdam after eating. minsan, antok na antok na 'ko yet di pwede bumaluktot sa pagkakaupo for about 2 hrs! then after an hour nagugutom na naman ako at di pwedeng hindi kumain dahil sa gastritis so hindi pa rin pwedeng umidlip. anong technique nyo? sobrang hirap na sakripisyo talaga 'to!

[Invictus]

I take Pariet and Medrol.