Severe erosive esophagitis help please

[HayleyBW]

Hi I was diagnosed with moderately severe erosive esophagitis and chronic mild gastritis a month ago via endoscopy and biopsy. I have been on 40 mg omeprazole QAM for 4 and a half weeks and 300 mg ranitidine Qhs. I have no relief of my symptoms. Esophagus feels as something is stuck in it much of the time with sharp pains and burning in chest, arms and back much of the day as well. It doesn't matter if my stomach is empty or I have eaten. Symptoms are the same and I am getting very little if any relief from the meds.

Is there anything that can help or am I in trouble? I am very worried. I don't smoke, drink alcohol or eat spicy foods and always maintained a very healthy life style. I am mainly a vegan and exercise every day. I would so appreciate any advice. Thank you!

[HayleyBW]

Hi Cliff! Glad you are doing so much better and that you and your doctor finally figured it out! It can be such a mystery and you are very fortunate that your issue was discovered. My doctor tested my thyroid but I wonder if an endocrinologist would be a better doctor to go to for that as I feel my internist is not expecting to find anything wrong with my blood etc and perhaps is not getting into the nitty gritty details he needs to get into to help me figure it out. Thank you for posting and I wish you the best in your continued healing process!

[HayleyBW]

Good morning Lilly, I agree, a good storm can be cathartic in a way as long as it hasn't been raining/storming for days on end. I love the way it smells after a heavy rain storm :)

I am so glad your detox program is going well. I still haven't checked the Replenish site out. On my list of things to do because I am very interested in healing from the inside out as naturally as possible. I feel like I am almost eating that way-free of gluten/soy/dairy/sugar etc. Only thing I am not sure I can give up are my artificial sweeteners-mainly Stevita. Good luck and keep me posted!

I hear you on the weight gain and weight loss. I hate being even a few lbs over what I consider comfortable for me so I understand. And I hate being so thin also. People at work have been commenting for the last few months-in a concerned and caring way because they know I have not been well and want me to gain a few lbs. My arms are too skinny and the veins show through. Gross :(
I feel like I am gaining a bit though because I am able to wear some skirts now that fell off my waist a few weeks ago so progress and baby steps. All good!

And don't worry about your children and grandchildren-it will be OK. Hoping it all turns out well and that everyone checks out healthy and keeping all of them in my thoughts and prayers!

Have a good day :)

[CliffHeaton]

All my life I had never any problems with my digestion.  18 months ago, I started to suffer with severe Acid Reflux.  I tried all the self help remedies and researched on the web. Nothing worked and I went to my Doctor who prescribed Omeprozone. Which just made matters worse.   3 months ago I changed doctors.  As a new patient my new doctor  did a blanket screening of my blood to check for any problems.  I did not mention to him the Acid reflux, which I thought was now something I had to live with.  When the blood test results came in, I got a call from him saying that my tests showed a severely underactive thyroid.  He told me that I would have to take Thyroxine for the rest of my life.  Initially he prescribed 100 mg daily.  I still hadn't told him about the Acid reflux.  After two weeks of taking the thyroxine and NO other medicine my Acid reflux disappeared and for the last three months my digestion is back to normal.  On a follow up visit to the Doctor I mentioned that my digestion was now good, and I was sure it was the thyroxine.  He didn't agree or disagree.  This leaves me thinking that the link between thyroid trouble and Acid reflux is not something that doctors think about.  An under active thyroid means that your metabolism is out of synch. Therefore it seems logical to me that these two conditions could be linked and the medical profession don't even know about it.  
After suffering with this miserable condition and now finding a cure for me by pure chance,  I'd like to spread the word that this could work for other sufferers and could be worth getting your Doctor to test for Thyroid problems.   Please spread the word if you try this and it works for you.  I feel sure that this could help many people.   Plus the thyroxine has given me a real boost and I feel much better in general.  Cliff

[Lillye]

Good morning...I just woke up to a stormy day but I love rain and wind..I am so glad your allergist is being proactive in finding out what your are responding to ( environmentally and with foods)...I believe the steroid inhaler is safe because very little of it becomes systemic..when I went to urgent care three weeks ago, the doctor gave me steroid nose drops to use each day...Of course, I discontinued them after a few days but maybe should start again because I still feel like I have a post nasal drip and also some raspiness in my voice. Whatever respiratory virus we contracted sure doesn't go away quickly. And I have spoken to a few others who say it took weeks to kick the lingering congestion. It seems like it settles in the upper chest/ throat area but lingers..Do you feel better since starting the new protocol?
Your burning should stop after resuming the antihistamines ... I have mitral valve prolapse and anti his timings always cause me to feel a sensation like my heart skips a beat so I hesitate to take them..Since my early teen years, I have worried whenever I have a health issue thinking the worst..Thankfully, I have been pretty healthy through the years.
Now I worry about my children and grand children when they have health issues. My second to youngest has a flat blotchy rash on his back, neck and legs...he says it started three years ago and a doctor looked at it then. However, he said it has gotten worse and the dermatologist he saw a few days ago did a biopsy, so I am waiting with some apprehension until he gets the results.
I really like the detox protocol in that the food is delicious and there really is very little deprivation. The aim is to eliminate chemicals, sugar, gluten, soy and dairy for a month. The recipes are excellent and I love to cook but it is time consuming.. I have always kind of eaten this way anyway although since my digestive issues, I have consumed far too many carbs and I look forward to changing that. I thought weight would never be an issue for me because everyone in my family of origin is/ was very thin, but I am about 6 pounds overweight( for me) so hopefully I will drop a few pounds. My friends tell me I am nuts but I hate my clothes being snug and feeling thick. When I was sooo thin, I would have been delighted to gain even 20 pounds.
Let me know if your inhaler helps--will be praying for your burning to cease --have a great day....

[HayleyBW]

Hi Lilly, thanks for asking and you are right. The allergist thinks the reason my allergic asthma started up again after so many years in remission was the upper respiratory infection I had beginning of June. That was the catalyst in his opinion. He put me on a steroid inhaler twice a day (afraid to take this though he said it would be safe and to rinse my mouth out after I use it) and also a ventolin inhaler. I had environmental allergy testing done and will get food allergy testing next time. My next appt is July 21 as he was all booked up. So far no surprises. I am allergic to cats (we have 4 LOL), mold, ragweed and a few other things. Nothing off the charts terrible. He saw some cobblestoning in the back of my throat but cannot tell me if it could be due to acid reflux...I hope not :(

Good luck with your detox program starting today. I am excited for you. I just made a delicious breakfast smoothie for me and my dh. It had Kale, pear, banana, walnuts and ice. And it was a lovely rich light green and tasted yummy. I hope you enjoy your detox and that it helps you improve even more.

I had burning the last few days but I wonder if that was because I had to stop all antihistamines 4 days before the allergy appointment. I have high histamine response (derm did scratch test a while back and it was high and he put me on 2 antihistamines a day) and stopping them cold turkey I hope was the cause of the return of the burning. I started them again last night and I hope the burning will go away again.

Have a good day and let me know how your detox is going...

[Lillye]

Hi Hayley
The shakes sound delicious and so healthy...I am definitely going to look at the Vitamix this week as I am starting the "tick tock detox" with Andrea Nakayama tomorrow...It truly is just a healthy diet plan eliminating gluten, sugar and dairy.. I really need it because my eating habits have been less than optimal for awhile..When I had the burning, I are mostly carbs which are like eating pure sugar which I also have been eating. I weigh more than I ever have in my entire life so hopefully, this new plan will get me back on track.
I am so sorry you are experiencing the breathing problems but I believe it will pass..I caught the flu from one of my grand daughters two years ago right after Christmas.. I had the flu shot but contracted it anyway...I was really sick and in the weeks following I had asthma too and had never had it before in my life..My internist gave me an inhaler which I used a few times a day but it took a few weeks to recover..I have never had it since but it was miserable because I always felt short of breath during those weeks..My niece's husband( who is an obstetrician) told me it is a type of allergic response to the virus... You are in excellent physical shape so it will dissipate..Someone suggested I take oil of oregano which helped. I bought it at Whole Foods....
I am looking forward to planning our trip this week. My friend who has a summer home in Old Lyme Conneticut is returning from Italy Tuesday and I need to get with her before I schedule our flights. I grew up with her in New Orleans and we have tried getting together at least every other year since college..She is an attorney living in Kentucky and has become somewhat famous and has settled most of the Dow breast implant litigation. She is a very kind and interesting person...
I do look so forward to meeting you and your husband who sounds like a wonderful guy...
Let me know how your appointment with the allergist goes...