Need help

[Yafoo22]

I was taking NSAID's for a shoulder injury, which in turn led to me finding out that I am allergic to them, so I was taken off of them. I was then on prednisone to help knock the NSAID's out of my system. After getting off prednisone, I still was not feeling 100%, so I went to a different allergist. I was tested for common food allergens and for h pylori. The h pylori came back equivocal, so my doctor suggested that I just take Prilosec and see if that help the stomach irritation and excessive belching I was having. I was feeling a lot better until about day 10 of Priolsec when I drank some liquor. After I ended the Prilosec 14 days, my stomach issues and belching came right back. My doctor suggested I take a few more days of Prilosec and avoid alcohol for a while. In the past week I have also switch to a modified Paleo diet and have gotten back into going to the gym, so I'm not sure if that's affecting my stomach as well. Is it possible that I have ulcers from the NSAID's or h pylori? How can I solve this problem, so I can feel better again?!?

[CalGal]

It's possible it could be related. With an issue like GERD it can be difficult to specifically pinpoint what's going on until you track things for awhile.

[Yafoo22]

I forgot to mention that I had a lot of mid rib and back discomfort on my left side a few days before I initially started taking Prilosec. Yesterday, after eating a salad, that same discomfort came back. Can this also be related to the GERD?

[CalGal]

Consider talking to you doc about doing a longer course of PPIs and in addition consider following a GERD-friendly diet. You can find a representative example at www.gicare.com and click the diet button.

You may have to be on PPIs for several months to try to clear things up. When you start to come off of them, do so very slowly. There can be a condition called rebound reflux that occurs when the acid pumps turn back on. They will put out more acid than normal and it can feel like you've got 2x the amount of heartburn you had before - but that would not happen after 14 days on the Prilosec.