shannon Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Just wondering if any of you have had issues with acid reflux??? I've been having issues off and on with tightness in my throat, nausea (but different kind of nausea from my usual), an acid-like taste in my mouth, and some chest discomfort. It seems like acid reflux because when I go on Prilosec for a couple weeks, it goes away, but then seems to come back awhile later. When ever I have new symptoms, it's confusing to figure out whether its POTS-related or something else. Has anyone had these issues? I haven't seen a doctor yet, but if I do end up going in, I know I will see someone who doesn't know what POTS is and probably won't investigate whether it could be related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaTrain Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I have been having alot of problems with acid reflux for about 6 months now. It just came on one day...no real heart burn feeling just this just swallowed battery acid feeling and going hoarse when I talked. My GP said take Prilosec so that's what I have been doing. The nutritionist guy I am seeing now says that you can have the same effects from having too much or too little acid. In the book "prescription for natural healing" it says you can test if you have too little or too much by taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. If it makes you better than you have too little acid....if it makes you worse you have too much. Hope you feel better....it really makes life rough when you have this going on 24/7!KC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffKohrman Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I have this problem as well. Prilosec has never helped it, since I don't think it's food/stomach related. I've heard it could be heart related if it's always there, or unrelated to eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elenapap11 Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Shannon three years ago after a gastroscopy i was diagnosed with gastroesophagic reflux and acid reflux.Basically whatever i ate would come up my throat and even if i hadn't eaten anything i could feel my stomach's acids burning my throat.Everytime i woke up in the morning i would have an awful taste in my mouth and a sorethroat.I went on a special diet and i was taking Nexium for five months.Occassionaly i would wake up at night with heartburn and increased heart rate.(i would go up to 120 beats per minute)I went to my doctor again because despite taking meds and following his tips i wasn't getting any better.He said that i was too stressed for nothing and that i should not think about it too much. The symptoms gradually became more frequent and after a fainting episode i was rushed in hospital where after a second gastroscopy they told me that i also had hiatal hernia.I kept asking the doctor if all that can cause palpitations,tremor,shortness of breath,fatigue and faintings.He told me that i was too stressed because of my stomach problems....and i believed him.But of course my problems didn't go away and the second time i had a fainting episode and severe POTS symptoms the doctor told me that i might have NCS.i had a tilt test which was positive and i got a second diagnosis from another hospital.The doctors there told me i had POTS.For the last two years i ve had all Dysautonomic symptoms that exist including acid reflux.I wasn't told by the doctor that acid reflux is a POTS symptom but reading many stories in this forum i realised that many POTS patients have it.My advice is to have a thorough check up to get a proper diagnosis and most of all to change your eating habits which will help you a lot more that medicines.For instance chocolates and spicy foods are strictly forbidden for me.I understand how frustrating it is not to have a POTS specialist.I have been having the same problem.Inform your GP as much as you can and don't take everything they say for granted.Educate yourself well about it and educate your doctor.That's what i do at the moment.Get well soon.Elena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I've had problems with reflux on and off since my teens (I'm 36). I had a barium swallow and it showed high-grade reflux (the stuff came all the way back up into my mouth when I lifted my legs up). At the time of the study, I asked the radiologist why I had such severe reflux. I'm not overweight and didn't seem to have any other medical problems. He said it looked like the nerves to my sphincters weren't working, but he didn't know why . I guess if you have neuropathy, the nerves regulating sphincter constriction can be affected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannon Posted November 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Thanks for your feedback. I saw my doctor last week and am taking 2 prilosec per day for the next 2 months, then going in to see if I need a scope or more diagnostic tests. After reading some of your feedback, I will try my best to assert myself and educate the doctor about POTS. Ahhhh, I just wish doctors didn't see symptoms in such isolated ways. It seems like the only time they think they have to consider POTS is when I'm having issues with HR/BP, which is completely ignorant. Thanks for your thoughts, though! It helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tilly Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Hi Shannon .. I had a gastroscopy because I had been suffering heart burn for so so long I could not and still can not lye on my right hand side because of the pain intolerable heart burn ..... the test showed I had osophogusitis and a hiatus hernia , which explains the pain when lying on my right hand side and the picture of the oesophagus was really inflamed ..... I tried to watch what I was eating and I find pastries, any thing spicy, which I do not eat at all now will make matters much worse ..... I take gaviscon and gaviscon tablets and intermittent ppi's .... my doctor tried to say it was stress related because of my tachycardia ... and the test showed that it was not stress after all ! .......I also can't stand anything pressing on my abdomen like trousers jeans, belts ,girdles, ... the pressure even slight will cause the heart burn to flare .....Can you tell me do you ever get pain when swallowing like you have tried to swallow a (brick) as though you oesophagus has gone into a spasm and it is really hard for it to go down ?? i get this intermittently and i thing it is to do with the ANS .. i think it affects different parts of you body at different times ?....tilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkerbella Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Hi,I've been tested years ago and they stopped the test in the middle as I was so bad and said that my reflux was soooooo bad, but I never was bothered by it other than I was horse all the time. I guess the chest pain was part???? Doc put me on meds and last year I noticed a pattern in the change and began to notice that the other meds wern't working and we switched to nexium just in the morning.I'm so nauseous now when I eat and can't seem to eat much at a time without reflux now morning, noon and night. I that I get so sick and throw up small amounts, just enought to gross out those around me. Like driving in the car, or after a meal when I have to go lay down on my wedge. Now I'm popping antinausa meds to every day now. Now all of this brings on more tachy events as I struggle and get sick... Also, trying not to get sick around others brings on anxiety as like in others driving you somewhere and thery tell you if you start getting sick it will make them start. LOL!!! Sometimes I feel if a camera could follow me around no one would believe my life.Best of Luck to you and the rest of us!Bellamia~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormie74 Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 I've had a terrible time with reflux. For years I was on Nexium and then Prilosec, and it helped. BUT, my Endo had to keep increasing my thyroid meds because of the changes in my digestive track due to taking the meds to control reflux. She said when you are on meds to change the ph of your digestive system, it alters how your body absorbs nutrition and meds. Now, I only take a Prilosec when I need it, and I find I'm better if I take it before I go to bed rather than in the morning. I also find if I don't need a Prilosec at night, it helps greatly if I take 2-3 Tums just before bed. I sleep much better with very little reflux.Caron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadesofgrey49 Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Acid reflux was just added to my list of conditions after my most recent endoscopy. I still have inflammation on my stomach a year after it was initially detected, and now it seems to have spread to my esophagus, so I'm afraid these inflammations will be chronic. I just don't want to have to take calcium-depleting medication for it forever. IBS and POTS are bad enough...I don't want structural problems, too. Anyway, my diet is already limited with IBS and dyspepsia, and I've been doing small frequent meals the past year as a result of gastritis and POTS, but acid reflux calls for me to stay away from a whole bunch of other annoying things. I can't even have decaf tea or coffee, which I haven't been able to understand. The rest are things I knew already--gum, mints, fried foods, spicy foods, milk (I'm lactose intolerant anyway), obviously caffeine and chocolate, and citrus fruits (duh). Anyways, I have no idea if acid problems relate to POTS, but if you're feeling like that, you should get an upper endoscopy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jump Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 I had reflux problems too! For me, then went away when I stopped eating gluten. Thank goodness. Have you looked into possible food allergies? It seems like allergies often go with POTS, and I'd imagine an undiagnosed allergy could make reflux or IBS worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 I don't have "heart burn" pain but I do have a lot of reflux. I frequently have stomach contents come back up into my mouth even hours after eating.The autonomic nervous system (the bit that is messed up in POTS / dysautomonia) controls everything that our bodies do automatically (I call it my autopilot function) this includes the gastro-intestinal tract. When my POTS is bad I also have worse problems with both reflux and diarrhoea.I would see your PCP and tell them that the GI tract is often messed up in POTS (the new DINET documentary film mentions this). Any new symptom should be investigated so your doctor may suggest an upper GI endoscopy or other test to make sure that it is just reflux and nothing else going on.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 I was diagnosed with GERD several years ago through a barium swallow- I seldom have the heartburn - mine is pressure in my chest and feeling like I can't get a good breath..I get raspy too sometimes and I burp like a sailor!!! I take Protonix every day for it but it still breaks through. Sometimes it disappears for weeks and other times it is just awful - like I can't breathe right. I have a sliding hiatal hernia as well and that can cause symptoms. It's another yucky thing it seems many of us have to deal with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjanzing Posted December 2, 2009 Report Share Posted December 2, 2009 Yes I do have this problem as well...it helps to drink small amounts of milk and to not eat much and never after 6:30 at night and no spices. Hope you'll be better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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