Reflux

lynseyweth

Sorry for my ignorance - but what is reflux?
I have never heard of it.
What kind of symptoms did you have to have this?

reflux is stomach acid that travels up your oesaphagus and burns it. It also causes pain in your bowel and heart. It can also rot your teeth if it travels up to far. It usually happens when you are sleeping.

Reply 3

Juno

Blood tests aren't that scary. You can ask to lie down if you want. Basically, it's a needle on the inside of your elbow, so you can even choose not to look! And you get a plastic and sticker afterwards.

Reply 4

frost105

14

My dad and my boyfs dad have had the same problem. If it is reflux they can treat it with medication (antacids etc) however there is an operation where they adjust the skin at the bottom of the oesphagus and top of stomach. It is usually effective though in about 10% (I think dont quote me) of cases it doesnt work ie too loose or too tight.

Reply 5

pink_lucie

14

lil penguin kid

reflux is stomach acid that travels up your oesaphagus and burns it. It also causes pain in your bowel and heart. It can also rot your teeth if it travels up to far. It usually happens when you are sleeping.

omg! dont die!

Reply 6

LPK

OP

http://www.medicinenet.com/gastroesophageal_reflux_disease_gerd/article.htm

gossip_girl

omg! dont die!

Reply 7

I have it (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or waterbrash, or whatever you want to call it). I have to take esomaprazole for the rest of my life, unless I have it surgically corrected at some point.

Reply 8

Russell

1

You will be fine mate! It's a tiny needle and feeling that you will hardly register, Most people have to be told it's over because they don't realise it happened!

Reply 9

LPK

OP

svidrigailov

I have it (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or waterbrash, or whatever you want to call it). I have to take esomaprazole for the rest of my life, unless I have it surgically corrected at some point.

thats the tablet i have, esomaprazole. I have to take it once a day for a month and then go back to the doctors.

Reply 10

lil penguin kid

thats the tablet i have, esomaprazole. I have to take it once a day for a month and then go back to the doctors.

Most people are cured after a month of treatment. I just have an especially bad case.

Reply 11

lil penguin kid

thats the tablet i have, esomaprazole. I have to take it once a day for a month and then go back to the doctors.

omeprazole is a fairly new and effective proton-pump-inhibitor tablet; I'd imagine the doctor wants to see how you get on with it and review you after a month.

most people who have GORD seem to keep it to some extent indefinitely. I'm not sure about teenagers though.

Reply 12

svidrigailov

Most people are cured after a month of treatment. I just have an especially bad case.

GORD is a chronic condition - if it isn't as bad as GORD it can quite often clear up.

Reply 13

timeofyourlife

GORD is a chronic condition - if it isn't as bad as GORD it can quite often clear up.

Quite so, GERD is usually chronic; but esomeprazole and the like generally shouldn't be taken for more than eight weeks or so (according to the manufacturers anyway); generally speaking after a month of treatment, and with sensible lifestyle modifications, the thing generally diminishes to the point where it no longer affects the patient seriously. It can of course be a temporary condition as well, brought on by some particular event (pregnancy for instance).

Reply 14

Evil Muffin

1

lil penguin kid

reflux is stomach acid that travels up your oesaphagus and burns it. It also causes pain in your bowel and heart. It can also rot your teeth if it travels up to far. It usually happens when you are sleeping.

Hmm, I get something a little like that, but I thought it was just my body's weirdness. No bowel or heart pain though, just a feeling of acid in my throat.

Reply 15

svidrigailov

Quite so, GERD is usually chronic; but esomeprazole and the like generally shouldn't be taken for more than eight weeks or so (according to the manufacturers anyway); generally speaking after a month of treatment, and with sensible lifestyle modifications, the thing generally diminishes to the point where it no longer affects the patient seriously. It can of course be a temporary condition as well, brought on by some particular event (pregnancy for instance).

It's GORD, not GERD; don't go all american on us :wink:

.

I'm hoping LPW wouldn't need to make many lifestyle changes considering he's <16!!

Reply 16

RetiredAccount89

18

timeofyourlife

omeprazole is a fairly new and effective proton-pump-inhibitor tablet; I'd imagine the doctor wants to see how you get on with it and review you after a month.

most people who have GORD seem to keep it to some extent indefinitely. I'm not sure about teenagers though.

esomeprozole is basically same as omeprazole and lansoprazole (relatively little diff between them)
However, PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) are usually only given for the most severe cases of GORD. So I am curious as to the following:-

1) Have you ever had pain in the top of your abdomen, perhaps radiating to your back.
2) Have you ever been 'endoscoped' - had a tube put down your throoat into your stomach
3) Have you been tested for H.Pylori infection
4) Have you ever been told you have 'hiatus hernia'
5) Do you ever vomit? If so is there ever blood, or coffee ground appearance in the vomit?
6) Has anyone in your family ever suffered reflux, or gastric ulcers?

Reply 17

timeofyourlife

It's GORD, not GERD; don't go all american on us :wink:

.

I'm hoping LPW wouldn't need to make many lifestyle changes considering he's <16!!

I use the etymological spelling 'esophageal'; don't see the point of preserving useless ligatures, especially when the simpler spelling is the older.

Reply 18

RetiredAccount89

18

svidrigailov

I use the etymological spelling 'esophageal'; don't see the point of preserving useless ligatures, especially when the simpler spelling is the older.

mmm. Say that to a consultant and see how far you get...

Reply 19