GERD (reflux disease) how to cure it

I have the same problem, and I've been living with it my entire conscious life!! Only a special diet can help: low-fat, non-spicy, everything boiled!!!

I don't understand what makes doctors treat the symptoms rather than the cause.

Author, you should check yourself for Helicobacter pylori and get treated for it. Along with curing this extremely common infection, your heartburn will disappear, and then the reflux will too. It's hard to believe in fairy tales about some unique stomach structure when you know how widespread this infection is.

At the same time, you need to monitor the quality of the food you eat. It's dangerous to eat things that cannot be heat-treated. And to buy items that are sold unpackaged.

In addition, it is necessary to get tested for the presence of protozoa.

Cleanliness in the kitchen and the purity of food - absolutely.

My husband has reflux. And his mother has had it all her life.

From what I understand, it's not curable. But if he avoids trigger foods and doesn't lie down after eating, there are no symptoms.

He was also prescribed Pariet for small stomach ulcers. They've healed. Actually, staying on Pariet continuously is quite expensive...

In most cases, ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Reflux can be treated.

The Helicobacter pylori was treated first and cured, but there were no significant improvements. They checked for protozoa and found none. I never lie down after eating or have meals at night, but if I don't take Omez or any other medication from that group (such as Pantoprazole, Pariet, Lanza, etc.), I get heartburn, no matter what I've eaten. Doctors suggest continuing to take these pills, but I'm not sure if they can be taken for years; there must be some negative effects on the body. Has anyone taken them for such a long time?

Strange... it should ease up. Do you have high acidity? Or is your stomach not closing properly? Acid levels can be lowered with pills without any issues... I think. And do you have a lump in your throat that you're always trying to swallow? And sometimes an unpleasant taste in your mouth??

Anyway, the 5th diet should help, plus basic Festal and Motilium. But perhaps you have something else... Go see another doctor... just in case. Have you had this since childhood, or did it start recently?

Did you exclude coffee? Alcohol, beer? Spicy and fried foods? Eat small portions, chew very thoroughly, take your time, never overeat, and it's recommended to raise the bed (the side with the pillow), and not lie down after eating.

Link to multiple articles.

http://health-ua.org/search/?cx=001182428068395977759%3Azxg1​nttnjcy&cof=FORID%3A11&sa=Search&ie=windows-1251​&q=%E3%FD%F0%E1&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&sit​eurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&a​mp;siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&x=40&y=13#1270

Is this something you always have, or does it flare up due to stress?

I've eliminated coffee, alcohol, fatty, spicy, and other harmful foods. Flare-ups occur very frequently, even when I'm not stressed. Now, after browsing the internet, I found an article stating that medications like omeprazole, Pariet, etc., cause a 'rebound effect,' meaning when you stop taking them, your condition sharply worsens. It seems this is exactly my case; when I stop taking these pills, the heartburn becomes even worse than before starting the treatment. Now, I don't know how to get rid of this dependency. I want to try taking Gaviscon instead of omeprazole. They say it's quite effective for heartburn.

For seven years, I was on acid-reducing medication and Motilium with the same diagnoses. Last spring, everything stopped working. It was tolerance—absolutely dreadful. The doctor sent me for a fluoroscopy of the stomach and oesophagus. It turned out to be a sliding hiatal hernia, which an upper endoscopy never detected, even though I had it done about ten times.

The hernia can only be removed through a Nissen fundoplication surgery. I had it done, but not entirely successfully, so I had it redone in April.

But now it's much better; even Gaviscon helps.

My advice is to have a fluoroscopy done; it might be a hernia. But esophagitis can also be treated with surgery. After all, medications eventually stop working, and after them, cholecystitis can develop. Well, that's what happened to me, at least.

Nothing helps me either. After the gastroscopy, the doctor says the pH is weakly positive, but they don't treat it; after a course of Ganaton and Pariet, nothing else is prescribed. Then they diagnosed me with cholecystitis, but it wasn't confirmed. I have flare-ups from time to time. I don't know how to go on living. The main thing is, I don't tell any of my loved ones, let alone friends, about my illness; I'm afraid my partner might find out someday and it would upset him too. They also say this condition worsens during pregnancy. I'm not planning it yet, but I simply don't know how to carry on. I've seen several doctors, and they just shrug. They haven't sent me for X-ray fluoroscopy. Is that the same as gastroscopy?

Fluoroscopy is when they give you a glass of barium, which is like white "chalk," to drink, followed by soda. Then they place you under the X-ray machine. There, they rotate you in all sorts of ways, including upside down, and scan you. This allows them to see hernias and everything else.

As far as I know, even if you've had esophagitis for a long time, it's better to have surgery. I myself had an opening between my stomach and oesophagus that wouldn't close, about the size of an orange. For seven years, I thought it was just simple esophagitis and GERD. This actually appeared after childbirth, by the way.

Tash, so did the operation help or not, why a second operation, in which city did you have the operation? I also think that I'll most likely have to undergo surgery, but I live in Sevastopol and it's unlikely that anyone in our city can perform such an operation properly. I think I'll need to look for a good clinic in another city.

Today I received this diagnosis and I don't know what to do. I bought a bag of injections - tomorrow I'm being admitted to the hospital. It's progressed to the second stage... I kept thinking I was just ill and was taking Atma, I didn't know where the heartburn hurt... One thing I know for sure - I need to cleanse myself of parasites, it's all because of them. I'll get my health back on track and start a major cleanse.

I had open surgery just five days ago. It's still unclear how things are going; I'm only on a liquid diet for now.

Nissen fundoplication is performed everywhere. Go to any city hospital's thoracic surgery department. Diagnoses like hiatal hernia, reflux oesophagitis, Barrett's oesophagus, and GERD are indications for surgery.

I wouldn't recommend the endoscopic approach. It's very deceptive: by the third day after surgery, I was almost running around, but in reality, you need to take care for about a month and a half. The surgery is done through tubes, not stitched with threads but cauterised. It's basically held together by a thread. You feel fine and constantly catch yourself thinking: I can't lift this, I can't pull that. I forgot and pulled something. And it was all for nothing – internal bleeding and two consecutive revisions. Then another fundoplication six months later, but this time open. I have a large scar on my abdomen; they did a cosmetic stitch, but I haven't seen it yet. It was sewn up with threads. With this kind of abdomen, I'll be crawling around for another month to ensure I don't pull anything and everything heals properly.

Oh, girls... well, I've read your posts and I'm really upset... I've had erosive gastritis for about 5 years, had Helicobacter pylori—got rid of it, during gastroscopy, which I have to do every six months, they always test for Helicobacter—it's just not there... but the symptoms remain... The worst part is—in all these 5 years, I never had heartburn, not once... and then 3 weeks ago—I wake up at night—such a burning sensation, awful, so I drank Phosphalugel—it eased off, BUT since that day—heartburn every day, regardless of what I eat, it started so abruptly... I understand that reflux esophagitis has joined in out of nowhere... So, it means I have to drag myself to the doctor again... Ugh, and I thought it was possible to manage without surgery... And do Pariet and other Omeprazole not help you anymore? For me, if I take Omeprazole—there's no heartburn for half the day, but by evening it comes back again, that's how it is... What should I do?

But it probably started due to my nerves... I just can't pull myself together... I keep beating myself up... I realized it's not the way to go, so I started taking sedatives... but it's too late. I'm still suffering from heartburn, despite being calmer now... I came to my senses too late, damn it.

For those with GERD, I recommend considering surgery; I suffered from it myself for six years.

I've read that surgeries aren't always successful, and symptoms can return within a year, at the very least. Oleg, when did you have your operation?

Could you please tell me, have you noticed hair loss with esophagitis? Thank you!

Surgery for GERD is not exactly a great and reliable chance! I have been suffering from reflux since February 2010! I was in the hospital, and there are recurrences in 35% of those operated on! And back to pills again! If there is no hernia, I recommend maintenance therapy and a reflexologist!! Techniques are being developed; perhaps something smarter will be created!!

I also have GERD, Oleg, could you please tell me what operation you had?

To everyone on this forum. Endoscopists and radiologists are lazy: the former don't perform one inversion to examine the cardia, and the latter don't position patients horizontally. We have mastered a simple method of endoscopic surgical correction with excellent results. Free mobile doctor 88005552288 code 0026388. Good luck.

To everyone on this forum. Endoscopists and radiologists are lazy; the former don't perform inversion to examine the cardia, and the latter don't position patients horizontally. We have mastered a simple method of endoscopic surgical correction with excellent results. Free mobile doctor: 88005552288 code 0026388. Good luck.

To Professor Baulin.

What is your methodology, if you could please write about it.

And where do you conduct it?

Thank you!

If you're interested, let's communicate and exchange information because online, there are only negative reviews about surgeries. My email is isi.70@mail.ru.

I've read about the Onopriyev method in Krasnodar; has anyone seen people who were operated on using this method?

Could you please tell me who experiences bad breath with GERD? Thank you!!!!

I'm not entirely sure, but there was an experiment conducted on a person who was given Omeprazole for 15 years, and after that, when they missed taking it just once, their heartburn returned.

It seems we are doomed, then.

I suffered from GERD myself for about two years. Nothing helped—neither expensive pills nor a constant diet. I ended up resembling a monkey because bananas were one of the main components of my meals, along with mashed potatoes, milk soups, omelettes, crackers, and oatmeal cooked in water. I couldn't lead a normal life, couldn't gain weight, and the constant pain and this feeling of inadequacy weighed heavily on me and tormented me. And then there was this constant hopelessness from both doctors and forums, where at the time I was searching, there were only two options: pills + diet or surgery.

Somehow, I stumbled upon a question on one of the forums from another sufferer like me: "I read that goat's milk helps..." To which a doctor categorically replied, "No." And I forgot about it until I went with my husband to his hometown. There, his friends (two of whom had completely healed their stomachs this way) and relatives, seeing my suffering, unanimously gave their verdict: drink goat's milk. And I decided to give it a try.

At first, I struggled with it; nausea would just wash over me. But I persevered and drank it in one go. Initially, I drank a glass three times a day. Then, when I returned to Moscow, I started drinking a glass every morning. I made arrangements with vendors at the market. For 1.5 litres, I paid 250 roubles, so 500 roubles a week for milk. But it was worth it. I drank it for about a year. I did boil it (they say all the beneficial properties are destroyed that way, I don't know, but it's better not to take risks—it worked for me even boiled).

It's been a year since I stopped taking pills. I eat and drink everything now!!! But of course, I try to keep it within reasonable limits (no troughs of ketchup, for example). I've started living a normal life. I don't have burping after meals anymore (which I used to have). I have gained a lot of weight (I blame the milk), but it's nothing compared to what I went through before.

I hope my post helps someone, as I was once searching for the same kind of help myself. They didn't find a hernia in my case (though I only had a gastroscopy). Wishing everyone health and good luck.

Hello. I understand all of you so well. I'm 20 years old, but I feel as if I were 70. Here's my story. I was a healthy person until a major problem occurred in my family with my mother. I was so nervous and worried that I ended up in hospital with a stomach bleed, and for about a month, ambulances came to me, and only 1 out of 20 identified that I had a bleed after I mentioned having black stools. Then, a month later, I was admitted to a second hospital; I was in a very bad state then. I healed my erosions, but I was left with GERD, which torments me almost constantly, plus a non-closing cardia and biliary dyskinesia.
Sometimes, you know, you don't even want to live when this condition starts. I have such symptoms: no heartburn, but there's an unpleasant smell from my mouth, pain, and blurred consciousness—you know, like in the movies. I've been ill since January 2010; nothing has helped, not Omeprazole, not Ganaton, not Maalox—I mean, when I take them, it seems okay, but once I stop, it all starts again. Now I've been tested for dysbiosis; I also have bloating, gas, and loose stools. I've run out of tears; outside, the sun is shining, the weather is lovely, all the girls are walking around looking beautiful, and I'm at home, always ill. It's so upsetting; I feel so desperate....

Oh girls, don't despair like that! Surely there must be something to ease this illness! I haven't been examined yet, but I don't know if it's GERD or not. I definitely have gastroduodenitis; I had a gastroscopy (though it was a while ago), but then I had no issues for five years. After giving birth to my daughter, everything actually sorted itself out. Tell me, could it be GERD if I ate spicy, salty, and sour foods but had no heartburn or burping? Now I have all that because I'm having a gastritis flare-up with high acidity, and the symptoms are very similar to GERD!

POST 33 Nina. And how did you realise you had GERD, or rather, what bothered you the most? And did it start suddenly or not?

Oh, I also forgot to ask about the lump in the throat! Has anyone of you felt it? It's really bothering me; everywhere I read it could be GERD, but I also have pharyngitis going on at the same time, and with pharyngitis, there's also that lump (the feeling of a foreign body)!

37 could also be the thyroid gland, perhaps.

It might be the thyroid, but I don't feel that "stuck lump" sensation there; it's lower, closer to the hollow of the throat, just a bit above.

I'm interested in those with GERD – if you're taking blockers or inhibitors but break your diet, do you still get heartburn?

I get heartburn on an empty stomach, but after eating, it goes away, only to be replaced by a feeling of heaviness and slight nausea in my stomach—and it's always like this. The diagnosis is cardia insufficiency and chronic gastritis. In the mornings, I have an unpleasant sensation in my throat, which goes away after drinking water. I sometimes get mouth ulcers and my teeth are deteriorating, even though I visit doctors regularly to stay on top of it. None of the proton pump inhibitors provide any relief; in fact, I think they've made my hair start to fall out, although the doctors say that's impossible. And I can't take Motilium for GERD because it could make things worse later on. Also, I read that people with cardia insufficiency don't live long and the body ages faster—how wonderfully optimistic. I'll try goat's milk; thank you, Nina, for sharing the advice—it's not like taking pills. Angelina, don't lose hope; I'm only 19 years old, and I've been ill for two years.

Post 36 ZAPAH. I've had long-standing stomach issues; at 22, I was diagnosed with erosive gastritis and chronic duodenitis (I had a gastroscopy, and the cardiac sphincter was closed at the time). Then, at 27, amid severe stress (I believe that was the cause, possibly compounded by taking NSAIDs and my fondness for fizzy drinks), I developed intense heartburn, pain throughout the oesophagus, belching, and so on. I underwent another gastroscopy. It turned out I had a healed duodenal ulcer (which had scarred over on its own without any treatment by the time of the gastroscopy). Based on these results, I was diagnosed with: Cardia insufficiency. Chronic reflux oesophagitis. No Helicobacter pylori was detected.

Other possible causes, aside from stress, drinking harmful fizzy drinks, and NSAIDs, might have been significant weight loss. I now realise it didn't start suddenly. There were warning signs a few months before the flare-up: a lump feeling in my throat and occasional nausea (but no heartburn). Honestly, among the medications, Pariet + Motilium + Maalox (in sachets) helped the most. But I couldn't manage at all without Pariet.

And another thing. Find your own doctor.
Before I reached a normal state, I went through more than one doctor. I recall this with horror. There was the incompetent therapist at a state clinic in Moscow, who knew no other diagnosis besides a duodenal ulcer and prescribed medication based on printouts from the internet; the candidate of sciences at the Institute of Gastroenterology, who, after examining me before my hospitalisation there, prescribed two weeks of choleretic tablets, claiming I had biliary dyskinesia—after taking just one, I nearly kicked the bucket; and the gastroenterologist at an expensive, well-known clinic in Moscow, whose predictions about my future life with GERD drove me to hysterics.

But there were others. There was the doctor who performed my gastroscopy (I so wish he could have been my regular doctor), who reassured me that it was nothing, that it would pass, and that it wasn't as scary as it seemed. And another gastroenterologist (also private). A woman as calm as a boa constrictor, who explained to me that millions of people live with this and don't make such a tragedy out of it. If the pills stop helping (even Pariet stopped working for me), it's just a matter of building tolerance, and they need to be changed periodically. She advised taking sedatives (because a constantly depressed state doesn't aid recovery) and trying to find joy in life—going to the theatre, reading books, meeting friends, visiting holiday homes, taking up a hobby (like joining a dance class). And if I occasionally crave something tasty, to take two sachets of Maalox beforehand and enjoy my favourite salad, cake, or barbecue, and even have a glass of my favourite champagne (after releasing the bubbles with a spoon first). After all, if you don't do this, you could go completely mad. She told me she has many patients with long-term remissions, and before that, they gradually weaned themselves off the medication. In short, go to a doctor who instils confidence and hope in you, one whose visit leaves you in better spirits and improves your well-being. Run from the others—you'll only end up with more ailments. So much depends on our mindset and belief in recovery.

And another thing. I only meant to write about goat's milk, but it turned out I'm writing and writing. I genuinely want to help someone. Your bowel movements are also very important (at least that was the case for me). In short, before this GERD, everything was fine with me (every day). When the severe pain started, at first it was loose, then it seemed normal (but sometimes it wouldn't happen for about 2-3 days). The doctor said to regulate it so it's like clockwork every day. Bananas in the morning (1-2 pieces) helped me a lot with this. Then, oatmeal porridge with water (though not our Russian one – I got heartburn and terrible burping from it, and my mother did too, by the way, so I was recommended another brand. I probably shouldn't write about it here). Then, mineral water helped me a lot (it's not available in Moscow; I can also write via email which one we bought in a small town near Ivanovo, 350 km from Moscow. There's also a relatively inexpensive health resort there where my husband's cousin was treated. She was also diagnosed with GERD, but her case was milder than mine. She didn't take pills for so long). Although there is also water that helped me and is sold almost everywhere here in Moscow (one is cheap, the other expensive). I drank a glass 30 minutes after meals. I ate 6 times a day in small portions. And more positive emotions. That seems to be all :) If anyone wants to chat in more detail, write to my email. I'll reply at veshitca@yandex.ru (Nina).

Thank you all for your responses. On Monday, I'm having an endoscopy and will find out for certain what I have. My stools are normal, and I don't seem to have heartburn. But initially, it was terrible. Now my pharyngitis has flared up, and there's a sensation of a foreign body in my throat, but that can happen with GERD too. I've had pharyngitis for a long time, but I've never had a lump feeling for this long before. I'm treating my throat, and it seems a bit better. What first made me think about GERD was the heartburn and pain in my chest and back. There wasn't really strong belching. My gastritis usually presents like this, but the pain in my chest bones and spine at the same level confused me. The pain resembles osteochondrosis; my back often hurts in general, and it's always worse when my stomach is acting up. Now I'm eating just a little bit at a time; it's slightly hard to swallow, but not at the oesophageal level—more at the throat level, I think due to pharyngitis. I feel short of breath when eating and take deep breaths. HOW DOES THE OESOPHAGUS HURT? What kind of pain does it cause? Does it happen while eating or independently? Thank you!

Honestly, when I imagined I might have GERD, I burst into tears. After reading articles online, it seemed very similar to my symptoms:((( I felt lifeless for two days because the scariest thing for me is having to take medication for life; I don't want that:(

The last time I had a gastroscopy was eight years ago, and I was diagnosed with gastroduodenitis. My condition improved each year, and for the past five years, I had completely forgotten about gastritis. I often ate spicy food and really love sushi (all in reasonable amounts, of course). Occasionally, I felt a pull in my stomach after having something spicy, but it was rare. I even thought my gastritis had completely gone away. Over the summer, I had a bout of rotavirus (stomach flu), and then a month ago, I got very chilled, which affected all my organs. I think the rotavirus took away all my immunity, and I started getting sick with everything. The flare-up began suddenly, and so did the heartburn. I took Omez for two weeks, and now everything seems okay. But it's been three days since I stopped taking Omez, and who knows what will happen next :(

During my flare-up, I experienced nausea while eating, especially when I was almost finished with my portion. Sometimes it felt like I was about to throw everything back up. But then heaviness would set in, and occasionally a stabbing pain in my stomach; I couldn't stand up straight, with sharp, stabbing pains in the epigastrium, but it would pass after about 20 minutes. Now, that's gone, as the flare-up seems to have subsided, but I'm suffering terribly from back pain:(((((

If it's a diaphragmatic hernia, is surgery necessary? Will the symptoms disappear permanently after the operation?

The pains I had in my chest and back were similar to yours. And it hurt when swallowing as food passed through the oesophagus. But that's not even the main point. A gastroscopy will show what's what. But the most important thing is your attitude, and try to read fewer articles about GERD and all sorts of horror stories. Perhaps your situation will be different. Everything is very individual, after all. On the internet, you can always find all sorts of horrors about how someone pricks their finger and ends up having their hand amputated. And besides, most people in 90% of cases write when they're feeling unwell, and only 10% when they're well and how they recovered, because essentially, they no longer need to. Of course, if you do have GERD, you'll have to undergo treatment and probably take tablets for about half a year and stick to a diet.