GERD (reflux disease) how to cure it

I have the same problem, and I've lived with it my entire conscious life!! Only a special diet helps: 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. Once you're cured of this extremely common infection, the 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 can't be heat-treated and to buy items that are sold unpackaged.

In addition, it's necessary to get tested for protozoa.

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

My husband has reflux. And his mother has had it her whole 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, but that was for small stomach ulcers. Those have healed. Honestly, staying on Pariet continuously is quite expensive...

In most cases, ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Reflux is treatable.

First, we treated Helicobacter pylori—successfully, but there were no significant improvements. We also checked for protozoa and found none. I never lie down after eating or eat at night, but if I don't take Omez or any other medication from that group (like 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 that long?

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

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

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

Link to multiple articles.

http://health-ua.org/search/?cx=001182428068395977759%3Azxg1nttnjcy&cof=FORID%3A11&sa=Search&ie=windows-1251&q=%E3%FD%F0%E1&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&siteurl=www.health-ua.org%2F&x=40&y=13#1270

Do you always have this, or does it get worse due to stress?

I've eliminated coffee, alcohol, fatty, spicy, and other unhealthy foods. Flare-ups happen very frequently, even when I'm not stressed. Now, after browsing online, I found an article about how medications like omeprazole, Pariet, etc., cause a "rebound" effect, meaning when you stop taking the drug, your condition sharply worsens. It seems this is exactly my case—when I stop taking these pills, the heartburn starts even worse than before 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 helps well with heartburn.

For seven years, I was on acid reducers and Motilium with the same diagnoses. Last spring, everything stopped working. I had developed a tolerance. It was awful. The doctor sent me for a fluoroscopy of the stomach and esophagus. 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 with a Nissen fundoplication surgery. I had it done, but it wasn't entirely successful, so I had it redone in April.

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

Advice - get a fluoroscopy done, it might be a hernia. But esophagitis can also be treated with surgery. And medications eventually stop working, and after them, cholecystitis develops. Well, at least in my case.

Nothing helps me either. After the gastroscopy, the doctor says the pH is weakly positive, but they don't treat that; after a course of Ganaton and Pariet, nothing else was 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 on it yet, but I just don't know how to move forward. 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 have you drink a chalky white barium solution, followed by soda. Then they place you on an X-ray machine. They rotate you in various positions, including upside down, while scanning. This allows them to see hernias and everything else.

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

Tash, so did the surgery help or not, why a second surgery, in which city did you have the surgery? I also think I'll probably 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, I don't know what to do. I bought a bag of injections - tomorrow I'm checking into the hospital, my condition has progressed to the second stage... I kept thinking I was just sick and was taking Atma, I didn't know where heartburn hurts... One thing I know for sure - I need to cleanse myself of parasites, it's all because of them. I'll restore my health and begin 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 esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, and GERD are indications for surgery.

I don't recommend doing it endoscopically. It's very deceptive: on the third day after surgery, I was almost running around, but you really need to take it easy for about a month and a half. The surgery is done through tubes, not stitched with threads but cauterized. Basically, it's held together weakly. You feel good and constantly catch yourself thinking: don't lift this, don't pull that. I forgot and pulled something. And everything went down the drain—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 one, but I haven't seen it yet. They stitched it up with threads. With this kind of abdomen, I'll be crawling around for another month, ensuring I don't pull anything and everything heals properly.

Oh, girls... well, I read your posts and got really upset... I've had erosive gastritis for about 5 years, had Helicobacter—cured it, during gastroscopy, which I have to do every six months, they always test for Helicobacter—well, it's not there... but the symptoms remain... but the worst part is—in all these 5 years, I never had heartburn, not once at all... and then 3 weeks ago—I wake up at night—such a burning sensation, awful, well, I drank Phosphalugel—it eased up, 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... darn, and I thought it might be possible to avoid surgery... and do Pariet and other Omeprazoles not help you anymore? For me, if I take Omeprazole—then I have no heartburn for half a day, but by evening it comes back again, that's how it is... what to do

but it probably started because of my nerves... I just can't pull myself together... I keep beating myself up... I realized it's not okay, so I started taking sedatives... but it's too late. I still suffer from heartburn, even though I'm calm 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 read that surgeries aren't always successful, and symptoms return after a year, at the very least. Oleg, when did you have your surgery?

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

Surgery for GERD is not exactly a great and reliable option! I've 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's 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 surgery you had?

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

Professor Baulin.

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

And where do you perform 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 Onopriev 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 exactly sure, but there was an experiment conducted on a person who was given Omeprazole for 15 years, and after that experiment, he once skipped taking the medication and his heartburn returned.

It seems we are doomed.

I suffered from GERD myself for about 2 years. Nothing helped—neither expensive pills nor a constant diet. I resembled a monkey because bananas were one of the main components of my meals, along with mashed potatoes, milk soups, omelets, 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/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 toughed it out and drank it in one gulp. Initially, I drank a glass three times a day. Then I returned to Moscow and started drinking a glass every morning. I made arrangements with vendors at the market. For 1.5 liters, I paid 250 rubles, totaling 500 rubles a week for milk. But it was worth it. I drank it for about a year. I did boil it (they say that kills all the beneficial properties, I don't know, but it's better not to take risks—it worked for me even boiled). For a year, I haven't taken any pills. I eat and drink everything!!!! But of course, I try to keep it within reasonable limits (not a bowl of ketchup, for example). I started leading a normal life. I don't have burping after meals (which I used to have). I did gain a lot of weight (I blame the milk), but it's nothing compared to what it was 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 me (but I only had a gastroscopy). I wish everyone health and good luck.

Hello. I understand all of you so well. I'm 20 years old, but I feel like I'm already 70. Here's my story. I was a healthy person until a major problem happened with my mom in my family. I was so nervous and worried that I ended up in the hospital with a stomach bleed. For about a month, ambulances came to me, and only 1 out of 20 figured out that I had a bleed after I told them I had black stool. Then, a month later, I ended up in the second hospital; I was really unwell at the time. I healed my erosions, but I was left with GERD, which torments me almost constantly, plus my cardia doesn't close properly, and I have biliary dyskinesia.
Sometimes, you know, you don't even want to live when this condition starts. I don't have heartburn, but I have bad breath, pain, and a foggy mind—you know, like in the movies. I've been sick since January 2010, and nothing has helped—not Omeprazole, not Ganaton, not Maalox. I mean, when I take them, it seems okay, but as soon as I stop, it all starts over. 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 nice, all the girls are walking around looking beautiful, and I'm at home, always sick. It's so unfair; 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 done (though it was a while ago), but then I had no issues for 5 years. After giving birth to my daughter, everything actually got better. Tell me, could it be GERD if I ate spicy, salty, and sour foods but had no heartburn or burping? Now I have all of that because I'm having a gastritis flare-up with high acidity, and the symptoms are very similar to GERD!

POST 33 Nina. How did you realize 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? I'm really bothered by this lump; everywhere I read it could be GERD, but I also have pharyngitis going on at the same time, and with pharyngitis, there's also a lump (a 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, for those with GERD, if you take blockers or inhibitors and break the diet, do you still get heartburn?

I get heartburn on an empty stomach, and when I eat, it goes away, but then I feel heaviness and mild 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 canker sores and my teeth are deteriorating, even though I visit doctors often to stay on top of it. None of the PPIs provide any relief, and it seems like they're making my hair fall out, although the doctors say that's not possible. And Motilium can't be taken with GERD; it would just make things worse. Also, I read that people with cardia insufficiency don't live long, and the body ages faster—just so damn optimistic. I'll try goat's milk; thanks to Nina for sharing the advice, it's not like pills. Angelina, don't despair, I'm only 19 years old, and I've been sick for 2 years.

Post 36 ZAPAH. I've had stomach problems for a long time; 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, due to extreme stress (I think so, possibly compounded by taking NSAIDs and my love for soda), I started experiencing severe heartburn, pain throughout the esophagus, belching, and so on. I had another gastroscopy. It turned out I had a healed duodenal ulcer (at the time of the gastroscopy, it had scarred over on its own without any treatment). Based on the results of this gastroscopy, I was diagnosed with: Cardia insufficiency. Chronic reflux esophagitis. No H. pylori was detected.

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

And one more 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 public Moscow clinic who knew no other diagnosis besides duodenal ulcer and prescribed medications based on printouts from the internet. There was the PhD at the Institute of Gastroenterology who, after examining me before hospitalization, prescribed two weeks of choleretic pills, claiming I had biliary dyskinesia—after taking just one, I nearly kicked the bucket. And there was 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 (damn, how I wished he could have been my regular doctor), who kept saying, "It's nothing, it will pass, it's not that scary." 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 me (even Pariet stopped working), it's just a matter of building tolerance, and they need to be changed periodically. She advised me to take sedatives (because constant depression doesn't help recovery) and try to find joy in life—go to the theater, read books, meet friends, take trips to resorts, pick up a hobby (like joining a dance class). And if I occasionally crave something tasty, just drink two packets of Maalox beforehand and enjoy my favorite salad, cake, or shashlik, and I can even have a glass of my favorite champagne (after releasing the bubbles with a spoon first). After all, if you don't do this, you could go completely crazy. She told me she has many patients with long-term remissions, and before that, they gradually weaned off these medications. In short, go to a doctor who instills confidence and hope in you, one whose visits leave you in a better mood and feeling improved. Run from the others—you'll just end up with more ailments. A lot depends on our mindset and belief in recovery.

And another thing. I only meant to write about goat's milk, but I ended up writing and writing. I really want to help someone. Your bowel movements are also very important (at least that was the case for me). Basically, before this GERD started, I was fine (every day). When the severe pain began, at first it was loose, then it seemed normal (but sometimes I wouldn't go for about 2-3 days). The doctor said to get it regular, like clockwork, every day. Bananas in the morning (1-2 pieces) helped me a lot with that. Then, oatmeal made with water (just not the Russian kind—it gave me heartburn and terrible burping, and my mom had the same issue, by the way, so I was recommended another brand. I probably shouldn't mention it here). Then, mineral water helped me a lot (it's not available in Moscow; I can also email which one we bought in a small town near Ivanovo, 350 km from Moscow. There's 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 as 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 respond: veshitca@yandex.ru (Nina)

Thank you all for your responses. On Monday, I'm going for an endoscopy and will find out for sure what I have. My stool is normal, and I don't seem to have heartburn. But initially, it was terrible. Now my pharyngitis has flared up, and I feel a foreign body sensation 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. I'm treating my throat, and it seems a bit better. What first made me think about GERD was 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 esophageal 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 ESOPHAGUS HURT? What kind of pain does it cause? Does it happen while eating or independently? Thanks!

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 dead for two days because the scariest thing for me is having to take pills for the rest of my life; I don't want that:(

The last time I had an endoscopy was 8 years ago, and I was diagnosed with gastroduodenitis. My condition improved each year, and for the past 5 years, I completely forgot 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 eating something spicy, but it was rare. I even thought my gastritis had completely gone away. Over the summer, I had a rotavirus infection (stomach flu), and a month ago, I got very cold, 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 2 weeks, and now everything seems okay. But it's been 3 days since I stopped taking Omez, and who knows what will happen next :(

During my flare-up period, I had 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 cutting and stabbing sensations in the epigastrium, but it would pass after about 20 minutes. Now, that's gone; it seems the flare-up is over, but I'm suffering from severe back pain:(((((

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

The pain I had in my chest and back was similar to yours. And it hurt when swallowing as food passed through the esophagus. But that's not even the main point. A gastroscopy will show what's going on and how. The most important thing is your mindset, and try to read fewer articles about GERD and all sorts of horror stories. Maybe your situation will be different. Everything is very individual. On the internet, you can always find all kinds of horrors about how someone pricks their finger and ends up having their hand amputated. Besides, most people, about 90%, write when they're feeling bad, and only 10% when they're doing well and have recovered, because essentially, they no longer need to. Of course, if you do have GERD, you'll need to get treatment, probably take medication for about six months, and stick to a diet.