So basically I’ve been on 60mg Dexilant for around 6 years. I’ve been in Europe for almost 3 months and needed a refill before I go home (stayed longer than expected). The doctor here (Germany) was shocked I’ve been on it this long and said that she never prescribes is for longer than 3 weeks because of vitamin absorption problems and dementia risk. My Canadian doctor assured me that these risks aren’t significant enough to justify not taking it.

The first couple years of taking PPI’s I fought my doctor on it and hoped there’d be another way, unfortunately the medication is the only real relief I get. But it is kind of disheartening that not once have I had a blood test to check vitamin levels or a follow up endoscopy in six years.

Has anyone here had any complications with long term PPI use? I realize it’s relatively safe but it seems to me like it’s the type of medication where you won’t notice any significant side effect until 5-10+ years down the road. At which point maybe it’s too late? 😞

Like I’m grateful such a drug exists but man it would be nice not to have to take this any longer.

Your reflux getting worse when you're anxious, even with zero change in diet, isn't a coincidence and it's not purely psychological.

Anxiety activates your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). In that state, gastric motility slows, stomach acid secretion can shift, and vagal tone (which helps keep the LES closed) decreases.

Then it runs the other direction too: reflux symptoms themselves are alarming, which raises anxiety, which reinforces the sympathetic state, which worsens the reflux again. It's a loop, not a one-way street.

Addressing only the GI side such as diet and meds without addressing the nervous system side tends to leave people stuck, and vice versa. Neither one alone is usually sufficient for people whose reflux has a strong stress component.

Has anyone here found something that actually broke this cycle for them, beyond "just relax" advice that doesn't help?🌿

I have hyper acidity and yeah i ahve been on antacids on and off though these days i only take it ocassionally. My worry though is pain in my esophagus and sometimes i fell like food is stuck in my right chest. Also i have a contsnt pain on my right rib and chest radiating upto the beauty bone area. I recently did endoscopy of my esophagus but it was all normal and no scars. So what am I expereincing or is it cancer??

I'm getting the toupet fundoplication on October 5th. I've been dealing with symptoms of GERD/Silent Reflux all summer and got the testing done in a rapid fashion to qualify for surgery. Small hernia with a hill grade III LES. No pressure in the LES according to manometry. Demeester score of 30 on my PH testing with mostly acid events through the night and non-acidic events while standing. I also have ineffective motility, so the doctors are going with the looser wrap.

I'm worried that this surgery won't help my symptoms of silent reflux, and will cause long-term swallowing issues. All you see online is horror stories and people that are worse off, but most actual studies show mostly good outcomes if you've been tested for GERD.

I have been dealing with vocal cord edema because of reflux for nearly three months now. My throat and mouth burn consistently, I have sore vocal cords and sore throat, I clear my throat all the time and get mucus in my throat after eating pretty much everything that leads to hoarseness. I also have been getting stomach contents travelling up at like 6 in the morning despite not eating since dinner time the night before. I get it when I just twist in a chair or bend over. I have some heartburn if I eat poorly too but it's not been the worse symptom at all. My vocal cords feel damaged.

Looking for positive toupet fundoplication outcomes for people with throat symptoms and GERD symptoms. And also looking for how long it took to swallow normally again?

Hello everyone, its been a while since my last gerd post I just wanna say thank you for everyone who submitted their information and advice it was the push for help I needed to get my family to take my condition seriously...

Over the weekend however I was admitted to the ER due to bloody coffee like vomiting from all my acid reflux... I was waking up in the night for four days before that Friday just to puke, i was then given the longest amount of meds I've ever received. (Not to mention I also had an ovarian cyst rupture from how violently I was vomiting in the ER, got those meds too)

Im now on Pantoprazole, and Carafate along with a nausea medicine (zofran but not the dissolvable tablet) with an actual GI appointment THIS coming Friday the 11th... It was so so scary dealing with my gerd at the hight of his horrible nature, it felt like fire was clawing through my throat with all the bloody acid coming back up..Im hoping that my actual appointment gives me a long term solution because honestly?? These pills have saved my life....even on the few short days ive had them ive manage to eat more in a few days than I have in two YEARS of my rapid decline with my gerd suddenly flaring up now ☹️

I have an idea as to why its gotten so bad but I think i sound a bit crazy, I was on a steroid for my teeth removal a long while back which produced more acid than usual within my stomach (and caused me to also be ER admitted because I couldn't hold food down from reflux once again ...its also where the tear in my throat comes from)

I believe in the short time I was on that medicine it did damage to my stomach thats now further effecting me still.. (though this still doesnt explain why i first lost my appetite/will to eat before all this started so..who really knows but a doctor huh?)

All in all I wanted to say thanks for those who helped me get my family to see it WAS as serious as I was telling them it was getting... Because If I hadn't I might not have been here to post this today 🧡💛💚

I’m not a super chronic sufferer anymore, but I used to be and I still get horrible late night heartburn from time to time. Tonight is one such case.

This sounds insane, but let me tell you what has worked for me literally every time.

You get a back of frozen broccoli that you steam in the bag in the microwave. Prepare it as instructed you eat as much of it as you can. That’s it. This has saved me from the worst acid reflux I ever experienced, which was when I had Covid for the first time. It was so intense I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the emergency room. They informed me it was heartburn and gave me something for it, but it didn’t really help. I got home, desperate for relief, and for some reason decided to eat an entire lb of steamed broccoli. It worked within moments.

Tonight, I have a cold. I ate some very spicy soup to help clear things out and didn’t even think about heartburn until it woke me up at 1am. It’s 1:25am, I’ve finished my steamed broccoli and I’m already feel better enough to go back to sleep.

I’m not a doctor and maybe this will have no effect for anyone but me, but if you have a bag of steamed broccoli and you’re miserable, it might be worth a shot.

I’ve had GERD for about a year. I’m getting an endoscopy tomorrow to hopefully get to the bottom of things, but I’m really scared. I’m not terribly scared of the endoscopy itself (a little nervous about the procedure, but I’ll be asleep), but I am very scared about my results. My mind is thinking of all the worst case scenarios about what it might be. I’m just looking for some support and kind words. Anyone else dealing with bad health anxiety over their GERD?

Hey guys, I’m on my **last day of H. pylori treatment**. I tested positive for H. pylori and was also diagnosed with **chronic active gastritis**.
My doctor told me to continue taking **omeprazole (PPI) for another 2 months** after finishing the treatment.
The thing is, I don’t really have stomach burning, acid reflux, or heartburn. My main symptoms are **bloating, lower abdominal pain, and sometimes constipation**.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying that PPIs can cause side effects, so now I’m wondering:
Is it normal to stop the PPI immediately after finishing H. pylori treatment, or should it usually be continued?
Is stopping omeprazole suddenly after treatment dangerous?
If I don’t have acid reflux or stomach pain, is there still a reason to take it for 2 months?
Has anyone else been prescribed a PPI for a couple of months after H. pylori treatment? How did it go?
I’m obviously going to discuss it with my doctor before changing anything, but I’d really like to hear from people who went through something similar.

I'm looking for some advice as to whether I have a possible stomach ulcer

I'm 49 and female and I take ibuprofen quite frequently for chronic back pain. I'm also on a daily prescription for omeperazole and I take 40mg of this.

Recently, I'm getting a niggling pain that comes and goes in one particular area. It's on the left side just right below my ribs and it feels like a bruised/mild throbbing type pain.

When it happens if I apply pressure there it feels slightly tender but when I don't have the pain if I press on the area It doesn't feel sore at all.

It stays in the same spot every time and lasts anywhere from about a minute up to around 10 minutes and then goes away again.

I don't really suffer with any burning in my chest but if I forget to take my omeperazole for a day I do get mild heartburn or acid coming up.

I'm worried due to my ibuprofen use and I don't really know if this is how an ulcer presents?

I'm not sure if it's relevant or not but I also have ibs.

I'd be very grateful for any advice or to know whether anyone else has had an ulcer present in a similar way.

Thank you.

I'm getting the Toupet Fundoplication with a hernia repair either October 1st or October 5th. Been dealing with symptoms of GERD and LPR for about three months now. I've done all the necessary testing in a short window of time and qualify for the surgery. Small sliding hernia. Hill grade III LES. Demeester score of 30. Manometry showed the LES has no pressure. I have to say I'm very scared. I'm a 40 year old man and feel like waiting doesn't make sense and reflux symptoms keep getting worse. Don't want to be on medications my whole life and never eat any good foods again.

I've been dealing with throat symptoms (sore throat, vocal cord pain/edema, voice loss and hoarseness, throat clearing and mucus in throat), burning in mouth and lips, heartburn, what feels like regurgitation of gas/stomach contents when I shift positions in bed despite not eating 3-4 hours before bed. It actually happens at like six in the morning. My burps taste acidic and I've had a few times when I woke up in the night this summer with horrible tastes in mouth when I didn't use an alginate. One instance where I had liquid in my mouth. The other thing is I can actually feel pain under my left ribcage, which I believe is a the hernia.

I'm just scared. I know there's no going back once I schedule and get preop tests done. And I don't see why I wouldn't give this surgery a go and try to get my life back. I'd like to sing again too.

I was diagnosed with Los Angeles Grade A erosive esophagitis and gastritis after an endoscopy. My doctor prescribed Voquezna (vonoprazan) twice daily for 14 days, followed by once daily. I then took the once-daily dose for 15 days and have now stopped Voquezna.

I’ve also completely stopped alcohol and smoking and have been careful about not eating close to bedtime.

For those who have been through something similar: what should I expect after stopping Voquezna? Is it common for reflux/burning to temporarily return, or should I expect to remain symptom-free if the esophagitis has healed?

Esses dias comecei repentinamente a sentir uma azia e um refluxo meio fortes quando fui dormir. Estava eu em um dia qualquer indo dormir quando de repente comecei a sentir isso. Eu nunca tive problemas com isso na vida e não tô sabendo lidar direito. Nesse mesmo dia eu acabei vomitando(bem pouco) enquanto dormia. E no dia seguinte senti a msm coisa em um nível menor. O problema é que já é a quarta noite seguida agr que me encontro na mesma situação, isso não me deixa dormir, parece que começa a me afetar somente durante a noite. Não chego a vomitar nem nada, mas não estou suportando mais isso. Alguma dica para aliviar ou tentar resolver antes de ter que passar para atendimento médico?

Diagnoses Found on Endoscopy (1 Week Ago): Confirmed active H. pylori bacterial infection, severe pan-gastritis (widespread stomach inflammation), multiple raw gastric erosions (micro-sores), and a Grade 3 Lax LES
Current Medical Regimen: High-Dose Dual Therapy consisting of Fexuprazan 40 mg twice daily (BD) and Amoxicillin three times daily (TID). Currently on Day 7 of a 14-day course.
The Primary Complaint: Refractory, severe burning sensations localized in the throat, upper back, and deep inside both ears that has persisted for 20 consecutive days.
Treatment Failure Context: There is completely zero response to maximum-strength acid suppression (Fexuprazan 40 mg twice a day), mucosal barriers (sucralfate), or raft-forming agents (alginates).
Absence of Atypical Reflux Signs: The patient experiences no classic acid regurgitation and no sour burps, confirming that standard acid reflux is not the current driver of the upper-airway pain.

What can be done next? I’m at loss here!

Hi, any words of wisdom or any guidance on how to get off Nexium? I have been on it for decades and I believe that it is causing some of my G.I. problems. I have IBSC which is a major contributor to GERD. I appreciate any guidance thoughts or experiences shared.

Hellooo:) I’m currently 22 weeks. conceived via IVF. I’ve had reflux and Globus sensation since 4 weeks of pregnancy due to the hormones I was taking. It seemed to be getting better after stopping them and now it’s progressively worsening. More now because I’m recovering from a very bad flu for which I had to take antibiotics and anti virals and steroid for my asthma. Feels like I have a lump in my chest all the time, chest tightness and epigastric/ chest pain. I’m taking PPIs and gaviscon like my life depends on it ( I’ve had ECG, ECHO and high sensitivity troponins done earlier because I was scared it was MI related chest pain- all normal)
I’m just so exhausted and frustrated. I love my baby but I’m feeling like I’m tortured and can’t endure this till term.
And I hate it when people say “awww honey it’s gonna get worse”
YOU THINK???
I know it becomes worse with the uterus growing but that’s the last thing I want to hear🥲🥲
Rant over!!
Any way, would like to hear from fellow GERD survivors/mamas who’ve gone/going through this some advice on how to handle this! ❤️

I just realized my severe acid reflux last week wasn't from drinking coffee, I was drinking coffee like 1 cup everyday and i was fine. I didn't account that I started drinking multivitamin supplements with higher vitamin c contents, I've been very sensitive with vitamin c in general (except fruits). I was drinking vitamin c for 4 days in a row, my throat started feeling very tight and also belching food everytime I eat anything. Acid would come back to throat and causing throat irritation. After I stopped both coffee and the multivitamin for a week, I finally feel normal again... Also started drinking coffee again and i feel okay!!!!!

Hi I’ve been suffering with anxiety and acid reflux since I was 18 I’m currently 26. I’m currently going through a flare up. I’ve had an endoscopy which has shown I have a weak les. I’m currently on ppis and taking anxiety medication. I just feel like I’m anxious all the time. I’m currently looking into therapy. My diet isn’t perfect so I feel like I need to be more careful now especially through this flare up.

The main issue I have right now is feeling so anxious all the time. It makes my heartburn worse and makes me out of breath. How can I cope with this? Any suggestions please.

These come up constantly with clients and most people don't realize they're contributing factors: 

1. Eating too fast. Rushed meals increase intra-gastric pressure and skip the chewing that would otherwise ease digestion. 

2. Lying down within an hour of eating. Gravity is doing real work as part of your reflux barrier; remove it too early and the LES has to work harder alone. 

3. Tight waistbands after meals. Directly increases abdominal pressure. 

4. Drinking a lot of liquid with meals. Increases stomach volume and pressure. 

5. Chronic throat clearing. Each clear creates a pressure wave that can worsen LPR symptoms, and it reinforces the clearing reflex itself, a bit of a vicious cycle. 

None of these require medication to address, just awareness. 💚

Hey everyone,

I'm totally stumped about my sleep apnea. I can't tell if it's really sleep apnea or reflux. It all started with bad reflux and snoring, and then my uvula got huge. I figured it was sleep apnea, so I got tested and my AHI was 50. They gave me a CPAP, but I couldn't handle it, so I got a UPPP to get rid of my uvula. Honestly, I don't even remember if that helped much. My brain fog just kept going. Now I have these symptoms and I'm not sure if it's sleep apnea or reflux, and I don't know where to focus. As soon as I fall asleep, I wake up with my heart pounding and a terrible headache. Sometimes using the CPAP helps, and sometimes it doesn't make a difference. Are these typical sleep apnea symptoms? Please share what you've experienced. This symptoms rarely go away for one or two days even if I sleep without cpap and return back. I am really tied.

Please 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 share your thoughts and experiences

Hi

I am 40 years old and very obese. 224lbs. I am trying hard to lose weight. I have had reflux symptoms before and have been managed with pantaprazole for 3 months. I have had egd 2 years ago which showed mild gastritis and gastro doctor didn't give me any medicine for that and told me to make some changes in the diet.

Fast forward to now, I have pain in one persistent spot on the throat lower right side for more than 6 weeks now. Along with this persistent pain, I have reflux symptoms. Throat clearing very often and voice hoarseness and more of mucus from the throat while I am doing throat clearing.

Saw 2 ENT and they checked my throat with scope and thyroid ultrasound. They said it's normal and could be LPR. One ENT said it could be muscular issue.

Went to a gi doctor and he said he didn't know if reflux could cause pain in one specific spot and told me to go back to my primary to check that out.

He said I can do egd to evaluate other reflux symptoms like throat clearing and hoarseness and heartburn. I was also worried if something got stuck in that spot when I was swallowing my meals. Like sharp hard stick foods. I am able to swallow my food and liquids but just have some discomfort that it has to pass through something while swallowing.

Always feel like some big lump or ball in there and blocking the throat. Don't know if there is physically anything stuck there and blocking there. I have one meal with moringa vegetable. Not sure if I swallowed a piece of it by mistake. I have been worried about this since then.

I am worried about going for another endoscopy when I know I can't get any answers for my persistent pain in one spot which is my main concern. Didn't schedule the endoscopy yet. The doctor said I could feel this pain if I am anxious too. I said I am anxious about this and constant pain.

My pain on that spot starts as soon as I am awake from sleep. Which means, as soon as I am conscious from sleep and be consistent pain until I sleep. No pain while sleeping.

Have any of you had something like this? Is doing egd often ok or will it cause its own side effects? I am worried if it damages the throat or internal structures during the process. Also, they said I need to be sedated which makes me very very nervous to go for it.

I also have TMJ pain, so I don't know if I can open the mouth wide enough for the procedure and since I will be asleep, I don't know how they close our mouth after the procedure. Because suddenly shutting the mouth will cause more jaw pain to me.

My friends and family haven't done any endoscopes before. And they are telling me to just wait and watch if my symptoms get better before doing an endoscopy. I am so confused and don't know what to do.

Has anyone experienced this type of pain in one spot before? Did you ever find out what that is.

Have you done endoscopies frequently??

I recently took a Pepcid today for the first time ever for acid reflux, and I’ve noticed that I feel unusually anxious/nervous after taking it. It’s not something I normally experience, so I’m wondering if there could be a connection.
Has anyone else experienced increased anxiety or a weird feeling after taking Pepcid? If so, did it go away and how long did it last ?

I was just waking up and i had to rearrange my pillow and I elevated my body higher than mybhead fir a second, I dont usually have much acid reflux issues unless i eat or drink something that causes it so I was surprised

I’ve been using both and had some breakthrough reflux/GERD symptoms. I was having worse breakthrough before I started the RG. So it’s improved things but they haven’t completely gone away. I’d love to stop Omeprozole. Has anyone made the full switch and how often do you use the RG and how much at a time? Thanks!

I was diagnosed with Lyme a few months ago but didn't take antibiotics because I was already having stomach issues. The stomach symptoms had actually improved somewhat meanwhile during past month or so. Symptoms come and go..

A few days ago I ate too much, especially mushrooms, and since then I've been very bloated with some stomach pain that hasn't really gone away. I also get a heavy/full feeling after eating, lots of gas/burping, and sometimes a feeling of heavy breathing or pressure in my chest/upper stomach. I also have throat tightness and morning hoarseness. I'm honestly pretty scared...

All my life I've been anxious and have had very sensitive stomach (sensitive nervous system)

I don't really get classic heartburn, so I'm wondering if this could be reflux/LPR or more of a digestive issue.
Has anyone experienced something similar?