I just got back from the doctor today and he confirmed my suspisions. Acid Reflux. Had it for about a week now. It's so bad i'm getting sharp jabbing pains in my left tricep, armpit and shoulder blade. Never had it this bad before He didn't even give me a prescription! Just told me to take some over the counter Pepcid AC for a few weeks. And sent me home.

Any doctors here? Should i go get a second opinion?

. . .I'm not a doctor but if it is "that bad" (and your getting pain. . .not just discomfort. ..) the doctor could at least have given you a prescription drug. ..

I would get a 2nd opinion. . .if possible from a specialist. ..(in this case gastroenterologist?)

also to rule out any other possible problems. . .acid reflux might be a sympton of something else?

If it is nothing then great, but if it isn't then better to catch or deal with it earlier rather than later. . .non?

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 04:03PM by NewtonMP2100.

I'd try the Pepcid AC for a few weeks first...
IF that doesn't help substantially, then I'd get the second opinion.

Beleive it or not, not EVERYTHING requires a perscription!


And yes, it does suck...
My "case", changing my dinner time and not eating within 3 hours of going to bed fixed me right up.. though I've gathered that I got off pretty easy.

My dad takes Pepcid, and it works very well for him.

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Care to bring it up again so we can take a vote on it?

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Pepcid is some phenomenal stuff, there.

I don't get why doctors don't say this but this is more about diet than anything. I've had very bad acid reflux and found the following.

1. If i stop eating so much take out, it goes away.
2. If I buy organic fruits and veggies it goes away.
3. If I eat lots of salads it goes away.
4. If I eat apples and drink cold water, it stops a reflux attack.

Those meds are all scary. Try changing your diet.

PS Chocolate causes acid reflux as well. It makes the one way valve into the digestive track relax and allows the acid to come back up.

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NewtonMP2100 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> also to rule out any other possible problems. .
> .acid reflux might be a sympton of something
> else?

I've been recovering from a flu-like viral infection for the past 2.5 weeks. FINALLY got over that. And now this. The doc said that the acid reflux might be my body still feeling the effects of the virus or all those Advils i've been taking for my sore throat. Nasty little buggers.

It also didn't help matters when i took Advils for the past week trying to mask the pain and not dealing with the acid reflux with Pepcid in the first place. I didn't know the sharp pains in the shoulder and the acid reflux was linked :-P

Sounds like your doc is on the right track...
See if the advil or the flu was a big contributor... minimal intervention at first.
IF that doesn't work, try something more drastic.

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Paul F. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Beleive it or not, not EVERYTHING requires a
> perscription!
>

Yeah, i guess it's more psychological. After paying my 20 bucks copay to see a doc i wanted that little slip of paper for some pills to make me feel better. After he just told me to take over the counter meds for a few weeks i felt gyped.

This is AFTER i already went to see him 3 weeks ago for a viral throat infection and no prescription. He's really tight with dispensing those meds >:-[

Unfortunately, alcohol and caffiene also exacerbate the problem.

NEWTONMP2100:

Just because a drug is "prescription" does not mean it is not effective, or less effective than a non-prescription drug.

Pepsid or Prilosec OTC may work just fine... give it a try... and change the types of foods you eat to minimize events.

. . .that could be a good sign. . .most doctors over prescribe. . .besides if it was a viral infection. . .no med for that, non?

antibiotics are no good. . .he might have been able to give you something to deal with the symptoms. . .pain, etc. but most of that can be handled with OTC meds too, non?

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Pepcid WAS a prescription med up until a few years ago. So was Claritin. Just because it fall off the prescription drug list doesn't mean it stops working.

grad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NEWTONMP2100:
>
> Just because a drug is "prescription" does not
> mean it is not effective, or less effective than a
> non-prescription drug.
>
> Pepsid or Prilosec OTC may work just fine... give
> it a try... and change the types of foods you eat
> to minimize events.


I agree. . .but I was concerned with him having the pain. . .I don't think you should be gettin the pain that he described with acid reflux. . .(again, I could be wrong since I'm not a doctor)


usually the OTC is just not as strong as the prescription stuff.. .

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Coffee and a glazed cruller for breakfast.
Coffee and pie for lunch.
Chinese take-out for dinner.

Ya think it's diet related? :-X

I'm not in my 20's anymore. I gotta change my eating habits.
Already quit smoking (since January). Although i had one... errr.. two cigs this afternoon 'cause the pain in my tricep was so bad.

I'm glad i know what it is now.
Not knowing the cause of the pain was so stressful.

Who would've thought acid reflux can cause pain in the shoulder area?!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 04:31PM by 3d.

NO WONDER YOU ARE GETTING ACID REFLUX:


Re: WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST
Posted by: 3d (IP Logged) [Ignore]
Date: January 20, 2006 12:43PM


Coffee and 3 "Double Stuff" Oreos.

change your eating habits: See reference to your own post above.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 04:30PM by grad.

Claritin didn't change when it went OTC. (except the price dropped about 2000%)

grad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NO WONDER YOU ARE GETTING ACID REFLUX:
>
>
> Re: WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST
> Posted by: 3d (IP Logged)
> Date: January 20, 2006 12:43PM
>
> Coffee and 3 "Double Stuff" Oreos.


Haha... yeah, I WASN'T KIDDING
Time to ditch that pack of Oreos Double Stuff cookies from the filing cabinet. LOL

I was using them as a crutch for the cigs. Yeah yeah.. excuses, excuses, right?
Time to change :-/

Seems to be an epidemic.

I was also diagnosed with GERD and it turned out that the acid was affecting my larynx.

"Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. The LES is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach. The esophagus carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn. The fluid may even be tasted in the back of the mouth, and this is called acid indigestion. Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week may be considered GERD, and it can eventually lead to more serious health problems.
Anyone, including infants, children, and pregnant women, can have GERD."

I ended up having a procedure where they wrapped my stomach around my esophagus to prevent the reflux but that ended up failing.

Now all I can do is watch my diet.

This was the advice my GI doctor gave me. It should be helpful for you, as well.

"No acid foods i.e. tomato, citrus fruit, caffeine (coffee, tea etc.) and chocolate (has caffeine). No fruit juices (they are concentrated fruit) since they expand in the stomach to produce acid. No strong spices. No alcohol (it relaxes the muscle that prevents acid from coming up).
No food or water within three hours of going to bed and he recommended elevating the head of the bed since a lot of acid comes up when you sleep in a prone position."

Definitely see a GI specialist, especially if you try these suggestions and the problem doesn't abate.

Since I've been following that advice my reflux has lessened so I feel that it helps, although I do cheat once in a while and have some tomato. Haven't had coffee for months and I still miss it.

I hope this is helpful since I can related to your discomfort. I was having similar pain in my chest and arms which caused me to think heart attack.

Turned out that I did need and had an angioplasty but the pain still occurs occasionally and is associated with my reflux.

All in all, if your condition is not too severe it should respond to medication (I take Nexium twice a day) and watching your diet.

Btw, none of my comments should be taken as advice. Just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 04:46PM by GeneL.

Racer X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Claritin didn't change when it went OTC. (except
> the price dropped about 2000%)


The price didn't *really* drop for the end user, mostly for the insurance companies.
Yeah, I know. When the insurance companies save money, we all do.
Well then, why haven't my goddamn premiums come down?

. . .also when claritin became OTC the price for the other allergy medicines (Zyrtec, Allegra, etc. . .)went up. ..

either the co-payment when to the highest level or they were no longer even covered. . .

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I'm lucky in that my insurance covers 30 days of Nexium and my ear, nose, throat doctor supplies the balance I need from his samples.

Ohno.. i just remembered, SuperBowl Sunday is coming up! No nachos, salsa, pepperoni pizza, buffalo wings and beer?! =-o

Thanks for all the advice, thoughts and tips.
I feel a little better knowing that other people are in the same boat i'm in.

Trust me when I say that the "misery loves company" idea doesn't really help when you're missing some of your favorite food and drink.

My Chinese New Year dinner with the folks got postponed to this coming Saturday. Followed by SuperBowl "Gorgefest" Sunday.

Uhhhh.. i might have to change my diet NEXT week :-/

Hopefully, taking preventative Pepcids twice a day and eating "good" all week 'til then will help. That might be the best i can do without being utterly miserable this week.

I'm the widow of a man who assumed that the absence of symptoms meant the absence of a problem. With pain as severe as you've described, I'd recommend having a gastroenterologist do an upper endoscopy to see if there is any damage that needs to be monitored. GERD is a breeding ground for gastroesophageal cancer.

Sorry you're suffering.

But i gotta say, I thought this post was going to be about an alt-rock group.

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And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.
—Friedrich Nietzsche
Western Massachusetts

take nexium for two months, once a day. And don't eat anything greasy AT ALL. No cokes, or coffee.

Then come back and say how good you feel.

Great advice from everyone. I have nothing more to add.

This is what makes Macresource Forums so good. Many smart people on several subjects.

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---------
3GHz - The clock is STILL ticking Steve.

Guitarman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't get why doctors don't say this but this is
> more about diet than anything. I've had very bad
> acid reflux and found the following.
>
> 1. If i stop eating so much take out, it goes
> away.
> 2. If I buy organic fruits and veggies it goes
> away.
> 3. If I eat lots of salads it goes away.
> 4. If I eat apples and drink cold water, it stops
> a reflux attack.
>
> Those meds are all scary. Try changing your diet.
>
> PS Chocolate causes acid reflux as well. It makes
> the one way valve into the digestive track relax
> and allows the acid to come back up.
>
>


5. Cut down on the booze and caffeine.

Wow, a lot of good advice. did anybody mention:

LOOSING WEIGHT!

That seems to be a new observation by the medical community regarding acid reflux.
I can testify that it works, myself. Seems when my weight goes over a certain limit: 200 lbs for me,(fadazzititis which happens when I go to mom's for Easter, Christmas, St Joseph's Day, vacations, etc.) stuff starts giving me "agida".

When my weight is 190 or under (most of the time) it's gone and I can eat and drink pretty much anything in moderation.

I told a friend who was dying every time he ate Italian (whaeyzazz remarks permitted here! )about this and after he lost 15 lbs he had no more problems.

Loosing weight always sux but some of us really have to do it.

---

JoeM

Pepcid AC worked great for me. Treating before meals that were high risk helped a lot. Over a couple of years I found I needed it less and less. For the last several years, my symptoms have essentially disappeared. I take something maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I used to have to get up in the middle of the night and sleep in a chair...

Here's another tidbit. A bacteria called H. pylori has been identified as a cause of many peptic ulcers. This is now treatable.

see [digestive.niddk.nih.gov]

---

Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.

. . .not to sound like doom and gloom but I used to have horrible stomach/gastrointestinal pain for years. .. .went to many many doctors and they all treated me with multiple treatments. . .

Some worked for a short time but the pain always came back. . .


Then in my mid-twenties (note the pain was from my teenage years until that time) I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up blood. . .
Went to emergency. . .they deemed me not an emergency and made me wait. . .a few minutes later. . .sweating profusely and almost passing out. . .my sister finally got them to see me. . .

They gave me an I.v.and after some questioning (which involved them asking me multiple times if I was sure that I threw up blood. . .almost like they didn't believe me) they left me in the hallway for most of the morning to "monitor" me. . .and then released me. . .


I immediately made an appointment with my doctor and insisted on being checked into his hospital and getting tested.

They performed an endoscopy and they discovered that I had an ulcer. . .they treated me with acid reducers and released me with a presciption for that. . . The pain stopped and some months later. . .I heard of the triple "cocktail" ulcer treatment. . .antibiotics/acid reducer/pepto. . .this on the theory that ulcers are caused by bacteria. . .I asked my doctor and he agreed to the treatment. I only had to take the medicine for a specified time period. . .

After finishing the treatment period. . .
Haven't had a problems since then. . .

See the gastro now if it is nothing WONDERFUL but if it isn't you may catch something in the early stages. . .


When it comes to your health, there is no such thing as being too careful. . . .

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

WOW what timing. . . .right as I posted my post. . .the post above me mentioned exactly what I was talkin bout. . .

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

We obviously make a great team!

---

Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 09:11PM by sscutchen.

NewtonMP2100 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> . . .also when claritin became OTC the price for
> the other allergy medicines (Zyrtec, Allegra, etc.
> . .)went up. ..
>
> either the co-payment when to the highest level or
> they were no longer even covered. . .
>
>
>
>
> This is were electricity comes from. . .


Despite the fact that Claritin was only approved for certain allergy types, they wanted to push all allergy sufferers to use it because it was OTC and wouldn't cost the insurance co any money. I hate insurance cos for that type of sleazy behavior.

I second the lose weight recommend. For me it was by far the most important variable. Odd that joe mentions a certain weight. If I go even 2lbs above 188, I notice the symptoms. If I keep my weight down, I can eat/drink anything. Before, when I drank a few beers, I'd have catastrophic sphincter failure and wake up choking on stomach acid, mucous, etc. It was scary and horrible. It's worth the huge effort (diet) not to have to deal with that again. kj.

Add lose weight to my ideas as well. Absolutely right!

tuqqer's non-med advice: come eat at my home for 2 weeks. Take no meds, just eat my food. It's nothing special or magical, just mainly whole grains, whole veggies, whole fruit, about 5-10% made up of organic meats, a few eggs, non-pasteurized fermented foods, miso soups and stews, a bit 'o green tea. No take-out, no flour products, no white sugar, no candy, no preservatives, no crap animal foods, no dairy, and no ice cream. Learn the art of rehydration, and pee every two hours to prove it. No big meals 2 hours before you hit the sack.

---

M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Sonoma 14.x • Dual 27" Dell S2722QC monitors • M2 2022 13" MBAir (512G 16G) •

3d Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Any doctors here? Should i go get a second
> opinion?

3d-I've read all the responses here. Many good ideas, particularly regarding lifestyle issues.

I've gone through a couple of episodes, so I have a perspective, as well.

I think you should educate yourself, using the materials that the physicians use. The American College of Gastroenterology has a number of resources available. The most recent report on what to do for clinical practice is here: [www.acg.gi.org]. It will teach you a lot.

A report on the effectiveness of various treatments by another evaluator is here: [www.chcf.org]

A brief overview is here: [www.chcf.org]

When I was researching this, the biggest pain in understanding what they were talking about was in the translation of generic to brand names (e.g. omeprazole is Prilosec). As noted in the reports, above, there is little difference in overall effectiveness of PPIs, although individuals might well find greater or lesser effectiveness with one or the other. Depending on your insurance company, it will either be difficult or not to get ongoing doses of things like Prevacid; mine is difficult.

You might suggest Prilosec OTC to your physician; it's the same as the prescription but has a "limit" of 14 days. Obviously, your physician can suggest a longer time frame.

One last thing. I was put on Reglan in addition to Prevacid. I basically overlooked the cautions of the Reglan; 5 months later, I had a serious extrapyramidal reaction to it. A friend who had a similar reaction said it, "felt like she was crawling out of her skin." Good description. It lasted for about 5 weeks after I stopped the drug. Four months later, I've felt it over the last couple of days. Be very aware of all the side effects of any of this stuff, even the "rare" ones; it could be you!