Esophagus and reflux

[GrandadRob]

In the last few months I have started to get some problems in the area of my Esophagus, including some reflux. This is not only during a ride. I seem to have developed a ring just under my ribs. GP is useless. I am beginning to wonder if my position on the bike is to blame, am I too bent over, causing problems with my stomach muscles. This is beginning to worry me, maybe a holiday from the bike would help, but that is not going to happen. Forgot to mention, I am 71.

 

[GrandadRob]

So today I have raised the stem to make my riding position more upright. Time will tell if this causes me sit bone problems. I have to keep trying.

 

[kingrollo]

In the last few months I have started to get some problems in the area of my Esophagus, including some reflux. This is not only during a ride. I seem to have developed a ring just under my ribs. GP is useless. I am beginning to wonder if my position on the bike is to blame, am I too bent over, causing problems with my stomach muscles. This is beginning to worry me, maybe a holiday from the bike would help, but that is not going to happen. Forgot to mention, I am 71.

They will be useless - if they refer you it costs the money (what could possibly go wrong !!!!)

My son had this - he was was only around 12 when it started - he got food that just sat half way down his esophagus - GP told him to cut his food up smaller and not eat so fast. This continued until the inventible - The food got stuck and wouldn't shift resulting in a trip to ED and emergency admission, as parents of a young child it was terrifying watching you son go under GA - GP still wasn't interested ("Pork is hard to digest")

Two more emergency admissions - on the last one the bloke who did endoscopy - sat us down and talked us though diseases of the esophagus - and put them in order of probability - He pretty much ruled out cancer due to my sons age, My wife has MS - again he said that was unlikely as my son was otherwise fine - his most probably diagnosis eosinophilic esophagitis or a problem with the valve at the base of the Esophagus.

I asked if he would personally see my son as a follow up and arrange tests - which he did - his first diagnosis eosinophilic esophagitis proved to be bang on, after samples were taken from esophagus confirmed this. He gave a specific inhaler (which GP tried to change !!!!!!!!) and a course of some powerful steroids - hes been fine since (fingers crossed)

Push for that endoscopy - or if your in the west mids PM me and I can supply with with the name of the consultant who helped my son.

 

[vickster]

Have you tried an over the counter PPI (eg Nexium) to see if that eases the reflux? Discuss with pharmacist
or speak to a different GP at practice?

 

[marinyork]

Nexium is expensive. Just buy omeprazole straight rather than a budgeted purple packet isomer of it that costs a lot more, if that's deemed appropriate.

Milder reflux is incredibly common in the population. It's just not talked about that much. There are many different things that can cause or might be contributing to it, but there are often diet based triggers as you get older (to which patients want to punch people who say that).

Go and see another GP. In pharmacies people talk about indigestion and reflux all winter long.

 

[rogerzilla]

Food that gets stuck can be pharyngeal pouch, which is a congenital condition (according to my GP, a vestigial gill structure!). It is distressing if the oesophagus becomes completely blocked but rarely worth surgery to cut out the bottom of the pouch, since the blockage will generally shift with a good belch and/or a lot of water. Any food that comes back up from the pouch is completely undigested. Foods like rice and lettuce are the worst.

 

[Dave7]

@GrandadRob i have suffered with "acid" for more than 50 years.
Certain foods make it worse (obviously the ones I enjoy) so I cut back on them.
Some years ago it became difficult to swallow. I had the camera. TRY TO AVOID THAT .
Doc put me on Omeprazole.......a miracle cure. Never had a problem since....... though I still cut back on the naughty foods.

 

[oldwheels]

@GrandadRob i have suffered with "acid" for more than 50 years.
Certain foods make it worse (obviously the ones I enjoy) so I cut back on them.
Some years ago it became difficult to swallow. I had the camera. TRY TO AVOID THAT .
Doc put me on Omeprazole.......a miracle cure. Never had a problem since....... though I still cut back on the naughty foods.

I have been on Lansoprazole for years but recently the gastric reflux flared up again I suspect due to a combination of a hot curry and a dram. I never learn. Currently I am on 60mg per day and going to see a consultant next week tho' the problem has abated mostly. Endoscopy is a probable next step. I have been there before so know what to expect but may not be able to get a sedative due to having to get out on my own the same day and drive home. I never found the sedative to have any lasting effects anyway but they always cover themselves just in case. Of all the many procedures I have had this is probably the worst.

 

[Dave7]

I have been on Lansoprazole for years but recently the gastric reflux flared up again I suspect due to a combination of a hot curry and a dram. I never learn. Currently I am on 60mg per day and going to see a consultant next week tho' the problem has abated mostly. Endoscopy is a probable next step. I have been there before so know what to expect but may not be able to get a sedative due to having to get out on my own the same day and drive home. I never found the sedative to have any lasting effects anyway but they always cover themselves just in case. Of all the many procedures I have had this is probably the worst.

Yep...... I have a camera up my willy every 6 months......not nice but I can accept it. Like you say, down the throat is bloody awful.

 

[oldwheels]

Yep...... I have a camera up my willy every 6 months......not nice but I can accept it. Like you say, down the throat is bloody awful.

I had a cystoscopy every 3 months for a couple of years and the every 6 months for 5 years then annual for 5 after my kidney and ureter were removed. That was in the good old days when you got a general anaesthetic. I was told by a GP that it was an anaethetist's nightmare job as they had little chance to assess the patient beforehand.

 

[Globalti]

When I was cycling regularly acid reflux was a common problem especially racing home after a swift pint at the local. I got into the habit of chewing a Rennie before leaving, which sorted the problem,

 

[GrandadRob]

Interesting to read the various accounts of this problem. Mine all started with a pain left side of my abdomen. Had an endoscopy, didn;t suffer at all with that, I must be lucky, no sedative, no reaction. Clear result. However it was after that procedure that my reflux started. Although it was never, and still isn't full reflux. The Doctor said I had "silent" reflux. This is an aerosol type reflux, which gives no heartburn, but burns your throat, makes you cough sometimes, and makes your voice hoarse. I never had it before the endoscopy. I suspect that they nicked something along the way. The pain disappeared, until I tried Omeprezole, when it reappeared. Tried all the variants, no better. Eventially stopped taking it, and the pain went away. But I do take Gaviscon ADVANCE. I emphasize the word Advance, it is the only one which contains Alginates. This puts a film on top of your stomach contents which acid cannot penitrate. None of the other Gaviscon versions or any other indigestion remedies contain. Buy it on Ebay, much cheaper. So it looks like I must just accept my condition, and as my Wife says... just stop moaning, and keep on biking. Still think that my riding position was slightly to blame, time will tell. Many thanks all.

 

[marinyork]

If people find that gaviscon advance works, they usually just start buying peptac instead or get a doctor to prescribe it. It's far, far cheaper and very easy to get hold of. The only reason why pharmacies sell gaviscon advance is they make an absolute killing on it, the profit margin is ludicrous.

The raft alginate. Sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate in peptac. The gaviscon advance is sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate/potassium hydrogen carbonate depending on which country it's in.

 

[Kingfisher101]

If you cut out virtually all fatty things from your diet I bet you would see a big improvement. Its caused by what you eat for a lot of people.

 

[GrandadRob]

I went through free peptac, from the Doctors, all the versions of Gaviscon, none worked for me except Advance, just my experience.