Prev: Shortness of breath and cough
Next: Need GERD bed for camping!
From: Mary on 15 Sep 2007 22:24
I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Barrett's Esophagus (no dysplasia)
but I don't get heartburn symptoms per se. I originally went to the
doctor for a stomach ache which I was sure was an ulcer - small,
specific, painful stomach ache. I took a couple of different PPIs for
awhile (Nexium was one) but they seemed to GIVE me indigestion. I kept
burping and feeling uncomfortable, so I stopped, but I did make some
of the behavioral changes (no chocolate, coffee, alcohol, high fat
food). Since Barrett's has no symptoms and I have never had GERD
symptoms, is it necessary to take these meds? When I read on this
blog, it seems that the medications are for symptomatic relief, and
they carry their own risks (I have osteopenia, which I am reluctant to
aggravate.)

From: trigonometry1972 on 17 Sep 2007 01:47
On Sep 15, 7:24 pm, Mary <marym...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Barrett's Esophagus (no dysplasia)
> but I don't get heartburn symptoms per se. I originally went to the
> doctor for a stomach ache which I was sure was an ulcer - small,
> specific, painful stomach ache. I took a couple of different PPIs for
> awhile (Nexium was one) but they seemed to GIVE me indigestion. I kept
> burping and feeling uncomfortable, so I stopped, but I did make some
> of the behavioral changes (no chocolate, coffee, alcohol, high fat
> food). Since Barrett's has no symptoms and I have never had GERD
> symptoms, is it necessary to take these meds? When I read on this
> blog, it seems that the medications are for symptomatic relief, and
> they carry their own risks (I have osteopenia, which I am reluctant to
> aggravate.)

I'll suggest a couple of things. First is one of my pets
and I'll suggest it by way of question. Have you inclined
your sleep position to lessen night time reflux? If so
how much.
Second, I'll suggest you need to be scoped if for no
other reason than peace of mind.

And yes these meds have their own risks. I suppose
if one is determined to take these meds they might
try extra vitamin D and vitamin K to help with
bone strength. Still there is evidence the PPI meds
result in conflicting signals such that the bone ends up
with an excessive number of osteoclast cells. These
are the cells that break bone down in the ongoing
remodelling process bone goes thru. So it isn't just
an issue of impaired calcium uptake due to the
lack of stomach acidity as some seem to what
to make it out to be.

Further, what you were having in the way of
indigestion may have been what I call dyspepsia.
Some of us at the alternative end of things, increase
our stomach acidity to combat dypepsia, poor
stomach motility, and belching. And yes
this isn't something in most Doctor's medical playbook.
So whether this makes sense will depend on what
you are willing to believe or try.

From: Mary on 17 Sep 2007 11:27
On Sep 16, 10:47 pm, trigonometry1...(a)gmail.com wrote:
> On Sep 15, 7:24 pm, Mary <marym...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Barrett's Esophagus (no dysplasia)
> > but I don't get heartburn symptoms per se. I originally went to the
> > doctor for a stomach ache which I was sure was an ulcer - small,
> > specific, painful stomach ache. I took a couple of different PPIs for
> > awhile (Nexium was one) but they seemed to GIVE me indigestion. I kept
> > burping and feeling uncomfortable, so I stopped, but I did make some
> > of the behavioral changes (no chocolate, coffee, alcohol, high fat
> > food). Since Barrett's has no symptoms and I have never had GERD
> > symptoms, is it necessary to take these meds? When I read on this
> > blog, it seems that the medications are for symptomatic relief, and
> > they carry their own risks (I have osteopenia, which I am reluctant to
> > aggravate.)
>
> I'll suggest a couple of things. First is one of my pets
> and I'll suggest it by way of question. Have you inclined
> your sleep position to lessen night time reflux? If so
> how much.
> Second, I'll suggest you need to be scoped if for no
> other reason than peace of mind.
>
> And yes these meds have their own risks. I suppose
> if one is determined to take these meds they might
> try extra vitamin D and vitamin K to help with
> bone strength. Still there is evidence the PPI meds
> result in conflicting signals such that the bone ends up
> with an excessive number of osteoclast cells. These
> are the cells that break bone down in the ongoing
> remodelling process bone goes thru. So it isn't just
> an issue of impaired calcium uptake due to the
> lack of stomach acidity as some seem to what
> to make it out to be.
>
> Further, what you were having in the way of
> indigestion may have been what I call dyspepsia.
> Some of us at the alternative end of things, increase
> our stomach acidity to combat dypepsia, poor
> stomach motility, and belching. And yes
> this isn't something in most Doctor's medical playbook.
> So whether this makes sense will depend on what
> you are willing to believe or try.

Thank you for your response. I am trying to figure out if I should
take PPIs or not.
In answer to your questions (1) I was scoped. That's how I know I have
Barrett's. I am due to be scoped again in a year.
(2) I do sleep inclined, but haven't measured the degrees. I had
tilted the whole bed up (on concrete blocks) but kept sliding down off
the bed, so I have gone to a wedge. Which I use - half the time.
(3) the indigestion (or dypepsia?) is ONLY when I take the PPIs.

My question: with no symptoms of heartburn, should I take the PPIs?

From: trigonometry1972 on 18 Sep 2007 04:12
On Sep 17, 8:27 am, Mary <marym...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 16, 10:47 pm, trigonometry1...(a)gmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Sep 15, 7:24 pm, Mary <marym...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Barrett's Esophagus (no dysplasia)
> > > but I don't get heartburn symptoms per se. I originally went to the
> > > doctor for a stomach ache which I was sure was an ulcer - small,
> > > specific, painful stomach ache. I took a couple of different PPIs for
> > > awhile (Nexium was one) but they seemed to GIVE me indigestion. I kept
> > > burping and feeling uncomfortable, so I stopped, but I did make some
> > > of the behavioral changes (no chocolate, coffee, alcohol, high fat
> > > food). Since Barrett's has no symptoms and I have never had GERD
> > > symptoms, is it necessary to take these meds? When I read on this
> > > blog, it seems that the medications are for symptomatic relief, and
> > > they carry their own risks (I have osteopenia, which I am reluctant to
> > > aggravate.)
>
> > I'll suggest a couple of things. First is one of my pets
> > and I'll suggest it by way of question. Have you inclined
> > your sleep position to lessen night time reflux? If so
> > how much.
> > Second, I'll suggest you need to be scoped if for no
> > other reason than peace of mind.
>
> > And yes these meds have their own risks. I suppose
> > if one is determined to take these meds they might
> > try extra vitamin D and vitamin K to help with
> > bone strength. Still there is evidence the PPI meds
> > result in conflicting signals such that the bone ends up
> > with an excessive number of osteoclast cells. These
> > are the cells that break bone down in the ongoing
> > remodelling process bone goes thru. So it isn't just
> > an issue of impaired calcium uptake due to the
> > lack of stomach acidity as some seem to what
> > to make it out to be.
>
> > Further, what you were having in the way of
> > indigestion may have been what I call dyspepsia.
> > Some of us at the alternative end of things, increase
> > our stomach acidity to combat dypepsia, poor
> > stomach motility, and belching. And yes
> > this isn't something in most Doctor's medical playbook.
> > So whether this makes sense will depend on what
> > you are willing to believe or try.
>
> Thank you for your response. I am trying to figure out if I should
> take PPIs or not.
> In answer to your questions (1) I was scoped. That's how I know I have
> Barrett's. I am due to be scoped again in a year.
> (2) I do sleep inclined, but haven't measured the degrees. I had
> tilted the whole bed up (on concrete blocks) but kept sliding down off
> the bed, so I have gone to a wedge. Which I use - half the time.
> (3) the indigestion (or dypepsia?) is ONLY when I take the PPIs.
>
> My question: with no symptoms of heartburn, should I take the PPIs?

I am not a fan of wedges. Putting blocks at the head of the bed is
easy but that as you found causes the top mattress to slide for
the bottom mattress. Even with my first bed were I did this
the made a foot board to keep me and my mattress on the bed.
I hate wedges and the old hospital bed as they didn't permit
me to sleep on my side or my stomach.
I later constructed a bed platform which does some like what
the blocks do to a bed in that it adjustable tilt the whole bed
in one plane. To keep from sliding this bed also had
a padded foot board AND I sleep on foam directly rather
than a mattress. Anyway innerspring mattress don't take
kindly to being inclined and will cause back pain.
I sleep with somewhere between 18 to 11 inches of incline on
this bed.

I'll suggest if use it part time, use it for the first half of the
night
as that is the time in the night in which people tend to have
nocturnal reflux. This comment is based on a published study.

As to your final question, I''ll say it depends. If you sleep level
and have the respiratory symptoms, I think about.
But for myself as I have no symptoms unless I get stupid,
I avoid the drugs, I sleep on a highly inclined bed and I take
a supplement to INCREASE stomach acidity to promote
rapid digestion in the stomach and to prevent dyspepsia.
Is this is a good idea for you? I say ask an alternative medicine
Doc, perhaps a longevity Doc like I did or a naturopath so as
to have a true second opinion.
It is hard to say what people should do as some have
a number of disease processes going on in their GI tract,
some have been altered by surgery such that their
plumbing is rather different from the original.
I hope I wasn't clear. It is a judgement you'll have to make
for yourself.



 | 
Pages: 1
Prev: Shortness of breath and cough
Next: Need GERD bed for camping!