Hi There....

I have kind of worked out some of my latest problem. I have a hiatal hernia that I have had for years since the birth of my last child. I usually control it with diet alone as I can't tolerate the meds for it. Well just recently after a nasty bout of sinusitis/laryngitis my airways have been irritated to the max and I'm sure I've flared my hiatal hernia from all the coughing I did initially which in turn has caused a resurgance in GERD. After much stress and anxiety wondering what the heck has caused all my latest discomfort in my chest etc I did a search on hiatal hernia pain etc and came upon a legit NZ website that explained the pain patterns for GERD & Hiatal hernia and voila there is where I fit in. The flutterings I was feeling in my chest appears to have been caused by the GERD as from what I can gather it irritates the vagus nerve which in turn causes mild palp like sensations. The GERD can also irritate the airways causing a sense of bronchial constriction at times and coughing. Now my airways were already severely irritated from the virus I had so when the GERD kicked in, probably from too many hot lemon and honey drinks and garlic tablets I was consuming to get rid of the virus, it has made for some terrible misery on my part. I'm belching like a drunken sailor mainly at night, have terrible mid back pain between my shoulder blades where the GERD pain always hits me and still get that tickly feeling in my chest at times and the slight urge to cough it away along with the lump in throat feeling. Of course the stress and anxiety is making all this 1000 times worse but it's a viscious cycle of anxiey, symptoms, more anxiety, more symptoms .... I do remember when I was first diagnosed with having the hiatal hernia after an endoscopy the pain & discomfort went away rather quickly after that procedure and I think it was in large part due to the fact I felt relief at finally knowing what it was and not thinking I had some kind of stomach or throat cancer etc. I had a flare of these symptoms when I started my AD taper last year and was highly stressed with withdrawal symptoms and also had hurt my back and I believe I strained my hernia again from some stretching exercises I had to do at the time.

Can anyone relate to this feeling caused by GERD.... I did a search on this site and found some posts from others with a similar experience but what I would like to know is what if any natural remedies they have found to settle the GERD down again. I am watching my diet closely as some food items like onions, bread, tomatoes, fruit & juices (which I never drink anyway), chocolate (oh yes my beloved chocolate), alcohol (which I hardly ever touch these days) can all make it worse. I am considering using some 'Aloe Vera' juice again as I tried this many years ago when I first had this problem but can't remember if it did any good or not but it's a reasonably cheap option to try and seems quite harmless in moderation. Also 'Slippery Elm' has been recommended too but I have never tried this stuff and the powdered version which seems the best to work from the throat down doesn't look very appertising LOL

Yes, I had a post on this very thing several months ago. I also had researched and found a definite connection between GERD, hiatal hernia, and palps. In that post I had large list of supplements and advice I found helpful. Wait, I found it and saved a copy, here it is:

After a few trips to the ER and an emergency visit to a cardiologist, I discovered that I had GERD which was causing the symptoms. It scared me to death. I do not get the typical acid in the throat, but many people do not get that, which makes it harder to pinpoint what is causing the problem.

After many hours and days researching online, I found that that many people also found that palps were related to eating. The digestive system and the heart share the same main nerve--the vagus nerve--and it seems once the esophagus is inflamed and the lower esophageal sphincter has lost its tone and does not close properly, the reflux triggers the nerves that go to the heart.

I am an ER nurse and even though I saw SO many people come in with chest pain that turned out to be new onset GERD, somehow I still didn't make the connection because I never felt the acid come up and didn't think I had problems digesting food.

But here is what I did that seemed to get rid of it, and it should be done for several months to promote healing:

I find eating very small amounts of food at a time helps. Nothing
after supper (around 6 pm latest)

No caffeine, no chocolate :-( , no citrus, tomatoes, no carbonated
beverages. No alcohol. There are other 'no-no's' but it seems very
individual. What bothers one might not bother another.

Take digestive enzymes prior to eating. Use probiotics.

Also I found hydrochloric acid helpful, taken in the middle of a meal.
It helps digest the food and lessens the chance of gas and indigestion.
BUT, some people find it makes it worse. You will have to experiment.

I also used DGL chewable after meals and at bedtime. It coats the
esophagus and is soothing so that the stomach contents don't irritate it.

Also, d-limonene from orange peel. (Don't take close to eating or you
will get an upset stomach):

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c...502650&at=0

Acid-Ease has enzymes and soothing ingredients:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c...d=4952&at=0

Zinc and Vit A (not beta carotene) are very healing as is Gamma Oryzanol

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c...d=1245&at=0

Drink plenty of water.

Elevate the head of your bed so there's less chance of reflux.

This one product I ordered after hearing the Doctor on
a local radio show. It's called Betten-Aid and it's chewable. You
chew up 1-2 after meals. It contains probiotics and enzymes, and I
found it very helpful

http://www.homefirst.com/symptom.html

A girlfriend of mine had surgery for her HH and to adjust the valve that regulates acid movement from the stomach up into the esophagus. We were both diagnosed with GERD around the same time (hormonal changes can really bring this on), but she was much worse than I was with it.
She suffered for almost a full year trying all sorts of PPI (GERD meds), herbal things, diet restrictions, elevating her bed etc. but nothing worked. She even had the test where you have a tube inserted down your nose and into your stomach for 48 hours to monitor amount of acid coming up.
So far, so good since the surgery.
My symptoms are completely resolved with the twice a day Losec that I take.
I am still careful with certain foods; coffee, dark chocolate, nuts (possibly part of the reason the Prometrium I am taking can bother my GERD), tomato, wine.
DGL is good to have on hand and as Sariah mentioned a good digestive enzyme can help also.
When I saw a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy and endoscopy recently he told me to make sure I keep taking the Losec in order to prevent Barretts Syndrome which is erosion of the esophagus due to the acid.
It's definitely manageable in most people.
Are you going to have a barium swallow test done?

Well I bought my aloe vera juice today and I will take my first dose of it tonight before bed, wish me luck, its got to work....

I'm considering trying some probiotics too to see if they keep it at bay, never taken them before so not sure what to expect of them

probiotics work Rox - get a good one from the health food store - the kind you keep in the fridge....take it for several months and you gut health will improve....

eat small meals and keep a bland diet with lots of fresh veggies and protein...

stay tough kid...it gets better...

This thread is right on time...

After a recent bout of the flu, my GERD symptoms are back with a vengeance...

Its taken me the last four days to feel somewhat normal, with today being the best so far...

I started back to taking a morning probiotic, drinking 8-12 oz's of water before breakfast, eating smaller meals, taking a digestive aid with meals, in addition to stopping meals by 7 PM..

Even though I am feeling better, I still feel mad about it...

Where in the heck did it come from...

I see my doctor on Monday, and I will surely hit her up for some info/ meds...

Guess, I am managing okay... I'd just like this to completely go away....

Its my hope that after a month or more on these probiotics things will improve greatly...

I have DGL, but have been reluctant to take it...

DGL is just licorice that has been changed for easier digestion and also so it won't affect your BP (which it can do in some people). It's pretty benign stuff but it can help. I used to keep them in my purse and eat them all day.
Probiotics also cannot do you harm, but even if you don't have digestive, stomach issues they are a good idea to take. Everyone should take them.
Udo's Choice makes excellent probiotics.
I tried all these things, but I guess my GERD was severe enough that they did not help the terrible symptoms completely go away.
PPI's are the only thing that work with me.
I still take probiotics/digestive enzymes daily because they are good for me anyway.
Good luck with this. There are medications to help.
If you aren't seeing your doc right away for an RX, you can try Zantac or Pepcid AC in the meantime.

Boy, oh, boy, you wrote my story, right down to the sinuses. When the gerd I have is at it's worst, I take prilosec. I do not use it daily, but at times, a few weeks at a clip is needed to calm everything down. I, too, like many others have been to the ER thinking it was heart related and luckily it was gerd. I have tried aloe water instead of the juice. I really dont' like the flavor of the juice, at all, but the water tastes just like real water. I think it works. I get the palps and the pain in my back. I then lay flat on the floor, (which can be inconvenient depending on where I am at the time) and within minutes, the burping begins and then goes on and on. I can actually feel a sore spot on my back that if I rub, i burp, just like a baby when you pat their back.

I dont' know if stress is a connection, it just may be, but foods in particular for me, dont' make a big difference. I pretty much eat the same foods most of the time and never found a real connection there, its just there sometimes and sometimes not, but when it is it seems to last quite a while.

Between the gerd and sinuses, it can be miserable. I added TMJ into the mess, that's a joy as well.

I really hope you feel better.

I'm wondering if there is indeed a stress connection..

My symptoms calm down when I attend yoga regularly or have my acupuncture treatments on schedule, with little to no med intervention...

There definitely is a stress connection. Also, I was told by my doctor to lay on my left side when I'm sleeping. I guess it places the "insides" in such a way so that the acid is less likely to come up.
Hope you find relief soon.

I do believe stress plays a huge part in it. I haven't had an issue with mine for awhile until I starting tapering off my AD last year then BAM I got GERD with a vengeance but it went away after a couple of months when the withdrawals started to calm down. Fast forward 8 months and I get sick and then some serious family stress comes upon me out of the blue and I reinjure my back so stress is at an all time high again and what should rear it's ugly head, yes you guessed it, the dreaded GERD ...

Since it has peaked over the past week or two I have cut right down on my Vit C & Flaxseed oil capsule intake thinking this may have been aggravating it and now my poor hands & wrists are aching and stiff (the flaxseed helps keep them supple, hairstylists hands with carpal tunnel ).... But I think I will have to start taking them again cos I don't need another complaint on top of everything else to worry about right now.

I took my first dose of aloe vera juice last night and another one this morning (had forgotten how, ummm how can I put this nicely ... different it tastes ) so fingers crossed for me ladies that I will feel some relief soon. Actually fingers crossed we will ALL feel some relief soon......

I wonder if that has something to do with less pressure on the vagus nerve or something like that cos I remember when pregnant they told us to lay on one side preferable over the other as it would be more comfortable. Thankfully lying on my left side is my preference.

Yes, roxursox I do believe that is the reasoning.....:-)

it stresses me to think about what IS stressing me...

I have to divorce...

Its been so very stressful to stay in this marriage during peri/meno...

Now, that I believe I am on the other side of things, I get enraged very,very quickly...

(I know this is completely off topic, but I see the connection between my two bouts with this condition, which I have never had before, in life...)

I'm floored this morning thinking bout it all...

The body does not play... cares nothing about YOUR time schedule nor plans....

Yet another wake up call...

Mini rant over, ladies...

I much appreciate your advice in this thread...

This is day 4 or 5, and I am feeling better...

Wow Lala.....it sounds like it would be a good idea to talk about what is bothering you so much.
Getting it out is always a good thing.
You'll find some good listeners on this site.
Good luck and I hope you are able to sort things out. Stress is not good for anyone.

I too have been suffering badly with GERD. I have had stomach issues for many years but in the main they were controlled by diet alone, however, since hitting perimenopause I have had to take PPI's to control the symptoms and recently even they haven't helped entirely. I had an appointment with a gastroenterologist last week and as I have already had an endoscope 10 months ago that was fine he suggested an ultrasound to check my gall bladder and this was also fine. I asked him whether stress can affect the stomach and cause the GERD symptoms and he said yes, at this time of economic downturn he will be very busy with patients who will develop ulcers!

I decided that I didn't just want to continue to take the PPI's because I worry about the long term affect and also how they make me feel when I'm taking them so I did some research online and found the Great Taste No Pain diet, which states that it is the way we combine foods that cause the symptoms. I have followed the plan for a few days and am not taking the PPI's and it is certainly helping at the moment, so I will continue with it and hope that things improve even further.

Ballerina

Ballerina could you PM me the diet plan pleeeeeze. I have rearranged my eating habits once again but only having minor very slow improvements. I have also been using the aloe vera juice for a week now and not sure if it's helping and today I started a probiotic. I can't take PPIs so I have to do it the long hard way by diet restriction while it heals yet once again. Also I'm utterly convinced it's stress that plays a huge part in it flaring up along with the fact that I drank far too many hot lemon & honey drinks & took loads of vit C while I had the respiratory virus 7 weeks ago . I do also have a Hiatal Hernia that complicates things and I'm sure I coughed it up another cm or two into my chest while sick maybe my whole stomach is in there now, it sure feels like it sometimes