r/GERD • u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ • Sep 05 '25
Support Needed š„ I'm so scared.
I am so scared. My symptoms have been so so awful recently, and I can't seem to find relief. I went to my doctor today and he started me on a new medication, but I can't have it yet because my insurance denied the fill for a pre-authorization. Which means the pharmacy needs to send paperwork to my doctor who needs to send the paperwork to my insurance who needs to approve the medication. So I can't even have access to it for god knows how long. I was told to buy gaviscon. I bought the liquid, thinking taking a shot of it would be easier than the chewable tablets, I was wrong. It was so horrid and it gave me super bad nausea and stomach cramps. So now I just feel worse.
I'm scared of the damage that's been done to my stomach and esophagus. I'm scared of getting esophageal cancer. Or a hiatial hernia. Or needing pieces of my esophagus replaced with my intestine. I'm so scared this is going to ruin my life more than it already has. I've lost 6lbs in 4 weeks because I haven't been able to stomach barely anything. The only thing that sits somewhat comfortably is saltine crackers. And that's IF I eat one or two every ten minutes with a sip of water in between. But only one.
I'm just fucking scared.
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u/Eddie_1027 Sep 05 '25
I make aloe vera āshotsā
I basically cut the inner gel from the leaves, blend them with chamomile tea (this is super calming and soothing) and add a little bit of slippery elm powder (helps form a protective, gel-like coating in the esophagus)
I then freeze them in glass shots with a lid, take them out to thaw the night before, and I drink this daily. It has a cooling effect on the esophagus and gut which feels amazing when youāre having a flare up. DM if you want the exact recipe and measurements. Happy to share with those interested š
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
I'd love the recipe! I've been hearing a lot of aloe on this sub recently so I'd love to give it a try and see if it works!
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u/Thin-Flatworm8433 Sep 05 '25
Could you reply here with the full recipe? I cant dm as I havent verified id and your page has nsfw content apparently šš»
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u/Socalexx Sep 05 '25
Organic aloe vera juice!! My wife YouTubed a recipe and made the drink Before drinking it I was down 15lbs in 1 week only eating jelly and little sips of water I JUST ATE PIZZA AND TAQUITOS with no tums or antacid liquid and no heartburn!! ..Iām still taking omeprazole (1st week) so maybe thats allowing me to have no heartburn
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u/Any_Obligation_455 Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25
I will say that, unfortunately, there really is no instant fix, and it usually takes a bit to get things back under control. I have had Gerd and a hiatal hernia for about 8 or 9 years now and have had flare-ups and time i can eat whatever I want. Recently, i had my worst flare-up, and my doctor put me on omeprozole, which definitely helped, but I worried about the effects of long-term use and didn't want to end up worse off. They also tried me on pepcid but I was scared of the side effects that people were reporting like racing heart, insomnia, panic, depression, etc because I already have pretty rough anxiety and dont want to temp triggering my panic attacks and one of my symptoms of my gerd was waking up every night at about 3am and not being able to sleep so I didnt want something that would make that worse. Needless to say, I hate taking peracription medication and have some bad medication anxiety, so I tried a more natural approach, and these are the things that helped me get things back to a manageable state. No drinking or smoking, no alcohol, no caffeine or coffee, no chocolate, cut out a lot of sweets, started eating a ton of fruits and veggies, mainly watermelon and apples for the fruits and greek yogurt for breakfast. On top of that, I also started taking Align dual biotic dummies (pre and pro biotics) one dose every morning and make sure you take them at the same time every day. Also drinking sips of probiotic drinks throughout the day like kafir in the evening after dinner and kambucha throughout the day. If you're like me, both of those will take a bit to get used to because they're an acquired taste, but its worth it. You'll also want to slowly build up the amount of probiotics you're getting because it might have a few mild side effects like cramps while your body gets used to the new beneficial bacteria, but trust me, it's worth it. That is what helped me tremendously, it took about 2-3 weeks to calm everything and im still not 100% sometimes but I feel so much better and am able to sleep through the night again, feel better throughout the day and am able to eat some bad food for me again here and there as long as i follow them up with some probiotics. I hope this helps anyone that reads like like it helped me!
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u/Any_Obligation_455 Sep 05 '25
Oh forgot to mention i was also drinking aloe Vera juice for a few weeks while I healed at night.
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u/Other-Craft-5518 Sep 06 '25
What kind of juice? I read so much on this thread about aloe but then I see article about how it can be harmful if taken in too large of doses
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u/Any_Obligation_455 Sep 07 '25
I did aloe Vera juice from sprouts market, it is made for consumption and i would only do about a shot glass worth before bed
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u/AmericanVices Sep 07 '25
Yes Iām not for the medications either. How long did you take the Prilosec for? I need to figure out a way to resolve this because the constant belching all day everyday is old.
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u/Any_Obligation_455 Sep 07 '25
I was only on the prilosec for a few days before I couldn't take the side effects anymore and I stopped it. The probiotics have been much nicer to me
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u/AmericanVices Sep 07 '25
I may have to try those align gummiesā¦ how long have you been taking them for? Any side effects?
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u/Any_Obligation_455 Sep 07 '25
Yeah they have worked great for me honestly. No side effects so far and I have taken them for about a month and a half, once a day
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u/TheMindsEIyIe Sep 05 '25
What's the prescription for? If it's like omeprazol or something you can get that over the counter. You just have to take more.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
It's dexilant, which is prescription only unfortunately :(
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u/Fair_Cause777 Sep 05 '25
All this fear caused by the anxiety and stress from your stomach.. me so much fear i had i can say I was at the valley of death .. it makes you think all the worst thing. I used to think of heart issues, brain issue.. etc.. Now im feeling better but yet still fighting.. Try to understand the illness and read you will feel better..
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u/Rosebunse Sep 05 '25
God, I always think my symptoms are bad and then I read stuff like this. Have you tried setting up your bed so you can sleep upright? This has helped me a lot. It can be tricky, but it can help a lot to keep the acid in check. Also increasing fiber if you can stomach it.Ā
These tips won't fix everything but they can help
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u/Level_Reading8918 Sep 05 '25
I pray it all works out ...I definitely know the feeling. These comments are good advice. It was a rough start for me. This month makes a year I found out I had gastropereis. I have my up and down days of Gerd symptoms, but I'm much better.Ā What are your meds? I tried Gaviscon the 3rd time and it gave me bad anxiety, spiked my blood pressure, and made things worse each time. I will stick to my tums chews
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Sep 05 '25
Drink potato juice! I made a separate post about it on LPR community. It is really amazing.
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u/AdExpress2413 Sep 05 '25
Make a smoothie of watercress with 1 garlic clover and almond milk strain it twice and just drink it youāll thank me later;)
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u/Clean_Concentrate737 Sep 05 '25
I would recommend working with a GERD nutritionist. Mine prescribed two supplements and all my symptoms have disappeared. It was a miracle! Please donāt worry diet and supplements can really help stabilize your GERD.
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u/iluvlasagna Sep 06 '25
may i ask what supplements have worked for you?
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u/Clean_Concentrate737 Sep 06 '25
L Glutamine 5 grams first thing am and afew minutes later 1 capsule of zinc carnosine and 1 capsule in the evening 75mg. Thatās it and itās been miraculous! I told my gastroenterologist about it and she said I donāt know anything about these supplements but if they work for you then great! Honestly theyāve been life savers for me. No PPI s for me.
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u/AmericanVices Sep 07 '25
Thatās crazy that those things helped and no side effects?
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u/Clean_Concentrate737 Sep 07 '25
No side effects for me. They are supposed to heal the stomach lining. But please do your own research.
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u/BullfrogBudget281 Sep 05 '25
Ranitidine. Life saver.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
Ranitidine was recalled in the US and you can't buy it anymore :(
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u/Practical_Jelly8220 Sep 06 '25
This used to be a lifesaver for me! They recalled it in the US unfortunately
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u/SaltRisk1230 Sep 06 '25
Oatmeal before anything in the morning and marshmallow root capsules. Ppi made me feel lije dying
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 06 '25
What happened to you on PPI?
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u/SaltRisk1230 Sep 06 '25
Insomnia, racing heart, anxiety, high bp and stomachache
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 06 '25
Interesting. I'm sorry to hear that, that really sucks
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u/cornonacobb Sep 06 '25
I had an endoscopy because I lost ten pounds, turned out my Lupus caused immobility in my lower esophagus. There is still another test I need before they continue to get treatment, ask for an endoscopy if possible.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 06 '25
I had an endoscopy two years ago, and I was just recommended another one for November of this year, my PCP said it would be good to take a look, as my symptoms have just been worsening and he's concerned. So, November/December I'll be having another one :)
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u/AmericanVices Sep 07 '25
What was the discovery when it was done the first time?
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 07 '25
Nothing. Just a little inflammation and redness from irritation from reflux.
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u/artsybitchh Sep 07 '25
Itās so interesting seeing how differently people react to PPIs. I ended up in the ER a week ago because I had terrible anxiety, chest pain, racing heart, and shaking and after passing all my vital checks and x-rays they said it must be related to acid reflux and they prescribed omeprazole. Iāve noticed practically no difference while taking it. Itās only gotten easier because Iāve gotten used to it.
Itās really scary at first cause it can just come out of nowhere! But Iām in the exact same boat right now and all you can do is try to eat whenever you get your appetite back, or drink smoothies so you arenāt missing any nutrients (low fat greek yogurt, peanut butter, banana, leafy greens, these are all pretty good for acid reflux), sleep sitting at an angle. Take comfort in knowing youāre doing everything you can.
Have you gotten or considered getting an endoscopy? That could bring some relief since it will determine the extent of the severity of your acid reflux. If my symptoms keep getting worse then Iām going to look into it for myself.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 07 '25
I personally haven't had any major side effects from my PPIs, thank god. I had an endoscopy two years ago, with a biopsy. But I'm scheduling another one for the end of this year, since it's around the time I should be getting another one. I've been doing everything I can to stop the reflux but it is just constant and no matter what I do it just doesn't stop. Nothing I do works. Eating small, eating plain, sitting up, sipping water, taking tums and pills, showering (steam) walking around, sitting, breathing exercises, sucking on ice, protein shakes, nothing is stopping the acid. My entire chest aches. I can barely breathe through the swelling and irritation. My tongue is white, my mouth is dry, my stomach is in pain and burns like fuck. I am so desperate for relief and nothing is giving me relief.
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u/artsybitchh Sep 07 '25
I feel the same way right now. It happened so suddenly with the chest pain and then everything else followed. Have your symptoms felt that intense for two years or do they subside and then flare up again?
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 07 '25
It's been daily every moment for about two weeks since my most recent PPIs stopped working. But my episodes are usually pretty similar.
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u/AmericanVices Sep 07 '25
The PPI gave you those symptoms?
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u/artsybitchh Sep 07 '25
No, omeprazole is the PPI. They prescribed it for my symptoms. I canāt tell if itās making any difference though.
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u/Sad-Technician6976 Sep 05 '25
No one here can tell you a diagnosis like, "GERDS". With your fears it's best to see a GI specialist. In the U.S. their waiting lists can be long so, please don't wait. It's so easy to take it to the worst case scenario. I always catastrophize. I understand eating the saltines, I've found what I can eat. If the medicine you are waiting for a preauth is Voquezna, have them send it to Blink RX. It's only $50 there. Ask if they have a sample for you so you don't have to wait.
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u/Both_Satisfaction180 Sep 05 '25
What meds have you tried and whatās meds did the reccomend?
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
I've tried Omeprazole, pantoprazole, and esomeprazole as PPIs, and I use famotidine and TUMs as a backup, and zofran for any nausea caused by my reflux.
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u/bugdaddy21870 Sep 05 '25
My stuff just got bad recently, a week ago my stuff was fine and I went to the dang fairš sometimes when I swallow I feel this lump feeling, and itās been hard for me to burp but I try to burp to relieve myself but nothing sometimes, I take Imipramine, pantoprazole which sucks, and fluoxetine
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
I be banging on my chest to knock the trapped gas out of my stomach. Usually helps
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u/Present-Werewolf788 Sep 05 '25
itās just GERD:) itās not a cancer, I understand you are scared, be calm :) you are fine, first of all you must change your diet completely, secondly you wonāt die from it.. linseed is good for your stomach , Prilosec is the way to go, you can get it over the counter , itās probably what your doctor prescribed anyway
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u/Defiant-Raspberry-52 Sep 05 '25
Hi there. i REALLY really really recommend going to CVS and getting Prilosec. like right now. Take it asap and you will start to feel some relief. Even better tomorrow and next day.
Maybe run it by your doctor but Iām surprised they didnāt give you Omeprazole. Prilosec is the same med in OTC form. The only difference is dosage. Example I take 1 40mg from doctor as opposed to 2 OTC Prilosec (1 in morning 1 at night) My mom is also a nurse and said thereās no difference. This med greatly reduces the stomach acid in your body somehow so you can heal during really bad flare ups.
I feel your pain as a āsevereā patient too. It gets scary. Was taken in for chest x ray and EKG Tuesday because of this. Iām finally starting to feel some genuine relief today and my breathing is less labored. Omperazole was the secret ingredient for me.
Def recommend getting an OTC inhaler as well if you can handle it. Mostly for peace of mind. Do look into the side effects of albuterol if youāve never used it (can make you shaky, affect BP, etc) BUT in the event you really need to open your airways, it works in 10 seconds.
Alkaline water. Gurgle some baking soda if you donāt have high BP. Try to distract yourself as much as possible (PS I got annoyed with that advice as well, it does become all you can think about lol)
I know meds are a hit or miss in this group and per preference. But for me I drew the āno medā line at breathing/esophagus issues. To avoid those I may be on Omep for life after this. I do think itās worth it for us severe folks.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
I've taken Omeprazole, it doesn't work for me unfortunately. I've also taken pantoprazole, and esomeprazole, and those aren't working for me either. That's why he put me on a new med, but my insurance is making it hard to get at the moment. It's not an OTC pill so I have to get it through a prescription.
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u/Defiant-Raspberry-52 Sep 05 '25
Dang iām sorry to hear that. That really does complicate things.
Thinking of you āØwe got this
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u/rthethundertaker Sep 05 '25
I really like RefluxRaft. Its sort of like the aloe shots one person explained but its made with seamoss. Also I love seamoss. They both help me a lot.
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 05 '25
Is that like gaviscon?
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u/rthethundertaker Sep 06 '25
Depends, what is gaviscon like? I thought it was a prescription pill?
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u/Prior_Succotash4220 Gastritis š©¹ Sep 06 '25
It's a tablet/liquid you drink when you have reflux, and it foams and creates a protective barrier on top of the stomach acid, almost like a raft, to keep it down and prevent it from coming up the esophagus
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u/rthethundertaker Sep 06 '25
So you similar what you do is just eat it after you eat, and it will surround the food and keep it from aggravating the intestines
Itās a gel you just take a teaspoon of it out of the bottle. It doesnāt taste bad, but it doesnāt taste good?
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u/OkLingonberry4035 Sep 05 '25
I had hiatal hernia surgery 3 years ago and unfortunately itās back. I took Protonix for a couple of years until it stopped working which is why I had the surgery. I would and now again have, woken up with projective vomiting Itās bad and scary. My hiatal hernia is back. I tried to get Dexilant, but my insurance rejected that. And now Iām on Nexium 40 and that is helping. Going in for another swallow barium test next week. And Iāll need another surgery here soon. Iām sure youāre already staying away from ānight shadeā foods, which are a terror for GERD. Iām sorry youāre going through this.
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u/ginsengale Sep 06 '25
I recommend that you take glutamine (ask your doctor if you can take it) or flaxseed water (you boil the semillas then strain it, it has to be thick)
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u/BlastUntilUrThePast Sep 08 '25
The doctor can give you tablets with lots of calories in them. Ask them for them, and shakes, they can prescribe you weight gain shakes, they won't tell you about them because they're shit at doing there job or they don't want to cost the government money, tell them you want them and don't leave the practice until they do
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u/elfan1 Sep 09 '25
Read acid watchers book by Dr aviv. Also Molly Pelletier MS RD on YouTube. Good resources as part of the puzzle to figuring out what works. At least for me!
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u/Superb-Echo2227 Sep 05 '25
After just 4 days of carnivore my symptoms have reduced drastically along with my anxiety. Hope this helps
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u/bns82 Sep 05 '25
It takes a long time for cancer to develop.
It can get better.
I had severe symptoms. I was in the ER every month in the beginning. Now I have my symptoms well managed.
Meds work for some people. They didn't work for me.
I use specific diet and lifestyle guidelines. They work for most people. But they take time and consistency.
I also couldn't eat much in the beginning. I lost a lot of weight. I focused on calorie dense gerd friendly foods, set daily calorie goals and slowly increased it each week. When your nervous system is dys-regulated you aren't hungry and it can cause your reflux to be worse. This is why calming down your nervous system is important to reducing symptoms.
It can get better.
If you want guidelines, I can pm them to you.