Acid Reflux

[pdean44]

Over the last week I have been dealing with some kind of acid reflux thing. Woke up this morning feeling pretty uncomfortable. I was on prilosec for a while so it looks like i may have to go back to that for a while. Just wish this body of mine would cooperate now and then.

[mars]

Just wish this body of mine would cooperate now and then.

Me Too

Hi pdean44

Sleeping on your left side, possibly together with a wedge for the upper body, should help minimise acid reflux during the night.

http://www.medslant.com/

Also not eating or drinking a few hours before going to bed.

Acid reflux overnight can also cause dental problems, as well as all the usual Gastroesophegal Reflux Disease problems.

Suggest you get it checked out.

Good Luck.

Mars

[frh]

I think CPAP helps prevent, or at least control acid reflux / GERD. I've had a hiatal hernia for 25 years. Zantac (rantadine) used to control it, but stopped working. I don't get burning anymore, just irritation and a persistant hacking cough. The last couple of years I've been drinking 10 to 15 (16.9 oz.) bottles of water a day to help control the cough and discomfort. The doc had me try Priilosec OTC. It didn't work. So he put me on 40 mg of Protonix in the morning and at night. That helps.

I had an endoscopy done just before I started CPAP (the week before last). They said I had Barrett's esophagus (scarring in the esophagus from GERD when I sleep). I had a follow-up today and fortunately, the biopsies came back negative.

Since I've been on CPAP, I was able to cut back to 5 to 10 bottles of water a day. That is until I changed to a full face mask for the last 3 days. All of a sudden I'm back to 15 bottles of water a day and have no energy.

Fortunately, I was able to get a Swift FX mask today. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep with the nasal mask. (And less irritation of my esophagus tomorrow.)

Even if ifor no other reason than it helps control the acid reflux, they'd have to pry the CPAP machine out of my cold, dead hands to get me to stop using it.

[LSAT]

frh Quote.."Since I've been on CPAP, I was able to cut back to 5 to 10 bottles of water a day. That is until I changed to a full face mask for the last 3 days. All of a sudden I'm back to 15 bottles of water a day and have no energy."


I can understand "no energy". You must spend every hour in the bathroom. That much water is NOT healthy. That's almost 2 gallons a day.....That's 3-4 times the recommended amount..

READ THIS!!!!!!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[Craig P]

Over the last week I have been dealing with some kind of acid reflux thing. Woke up this morning feeling pretty uncomfortable. I was on prilosec for a while so it looks like i may have to go back to that for a while. Just wish this body of mine would cooperate now and then.

Have you ever been checked for H. Pylori? That is a bacterial infection that has been found to cause most ulcers due to causing high acid levels. I used to have acid indigestion so bad that on some days I could eat a whole bottle of tums with no effect.

Even after treatment I had to use acid blockers but it has not been nearly as bad as before, however, ever since starting on my cpap treatment I have had almost no incidences of reflux at night.

[ozij]

I too have had reflux exacerbated by a full face mask.

O.

[frh]

LSAT, I live in Phoenix, work outside and don't have AC in my truck. I probably sweat most of that water out, but rarely have sweat dripping off of me. It's a heck of a lot drier (and hotter) here than most other places. (I prefer dry and hot and can't handle cold and/or humid.)

I usually urinate around 8 am before leaving the house, in the afternoon when I stop for lunch (unless I drink iced tea with lunch) around dinner time and before bed. When I'm not completely congested and CPAP is working (so far about 2/3 of the time), I wake around 4 am to urinate.

I've been poked, prodded and probed a lot in the last couple of months. I went to see my MD about esophagal irritation, water intake, feeling overly exhausted whenever I ride my recumbent bike, and concerns about prostrate health. He sent me to a Pulmonologist for a lung function test. Then a Cardiologist for a nuclear ekg. Then a gastrointerologist for an endoscopy. My heart, liver and kidneys are just fine. My, cholesterol is OK, my blood pressure is slightly elevated. My prostrate is slightly enlarged (about average for my age according to the doc) which is why I urinate more than I used to.

I saw the GI doc today for a follow-up to the endoscopy. We discussed my water intake. She seemed to think if I get relief from the esophagal irritation with small sips of water throughout the day I should keep doing it (instead of taking more pills). Regardless, I have a follow-up appointment with my regular doc on Thursday and the subject will come up again. I might drink a lot of water, but the doc tells me I'm not hurting myself with too much water.

The amazing thing is none of the docs I saw could explain why I had no energy and felt like I was in a mental fog. It took reading a brochure at my wife's sleep study to figure out my symptoms were those of sleep apnea. For me there was an immediate improvement in energy level, mental alertness, and even GERD with CPAP.

My wife told me I don't move around much at night with CPAP. I generally fall asleep and wake-up on my right side, but she said I mostly sleep on my back at night.

Perhaps Mars suggestion that sleeping on his left side might be part of pdean44's heartburn problem.

[pdean44]

Will give it a go i try to sleep on my side but usually end up on my back.

[Janknitz]

It' interesting that CPAP causes reflux for some because it's definitely helped me. I got a dramatic illustration of that fact this weekend.

I haven't had an episode of reflux since starting CPAP, and I've been pushing the limits to see if it's really helping. For me, "pushing the limits" is having a glass of milk at bedtime. I LOVE milk, but it's a surefire way to guarantee I WILL have reflux during the night, despite taking Omeprazole three times a day, good positioning, etc. I guess it's the milk sugars. I can tolerate it during the day, but not at night.

Since starting CPAP, I've been drinking a glass of milk in the evening with impunity. Not even heartburn. And I don't have to sleep on pillow mountain anymore. That, more than anything, has kept me going with my CPAP machine, even when everything else about CPAP was just horrible.

Anyway, this Sunday I took a field trip with my daughter that involved a long ride in the pouring rain on a leaky, cold school bus both ways, and I came home exhausted. We had hot chocolate to warm up, and then I sat down in the recliner to watch TV. I fell asleep but no CPAP (oh oh ) and shortly after I woke up coughing and choking because of reflux.

I'm another person who will probably say

Even if ifor no other reason than it helps control the acid reflux, they'd have to pry the CPAP machine out of my cold, dead hands to get me to stop using it.

[LSAT]

Most reflux comes from a malfunctioning LES valve. There are many things that can relieve the reflux discomfort, but, only surgery can fix the problem. I believe that CPAP can stop the reflux at night because the air is being forced into your lungs and down the esophagus preventing the reflux from coming up the esophagus. That is also why sleeping elevated and on your left side can also help with the nightime reflux.

[SleepingUgly]

I had an endoscopy done just before I started CPAP (the week before last). They said I had Barrett's esophagus (scarring in the esophagus from GERD when I sleep). I had a follow-up today and fortunately, the biopsies came back negative.

Negative meaning no dysplagia? Hopefully you were told that you must stay on acid blockers forever, and that you need to follow up to have biopsies taken again...

[frh]

SleepingUgly, she said the results were negative. I'm not sure I understand what she meant. But she did clearly state that there was no cancer or pre-cancer cells to worry about. Right now she has me on 40 mg Protonix in the morning and at night. She wants me to see my Regular MD, and follow-up with her in a couple of months.

[LSAT]

Negative results could mean...no signs of barretts or...barretts, but, no signs of displasia. Get clarification...it's important.

[esangston]

I had to pull out the Zantac for 2 days last week, and I only have acid reflux when I'm pregnant, which I most definitely am not! The 2 days of Zantac I woke up both mornings feeling like I had air in my stomach like crazy... Then it just stopped.,,

Gotta love the human body don't ya