I promised myself that once I started feeling better, I would come back and share my success story.

If you’re in the thick of it right now, I promise there is hope. Things really can get better, but sometimes you have to make changes along the way.

I developed chronic GERD after a stomach virus in April. Before that, I had experienced reflux maybe 1–2 times a week, but it was always at night and easily relieved with a Tums.

What happened after that virus was a completely different story.

I was experiencing reflux almost ALL day, every single day. I felt like I couldn’t eat or drink anything without triggering it. My diet became extremely restricted, and for months, I convinced myself that only a handful of foods and water were safe.

Boy, was I wrong.

Looking back, I genuinely believe one of the biggest turning points in my recovery was when I stopped obsessing over every little symptom and started eating normally again.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve made more progress than I did in the previous four months combined.

I still avoid highly acidic foods and drinks, but I’m officially drinking COFFEE and Poppi (a healthier soda) again after six long damn months!! Something I genuinely thought I’d never be able to do.

Throughout this entire experience, I saw four different naturopaths, ended up in the ER, had an endoscopy, and went through countless appointments and tests. My endoscopy showed no structural abnormalities.

Eventually, I found an amazing naturopath who recommended trying melatonin (3–6 mg nightly for at least eight weeks). There is some research suggesting melatonin may help improve lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function, although the evidence is still limited.

Around the four-week mark, I started noticing the biggest improvements.

I also started taking DGL about 20 minutes before each meal and again before bed.

I’m not completely symptom-free yet. I still experience some reflux, mostly after lunch, but it’s SO much more manageable. Usually, chewing a couple of calcium carbonate tablets is enough to settle it.

And here’s the part I’m most excited about…

In the past two weeks, I’ve needed Gaviscon maybe TWICE.

For comparison, I was taking it practically every single day for six months, often alongside PPIs, Pepcid, and whatever else I could find to get some relief.

I cannot even begin to explain how much this condition consumed my life.

I tried EVERYTHING. Acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, hypnotherapy, supplements, restrictive diets, you name it. I was desperate to find answers and terrified of being stuck taking a PPI forever.

I also recently completed a comprehensive stool test through my naturopath to get a better understanding of what’s happening in my gut, so I’m still working on figuring out the bigger picture.

But overall, I am feeling SO much better, and I finally feel like I’m getting my life back.

I know how isolating and exhausting this condition can be, especially when you’re dealing with symptoms every single day and feel like nothing is helping.

If there’s one thing I want people to take away from this, it’s that recovery isn’t always linear, and what works for one person may not work for another.

For me, it was a combination of time, finding the right support, changing my relationship with food, and finally allowing myself to stop living in fear of every symptom.

I’m not 100% healed, but I’m a hell of a lot closer than I was six months ago.

And six months ago, I would’ve given anything to feel the way I do today.

I've been able to pass stool but it's somewhat a struggle and it's been light-ish in colour recently and has been paired with stomach stabbing- gurgling and some bowl and anus pain that shoots up a little. I've not been constipated before until I've had this flare up and wondered if anyone's had the same. I've also had some lighting crotch.

Okay, I have been struggling with GERD since August. I am a young female, so getting diagnosed was completely surprising. I randomly had this super strong pain in my chest and a lump in my throat for days and then I went to ER and they gave me Pepcid and it worked for awhile. A couple of days ago I started getting dizzy and the GERD came back with more chest tightness and random little “attacks” with super sharp pain. Went to the doctor and they did bloodwork and checked lungs and heart and everything was fine. Wondering if anyone has any tips other than tums or pepcid because it’s insufferable

Hi Everyone,

I'm just here to discuss my experience getting off of PPI's and what it's entailed.

This started with my pantoprazole magnesium going on back order at my pharmacy which lead my doctor to substitute that with rabeprazole.

Rabeprazole took a toll on me that is hard to put into words, but the gist was that it gave me delayed stomach emptying (I would eat a meal and feel full/sluggish for 6+ hours after), severe anxiety, brain fog, and at points loss of focus. My doctor and I have chalked it up to a bad reaction to this medication.

Since this happened, I got my doctor to give me pantoprazole sodium (which for some reason the pharmacy had but they were reluctant to prescribe me it, perhaps because it's cheaper?) to tide me over until after an exam I had to write (note that in this exam I had lost focus about a half hour into the test which lead me to an anxiety attack and ended up losing a whole hour in the bathroom before building up the courage to go back out and finish it for the last 1.5 hours) which I just got the mark back and thank God I passed with high 80's anyway so I was more than prepared for it even missing the hour as a result of this medication destroying me mentally and physically.

Since the rabeprazole debacle, I decided I want to get off this PPI crap, since I definitely shouldn't of been taking it to the detriment I've found myself in. I had only started it because of a couple episodes of eating certain things before bed and waking up with acid in my throat and discomfort, or drinking too much alcohol and eating on top of that - which, these episodes, could've easily been resolved by taking a couple tums and going back to sleep.

This coming Saturday marks 3 weeks since my last dose, and the last-last dose I had planned on taking was a week before that.

The first 10-14 (like Dr Google says) we're brutal - the acid rebound was sometimes unbearable and I really had to fight through and stop myself from taking the pantoprazole sodium I still have. I just fought through with 20mg famotidine twice a day, which still didn't provide any relief, and tums/Pepto-Bismol tablets as often as I could while also eating like a 5 yr old (chicken nuggets, toast, nothing with anything but salt on it). Four days into the rebound (3 weeks ago) I caved at 3am Friday night and took a pantoprazole because I was just so miserable and couldn't sleep and it was causing me a lot of anxiety but I regretted taking it and haven't taken one since.

I won't lie the first 10 days were excruciating; bloated, sweats, no sleep, anxiety from not sleeping/eating normal, feeling like I can't do anything (I can work from home so I managed to do that when I felt I could), not going anywhere, no alcohol, no take-out, no deserts/candy, nothing - I essentially lived like a monk for the first 3 weeks and only now in this 4th week am I getting back to normal and eating regular types of meals again. The positive from this lifestyle is I've shed about 15 pounds down from 260 to 245 so I can attribute something good to this endeavor - lol.

I noticed the famotidine 20mg was making me dizzy, and lightheaded when I took it so I got off that and switched to 10mg famotidine (Pepcid OTC) twice a day. I'm at the point now where I'm starting to take it just as needed, and thinking that by next weekend (5 weeks of only 1 dose 4 weeks prior) I can try to drink for Halloween. Another thing regarding the 10mg famotidine I've noticed, is that if it has nothing to do to me in terms of reducing my acid production, then it ends up making me dizzy, or giving me heart palpitations, which has lead to me taking it only as-needed now which so far for the past 3 days is working like a charm.

I feel better, less anxiety in general, no brain fog, and generally feel better all-around now that my stomach is almost healed and I'm off this medication I didn't need to be on in the first place. I'm sharing this experience for anyone out there looking for a potential timeline or possible events they will encounter given they decide to get off it. I've taken pantoprazole for 5-6 years every morning, and these were the circumstances I encountered to get off this medication.

Note: I also realized I shouldn't be on PPI's when my aunt that's also on PPI's told me that before she was on them she could bend down and be choking on acid, which was not the case for me at all... I took it because of minor inconvenience but I never should've in the first place since it could've been solved simply by Pepto or Tums whenever it happened.

So a month ago I developed a bad Reflux (age 28), however no pain or burping acids were present - only a really bad heartburn in the form of a firm pressure on the heart and chest plate, cough, smelling cigarettes 24/7, and horrendous discomfort after eating "trigger food"

And I've been suffering ever since - not only did I feel upset having to give up on every single favourite food of mine, but also for this whole month I've been having a really bad sleep quality with some completely sleepless nights as the pressure on the chest was becoming unbearable at night

And a week ago I also developed a "phantosmia" - I despise the smell of cigarettes with a burning passion, and for the past week I could feel them almost through the whole days and it's driving me crazy!

I've been doing some diagnoses already, inhibitors were seemingly not helping that much and Gastroscopy detected not a single worrying thing about my stomach or digestive track

GERD is draining the life out of me, and I already spent quite a lot of money on diagnosis alone without a conclusive result (which is also a good thing... In a way) and I'm worried that soon the doctors will start running out of ideas what could be causing my horrendous Reflux

I already miss eating spicy and fatty food...

i'm on day 8 of omeprazole and i really need some type of relief from the anxiety this flare up is causing me. i tried to restart my buspirone a few days ago, but within an hour its like i got hit with all the worst gerd symptoms at once. im not sure if the buspirone was the cause or if it was just coincidence. im debating on restarting my zoloft even for just a short period of time to manage this but ive seen it interacts with the omeprazole? a part of me wants to try the buspirone again but im nervous. does anyone have experience taking omeprazole with either of the two? i will be reaching out to my psych but im looking for personal experiences

My doctor advised me to “take B12 if I want to” but she said it will not gonna make any difference since my B12 level is 295 as shown in the blood work.

I struggle to remember my lectures in university, I cant concentrate and my eyelid move on it own sometimes like twitching. I study everyday and night but its not getting in my head for some reason.

My doctor said, I can take B12 and Magnesium over the counter. Should I take them ? What do you guys think and what is the best B12 brand. Thank you.

I do not know if taking B12 and magnesium will gonna be a good idea since I have GERD, OCD and Anxiety.

Can we take OMEGA 3, B12 and Magnesium without triggering our GERD ?

What brand of these supplements you guys used ?

Thank you.

I’ve been experiencing shortness of breath since the pandemic. I’ve consulted several doctors and was diagnosed with acid reflux, GERD, and chronic gastritis, but my symptoms never completely went away.

Recently, my symptoms got worse, and I started experiencing palpitations. I was certain something was wrong with my heart, so I went to a cardiologist and underwent several tests, including a 2D echo, stress test, ECG, and chest X-ray. Everything came back normal, and my doctor said my symptoms might be related to GERD.

I felt relieved but my anxiety got worse, thinking my stomach condition might have gotten worse or that I could have stomach cancer or something life-threatening. So, I consulted a gastroenterologist and underwent more tests, including a CBC and H. pylori test etc. (I forgot the names lol), which came back negative. My doctor then recommended an endoscopy, and was diagnosed with erosive gastritis.

After taking medication, my anxiety improved, and my shortness of breath became less noticeable. I thought maybe anxiety had been contributing to my symptoms all along.
However, after two months of medication, I started experiencing chest pain. It feels more like muscle pain, and whenever I sneeze, I sometimes hear or feel something pop in my chest. And it is worse after I eat something or when I am full.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Can GERD or gastritis cause this kind of chest pain? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences!

Hi all! I have had symptoms of some sort of acid reflux or something for about 3 years now. Its only bad at night time when I lay down, and it makes my sinuses extremely uncomfortable, like a burning sensation. The only thing ive found to alleviate this is honey lemon cough drops which soothe my throat, but also are not good for my teeth and probably make the reflux worse in the long term. Has anyone else dealt with this? If so; what did you do?

Well in 2 days it will be my 3rd appointment where I attempt to get help for these symptoms, because since the Dr appointment over a month ago my health has gotten worse. The lump in the throat is constant, I’ve lost weight (not a little I’m talking my elasticated trousers now hang off me) when I talk too much my throat feels dry. My neck muscles hurt, the throat hurts, I’ve lost all interest in food because I can count on both hands safe foods, I sleep propped up but the sleep is not restful (that’s also due to my fibromyalgia)
But I’ll see yet again a different doctor (we don’t see specific ones in our doctors it’s just whoever is there) who will no doubt say try another PPI and tell me it’s normal or take my bloods and again say it’s all fine. I don’t know what I want them to say, but I want an investigation into what’s going on. I can’t afford to lose any more weight i was a size 14 in UK sizing, and now I’m getting close to size 10 UK.
I’m even bringing my husband for support because last time I brought him to an appointment they actually listened so I’m hoping for the same this time round.
If there’s anything I need to be asking for please let me know, because whenever I go in they always ask “what do you want us to do”
I’m miserable, I want to cry every day.

I've had this sensation for a year now. For the first 4 months it was constant, now it's on & off, but when it's there it's impossible to ignore & lasts anywhere from 30 mins to an hour. I have Acid Reflux, Gerd, & GAD so I'm literally set up to fail with this lol.

I know I'm supposed to ignore it, not hyperfixate, but it's HARD. This shit HURTS, it feels like I'm being choked. I swallow & swallow but it just does nothing. The only thing that helps is fucking gum & sometimes tums. I get so worked up I start crying because I HATE feeling like this. Before this year I had NEVER felt this way & now it's like a fucking ghost always looming over me, making my MDD even worse.

I try to be patient, I try to remind myself it'll probably go away, but I've never dealt with an affliction for this long. I even quit smoking to try & help, but it didn't really do anything. I feel so stupid crying over something like this but I just NEED IT TO STOP. I would literally give my left tit to be rid of this horrible bullshit. Can someone please tell me it'll go away for good eventually? My doctor doesn't even seem to give a shit & I'm convinced the only way around this is death. Please help me.

Quitting ppis are no joke. My calves have been buzzing since quitting on friday. Its now day 6 and they are still buzzing. Been wondering if others has had thas as well. AI couldnt seem to tell me and my doc couldnt make sense of it. I tried magnesium and electrolyte powder but none of that seems to help. I hope this doesnt continue after my stomach is back to normal 🫤

Ive been on pantroprazole for a month now, 40mg twice daily, and its giving me 0 relief from the constant reflux ive been suffering with. Just finished my second week of H pylori biotics and honestly nothing is helping. Ive got wedge pillow and eating only safe foods.

I have my gastro referral follow up in 3 weeks but i cant carry on like this, so theyve given me Esomeprazole in the mean time.

A simple google search shows little to no difference to what im currently taking, has anyone made this switch, or did Esomeprazole help anyone else?

Feeling like im being fobbed off.

Looking for folks with vertigo to weigh in please!

I’m terrified of ppis but I desperately need them but I struggle from vertigo. I want to hear what you’re on & how it’s tolerated if you don’t mind?

I'm new to this pill. I was previously on omeprazole 40 mg for a couple of months, but I didn't want to be on it long term. My GI doctor said to try Voquezna instead. It's pretty pricey, so I tried it for about 3 weeks only in late August for a vacation, and it was a game changer.

I did stop after the 3 weeks, and I was able to eat somewhat normally again (still being mindful of the low FODMAP chart, but able to deviate a bit from time to time with no issues).

Also, in late September, I knew I had a dinner coming up where a low FODMAP chart wasn't really available, so I took it for 3 days consecutively before the dinner to prepare my stomach, the night of, and on the day after the dinner, then stopped.

Not sure if that was a bad course of action, to avoid being on it consistently, but it was okay it seemed when I stopped.

Now it's late October, and I'm experiencing a pretty bad flare that's been ongoing for a couple days now. Chest irritation, constant burping, which does provide temporary relief, which confirms to me this is solely acid reflux/gerd bs, lol.

Just curious if anyone has long term experience with this specific pill and if you have any tips on how I can stop eating like a rabbit to avoid flares without medication.

I was just diagnosed with very "mild/borderline" Barrett's after a biopsy from a routine endoscopy. Dr said no dysplasia, but section has cell change since it's been burnt by acid.

I was put on 20 mg Pantoprazole. I already eat pretty basic because I also suffer from migraines, and I suspect my CGRP has destroyed my digestive system, which was already sensitive. I am getting off that medication.

My question is- has anyone seen healing of the esophagus after treatment , like upon next endoscopy? Does the tissue heal? They told me it could be reversed but Im finding that hard to believe.

Any positive stories welcome! I'm a bit stressed about the diagnosis.

idk if this is the right place to post. Basically last week I was hungover and puked straight stomach acid, the next night I day I drank up a storm; ciders, white wine spritz with loads of lime, etc. I woke up the next day with globs sensation/silent reflux (i.e. a pressure/tightening in my lower throat/chest). At first I thought I was just hungover cause I felt so nauseous. Its now been 4 days since and it has not gone away for a single second, when I wake up in the morning I feel slightly better but within an 20 minutes its worse and when I eat I feel HORRIBLE. I've been eating plain lame foods, like pasta and oatmeal, no coffee, nothing carbonated, no alcohol (as a university student this is awful), and I am going absolutely INSANE. I feel like I am on the verge of puking 24/7, like I am being chocked 24/7. safe to say I am loosing my mind and cannot even fathom the idea of this lasting years. Does this sound chronic? or is it likely that this is going to heal up soon if I keep it chill. is there something I can do to speed up the healing, I've tried tums, Pepcid, and Gaviscon and none of them have made me feel any better... someone tell me this has happened to them and it healed! please help because idk how much longer I can do this.

After eating some panettone and drinking a glass of Coke, I went straight to bed. I woke up with my heart racing at 158 bpm. My blood pressure was 138/95.

The episode lasted around 5 minutes and improved while I was burping a lot.

I’ve already had 3 ECGs this October and a Holter monitor, and I’m scheduled for an echocardiogram next week.

For those who already have GERD, have you ever experienced a racing heart or palpitations after eating or lying down?

I’ve had GERD for around 8 years, starting when I was 16 and had my gallbladder removed. It comes and goes in severity, but i still follow all of the “rules” (aka when to eat and what to eat for dinner). I’ve been on pantropazole before bed for a year, but all of a sudden this morning I woke up with acid reflux. This was NOT the typical uncomfortable yucky heartburn this was very intense. I was unable to move, hunched over my water bottle and just holding my breath waiting for it to pass. I’ve had some pain in my life, but I would honestly rate it a 9/10. My partner forced me to eat a banana (which i did with my eyes closed and not really tasting it) and the pain reduced to a manageable 4/10. When I tried to suck it up and put my work clothes on, the pain came back to about an 8/10. It’s subsided now but i’m terrified it’ll come back. Is it ever that severe for you guys? When I tried to google severe GERD pain nothing that comes up sounds like what I felt. Also- does anyone have any tips for when tums, mylanta, pantropazole, and water doesn’t do anything for the pain? Thanks :)

Finally got my first GI appointment after years of Gerd symptoms. Been on 40 mg omeprazole for 8 months. It has help reduce the flare ups but not completely as effective as I would like. What bothers me is my dr feel the shortness of breath is from my anxiety and panic disorder and not Gerd related! My shortness of breath usually occurs after a meal. Can anyone relate ? I do have an endoscopic scheduled. Dr switch my meds to pantrapazole. Please excuse my spelling.

Yesterday I had barium swallow test. I think I clogged the toilet :( I tried get rid of it for 30 mins, used limescale remover, hot water, dishwasher tablet, washing up liquid, and guess what... it is still there. White concrete brick. How can I safely get rid of it?!

HELP!

Hi all,

I am a Female, 29 years old and my life changed after i had H PYLORI in 2022. After treatment it was successfully removed but gastritis continued.

I developed GERD as of 2023, and my life quality has tremendously decreased.

I have been on PPIs, strict diets, herbal supplements but nothing really seems to help or improve my symptoms.

Last year i developed LPR and back pain, so this seems to be taking a worse turn and i am afraid of losing this battle so i keep thinking of taking my life because i no longer want to feel this pain.

To be honest i am not sure what i am looking for in this post, maybe a cry for help i guess.

Thank you for reading through!

I'm having regrets about my hernia/reflux surgery at the moment. I got a toupet fundoplication on October 5th. I had LPR/GERD and decided to try this surgery after finding a small hiatal hernia, an LES in hill grade III, a demeester score of 30, and an LES with no pressure. I also had ineffective motility and had been having swallowing issues in my upper airway.

I'm now 15 days post op and having pooling of spit/phlegm/mucus in my upper airway at night which I wasn't having prior to surgery and I'm getting scared. The only way I'm able to sleep is with an antihistamine at the moment. Will this improve as I continue to heal from surgery do you think? I meet with my surgeon tomorrow but they don't seem to know what's going on. On top of that, I still have a sore throat, phlegm in my throat all day, and throat clearing.