Topic: I had an appt with one of my drs today-hope this all helps!
Nal
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6801
posted
Shes a naturalpath. Anyway, she wants me to totally get off of the PPI's. She explained to me that our stomachs need acid for digestion. Without it, the food just sits in our stomachs and rots and digests very slowly.
She says that why I am having a lot of the stomach pain. I never had stomach burning pain before i ever started them. Its a big process for me though to get off them since the rebound is devastating.
She also told me that increased progesterone levels can cause GERD and such. I just started birth control a month ago and have had increased GERD since then. Do you get more progesterone in birth control?
She is putting me on Mastic again at a high dose along with Ox bile--ever hear of that one? Its for the GB and liver. I am also supposed to start taking Nortriptiline again. I guess certain antidepressants are good for GI pain?? She like nortriptiline because it is non addictive.
Oh man, I really hope these things help--I really need it right now!!!!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Nancy,
Thanks for sharing. I'll mention this to my environmental medicine specialist who I see Thursday. I've been on Prevacid for over a year now.
A pain specialist I worked with years ago said that low seratonin can impact the digestive system. So that's probably something to do with the antidepressants.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
I took Protonix for about 3 weeks, for GERD, but once my GB was taken out, it was no longer needed, and did nothing but make me feel like total crap.
-------------------- Sometimes when I say �Oh, I�m fine� I want someone to look me in the eyes & say �tell the truth�
posted
unfortunately I'm doing the opposite, upping my PPI dosage.
I tried going off prilosec, was ok for a couple of weeks, but then it just got so bad I had to go back on, and now need a higher dosage.
I've been on it since January, and would love to be off them, but without it I feel even worse.
Posts: 594 | From NJ/NY | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
Nal
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6801
posted
I even tried upping my dosage of PPI's and that just seemed to make the burning pain worse-why would it do that???
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just don't know, my GI doc is BAFFLED. I'm getting a bacterial overgrowth test done in sept., followed by a capsule endoscopy, and lastly a larascopy. Then they will be out of tests and lyme will be the only thing left, or the PPIs...or some combo of the both.
I know how you feel, its just so frustrating.
Posts: 594 | From NJ/NY | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
quote:Originally posted by Nal: I even tried upping my dosage of PPI's and that just seemed to make the burning pain worse-why would it do that???
Nancy
An educated guess. Yeast. I bet PPI's make it easier for the yeast to grow.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Boy, I hope this does the trick for you, Nancy. I know that I am one of those people who does not seem to make enough stomach acid, but I sure don't get burning pain like you do. My pain is different.
Contrary to popular belief, a high percentage of our neurotransmitters are manufactured in the gut, not the brain as previously believed. So gut problems often lead to naurotransmitter problems. That may explain why she suggested you start the Nortriptyline again.
Good luck, Nance!
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
thats why I feel some of my pain may be due to nerve issues.
My stomach will literally feel like it spasms, or jsut contracts to rock hard.
Also teh burning pain feels like a tingly burning pain...almost like bee stings all over my stomach...that sounds like nerves doesn't it? Posts: 594 | From NJ/NY | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
This website might be of interest for those of you with low acid. I don't fully understand it all but I have trouble with being too acidic so I haven't personally tried this test.
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wow, I'm so sorry you are having all these problems.
Question: Are you taking oral abx? What about NSAIDS (like aspirin, advil, motrin?) Those can do a real number on the gut!
Have you had an upper GI series to rule out an ulcer? Have you been tested for H Pylori?
Have you tried taking plant enzymes along with meals? They aid digestion a great deal for some, and are not terribly acidic. A lot of the literature points to lyme thriving in an acidic environment, so I worry that too much acid may actually make things worse.
Seems a lot of us do really well on nortryptiline or amitriptyline (sorry, I'm sure I just misspelled both of those) -- I take elavil (amitriptyline) at night, and it does seem to calm my whole system down.
Yes, the burning/stinging sensations sound like they could be nerve pain -- but I'd want to rule out other things as well. Some drugs (Lyrica, neurontin) work pretty well on nerve pain for lots of us.
Do you supplement with vitamin b-12? Lots of us are deficient in this, and that can cause neuropathy -- vit b-12 injections have almost completely eliminated my nerve pain. It is hard to absorb this orally, hence the injections. If injections are not a possibility, there are sublingual formulations of b-12 that are certainly better than nothing.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I year or so being diagnosed with lyme. bart, ehrlichia, babs and myco I had major Gerd issues. There was one point where it really baffeled my GI doc. About 3 months into lyme treatment it started to go away. Ithink it was one or 2 of the bugs that was causing it. It took about 5 more months for it to go away completely.
But there were a couple of things that I used that did help the healing process. DGL Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice - I took 3 pills of this stuff before meals and a couple inbetween. it helps stimulate mucus lining in the stomach and intestines.
I also have a jucier, red cabbage also stimulates the production and healing of mucus lining. Stay away from carrot juice - to much sugar. Also natural sourkraut is a great source of pro-biotics microbs.
Aloe vera gell also helps the intestinal tract but if it causes any pain it means that your lining is still too irritated yet. There was a point in the healing process that it was too much for me. Now I can take it and it is so soothing.
Check to make sure you are getting enought enzymes. I take about 20 wobenzymes between meals a day - this also helps kick out all the dead protein stuff from the blood and lymph system and helps get inflamation down - this is more of a lyme thing. I also take 3 with meals.
Super curcumin - I take 2 a day, helps with liver and gall bladder regulation. it had other properties - do a search on it.
I have not had to take any PPIs in over 9 months now and my stomach is one area that is working quite well now. It feels so good not to have to take the PPIs.
Just some things that I found to help.
Posts: 582 | From milwaukee wi | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
Seems a lot of us do really well on nortryptiline or amitriptyline (sorry, I'm sure I just misspelled both of those) -- I take elavil (amitriptyline) at night, and it does seem to calm my whole system down.
Yes, the burning/stinging sensations sound like they could be nerve pain -- but I'd want to rule out other things as well. Some drugs (Lyrica, neurontin) work pretty well on nerve pain for lots of us.
actually...I do take klonopin about 3 times a week (I refuse to take it every day due to how easy it is to become addicted to benzos) and even at such a low dose of .5mg it completely relieves ALOT of my lyme symptoms...including the GI stuff, which is why I think alot of whats going on in my GI tract is nerve related.
Still, I will get more GI tests to rule out other things.
h pylori is negative...I had an ulcer, it healed, but I do have chronic gastritis instead.
Posts: 594 | From NJ/NY | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
Oh no, not exactly what I wanted to hear! I am waiting for a call from my GI dr and I will ask him about this. Wonder how truthful it really is though?
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Nal
I don't know how truthful the article is.
I can only relate my personal story. I didn't take PPI's before my GB hydro scan & it still came back abnormal.
Try not to panic untill you talk to your GI doc. Not everything on the internet is from God's ear.
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic