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Suggest Treatment For Acid Reflux And Pain In Chest While On Treatment For Allergies
Dear Dr. Grief, Hello my name is Kathleen. I have been having serious medical problems since May1, 2014. It started as a rash on my upper chest and neck with hives and itching. I went to the doctor and he gave me some cream and said I was having anxiety. The next day I started coughing. then they said I had bronchitis, bronchial spasms, shingles, anxiety, and depression. I kept telling them I am not depressed and it is not anxiety since I did not respond to any of the medicine. They finally did an allergy test and I found out on July8th I was highly allergic to strawberries,which I had been eating every day!! I have severe acid reflux now and constantly have chest pain. I am seeing an allergist who recently took 10 vials of blood and are having me collect my urine for the next 24 hours. I am so frustrated with the different diagnosis and all the medicines they had me take. I currently am taking 20mg 2 times daily of Pepcid and trying very hard not to take the anti anxiety. i really think I should be seeing a gastroenterologist. I am so concerned with my health. Before all this happened I didn t take any medicine for anything. As a medical doctor please I would appreciate any advice you may have. Sincerely, A very concerned patient Thank you
Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Hello Kathleen,
I understand your concerns.
You have Gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD) and there are many patients under my care with symptoms are like yours. It is an inflammation of the food pipe from acid getting into it from the stomach. It can be confirmed with an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
You require to modify your life style and eating habits in additions to the medicines I will be discussing. The food has to be bland and free from spices, fast food and caffeinated or aerated beverages , acidic food like lemon, oranges, vinegar, tomatoes and alcohol should be avoided. You should tilt your bed with the head end abut 6 inches higher than the foot end. The stomach should be empty when you lie down which means your last meal/ drink should be at least two hours before bed time.
In addition to this you require two kinds of medicines 1. A proton pump inhibitor ( PPI) like Losec to be taken half hour before your meal twice a day and 2. A medicine which decreases the acid reflux into the esophagus to be taken before each meal. You should also avoid mental stress as much as possible and lose weight if you are obese.
My patients get well with these measures and I expect you too will.
If you have further questions, I am available to answer them.
Dr. Noble Zachariah, Kuwait
I understand your concerns.
You have Gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD) and there are many patients under my care with symptoms are like yours. It is an inflammation of the food pipe from acid getting into it from the stomach. It can be confirmed with an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
You require to modify your life style and eating habits in additions to the medicines I will be discussing. The food has to be bland and free from spices, fast food and caffeinated or aerated beverages , acidic food like lemon, oranges, vinegar, tomatoes and alcohol should be avoided. You should tilt your bed with the head end abut 6 inches higher than the foot end. The stomach should be empty when you lie down which means your last meal/ drink should be at least two hours before bed time.
In addition to this you require two kinds of medicines 1. A proton pump inhibitor ( PPI) like Losec to be taken half hour before your meal twice a day and 2. A medicine which decreases the acid reflux into the esophagus to be taken before each meal. You should also avoid mental stress as much as possible and lose weight if you are obese.
My patients get well with these measures and I expect you too will.
If you have further questions, I am available to answer them.
Dr. Noble Zachariah, Kuwait
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