Hi @Bernadette_Abraham – Thank you for detailed message.
I will wait for a week and hope the pain will go away. Regarding your questions , here are my answers
Do you feel bloated after meals? – I used to. My initial issue with my gut was bloating (started 10-15 years back). I used to have good and bad phases. Have done many endoscopies during each flare ups with either new symptom or a new doctor. (~once in three years) . However, I had a severe incident of acid reflux with gastric pain in 2020 during covid peak. I was given heavy antacids for a month and was diagnosed with GERD in the US.
2023- I had bad taste in my mouth all the time. In retrospective, I can now say it was bile reflux rather than acid. I had extreme discomfort and that was when the endoscopy was done.
All through these years, I have been getting ayurveda (indian alternative) treatment and medications from a Ayurveda doctor and Homeo meds (Carbo vegetablis, Nox Vomica, Gastrolex – 3X ) usually when the reflux aggravates. I have also done panchakarma (Ayurvedic) in Kerala a couple of times to deal with this and joint pains and overall health
My bloating has very much reduced now though I have it ocassionally. But now with acid reflux
Do you burp frequently? On and off. with severe reflux, I have started burping . i feel it is coming from throat and it releives the pressure in the throat
Does food feel like it sits in your stomach?- Not much. but my appetite is very bad. I dont feel hunger that much. Especially the last few months have been bac
Are you constipated or straining? – Constipation has always been on and off for me. I take Laxatives (ayurveda) for years ..but not daily. SOS.. but I dont go when traveling.. however, at times I feel like it is clean bowels for weeks at stretch. I am taking Mg citrate (300mg) mostly regularly..sometimes I do alternate with mag glycinate (200/400 mg)
Are symptoms worse with stress? – Yes it is. very clearly. Some small yelling at kids for a thing and I feel reflux. I try and avoid as much as possible. But I have a teenager in 11th grader and a 10 year old who acts like a teen already.. đ
Are they worse when lying flat? – not necessarily
Do you notice a bitter taste versus a sour acidic taste? I had bitter/weird taste in 2023. I even remember writing here and you and Daniel suggested a lot of things which I tried too. now it is acidic mostly.
Are you on daily PPIs or only using them occasionally? Occsionally. The max continuous stretch in the last couple of years would be 10 days. since last few months, it feels like I need to go for it very often.
Any history of anemia or B12 deficiency? Yes . 2025 MArch report says 116 pg/ml. I do on and off B12 supplements around 1000 iu/per day
Poor Protein digestion – yes have felt it. and delayed emptying (Constipation),
At times I have had so severe bloating that i couldnt breathe. Severe bloating and pressure were my major complaints. and they prescribed PPI – which I guess only caused more issues. as soon as I was aware of the low acid causing it, i have reduced PPI usage. even otherwise also, I didnt use continously howmuch the doctors wanted me to.
H-Pylori – has come out negative from 2017 (breath test, endoscopy) to 2023 tests.
Breath holding – I am now noticing that I have the habit of holding the breath (or very shallow breathing) even without a reason. I have started yoga in 2020 and learnt to breathe through the tummy . but still dont do it when I am not watching the breath.
I have severe tightness around chest and shoulder area. have had shoulder pain etc., so, now if I try to inhale a lot of air into my belly, I feel the pulling of tissues around my throat, chest area. IS that okay to continue?
Slippery Elm – I couldnt find tea at whole foods . so pickup up nature’s way capsules. It says 4 tablets each meal. Can I start?
Thank you..
