GERD

[sylviak]

I was put on Zocor (40 mg) by my Danish doctor last April (2009)due to high LDL . As I had to be in China, I only took the Zocor on April 3. I noticed shortness of breathing and muscular pain. I stopped the Zocor on April 9. I took the zocor for 6 days . I researched on the Internet and found materials regarding the side effects of Zocor. I phoned my doctor who told me he has never heard of such side effects.I found CoQ10 in China in tablet forms on the 13th of April. On the 15th, I woke up with blurred vision. Fortunately, I was on my way to Kuala Lumpur and found CoQ10 and L- carnitine. I took 300 mg of CQ10, folic acid, vitamin B, A , C (with bioflavonids) ,L Carnitine (400 mg) and cod liver oil , but my condition did not improve. I had difficulty swallowing, severe abdominal -muscle pain, tingling sensation on my toes and thumbs and difficulties breathing. On the 22nd , the GERD was so severe that I had to rush to the hospital to determine whether I was having heart attack or GERD. The results of the tests (heart, kidney and liver) were normal and I was put on Histac Ranbaxy to relieve the GERD.I told the doctor about Zocor and he told me that "Zocor for Malaysians is like chocolates."Because of the high cholesterol diet, many of the people are taking statin drugs. I left Kuala Lumpur on the 1st of May.
From the 29th of April , I stopped taking CoQ10 for a week and my GERD started improving as well as my breathing but my thumb was still stiff in the morning.I wanted to restart with CoQH, which I ordered from the US.I ordered CoQH NSI from the US and I started taking 300 mg (which I chew) on the 11th of May. I added folic acid, Vitamin B , Vitamin E , C and used lactobacillus rhamnosus to normalise my stomach. I didn't use fish oil as I read several findings that it could interfere with CoQH , . I also added last week L-Carnitine (500 mg). I take bicabornate soda to relieve the heartburn, use incline bed, sip water, take celery and carrot juice and avoid food which will trigger heartburn. I no longer feel tired and thus no longer have a need to sleep in the afternoon. I increased the dosage of CoQH to 400 mg.
However, the GERD continues. I have noticed that as soon as the heartburn (acidity) starts, I start getting abdominal and back pain . I could not breathe properly (my nose is blocked even though I have no cold), although when I wake up in the morning, my breathing is normal. I cannot sit down in a chair and I have to type standing up because my abdominal pain becomes severe when I am sitted down. I start having respiratory problems as soon as I eat and the heartburn starts. I have stopped the L-Carnitine 3 days ago (I read that it can actually increase heartburn) and reduced the CoQH to 200 mg 2 days ago.My breathing improved. I still have stiffness on my legs when I wake up and bent (stiff) thumb but as soon I stand up, they become normal. The stiffness is getting better and have no muscle pain anymore. My main problem is the difficulty of swallowing, which started yesterday after the severe GERD attack last night .
Could someone please tell me if they have encountered a similar situation and how they responded?
How long will it take before the GERD dissappears?
Is it possible that the GERD is triggered by the body's reaction to CoQH? How long does it take before the breathing problems resolved?
Has anyone experienced increase abdominal/back pain when sitting down?

I would very much appreciate your responses. Thank you.

[sylviak]

In addition, can anyone tell me how long the blurred vision (especially when looking at bright lights) lasts ?

[Brian C.]

GERD = Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Heartburn)

I have been off Lipitor for 26 months but still suffer from occasional angina-like chest pain associated with digestive problems at night. It is much improved since I had a septoplasty a couple of months ago. Before that I used to lie awake for hours swallowing and this would aggravate the acid reflux. I do not eat an evening meal and have an inclined mattress with supporting pillows. Alcohol is not a good idea.

I think weakening of the stomach sphincter muscle is a common side effect of statin therapy.

Brian.

[Allen1]

Hi there sylviak,

A lot of what you have mentioned is or has been experienced by many of us and some of which may lessen in time unless you are also one of the unlucky ones of which there are many. I have heard of people having reflux problems with Q10 but most people don't have a problem including myself (my reflux was not caused by Q10) so I don't know how to get past that problem, however drinking a little vinegar and water or eating a couple of pickled onions before going to bed may help. Take a look at David's thread :-

http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=1509

A lot of the other problems like breathing difficulty, pains and tiredness seem to keep re-appearing for no apparent reason. These do dissipate for many people but for others, they are always hanging around ready to start up again (and they do).

Also as Brian mentioned, if you are having nasal or swallowing problems, you may have a nasal drip which means that you are constantly swallowing or attempting to swallow what is draining from your nose, this in turn aggravates your stomach and makes your throat swell, that in turn makes breathing harder. (generalised description rather than factual)

Anyhow if the above sounds familiar, it may benefit you to eliminate it by getting it checked out, both Brian and myself found out that a small operation was needed and it made one hell of a difference to breathing and acid reflux.

All the best,
Allen.

[Ray Holder]

Hi sylviac
I have had other problems from post polio etc and have found that careful swallowing, especially drinking liquids in smaller quantities at a time, and letting each one settle before taking another one reduces the acid reflux problem.

Unfortunately, anything you do to reduce stomac acid will cause the Q10/QH to start to build up the growth of a yeast in the alkaline stomach, which can ultimately have severe results, so it is best to avoid reflux by finding ways to prevent it through changing the eating and drinking rates if you can. Turning your neck sideways may help swallowing, if the statin has weakened your swallowing muscles.

So much is individual in statin damage that a lot of experimentation is necessary to find what suits you best, but keep off the statin and keep up the folic acid, vits B6 and B12 to keep the effects of homocystene at bay.
Q10/QH is almost certainly a need for you so try to keep it up when acid reflux is more under control.

Ray

[sylviak]

Thank you so much for the information. What kind of small operation is this?I will use it as a last resort if my condition does not improve.

I will try the apple cider vinegar. I also found that coconut juice helps.

[Allen1]

Hi there sylviak,

the operation I was referring to was for a deviated septum and problems with a turbinate which stopped the intake of air in my right nostril and caused a nasal drip leading to throat/swallowing difficulties as well as breathing problems.

While on statins, I had an eternal nasal drip which by itself was troublesome and could be embarrassing if you couldn't get a hankie quickly enough. I have been off statins for over 2 years now and its only the last couple of months since the problem has normalised although it greatly improved, the internal/swallowing problem only improved after the operation.

The operation itself lasts for around 45 minutes, it is done under general anaesthetic and requires a 1 day stay in hospital. All in all it was a pretty painless experience that required a bit of daily cleaning while it healed up, no bruising or black eyes are involved. Obviously if you don't medically require the operation then you wont get it but a check-up from your doctor takes only a couple of minutes and at least it could eliminate one more problem.

I still get the odd occasion of acid reflux now and then so I might give the coconut juice a try, I don't think I have heard of that before.

All the best,
Allen.

[sylviak]

Coconut is rich in capric acid, caprylic acid, and lauric acid .Try googling
coconut juice and heartburn.
I found fresh carrot juice and celery juice helpful, but they must be drank within 20 minutes.

[sylviak]

Dr. Carsten Vagn Hansen, the specialist in Denmark who was fined for publicly writing about the health effects of dietary supplements, on the internet (and won the case later) recommends that chewing almonds with its brown shell daily works wonderfully against GERD.

[sylviak]

Dr. Hansen has sent a copy of an email wherein Dr. Allan Spreen shared the details of a natural therapy he often recommended to treat heartburn. In Denmark, the natural milk bacterias (acidophilus and digestive enzymes) have proven to be effective. Herein is an excerpt from the email:

This is so sorry an issue that it gives me reflux. I can't
tell you how many times I've stopped 'heartburn,' 'reflux,'
'acid indigestion,' whatever...now it's called 'GERD'
[GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease] to make it really official!
If everyone would just give me $1500/year to stop it, I'll
pay for the supplements myself and retire a VERY wealthy man
with what's left (and improve the patient's digestion at the
same time).

The solution is ridiculously simple (and cheap). Using
readily available acidophilus and digestive enzymes I stop
over 2/3 of all cases. The more difficult cases (that may
include overt ulcers, etc.) may involve a more aggressive
approach, but omitting really serious GI illness the results
are nearly always extremely positive.

'Reflux' (or any of the other scary sounding names) is
nothing more than acid slipping past the junction of the
stomach and esophagus. The stomach is designed for it, the
esophagus is not...hence a trap door (sphincter) at the
intersection (called the GE, or GastroEsophageal junction)
set in place to keep the two areas separated.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Acid essentials
--------------------------------------------------------------

People act like (from propaganda on TV) stomach acid is some
kind of mistake on mother nature's part. How many times in my
practice have I had to repeat that ACID IS SUPPOSED TO BE
DOWN THERE...WE NEED IT!

Here's the kicker: if you 'kill it off' (using antacids, acid
blockers, etc.) the body, in its wisdom, saves the energy
required to protect the esophagus from the stomach's
(normally) more acid environment and weakens the GE
sphincter. This allows any remaining acid to sometimes slip
past and irritate the esophagus. So, you take an antacid (or
whatever...we have so many choices these days) and you feel
better, because you lessen even more what little acid remains
that has been irritating your already sensitive esophagus.

The above association reinforces that you need more antacid
next time, since it helps in the short term. So look what's
happening - the short term 'fix' assures that the problem
will continue (and even worsen).

Is that not the most beautiful trick? The 'cure' assures its
own increasing necessity...it's positively brilliant (and
diabolical). And don't think for an instant that I'm the only
one who's figured it out (and I make no money on the system).

--------------------------------------------------------------
Acidophilus & enzymes
--------------------------------------------------------------

Acidophilus supplements (powder form, the liquid tastes
awful) protect the esophagus without killing acid (while
killing the pain almost immediately). The hassle is, you have
to keep it handy and take it often if you don't solve the
whole problem, which involves tightening the GE sphincter.
That can be done using the English herbs (Potter's Acidosis)
or by improving the environment of the stomach, which then
tightens the junction on its own but requires a bit more
effort.

When the stomach is low on acid it tends to also be low on
digestive enzymes. Believe it or not, the solution (along
with acidophilus protection) is to ADD acid and digestive
enzymes at the same time. Remember, it isn't acid that's the
problem (you need it desperately for digestion); it's acid
reaching the esophagus. Proper digestion allows for higher
concentration of acid while tightening the GE junction and
protecting the esophagus. I do that using Super Enzymes by
TwinLab, two capsules at mid-meal. I hate to push just one
company, but it's one of the few enzymes that includes
betaine hydrochloride, a plant-based form of acid like what's
in the stomach (you hope) - plus it's available everywhere.
I'm sure there are others.

A trick with acidophilus capsules is that, with reflux, you
must open the capsule and let the saliva carry it down the
throat to the stomach. Dose is no problem, as the supplement
represents a sample of the billions of 'good guy' bacteria
that you want in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract (and in
which most people are woefully deficient). Look for caps
measuring at least 1 billion (with a 'B') cfu (colony forming
units).

--------------------------------------------------------------
Licorice stick
--------------------------------------------------------------

Occasionally the combo of acidophilus and digestive enzymes
isn't enough (that's uncommon), or there is actual stomach
trouble from low acid (the stomach's defenses weaken over
time, too, with decreased acid, such that irritation there
can form and progress to an ulcer...see how these things are
connected?). Then, I add DGL, a form of licorice that has one
component removed (DGL means De-Glycerrhizinated Licorice). I
use Enzymatic Therapy brand but there are other good ones.
Chewing or sucking on one 20 minutes before eating can be
very helpful in difficult cases. Avoiding refined sugar and
white flour products also seems to help.

The Potter's solution can be very effective; just bear in
mind that it is a 'fix' that does not repair the altered
state of the gastric environment.

Killing off acid, however it's done, is a serious mistake
with long term consequences if pursued over time. Poor
digestion is the genesis of all sorts of problems, in my
opinion...but that's just me.

Good Health,
Allan Spreen, MD
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