Acid reflux, Nexium and anaemic - is this all linked ?

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katerina1

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Hi guys,
Sturabled on this site looking for help and advice from someone other than my GP .... I figure that someone out there may have a similar story and be able to help . Sure hope so.

I've had severe acid reflux for over 5 years now, and have my doc has tried every PPI there is. The only one that keeps me even half well is Nexium, 40mg daily, and I still lose 2days in every 14 to being sick....Been on it now at that level for over 3 yrs, and the experts now want to do surgery, which I am waiting on. Being waiting 9 months on a list, but now worry I am too ill to have the op....
In the meantime I found myself getting dizzy, extremely tired etc..... went and got my blood checked, and found a ferritin level of 8 - this seems real low. My haemoglobin has dropped to 9 too. That makes me anaemic, big style.

Has anyone suffered in the same thing or similar ? :confused: I am soooooo fed up of this now. The iron tablets mess with my digestion, which is bad at the best of times. Please, if there is anyone who has any tips I would love to hear them! I am guessing I am suffering from malabsorption or something, but my GP isnt exactly on the ball with acid reflux, and the expert has me on a long waiting list. This really is doing my head in!
:(

Thanks
Katerina :wave:
 
All PPI's interfere with the absorption of nutrients due to the hypoacidic environment they create in the stomach. Stomach neeRAB acid to break down and absorb these minerals and nutrients.

Rose
 
They need to find out where your bleeding from. Could you have a bleeding ulcer? Pretty much for me, I get bloated really easily, get hunger pains even when I shouldn't get hungry, vomit occassionally, nausea, upper mid abdominal pain, and can't eat sometimes. It could be linked to your GI tract. Doc neeRAB to figure out where the bleeding is coming from even if treating you with iron suppliments. Have your b-12 checked cause it sounRAB like you should. Low b-12 is linked to low stomach acid, instead of too much, both conditions cause gerd. I have gerd, an ulcer, severe inflammation and a very low b-12 & vit d. I haven't had the ph study to check to see if the reflux is due to too much or too little acid. When your acid reflux pills don't work, that's an idea, surgery too could help clear it up, but I wouldn't want to go there except as a last option. But you can have surgery when you feel like hell, I did, it didn't feel too good but I survived it. Pretty much, you likely need an endoscopy. That surgical procedure can cause your esophagus to hurt afterwarRAB, but it only lasts a couple of days, if it even does happen, I've only had one endo cause me pain, and I have had alot of them done.
 
I've been having symptoms for about four years similar to yours right after a terrible bout of the flu. After the flu I was left with a lot of mucus in my nose and throat that kept me blowing my nose and clearing my throat to bring up clear,stringy mucus that is constantly lodged there. I also used to get really dry,chapped lips. Finally in 2008 my family doctor referred me to an ENT specialist who discovered a septal perforation and repaired it with minor surgery. Even after the surgery the symptoms persisted so my doctor referred me to an allergist,a pulmonary specialist all to no avail. This past October I started feeling light-headed and dizzy at work and was on my way to the water fountain to get a drink of water when I just fainted and my employer called 911 and an arabulance came to take me to the emergency room. The emergency room doctor did an EKG to rule out heart attack and also took blood work which showed that my hemoglobin was low. He told me that once I cleared up my anemia this constant nose blowing and clear mucus in my throat would clear up. I have been dragging my feet and feeling at my wits end until I read your post cause I couldn't think for the likes of me what "acid reflux like symptoms" and anemia had to do with each other but yesterday I took a complete blood test so my thyroid levels could also be checked. My anemia is caused probably by the fact that I have uterine fibroiRAB and tend to have long,heavy perioRAB. It hasn't been confirmed yet that my heavy menstrual perioRAB are the cause of my anemia but since I'm 50 and near menopause my ob/gyn is going to inject me with Lupron to stop my perioRAB and then we can see if I start to get better without the long,heavy perioRAB. If you have heavy menstrual cycles this could be the cause of your anemia and you might have to see your ob/gyn. Hope this post proves helpful and I will keep you posted on further info I get from my doctor. Like you I am trying to stay optimistic and keep the faith cause not getting any answers for the past four years has seriously affected my quality of life and keeps me in a state of depression.:wave:
 
Hey thanks for the reply! Much appreciated. I know that I am not bleeding from anywhere, not unless the doc has missed something . There is as yet no ulcer, but they have confirmed severe gerd via endoscopy 4 years ago, done all the ph testing and am sat here waiting for fundoplication surgery this summer. They reckon as the top meRAB wont hold the gerd in check I should have the op. Bit scary, but I am at the end of my tether .
Off to the doc again today to get my latest blood results. One doc says my b12 is fine, another says something different..... and my ferritin is superlow.

Thank so much for the encouragement and worRAB of advice. This place is a gem - at least we know that others really do understand here, unlike one doc who told me "you just have to live with it, love"!! They really dont 'get it' do they ?
Glad of your help. Thanks :)
 
Glad to be of help love. Do you know if there is a history of anemia in your family? Sometimes anemia can be inherited because my Dad a thin,elegant man who has been modeling since the age of 10 (he's 74 now) has always been anemic. I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for the results of my blood tests I took on Tuesday. I had to give 4 vials of blood instead of 1 cause my doctor ordered a full panel blood test which checks for other conditions beside anemia. I really want to start moving forward with a treatment plan cause this constant clear mucus in my throat and nose is driving me crazy. Sometimes doctors tend to pooh pooh patient's symptoms as if they're "all in the mind". I know the mind is powerful and there is a such thing as psychosomatic illnesses but in my case and yours these symptoms are actually REAL. I have an appointment on the 28th of this month to see the ENT who repaired my septal perforation cause the symptoms that I had before the surgery still persist. He has given me all kinRAB of allergy medications and Nasonex but none of them help me. I'm really curious as to whether or not my problem is caused by acid reflux and not chronic sinusitis that the doctors keep telling me I have. How do doctors check a patient for acid reflux disease?
 
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