Help excessive belching,chest pain and acid reflux

[andy0424]

Hi everyone i dont even know if i am on the right message board or not with what i am looking for answers on. My mother is 67 years old just went through breast cancer and is doing well with that already in her radiation treatment and surgeon said she is going to be fine. The problem she is having now is she has really bad acid reflux and just since she has been through breast surgery she has this terrible problem of belching and chest pain. She saw a gastroenterologist he did a scope and said just really bad acid reflux he said a lot of her problem is anxiety swallowing air and acid reflux nothing more and also said she has a hiatal hernia. He gave her a rx for dexilant 60mg and reglan 10mg. These did not help her at all. Also she took nexium for 5weeks prior to the dexilant and reglan and that did not help either. She has lost weight and dealing with a chest pain, heartburn and excessive belching. She has also been very short of breath. If anyone can help us with this or suggest anything else to try or do this will be greatly appreciated. Her life has been miserable with this and it seems she just cant get any relief.

Thanks
god bless

 

[janewhite1]

I'm sorry to hear your mother is having such a hard time. Unfortunately, stomach problems are a common side effect of cancer treatment, and they sometimes last long after the treatment is over.

Is she still taking chemo? Or other medicines?

Unfortunately, the proton pump inhibitors (such as Nexium and Dexilant) are the first line of treatment for severe reflux, and Reglan is the second. There really aren't a whole lot of other drug options. She could try a different proton pump inhibitor, sometimes people respond better to one than to another. She could try Zofran, which is similar to Reglan. Trouble with Zofran is it costs about $20 per pill.

Has she tried the "lifestyle remedies?" These include eating smaller meals, avoiding the fooRAB that seem to make it worse (which fooRAB those are vary), and sleeping with the head of the bed elevated.

She could also try apple cider vinegar. There are many alternative treatments for acid reflux, this one has a fairly decent track record. 1-2 tablespoons, diluted in a cup of tap water, a few minutes before a meal.

The GI doctor implied stress and anxiety might be playing a role, if so, she might want to consider a class in meditation, tai chi, deep breathing, or a senior yoga class. Many are offered free or cheap through the Arthritis Foundation, the YMCA, your local library or continuing education department at a local school. It doesn't mean her problems are imaginary, just that some mind-body training might help her adjust to whatever damage the chemo did to her digestive system.

There is a surgical option for severe reflux, but the surgeon might not be willing to try it until the chemo and radiation are done and her strength recovers somewhat. (Then again, he might. I don't know.)