It seems to be getting worse..what should I do?!
Question: I have problems with acid reflux and an esophageal stricture. I take anti-acid medications to help alleviate the symptoms but it doesn't seem to be working as well anymore. I wake up in the middle of the night choking on an almost watery substance(probably acid I know) and that substance comes rushing out of my nose like a faucet. What's going on here? Is there something else that I can do til I get the procedure done to fix my stricture? Someone help me out here because it's really painful!
Answers: I have problems with acid reflux and an esophageal stricture. I take anti-acid medications to help alleviate the symptoms but it doesn't seem to be working as well anymore. I wake up in the middle of the night choking on an almost watery substance(probably acid I know) and that substance comes rushing out of my nose like a faucet. What's going on here? Is there something else that I can do til I get the procedure done to fix my stricture? Someone help me out here because it's really painful!
You might need to sleep in more of an upright position if you can. Do you have a recliner you could sleep in? Or, you could try elevating the head of your bed. You would need some cinder blocks or bricks to raise the head of the bed a little, and you could try using a couple of extra pillows under your head too.
One more suggestion. You might consider taking some probiotics . Some yogurt with live culture or even some probiotic pills. If you're not familiar with these little organisms, here's a website that explains them. http://www.usprobiotics.org/
The name of the medication is called Protonix, not probonics....Nexium will help as well. Both require a prescription written by your physician. Prilosec is over-the-counter and should help as well. These are all in the category of drugs known as PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), meaning, they inhibit acid production, which causes GI reflux.
The most immediate answer is to elevate your head, either sleep in a recliner, put blocks of some kind under the head of your bed to elevate it, or use pillows. If you choose to use pillows, be sure you are well braced and that your head is not bent up with your chin on your chest. You want the top half of your body elevated. Since you only need a temporary fix, one of these should work fine.