Medical Advice? I can't afford to get better, please help, someone.?!
Question: Hi, I'm 19, I have GERD, a hiatial hernia, & a lax esophogeal sphincter. With lifestyle changes, I could function without medications (no insurance). Over the past few months I have been getting worse & have new symptoms: extreme fatiuge, dizzyness, hot face & neck (without fever), rapid pulse along shortness of breath, intense stomach cramping. I only can eat Cheerios. I work full-time, but I am not eligable for health insurance until May. Most days are filled with pain, & nausa, I barely make it. I don't think we can live if I don't work, the economy is disasterous here. I can't go on dissability because I would have to be out of work for 5 months before I could even apply. I have money saved up to get married, but its not much & it would break my heart to have to spend it. The only way I can get better is with medical treatment & bedrest. I'm afraid of ulcers & internal bleeding. I am scared & feel very alone & helpless. If anyone has any advice it would be much apreciated. Thanks.
Answers: Hi, I'm 19, I have GERD, a hiatial hernia, & a lax esophogeal sphincter. With lifestyle changes, I could function without medications (no insurance). Over the past few months I have been getting worse & have new symptoms: extreme fatiuge, dizzyness, hot face & neck (without fever), rapid pulse along shortness of breath, intense stomach cramping. I only can eat Cheerios. I work full-time, but I am not eligable for health insurance until May. Most days are filled with pain, & nausa, I barely make it. I don't think we can live if I don't work, the economy is disasterous here. I can't go on dissability because I would have to be out of work for 5 months before I could even apply. I have money saved up to get married, but its not much & it would break my heart to have to spend it. The only way I can get better is with medical treatment & bedrest. I'm afraid of ulcers & internal bleeding. I am scared & feel very alone & helpless. If anyone has any advice it would be much apreciated. Thanks.
Ask around see if you have medical clinic that has a sliding fee scale you are going to have to get medical treatment there is no way around it.
For less than $100 you can go to any walkin clinic and get a prescription for the proper meds. They will often even give you samples of the meds to start you off.
At the rate you're going, you're going to be way too sick to have a wedding. Do the smart thing and take some of that money to ensure you'll be well enough to walk down the aisle.
Spend your marriage money, or die.
No one will marry a corpse.
Sincerely you got to get OFF those Cheerios which are simply processed, sugary cr*p and will be making matter worse.
See this immune boosting diet now and do all you can to get over onto it a well and as soon as you can. It WILL make a huge difference:
http://www.gonando.com/boost-immune-syst...
You also NEED to read something like Dr R Young's "Sick and Tired" you will recognize MANY of the symptomatic problems he describes -- it would be a good.small investment:
http://astore.amazon.com/usastore1-20/de...
You can get an 'outline' idea of the theory from the free videos posted here though:
http://www.gonando.com/alkaline-foods.ht...
This is NO JOKE and a serious proposition -- IF you REALLY want to change your health. Let me know how you go -- or contact me for more if interested.
Talk to your PHARMACIST. She is EXTREMELY knowledgeable and she can recommend over the counter products that can ease your symptoms until you can be examined by a doctor or specialists.
One of the simplest treatments for GERD is referred to as life-style changes, a combination of several changes in habit, particularly related to eating.
As discussed above, reflux of acid is more injurious at night than during the day. At night, when individuals are lying down, it is easier for reflux to occur. The reason that it is easier is because gravity is not opposing the reflux, as it does in the upright position during the day. In addition, the lack of an effect of gravity allows the refluxed liquid to travel further up the esophagus and remain in the esophagus longer. These problems can be overcome partially by elevating the upper body in bed. The elevation is accomplished either by putting blocks under the bed's feet at the head of the bed or, more conveniently, by sleeping with the upper body on a wedge. These maneuvers raise the esophagus above the stomach and partially restore the effects of gravity. It is important that the upper body and not just the head be elevated. Elevating only the head does not raise the esophagus and fails to restore the effects of gravity.
Elevation of the upper body at night generally is recommended for all patients with GERD. Nevertheless, most patients with GERD have reflux only during the day and elevation at night is of little benefit for them. It is not possible to know for certain which patients will benefit from elevation at night unless acid testing clearly demonstrates night reflux. However, patients who have heartburn, regurgitation, or other symptoms of GERD at night are probably experiencing reflux at night and definitely should use upper body elevation. Reflux also occurs less frequently when patients lie on their left rather than their right sides.
Several changes in eating habits can be beneficial in treating GERD. Reflux is worse following meals. This is probably because the stomach is distended with food at that time and acid and transient relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter are more frequent. Therefore, smaller and earlier evening meals may reduce the amount of reflux for two reasons. First, the smaller meal results in lesser distention of the stomach. Second, by bedtime, a smaller and earlier meal is more likely to have emptied from the stomach than is a larger one. As a result, reflux is less likely to occur when patients with GERD lie down.
Certain foods are known to reduce the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter and thereby promote reflux. These foods should be avoided and include chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks. Fatty foods (which should be decreased) and smoking (which should be stopped) also reduce the pressure in the sphincter and promote reflux. In addition, patients with GERD may find that other foods aggravate their symptoms. Examples are spicy or acid-containing foods, like citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and tomato juice. These foods should also be avoided.
One novel approach to the treatment of GERD is chewing gum. Chewing gum stimulates the production of more bicarbonate-containing saliva and increases the rate of swallowing. After the saliva is swallowed, it neutralizes acid in the esophagus. In effect, chewing gum exaggerates the normal process that neutralizes acid in the esophagus. It is not clear, however, how effective chewing gum actually is in treating heartburn. Nevertheless, chewing gum after meals is certainly worth a try.
Antacids
Despite the development of potent medications for the treatment of GERD, antacids remain a mainstay of treatment. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach so that there is no acid to reflux. The problem with antacids is that their action is brief. They are emptied from the empty stomach quickly, in less than an hour, and the acid then re-accumulates. The best way to take antacids, therefore, is approximately one hour after meals or just before the symptoms of reflux begin after a meal. Since the food from meals slows the emptying from the stomach, an antacid taken after a meal stays in the stomach longer and is effective longer. For the same reason, a second dose of antacids approximately two hours after a meal takes advantage of the continuing post-meal slower emptying of the stomach and replenishes the acid-neutralizing capacity within the stomach.
Antacids may be aluminum, magnesium, or calcium based. Calcium-based antacids (usually calcium carbonate), unlike other antacids, stimulate the release of gastrin from the stomach and duodenum. Gastrin is the hormone that is primarily responsible for the stimulation of acid secretion by the stomach. Therefore, after the direct acid-neutralizing effect of the calcium carbonate is exhausted, the secretion of acid rebounds. The rebound is due to the release of gastrin, which results in an overproduction of acid. Theoretically at least, this increased acid is not good for GERD.
Acid rebound, however, has not been shown to be clinically important. That is, treatment with calcium carbonate has not been shown to be less effective or safe than treatment with antacids not containing calcium carbonate. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of acid rebound is theoretically harmful. In practice, therefore, calcium-containing antacids such as Tums and Rolaids are not recommended. The occasional use of these calcium carbonate-containing antacids, however, is not believed to be harmful. The advantages of calcium carbonate-containing antacids are their low cost and the calcium they add to the diet.
Aluminum-containing antacids have a tendency to cause constipation, while magnesium-containing antacids tend to cause diarrhea. If diarrhea or constipation becomes a problem, it may be necessary to switch antacids or alternately use antacids containing aluminum and magnesium.
Histamine antagonists
Although antacids can neutralize acid, they do so for only a short period of time. For substantial neutralization of acid throughout the day, antacids would need to be given frequently, at least every hour.
The first medication developed for more effective and convenient treatment of acid-related diseases, including GERD, was a histamine antagonist, specifically cimetidine (Tagamet). Histamine is an important chemical because it stimulates acid production. Released within the wall of the stomach, histamine attaches to receptors (binders) on the stomach's acid-producing cells and stimulates the cells to produce acid. Histamine antagonists work by blocking the receptor for histamine and thereby preventing histamine from stimulating the acid-producing cells. (Histamine antagonists are referred to as H2 antagonists because the specific receptor they block is the histamine type 2 receptor.)
Because histamine is particularly important for the stimulation of acid after meals, H2 antagonists are best taken 30 minutes before meals. The reason for this timing is so that the H2 antagonists will be at peak levels in the body after the meal when the stomach is actively producing acid. H2 antagonists also can be taken at bedtime to suppress nighttime production of acid.
H2 antagonists are very good for relieving the symptoms of GERD, particularly heartburn. However, they are not very good for healing the inflammation (esophagitis) that may accompany GERD. In fact, they are used primarily for the treatment of heartburn in GERD that is not associated with inflammation or complications, such as erosions or ulcers, strictures, or Barrett's esophagus.
Four different H2 antagonists are available by prescription, including cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), nizatidine (Axid), and famotidine, (Pepcid). All four are also available over-the-counter (OTC), without the need for a prescription. However, the OTC dosages are lower than those available by prescription.
I'm sorry to hear about your illness. My only advice is put your health before anything. How are you going to get married if your dead? Your body is telling you that it needs help. A lot of hospitals will allow you to make monthly payments. Please go and seek help. I know it would be hard not to work, but there is a lot of Government assistance that can help you along the way food stamps, welfare, and etc. You can also get emergency Tenn Care. Go today and explain to a social worker that you are no longer able to work, and see if you can't get insurance. Don't worry about what others think. I would speak to someone at your nearest DHS office and turn my two week notice in, then go to the hospital and start a journey of getting better. Good luck your in my prayers...
Try your local Health Department or free clinic or clinic for those of low income/no insurance. If the medication has been prescribed but you can't afford it, contact the pharmaceutical company that makes the medication because most companies have programs to provide meds for those who cannot afford/have no insurance.
Your health has obviously deteriorated since the last time you were seen. You may have eroded your esophagus since this time.
There are medications available over the counter that may be helpful. There are several prescription antacids that have now been made available at low strength on the pharmacy shelf. You might try those... increasing the dose to prescription strength if you need to in order to reduce your symptoms.
Here's the link to an online support group you might find helpful. Sometimes folks who have experienced the same health conditions will have the best advice on all of this: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bar...
Best to you...
Wow god bless America the land of the free and you die if you don't have Insurance
Makes me feel proud to be British with out National Health Service where treatment is FREE for everybody .
Start to lobby your congressmen now ! to get your own NHS service. Maybe a few billion less could be spent on bloody cruise missiles to bomb the middle east and put into health care to care for genuine emergencies like you.
I'm so sorry that your ill, But you must go to the doctors this is serious and you need help now!
Good Luck.
You should call in on Dr. Dean Edell's radio show. I'm not sure where to find it, but here in my area it comes on every Sunday night at around 9pm. (I'm in S.C.)
If you get through, he should be able to give you great advice and ease your mind.
God bless!
your recent symptoms sound like blood sugar inbalace, try to slowly cut out foods containing sugar(cheerios) try pure oats and honey.
thanks god for Beven and our good old NHS in UK
You can likely treat this with over the counter medications. There are lots of medications available, working differently and each with different side effects. Medications include pepcid, prilosec, tagament, and antacids (preferably liquid over tablets). The key is to be compliant with medications. Find which works and which is easiest for you to use. See the link for more info.
Remember an ounce of prevention is lots cheaper than a pound of cure. You may qualify for medical care based on your salary. Call your local hospital and see what options you have. It will be more costly if you to go to the E.R. with a bleeding ulcer and get transfused for anemia vs. taking a pill on a regular basis.