I finished my treatment in December and was really starting to pick up until I had another severe bout of acid reflux. I’ve had these a few times since my last chemo but each quickly resolved with lanzoprazole and antacids.
This time I’ve been on lansoprazole for a month and now changed to omeprazole this week. Saw my Consultant yesterday and he doesn’t think this is linked to the chemo.
He thinks most likely is a hiatus hernia but he says we must know the case. I’ve got to have a gastroscopy (I think also called endoscopy).
I can’t help feeling anxious. It’s always that fearful moment of what will they find. If it is a hiatus hernie then it still needs to be controlled in some way.
We were about to book a holiday, our first since my diagnosis Feb 2009 and now it’s all on hold yet again.
Not sure what I’m asking, just feeling worried and low about it.
Elinda x
Elinda it does sound like a hiatus hernia, so try not to worry too much. If it is, it is worth investigating controlling symptoms with diet. A good friend of mine has been able to eliminate all symptoms by cutting out starch from her diet - it took quite a bit of getting used to, but is now second nature. Good luck x
I think sometimes we are inclined to think that everything is linked to the cancer. But we are just as likely to get other things wrong with us that are entirely unconnected to cancer.
I remember reading Alan Bennet’s autobiography - after he had endured treatment for bowel cancer he was suddenly taken very ill and rushed in for emegency surgery on his colon. It had nothing whatsoever to do with his cancer - it was just another health hiccup.
I hope they can sort out your probs - reflux is nasty. I had endoscopies for stomach probs after I finished treatment because I was at high risk of bowel cancer - the tests were all ok and it turned out to be mild IBS.
Good luck.
Logically I think it is most likely a hiatus hernia and it’s trying to keep that part of my mind that keeps thinking ‘oh no it could be cancer’ at bay. I know it’s not a big procedure and my lovely consultant has even said he’ll do it himself to reassure me.
I think the issue is I feel so flawed as a human being. I had a hysterectomy and bowel resection in 2007 for endometriosis, I’ve had problems all the way through my BC treatment and also having physio for a neck and back problem.
There is possibly an element of self pity in this although it’s mainly a loss of trust in my own body and feeling a burden on the NHS, and on my husband (although he is 100% supportive). I think the doctors must think - crikey not her again! If you saw me though you’d think I looked really well.
Cutting out starch sounds radical. I’ve already eliminated so much from my diet. I know losing more weight could help. I may look into the starch thing though.
I’ve heard little excerpts of Alan Bennet’s autobiography which sound interesting and very pertinent and I think I might buy it.
Elinda x
If you feel eliminating all starch is too much, try just removing wheat from your diet. I realise that is quite a major change, but you can still have rice, potatoes as well as other starchy fruits and vegetables. Obviously, as with any dietary change, it takes a little time to become effective, but I find it completely effective. If I over-indulge, it comes back, so I try to keep it to just an occasional treat when I’m out.
thanks Debs, I’m going to give that a go. I was thinking I didn’t eat much wheat as we usually have rice in the evening but then I realised I do during the day with breakfast cereal or toast. I love my carbs so this won’t be easy…
Elinda x
I had chemo, rads and some herceptin finishing in Nov 09. I started with pain in my gullet which felt like I had something stuck. I also had pain between my shoulder blades. I was sent for an endoscope 3 weeks ago and was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia.I am on 40mg of omeprazole and I have been told to cut out tea, coffee, cholcolate and fried food from my diet. 3 weeks on and I’m starting to feel much better, symptoms have nearly all gone. I was worried that it might have been something else but whilst the endoscope isn’t very pleasant it is all over in a few minutes and they were able to tell me there and then what was wrong with me so it put my mind at rest. I hope all goes well with yours.
Thanks so much Fiona for your post. I’ve cut out coffee, chocolate and fried food for the last 2 weeks and only have one or two cups of tea at very most. You’re on a higher dose of omeprazole than me as I’m only on 20mg. Can I ask did your GP put you on that or was it your consultant? I might see if I can get mine increased.
Elinda x
I was on 20mg to start with…to see if that helped, the onc said he didn’t feel it was radiotherapy related, he told me to go to the GP if it didn’t settle down. Meanwhile I was due at breast surgeon for annual check and he asked me about the symptoms I had reported. He told me to go up to 40mg and he would order up an endoscope. It was the endoscope dept that told me about the diet restrictions. Now that 3 weeks have passed I am going to phone breast surgeon or visit GP to confirm whether I am to stay on the 40mg. I think I probably will have to if it’s keeping things under control.
P.s have you tried buying decaf tea and coffee. I have and it’s fine. You have to cut out all caffine which is in so much stuff these days…soft drinks ect.
Secondly, I get reflux and heartburn and take slippery elm tablets from the high st herbalist and just have one when I need it. Certain foods set me off mildly and some really badly that I end up nearly choking and being sick. All sorts from fatty food to ‘healthy’ stuff like grapefruit and pineapple (absolute murder), salad things - bit hit and miss. Never had it before I had chemo and the bisphosphonate I’m having for my bones - another added joy of this disease !
The chemo may have aggravated something in you that makes you more susceptible to reflux and I was always told the chemo takes months and months to actually get out of your system even once you’ve finished active treatment - 6 months to a year - so it could still be causing the symptoms.
Hi everyone,
I am also suffering with reflux so I know how awful it is. I spent last night propped up on the couch, because when I have it and I lie down all my food comes up, and the acid burns the back of my throat and I end up choking. I did have mine though before I had cancer, and I had an endoscopy and was diagnosed with Hiatus Hernia, I also have got gall stones. It doesn’t seem to make any difference what I eat. I can have a curry and be fine, last night I had jacket potato and veg with a piece of poached fish and I was up all-night.I am on 40mg of Lanzoprazole a day, but I think I am going to see my GP next week and see if there is anything else to try. I have not tried cutting out starch, that maybe a thought. I have tried to cut out fried food,I do have it occasionally, sometimes it gives me reflux, sometimes I’m ok, its just hit and miss. I will go and look for those slippery elm tablets and give them go. I have tried peppermint tea, all the remedy’s you can buy over the counter but nothing stops it, I just have to spend the night sitting up. Oh I am a poor old thing lol sometimes I get so fed up with myself I could scream lol but I am so grateful I am still here to have a good moan.
Anyway good luck, hope you all have a acid free night
The slippery elm tablets are supposed to line the gullet (I think that’s the idea anyway…) and calm acid. You are supposed to have them every day but I just chew one or two when I need them - usually at night and I sometimes have to prop myself up too.
I think the tablets taste like cardboard or sawdust - or at least how I imagine them to taste!! I get Potters brand and they’re about £8 for 90.
Hi Lizcat, Thanks I am going to get some and give them a try, I will try anything to get rid of it. I am at my daughters today for dinner, she will be giving me a big dinner and desert (I love desert lol ) I don’t mind having a night up if I deserve it lol Hope everyone is managing to keep the acid at bay
Thanks for the advice everyone. Interesting about the decaf tea and coffee - I was wondering if it was the caffeine. I also drink green tea and white tea although not much and was wondering if that was okay.
I haven’t heard of using slippery elm tablets and once I’ve had the endoscopy I’ll look in that.
In the meantime I think I may phone my GP to see if I can increase my dose of omeprazole.
Yesterday feeling desperate I took some domperidone and it worked a treat. First time in 5 weeks that I’ve felt a bit normal for a few hours. NOt sure if it’s okay to mix. Trouble is I’ve tried ringing the pharmacy before and as soon as they hear the word tamoxifen they say my history is complicated and won’t give advice.
Hi elinda, I have to take 8 domperidone a day, if I don’t I feel sick all day. What did happen was I found I couldn’t have a drink of tea or coffee in the afternoon or I felt really sick. So I started to have a cup of coffee with coffee mate and that was much better. But then I started having bad dreams, they were waking me up at all hours and I couldn’t get back to sleep. So I changed to decaf coffee and I have been fine since, I think it is all just trial and error, and the error makes you feel awful.Hope you are feeling better today, it is so miserable when you feel sick all the time.
Thanks Heather. The domperidone is definitely making me feel better so I’ll just let my doctor know that’s what I’m doing. Do you take tamoxifen as well?
My Consultant didn’t think there was a link between this and the chemo. It is strange though because I’d never even had indigestion before and then this all started one week after chemo. I see that others have experienced the same. I wonder why then?
Hope everyone is having an acid-free weekend!!
Elinda x
Hi elinda I am on arimidex and Herceptin, I did have reflux before, but it has been worse since I had the chemo. I had a night on the couch last night, was a bad night. But it was my own fault, I went to my daughters for Sunday lunch and had to much to eat. We had lunch around 2 0 clock and I was still having reflux at bedtime. I have to stay on the couch because I have to be propped up, and if I go to bed I slide down lol I think the chemo must do something to our insides because look how sick it makes us. And also what it does our taste, I hated that, it was like I was pregnant, I could only taste food I craved for lol and being pregnant would be a miracle.
Hope your reflux is being good this weekend, and everyone else’s.
I have a non treatment related hiatus hernia and am on 20mg omeprazole a day.I have been on this for about 5 years now and eat healthily but havent cut anythıng out at all.I have found that I cannot eat grapefruit or drink the juice but pineapple is fine.I sometimes find that wıne aggravates it too.If I do have a bit of breakthrough acid I usually find that a couple of Rennies settles it but ıf I forget the omeprazole it ıs dreadful.I had domperıdone for chemo induced nausea and ıt was great.
Good Luck
Valx
Probably one of those things where we’ll never know what’s caused it. I know that I do have to lose more weight, about 2 stone in fact. I’ve read that can makes things worse.
The domperidone at the weekend made me feel so much better. Speaking to my GP today to see if she thinks its okay to continue until I have the endoscopy.
Val, I love grapefruits but haven’t had one for about a year now. Don’t think I’ll try. Love pineapple too and have been holding off but perhaps might give that a try.
