Does anyone else live with GERD alongside IBS?
I have lived with IBS for 10 years, give or take. I was just diagnosed with GERD. I know, I know. I hit the jackpot.
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For all of you who also live with GERD alongside IBS, I have some questions:
--Which diagnosis came first: IBS or GERD?
For me, it was IBS.
--How long did you live with the one before the other?
About 10-12 years.
--Do you currently take OTC treatments for IBS or GERD?
I am taking Prilosec and Pepcid (OTC) for GERD, as directed by my gastroenterologist. I will follow up with her in 3 months.
--How do you balance the lifestyle changes for both conditions?
I am pretty nervous about this new diagnosis and how it will impact my food preferences.
Curious to see your replies below!
-Sam
So funny enough, this is a conversation I just had with my sister yesterday! She comes into town to go to her doctor. She's kind of a low-key hypochondriac and assumes that this burping and pain/lump in her chest was the worst possible diagnosis (she's like that about most things and fully owns it). When she finally shared her reason for the appointment, I was like.. no yeah, that's GERD and I wicked have that too. The look of RELIEF on her face was everything. She kept reiterating how happy she was. That she should have brought it up sooner! That it runs in the family!
I was told I have acid reflux a LONG time ago; so far that it's a little fuzzy. It's something that comes and goes in my life. A few weeks ago, I was woken up every morning by a lump in my throat. I would try and scarf down a granola bar whole, hoping it would push down whatever I "thought" was caught... and nothing. It wasn't until I got some Up and Up Pepto (peptobismol) from Target before I started feeling some relief. Love any reason to go to Target tbh 🙌
I think heartburn is such an egregious and scary name for it. That should be retired, for sure.
It's not something that I've really looked into, as it's pretty infrequent. But from the harshness of the symptoms, maybe I should delve in!
~ Sawyer (team member)
Hi there! I'll chime in with my own stats to compare and contrast: My GERD diagnosis came first, years and years ago, 2009 I think. Then IBS diagnosis in 2016. But, my earliest memory of painful gas and diarrhea is after eating baked beans at a summer picnic at age, idk, 10 or younger. Gassy veggies brought it on once in a blue moon until it worsened in my 40s, then in my 50s, and now, at 65 . . .grrrrrr.
GERD and IBS were both diagnosed many years after I started having the symptoms. My dentist mentioned GERD from the dismal condition of my tooth enamel more than 24 years ago, which showed characteristic signs of acid wear that could only be caused by stomach acid.
I take omeprazole (Prilosec) first thing every morning, 30 minutes before my morning coffee. It's enough to control symptoms for the rest of the day and night.
I can't claim any kind of balancing act between them. They are both rogue conditions, though I can easily prevent GERD symptoms by staying complaint with daily Prilosec. But IBS symptoms are trickier.
If I don't eat, I don't have gas pains, and there is no bowel action at all. This is the only outcome I can predict 100 percent correctly. Eating very small portions and eating more slowly will improve my chances of not having explosive diarrhea. But I will have immediate urgency to canter to the bathroom once I do eat a small meal, and I can't ignore it without risking an accident. Ugh!
It sucks to be us, but it's not enough to agree on that. We need new ways to control symptoms!
Kim, moderator
Thanks for weighing in,
and ! You get it. 😀
