Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group hart birn

Hi, George,

My husband sometimes suffers from heartburn the man should look to his diet, I take care of him very well at home but he does come back from work with pizza on his breath and the doc told him to raise the head of the bed so his head is elevated - - difficult - - no, impossible -- to do with a waterbed

Cheryl

Dogs don't care if the house is messy

Hi George,

I think Hugh means all the other "follow-on", or "spin-off" effects that come with/from lack of sleep, when he talks about the knock-on effects........I apologize, Hugh, if that's not what you meant!? Just trying to be the English/American/Australian translator here, OK??

Sue

Hugh,

Gaviscon liquid or chewable tablets that you can get from most chemists in the UK seem to be the best and quickest short term relief from the indigestion - if the symptoms continue then it's probably time for a trip to the docs. but the Gaviscon will give you a chance to sleep properly

I have yet to find anything better

Cheers
Jo

Hi Hugh,

I have the same problem and most times Losec works for me, 20mg/day. On bad days I also have ranitidine(zantac). I was told years ago I have a (help me here) hiatus hernia which causes the (help again) sphincster muscle at the top of the stomach to stay open allowing the acid to splash up into the (help) esophogus. This is generally called G.E.R.D., or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. A med I was placed on years ago, but didn't work for me, was called prepulsid. It is supposed to stimulate the stomach muscles and help push the food out of the stomach more quickly. I have ulcers, and had/have the "hell bug"(H.Pylori bacteria), which by the way is contageous. A specialist I believe from Australia gave himself the bacteria to see if his treatment would work.The treatement I was on to rid the hell bug from my stomach was a cocktail of anti-biotics, pepto-bismo, Losec, and Tetracycline. All the advice given before is also helpful, ie. elevating the head of your bed. I don't know if you know the difference, I know I didn't when I first heard of it, when they say licorice, it is licorice root and not the candy they sell in stores. (I actually went out and bought licorice strips to see if it would help =) )
I know when I was on Voltaren for my AS I frequently had reflux while I was sleeping and I would wake up choking. It didn't seem to matter how long before bed I ate. I found staying away from beef also helped me. Fish and chicken seem to digest more quickly.
I hope you find something helpful in this. All the best.

Angus

No one said life would be easy, just worth it.

Hugh I had that problem for many years. I would travel with work and found myself in motels 3 or 4 nights a week. Because the stand chair they would put in motel rooms would be uncomfortable to sit it I would lie down early and watch TV. I have found out by requesting a room with a soft type chair --recliner or coach or easy chair I could sit up straight until bed time if I do have a problem I just move to the chair to sleep for a while. I also moved my dinner time to between 5 and 6 pm. This has helped greatly.

Dear Kristin:

According to Dr. Wallach, the veterinary profession found that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori was commonly responsible for stomach ulcers in pigs. About fifty years later, medical doctors decided that the same thing happens in humans.

The mechanism is not altogether well understood, but the H. pylori seems to invade existing lesions and exacerbate them into major ulcers, instead of actually causing them directly. This bacterium is probably one of those also responsible for a condition that can cause rapid precipitation of plaque in the aorta, resulting in stroke.

Although not one of the common "enterobacteriaceae," about 30% of the human population hosts this germ in some "pre-acute" quantity.

Instead of taking more 'drugs-to-counter-the-side-effects-of-drugs," I fasted for 17 days to get rid of my ulcers. I do not regret this, since they have not returned in the decade since, but I was not then aware--just like the doctors--that they were essentially kept active by some bacterial mechanism. Maybe the medical community will have the same late revelation regarding AS and K. pneumoniae! [As Steve Martin playing Theodoric of York would exclaim]...NAHhh!

By the way, one of the trace elements that seems to help expel the ulcer bug is bismuth; Pepto Bismal is a reasonable source. Tetracycline is the accepted treatment, and since it has bacteriostatic action against K. pneumoniae, can help stop the progression of GERD in AS sufferers. Cipro, however, (based upon real experience) is the best way to eliminate this condition altogether, and it does have strong action against the ulcer germ as well.

Best Regards,
John

Hi John,
Thanks for the info, it will take me a while to decigher it. Its not your spelling, I'm dyslexic, very dyslexic! so I appolagise now, I think most poeple now it is hard work reading my posts so that is why I try to keep them short. A post like yours will take me 3 or 4 reads to figure it out so you may here from me in about a month for some more info.
About Knock on affects, I'm sure sue from OZ is wright but I have always thought it was a rugby term, meaning when the ball is knocked forward.
Yes! I think Sue is right too!
Thanks again Hugh

This is a very interesting post Hugh and very relevant to myself personally. Thanks for the info John. I take losec and its improved the quality of my life considerably, I won't go into dull personal details about my acid problems, only to thank Hugh for bringing this subject up. I had no idea of the connection.( Nor did my doctor apparently!) Tim.

Most dogs have the Helicobacter pylon in their natural flora in mouth and intestines. I wonder if too close of contact with a pet can lead to stomach problems with ulcers. Doesn't seem to bother the dog though.

Good question Hugh

I had brutal problems with reflux. They have subsided greatly by doing a lot of the things already suggested. I also found red meat and dairy products were big problems and to be had in very small portions.

I didn't take it very serious since it was just another AS inconvenience, pretty much my notion of all my AS pains. Then I saw a news piece on the connection between esophageal cancer and reflux. It is a problem that I now pay attention to.

Thanks John for the info on myrrh , Swedish bitters. I know you've mentioned them before I just wasn't paying attention.


stevec-they also serve who stand and wait