I am desperate for some advice - PLEASE!

[hanabell0421]

I was diagnosed in Oct 2007 with IC. I have Hunner's ulcers. One of the things beside the DMSO treatments and the whole leaf aloe vera I am taking which really seems to be helping is I was told to try Prelief. Well, I was popping 2 tablets before every meal just to be on the safe side as well as totally changing my diet. In the last three weeks I have noticed considerable difference in my stools. Let me also mention I am on prevacid for about a year due to reflux issues. I ran out of my prevacid and did not refill it. The last couple of days I have had stomach issues (burning) but also like I mentioned the stools I pass seem to have food that is not digesting. A gal at the herb shop I called suggested that maybe indeed I do not have enough stomach acid and that with taking the prelief and the tums that I take and etc and not eating acidic foods that maybe my body is suffering from lack of stomach acid to digest my foods. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS HAPPEN???? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT. I am darned if you do, darned if you don't so to speak. I REALLY NEED HELP, PLEASE!

[leelee88]

I have never experienced this and I take prelief and tums often..

[OrlandoP]

The bottom line is, there are side effects to everything, even something as simple as Prelief. For me, they were far too constipating. Long term use of acid neutralizers have consequences, you can read about it more online. It's really unfortunate, but I've learned that there just isn't a med or supplement out there that doesn't have some side effects.

Even the aloe, if you read on it, can have long-term consequences. I finally turned a corner when I realized that so does living where I do, the water I drink, and lots of other things I can't control. Right now, it's about getting the pain under control.

That said, why are you so concerned about undigested foods in your stool? It could also simply mean that things are moving a lot faster...in the big scheme of things that can go wrong with these drugs, this one seems like one you could probably relax on...at least for now.

[ICNDonna]

I think it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about this.

Donna

[stef000]

I have had it since an ulcer about 9 years ago or something and i have just stayed on the proton pump inhibitors since they are the only thing that i don't react badly to.....and yes your stomach gets, in a sense, addicted to it and then therefore puts you in a reflux withdrawal either giving you too much acid or not enough but making things bad for you.....
I learned this a couple years ago(there was a thing on tv with a local doc using them and then getting off of them and he went through 3 months of hell before getting back to normal)
I am so sorry you have this problem....
I have just accepted them as being a permanent thing in my life since i am way worse without them......
There are digestive enzymes that have more 'acid' in them that can help you out.....look out for betaine hydrochloride....
That is what ya want if there isn't enough acid in your stomach and if there is too much then you should try eating natural licorice the deglycyrrhizinated kind......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deglycyrrhizinated_licorice
But if you want to avoid the prescription stuff then i would say go to a naturapath and talk to them about this stuff.....
Digestive enzymes are very very good....
They are pretty much of a muchness though......
They all have different formulations-----i have through trial and error you can find the right one better for you.....
i hope this helps in a small lil way.....
sorry you got into the bad stomach realm but i hope you get out of it soon.....
i really hope you get some relief.....
take care
:hi:

[hanabell0421]

well this gal at the herb shop that I talked to wanted me to ingest vinegar to prove that I had to little stomach acid versus too much. I had an upper GI last year and my Gastro dr. put me on the prevacid. Last night I finally took some baking soda mixed in water and it helped so that really tells me if I know what I am talking about that I had too much stomach acid in my gut, right?

I started back with the prevacid this morning!

[stef000]

The stomach is a weird thing....
Since i take the prescription pill and then a couple days later if i am having issues i take the betaine hydrochloride and then the next day gotta take the pill again.....
Its strange.....since sometimes i have less acid and sometimes too much....
I haven't really perfected a good way to test it....
All i can say that if you have a hard time burping and your food refluxes and/or liquid then you need more acid and if you have acid comin up then you have too much.....
Thats all i know how to figure out which my stomach is....
Digestive enzymes and ginger pills help me a lot.....
I swear i have the worst stomach.....i reflux just about everything....i have gotten to know which foods taste better when you have to taste it twice.....
I have had to scopes done and there isn't anything 'sinister' but i reflux all the time....and have 'morning' sickness every day(for 9 years)
So i know how hard it is to deal with the stomach stuff and the bladder stuff....
I would say that my stomach and more like around my urethra are the worst parts of my body.....
I have been living with the bad stomach longer so i know more tricks for that one......
Sorry got babbly.....
I hope this sorta helps ya.....
If you need any more tricks or anything like that just message me....
But yeah when you reflux just liquid and/or food then you need more acid and if you have acid comin up then you need less acid.....
Thats all i know how to tell what my stomach is doin at that time....
well take it easy and take care
:smile tee

[Bad Cat Beta]

There is a product called e cal from the **** company. May be a ggod subsitute. Their formula I can personally vouch for. I think this site also sells a prelief-like buffer in powder form. My #1 buffer has been Magnesium Oxide- powder as well as my main source of the mineral. A little bit really changes the PH quickly.

Hang in there!

Ed

[Bad Cat Beta]

Just caught some more of your message-on the bowel-HLC probiotics seem to be gentle on our kind. I'm on Tramadol too-do you experience constant muscle pain-like overdone excercised-induced pain? A lot of what you describe is reminding me of a current battle with severe acidosis.

[lisabar36]

Hi, I take prelief and tums and I don't ever have this problem. I don't know that I ever even heard that before. I would for sure talk to your doctor and not someone at at herb store. I by no means have nothing against people that work at herb stores but they are not doctors. I would be very cautious as to there advice. I would seek the advice of a GI doctor for that.