Severe reflux

[kristi14]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone else has suffered from severe reflux?

I started vomitting blood 2 wks ago after waking up with heartburn that got worse and worse. I went to hospital where i vomitted another 2 times, this was coffee ground coloured blood where the first vomit was bright red blood. I was admitted to the high dependancy unit because they were concerned i might bleed internally overnight, which i did. I had to have a blood transfusion early the next morning and spend 3 days on an IV med for the reflux.

2 wks later my stomach is not much better.

I am wondering if anyone else has suffered from this and if they did, did they get better or did it stay the same until they had the baby. I am also wondering if their reflux was so severe they had to have a ceasarian.

Thanks

[Zee]

Aww you poor love, I have bad reflux but nothing to write about compared to you.

[Rumpleteaser]

What you are describing is more than just reflux. You will have some sort of ulceration which would have been the source of the bleeding or some other medical condition. It would have it written on you discharge letter. Have you followed up with your GP yet?
Had you been suffering with much reflux before hand? or stomach pains? Were you taking anything for the reflux? What have they sent you home on?

[kristi14]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Charlotte- There is so much to what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. They suspected a mallory weiss tear or ulcers and sent me via ambulance to another hospital to have an endoscopy. But when they realised i was heavily pregnant they wouldnt do it and sent me back to my maternity hospital.

I spent 3 days on IV pantoprezole. Now i am on Omeprezole 40mg until i have the baby. I didnt have follow up with my GP, the maternity hospital i go to is looking after me. I had follow up with them on thursday and my OB said i have severe reflux disease which may or may not ease with giving birth.

Prior to this happening i had a bit of heartburn and reflux. I was on Ranitidine from 20 wks just taking 1 a day. I was needing 2 a day but was trying to battle through and just take 1 at night because that is when it is worst. I had to start taking 2 a day though. A couple of weeks later i went to bed fine, woke up the next morning with bad heartburn, took my morning ranitidine, the burning got worse and i ended up in hospital with what i said in the opening thread. I dont recall having any stomach pains prior to this but i am now.

My OB touched my stomach on thurs and it was tender, when i got up after she examined me i had stabbing and burning pains in my stomach on and off for the rest of thursday and friday. So i suspect there are ulcers in there.

Do you think this is likely to settle over the next 6 wks? Do you think i will be able to give birth naturally?

Sorry its long, its hard to explain it all in one sentence.

[Ozziehoffy]

Kristi, I am so sorry that I can't help you. Just wanted to give you though. That must just be awful to go through. I really feel for you and I hope that it just packs it's damn bags and buggers off for you!!! Hope you feel better soon hun.

[kristi14]

Hi,

Thanks Cass, thats very nice of you to say I really appreciate it

[Kazbah]

You poor thing, *hugs*. I hope all works out OK. I had what I thought was bad reflux, but now I realise it wasn't. I couldn't drink water without it causing reflux! the good thing with me was, however, as soon as the afterbirth was expelled, it sorted itself out. I could drink water! Lemonade! everything that wasn't milk!

good luck.

[Rumpleteaser]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Charlotte- There is so much to what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. They suspected a mallory weiss tear or ulcers and sent me via ambulance to another hospital to have an endoscopy. But when they realised i was heavily pregnant they wouldnt do it and sent me back to my maternity hospital.

I spent 3 days on IV pantoprezole. Now i am on Omeprezole 40mg until i have the baby. I didnt have follow up with my GP, the maternity hospital i go to is looking after me. I had follow up with them on thursday and my OB said i have severe reflux disease which may or may not ease with giving birth.

Prior to this happening i had a bit of heartburn and reflux. I was on Ranitidine from 20 wks just taking 1 a day. I was needing 2 a day but was trying to battle through and just take 1 at night because that is when it is worst. I had to start taking 2 a day though. A couple of weeks later i went to bed fine, woke up the next morning with bad heartburn, took my morning ranitidine, the burning got worse and i ended up in hospital with what i said in the opening thread. I dont recall having any stomach pains prior to this but i am now.

My OB touched my stomach on thurs and it was tender, when i got up after she examined me i had stabbing and burning pains in my stomach on and off for the rest of thursday and friday. So i suspect there are ulcers in there.

Do you think this is likely to settle over the next 6 wks? Do you think i will be able to give birth naturally?

Sorry its long, its hard to explain it all in one sentence.

Omezprazole is a better medication than Ranitidine, I hope it is giving you some relief. It sounds like the hospital is doing what they can for you. The Mallery weis tear can be assoc with excessive vomiting, Ulcers can be associated with a bacteria H-plyori.

If the blood you vomit is bright red, it is assoc with a bleed above the stomach, if it looks like coffee grounds it had been semi-digested, bleeding may have happened from above the stomach or in it. If you notice black poo the bleeding can be from the stomach and high intestine. Red blood in poo is bleeding from lower in the intestine. Keep an eye out for these symptoms and let your Dr know ASAP if you see them

I hope the treatment will settle everything down for you and you can have a natural birth.

I know you won't be taking anything like asprin etc... but medication like asprin and other anti-inflammatories can be corrosive to the stomach, so best to avoid taking these medications from now on. If you must take these meds make sure you take them with food.

[kristi14]

Kazbah- I wouldnt say your reflux wasnt bad at all. I know what you mean about not even being able to drink water, i cant either.

Charlotte- Thankyou for the info, it helps to learn more about it. When i vomitted the first time it was bright red blood, the vomits after that were coffee ground colour. I remember the OB testing my vomit for blood and he said "Thats blood alright and thats about as bad as it gets", this was in the coffee ground one.

I am finding the omeprazole is working well in that i dont have any burning acid. The reflux now seems to be daily, but without the burning. I am sleeping sitting up basically. And i am getting pains in my stomach and all the reflux symptoms and nausea, but not the burning, which makes it a little bit easier.

Thanks for the info on the meds like aspirin and anti inflammatories, i noticed my OB asking me the other day exactly what medications i am taking at the moment.

[LachiesMum]

I wish I could offer some help - sounds like you've had a hard time of things! I've had heartburn (and it's been severe enough to nearly vomit a couple of times) throughout my pregnancy although I experienced my first dose of reflux only a few days ago. My doctor thinks it was probably as a result of certain foods I'd eaten. The only way I was able to sleep that night was in a recliner - of course the end result of that was that I had a massive fluid build up in my ankles the next morning!