Today is the 67th day since I weaned off Nexium.
It was really tough as the craving for Nexium was terrible. During the first 2 to 3 weeks, the reflux was terrible as the stomach was trying to adjust digestion without PPIs. It was haywire. I smelt a medicine smell exuding from my pores. I had withdrawal migraines. My mood was terrible as I was like a drug addict who went cold turkey. I had cold sweats. My palms were shaking. My mind was having a freak-storm. I was exhausted from fighting the withdrawal. If I remember correctly, I think this happened too when I weaned off Xyzal last year. But during these 67 days, all the horrible pain and severe acid reflux that I had been suffering since December slowly disappeared.
The cause of these 6 months of suffering was rebound-acid-reflux caused by Nexium! Instead of helping me with my GERD (which I thought I had), Nexium was destroying my gut system and caused it to become haywire.
During these 67 days I was off Nexium, as long as I maintained a low-FODMAP diet, I did not have any acid reflux (sometimes it was minimal). I have not had peace in my stomach (and PPI-free days) for such a long time. What Mr. Gastro said was 110% spot on. FODMAP caused IBS which mimicked GERD. By watching my diet and playing around with the FODMAP bucket (it's the same thing with salicylate), I could then live a life free of PPIs (and pain).
During this 67 days, the yellowness in both my palms (and at one time, my face) disappeared. I had thought I had jaundice at one point! I guess I was being poisoned by Nexium.
On days where I overloaded on FODMAP, the acid reflux/gassiness/heartburn would return. I would rinse my mouth and gargle with baking soda. Sometimes I needed to take Ranitidine/Zantac to help with the acid reflux. Once the IBS settled, the acid reflux and heartburn would be gone.
There were times where I had 1 whole week of peace and quiet! The severe pain in the upper, middle abdomen had even disappeared.
But as with foods with FODMAP, I am still learning the ropes as food with FODMAP contains prebiotics which help and promote the growth of probiotics (good bacteria). Food with FODMAP also helps with smooth digestion/pooping. I have to experiment (it's like learning how to balance food with salicylates all over again) the level of FODMAP my digestion is able to take before the bucket overflows which will trigger the cycle of IBS and then GERD all over again.
As I have been on PPIs for so many, many years, my digestion was affected. Absorption where vitamin B12 was not good at all. Thus, I started to take a vitamin B12 supplement. Dr. Yadav had advised me to do so too last year as he said that as we age, vitamin B absorption is not as good as when we were young. Plus, I have been on PPIs for such a long time. Imagine my levels of absorption! I have been taking B12 (Metylcobal) since mid-April. I started with one tablet a day at first. And then as the weeks went by with no reactions to it, I slowly increased to two tablets a day. Currently, I am still on two tablets a day. The numbness, tingling and muscle weakness slowly went away. Sleep became more stable. I had more deep sleep, more quality sleep and became more refreshed, energised and did not have so much fatigue.
Click on HOW TO WEAN OFF PPIs AND WHY to read and understand more.
Click on LINK to read about how to wean off PPIs if you have GERD.
And if you do plan on weaning off PPIs, please consult your doctor/gastroenterologist before doing so!
Saturday, 30 June 2018
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
EpiPen (Latest News)
Currently there's still no news on the Epi-Pen stock other than the news about the shortage:
I was lucky enough to get mine from a doctor friend from Singapore as there is still no news about the pens over here in Malaysia.
If you're able to go over to Singapore, you might want to try getting your pens from there. Remember to bring along your doctor's letter and prescription letter.
 |
| The pens now come in twin pack. There's even a trainer pen that comes together with the pack. |
If you're able to go over to Singapore, you might want to try getting your pens from there. Remember to bring along your doctor's letter and prescription letter.
Monday, 25 June 2018
Shit Happened (Part 6)
I had to fast for the blood tests and was off Nexium for two days. I had tried numerous times to wean off Nexium but it had always failed. I did the cutting-the-dose-down slowly but yet I still could not wean off it. (The same thing happened with Xyzal!)
This time after two days, the gum swelling and teeth pain disappeared. Not only that, my mouth and throat burning was gone! I was always tasting blood. The every morning and everyday reflux cough where I had loads and loads of sputum/phlegm disappeared too. This was the first time I had a breakthrough since god-knows-when. I can't even remember. I decided to persevere. I had to. Nexium/PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) had weakened my stomach to the point that many food which I could eat were now giving me problems. I get stomach upset/diarrhoea/stomach problems so very easily. It became a every month affair. And then it progressed to a few times a month. My stomach was never like this.
I made a small bottle (approximately 500ml) of baking soda plus water to rinse my mouth and also to gargle with consistently throughout the whole day. This was to protect the teeth, gums and throat from the acid reflux that was coming up to the mouth. I sipped the water once or twice when it got a little too acidic. As baking soda is high in salt, people with kidney problems and on a diet with strictly-limited salt should consult their doctors before drinking this. Too much of baking soda water can also cause diarrhoea! Click on LINK to read about the side effects of baking soda.
I restricted my food to really bland and steamed food. I adhered to the low FODMAP diet in order to not trigger the IBS as IBS mimics acid reflux for me. I ate so frequently to the point that I became afraid of food. But things slowly improved.
Day 4 was bad as every fibre and atom in my body were screaming for Nexium! But I could persevere on as I had been through this before while weaning off Xyzal. I knew how bad a withdrawal from a drug could get. I was much more prepared than I was when I was weaning off Xyzal.
I started to develope a withdrawal headache. But I knew this would be part of the process. I trudged on.
And then Day 6 came. Hell arrived and I could have spat acid out from my mouth and wherever the spittle would have landed, it would have melted whatever it was. By evening, I took one Zantac/Ranitidine which is a H2 Receptor Blocker. People who try to wean of PPIs gradually and slowly usually downgrade to H2 before slowly weaning of the H2. My gastroenterologist adviced me to do so.
To understand the difference between PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) and H2s (which is actually a histamine blocker) and how they function, click on LINK.
Also click on LINK to view on the difference between a PPI, a H2 and an anti-acid.
Ranitidine worked within 1/2 an hour and I felt such GREAT RELIEF! Oddly, a very mild version of the reflux cough returned.
P.s.: My blood test results came back fantastic. Everything was fine.
.... to be continued
This time after two days, the gum swelling and teeth pain disappeared. Not only that, my mouth and throat burning was gone! I was always tasting blood. The every morning and everyday reflux cough where I had loads and loads of sputum/phlegm disappeared too. This was the first time I had a breakthrough since god-knows-when. I can't even remember. I decided to persevere. I had to. Nexium/PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) had weakened my stomach to the point that many food which I could eat were now giving me problems. I get stomach upset/diarrhoea/stomach problems so very easily. It became a every month affair. And then it progressed to a few times a month. My stomach was never like this.
I made a small bottle (approximately 500ml) of baking soda plus water to rinse my mouth and also to gargle with consistently throughout the whole day. This was to protect the teeth, gums and throat from the acid reflux that was coming up to the mouth. I sipped the water once or twice when it got a little too acidic. As baking soda is high in salt, people with kidney problems and on a diet with strictly-limited salt should consult their doctors before drinking this. Too much of baking soda water can also cause diarrhoea! Click on LINK to read about the side effects of baking soda.
I restricted my food to really bland and steamed food. I adhered to the low FODMAP diet in order to not trigger the IBS as IBS mimics acid reflux for me. I ate so frequently to the point that I became afraid of food. But things slowly improved.
Day 4 was bad as every fibre and atom in my body were screaming for Nexium! But I could persevere on as I had been through this before while weaning off Xyzal. I knew how bad a withdrawal from a drug could get. I was much more prepared than I was when I was weaning off Xyzal.
I started to develope a withdrawal headache. But I knew this would be part of the process. I trudged on.
And then Day 6 came. Hell arrived and I could have spat acid out from my mouth and wherever the spittle would have landed, it would have melted whatever it was. By evening, I took one Zantac/Ranitidine which is a H2 Receptor Blocker. People who try to wean of PPIs gradually and slowly usually downgrade to H2 before slowly weaning of the H2. My gastroenterologist adviced me to do so.
To understand the difference between PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) and H2s (which is actually a histamine blocker) and how they function, click on LINK.
Also click on LINK to view on the difference between a PPI, a H2 and an anti-acid.
Ranitidine worked within 1/2 an hour and I felt such GREAT RELIEF! Oddly, a very mild version of the reflux cough returned.
P.s.: My blood test results came back fantastic. Everything was fine.
.... to be continued
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Shit Happened (Part 5)
The peace and quiet in the stomach did not last long at all.
It came back with vengeance. The reflux cough came back. The rusty phlegm came back. I could taste blood in my mouth. The pain in the gums and teeth came back. The burning sensation in my mouth and throat came back. I started regurgitating food back up again! I could taste acid 24/7.
I felt so down trodden. Life was being really unfair to me. I felt that I was not being given an opportunity by Life to be pain-free. I was really exhausted, perplexed and thoughts of throwing in the towel flooded my mind constantly. I was so, so very tired. I was drained.
I kept going through my food diary to see what I was doing wrong. Was it the Hong Kong choy sum which I was buying? Hong Kong choy sum is notorious for pesticides. I stopped eating that. Weeks went by but the pain and the symptoms still persisted. Mr. Gastro did say that if the pain returned, I was to take a Tramadol to ease the pain. I refused to take Tramadol unless it is absolutely necessary as that's the only pain-relief medication which I have. I don't have any other options.
I stopped all dairy. No more lactose-free milk or butter. The pain still persisted.
Could it be the grapes? I stopped the grapes. Went back to only 2 cubes of papaya and bananas as fruits. And yet the pain persisted.
Maybe it needed time. Time came, went and left and yet I was still stuck in pain.
And then things got worse. I started to have muscle weakness, tremors, bad muscle cramps in the leg, twitching which lasted the whole day, frequent palpitations and severe hunger pangs.
Have I become diabetic somehow? Was it Parkinson's? What if it was my thyroid? It also could be the peri-menopause stage that I am currently in.
I went to see my ENT to get my thyroid checked out. He decided to run a full range of blood tests...
It came back with vengeance. The reflux cough came back. The rusty phlegm came back. I could taste blood in my mouth. The pain in the gums and teeth came back. The burning sensation in my mouth and throat came back. I started regurgitating food back up again! I could taste acid 24/7.
I felt so down trodden. Life was being really unfair to me. I felt that I was not being given an opportunity by Life to be pain-free. I was really exhausted, perplexed and thoughts of throwing in the towel flooded my mind constantly. I was so, so very tired. I was drained.
I kept going through my food diary to see what I was doing wrong. Was it the Hong Kong choy sum which I was buying? Hong Kong choy sum is notorious for pesticides. I stopped eating that. Weeks went by but the pain and the symptoms still persisted. Mr. Gastro did say that if the pain returned, I was to take a Tramadol to ease the pain. I refused to take Tramadol unless it is absolutely necessary as that's the only pain-relief medication which I have. I don't have any other options.
I stopped all dairy. No more lactose-free milk or butter. The pain still persisted.
Could it be the grapes? I stopped the grapes. Went back to only 2 cubes of papaya and bananas as fruits. And yet the pain persisted.
Maybe it needed time. Time came, went and left and yet I was still stuck in pain.
And then things got worse. I started to have muscle weakness, tremors, bad muscle cramps in the leg, twitching which lasted the whole day, frequent palpitations and severe hunger pangs.
Have I become diabetic somehow? Was it Parkinson's? What if it was my thyroid? It also could be the peri-menopause stage that I am currently in.
I went to see my ENT to get my thyroid checked out. He decided to run a full range of blood tests...
Friday, 15 June 2018
Shit Happened! (Part 4)
After one month of keeping a food diary, I came to the conclusion that I was somehow reacting to potatoes and iodated salt ever since I had the horrible episode with the rice bran oil. Every time I ate iodated salt, my teeth would hurt and my gums would swell to the point I couldn't bite or chew. After a few days of stopping, the swelling and pain would disappear.
It was the same with potatoes. My teeth would hurt and the gums would swell. The pain in the upper abdomen would 'magically appear' one day after consuming potatoes.
But I still had the pain in the upper abdomen.....
I had gone for a long vacation in March and though the pain was ever present in the upper abdomen, it was manageable. While we were away, our place experienced a water crisis. It came to a point that many of the reservoirs were completely dried.
A few hours after we arrived home, Joel said that the water tasted funny. By then, we had drank quite an amount of water. The 3 of us had some stomach issues the next day. I started having food poisoning symptoms the very night itself. I had it the worst. I went to see a doctor who had worked at the ER of the hospital near my place. He said since the water crisis, he had lots of patients who had diarrhoea and stomach issues. One of his patient even had rashes all over the body. And that was the first time she ever had a rash outbreak in such magnitude. And it happened immediately after she showered. Imagine how awful the water at reservoirs would be when the water had returned. The mud and algae and whatever that was at the bottom being stirred up and sloshed around......
A week after that I had a follow-up with Mr. Gastro again. I told him of what I went through and he suggested for me to do a stool sample. And I was to continue to keep the food diary.
My stool results came back perfect. No parasites, bacteria, virus or yeast infections. My stools were perfect! And the pain in my upper abdomen was gone too. I had stopped eating gluten once again....
Mr. Gastro told me to do the FODMAP challenge where gluten was concerned and to observe how much wheat I am able to take before my stomach started to give me trouble again. I said things are just too quiet to re-introduce and that I would like to have a longer period of peace and quiet before attempting to re-introduce anything as my stomach problems had plagued me since December.
Peace and quiet in the gut is hard to come by for people with IBS and GERD. Treasure it when it happens.
But then again, Life loves to screw us up, front, back and centre.....
It was the same with potatoes. My teeth would hurt and the gums would swell. The pain in the upper abdomen would 'magically appear' one day after consuming potatoes.
But I still had the pain in the upper abdomen.....
I had gone for a long vacation in March and though the pain was ever present in the upper abdomen, it was manageable. While we were away, our place experienced a water crisis. It came to a point that many of the reservoirs were completely dried.
A few hours after we arrived home, Joel said that the water tasted funny. By then, we had drank quite an amount of water. The 3 of us had some stomach issues the next day. I started having food poisoning symptoms the very night itself. I had it the worst. I went to see a doctor who had worked at the ER of the hospital near my place. He said since the water crisis, he had lots of patients who had diarrhoea and stomach issues. One of his patient even had rashes all over the body. And that was the first time she ever had a rash outbreak in such magnitude. And it happened immediately after she showered. Imagine how awful the water at reservoirs would be when the water had returned. The mud and algae and whatever that was at the bottom being stirred up and sloshed around......
A week after that I had a follow-up with Mr. Gastro again. I told him of what I went through and he suggested for me to do a stool sample. And I was to continue to keep the food diary.
My stool results came back perfect. No parasites, bacteria, virus or yeast infections. My stools were perfect! And the pain in my upper abdomen was gone too. I had stopped eating gluten once again....
Mr. Gastro told me to do the FODMAP challenge where gluten was concerned and to observe how much wheat I am able to take before my stomach started to give me trouble again. I said things are just too quiet to re-introduce and that I would like to have a longer period of peace and quiet before attempting to re-introduce anything as my stomach problems had plagued me since December.
Peace and quiet in the gut is hard to come by for people with IBS and GERD. Treasure it when it happens.
But then again, Life loves to screw us up, front, back and centre.....
Sunday, 10 June 2018
Shit Happened! (Part 3)
I saw Mr. Gastro and he was in a conundrum to whether I should be scoped. I like Mr. Gastro as he doesn't scope for no reason. If it can be avoided, he would avoid it. He was unlike Dr. Rockstar who scoped so frequently for every single discomfort and pain.
But in the end, he decided to do an endoscopy as he wanted to get to the bottom of this.
I fasted as usual and requested to be anesthetic-free (as usual too).
He was thorough and "so extremely slllllllooooooow" with the scope being inside of me as he wanted to take a good look on the inside. He also took many biopsies of my esophagus.
Once the scope was done, I was wheeled out to the resting area. Mr. Gastro said what he saw on the insides of me did not match the level of the pain and intensity of the pain which I had described to him. He was very perplexed. I did not have ulcers. My duodenum which had caused me reflux 20 years ago was no longer sluggish. My stomach had no ulcers and tears. I had no esophagitis.
He had two theories: I had a 'nut-cracker-esophagus-syndrome' OR 'eosinophilic esophagitis'. The 'nut-cracker-esophagus-syndrome' causes sudden crunching pain like a nut cracker. 'Eosinophilic esophagitis' is the esophagus having allergic reactions to certain food. That was why he took many biopsies of my esophagus from top to bottom. If a type of white blood cell called "eosinophils" are found in the esophagus, then it confirms his second theory. The "eosinophils" do not belong in the esophagus.
He gave me Adalat to stop the severe crunching pain in my esophagus. He also placed me on Nexium 40mg twice a day. I was instructed to keep a food diary.
I fell into the abyss of depression.
I went back to see him a week later and the results were all negative. I did not have an allergic esophagus.
Still the pain persisted. The burning sensations in the mouth and throat.
I was placed on Nexium 40mg twice a day and Adalat for one month.
I sank further into the abyss....
But in the end, he decided to do an endoscopy as he wanted to get to the bottom of this.
I fasted as usual and requested to be anesthetic-free (as usual too).
He was thorough and "so extremely slllllllooooooow" with the scope being inside of me as he wanted to take a good look on the inside. He also took many biopsies of my esophagus.
Once the scope was done, I was wheeled out to the resting area. Mr. Gastro said what he saw on the insides of me did not match the level of the pain and intensity of the pain which I had described to him. He was very perplexed. I did not have ulcers. My duodenum which had caused me reflux 20 years ago was no longer sluggish. My stomach had no ulcers and tears. I had no esophagitis.
He had two theories: I had a 'nut-cracker-esophagus-syndrome' OR 'eosinophilic esophagitis'. The 'nut-cracker-esophagus-syndrome' causes sudden crunching pain like a nut cracker. 'Eosinophilic esophagitis' is the esophagus having allergic reactions to certain food. That was why he took many biopsies of my esophagus from top to bottom. If a type of white blood cell called "eosinophils" are found in the esophagus, then it confirms his second theory. The "eosinophils" do not belong in the esophagus.
He gave me Adalat to stop the severe crunching pain in my esophagus. He also placed me on Nexium 40mg twice a day. I was instructed to keep a food diary.
I fell into the abyss of depression.
I went back to see him a week later and the results were all negative. I did not have an allergic esophagus.
Still the pain persisted. The burning sensations in the mouth and throat.
I was placed on Nexium 40mg twice a day and Adalat for one month.
I sank further into the abyss....
Tuesday, 5 June 2018
World Environment Day 2018
I'm sure by now almost everyone has heard of the term 'Planet Plastic'. Plastic waste has become a morbid disease in which our planet Earth is fighting. It seems to be a losing battle because plastic is so widely used and so easily thrown away.
Click on LINK to read about Planet Plastic.
*picture taken from HERE
Everywhere you go, you can see plastic litter being thrown away so carelessly. Plastic bags, takeaway food containers, coffee cups, water bottles, disposable spoons and forks and many more.
For many years, I segregated all disposable plastics in one bag to be collected by the garbage truck people when they came to collect the garbage. Unfortunately, many times, the garbage disposal guys either did not take it, tore open the plastic bags and took only certain plastics or just threw the whole bag along with all the other bags of waste.
Malaysia is still very far behind where recycling is concerned. There is no law in our state for separating waste either.
Since last year, I became of aware of the plastics that I dispose off. I've been making it a habit to not use so much plastic. My goal is to reduce my plastic waste to almost zero. It is certainly not easy as everything is either encased, kept, packed and wrapped (sometimes even double and triple wrapped). The organic vegetables are packed in plastic bags everywhere!
*picture taken from HERE
*picture taken from HERE
Here are some of the habits that I have adopted (some are still in progress):
1. No more using plastic straws/disposable cutleries.
2. Slowly progressing to soap bars/shampoo bars instead of bath gels/shampoos/conditioners (which are contained in plastic bottles).
3. Carry shopping bags during grocery shopping.
4. Use glass bottles/containers instead of plastic.
5. Carry own bottled water instead of buying bottled mineral water.
6. Slowly progressing to storing frozen food in reusable freezer containers instead of freezer bags.
7. Use reusable-washable cloth sanitary pads and panty shields.
8. No more using bath gels with microbeads.
9. Pack home cooked food in Thermos/reusable food containers during outings instead of plastic bags/disposable plastic containers.
10. Progressing at a good pace where not buying plastic things is concerned.
11. I give away old plastic containers (which I do not use anymore to people who need/use them). That way they don't end up in the landfill.
12. Buy food that are in glass jars instead of plastic containers/tins. (I'm sure you must be wondering don't I make my own food? Canned chickpeas are lower in FODMAP than cooking raw ones. I don't know why. But that is how it is. So I have to buy canned cooked chickpeas in order to not have a full blown IBS episode. I look for the ones sold in glass jars instead of the tins. Costs a bit more, but I wash and reuse the jars for salt, pepper, baking soda, baked nuts and etc.)
13. Bringing my own food containers out to 'tapao' (take-out) from food outlets for the guys.
You can click on this LINK to read about how this poor whale died from eating 80 plastic bags which is the result of mankind's excessive use/wastage of plastic bags.
Some of you may even think, "This doesn't affect me!". You're dead wrong. The sea-salt that you use has plastic in it!
Click on LINK to read about plastic being found in sea-salt from around the world. And if sea-salt has plastic, imagine the seafood you eat. Imagine how much plastic we are eating everyday.
PLASTIC IS JUNK FOOD FOR FISH
PLASTIC PARTICLES IN OUR DRINKING WATER
PLASTIC IN OUR FOOD
Let today be the day where you start being more environmentally conscious. Here's to a healthier planet Earth and a healthier YOU!
Good luck!
P.s.: And if you're already living a life of less-plastic, do share your tips!
Click on LINK to read about Planet Plastic.
*picture taken from HERE
 |
| *picture taken from HERE |
For many years, I segregated all disposable plastics in one bag to be collected by the garbage truck people when they came to collect the garbage. Unfortunately, many times, the garbage disposal guys either did not take it, tore open the plastic bags and took only certain plastics or just threw the whole bag along with all the other bags of waste.
Malaysia is still very far behind where recycling is concerned. There is no law in our state for separating waste either.
Since last year, I became of aware of the plastics that I dispose off. I've been making it a habit to not use so much plastic. My goal is to reduce my plastic waste to almost zero. It is certainly not easy as everything is either encased, kept, packed and wrapped (sometimes even double and triple wrapped). The organic vegetables are packed in plastic bags everywhere!
*picture taken from HERE
*picture taken from HERE
Here are some of the habits that I have adopted (some are still in progress):
1. No more using plastic straws/disposable cutleries.
2. Slowly progressing to soap bars/shampoo bars instead of bath gels/shampoos/conditioners (which are contained in plastic bottles).
3. Carry shopping bags during grocery shopping.
4. Use glass bottles/containers instead of plastic.
5. Carry own bottled water instead of buying bottled mineral water.
6. Slowly progressing to storing frozen food in reusable freezer containers instead of freezer bags.
7. Use reusable-washable cloth sanitary pads and panty shields.
8. No more using bath gels with microbeads.
9. Pack home cooked food in Thermos/reusable food containers during outings instead of plastic bags/disposable plastic containers.
10. Progressing at a good pace where not buying plastic things is concerned.
11. I give away old plastic containers (which I do not use anymore to people who need/use them). That way they don't end up in the landfill.
12. Buy food that are in glass jars instead of plastic containers/tins. (I'm sure you must be wondering don't I make my own food? Canned chickpeas are lower in FODMAP than cooking raw ones. I don't know why. But that is how it is. So I have to buy canned cooked chickpeas in order to not have a full blown IBS episode. I look for the ones sold in glass jars instead of the tins. Costs a bit more, but I wash and reuse the jars for salt, pepper, baking soda, baked nuts and etc.)
13. Bringing my own food containers out to 'tapao' (take-out) from food outlets for the guys.
You can click on this LINK to read about how this poor whale died from eating 80 plastic bags which is the result of mankind's excessive use/wastage of plastic bags.
Some of you may even think, "This doesn't affect me!". You're dead wrong. The sea-salt that you use has plastic in it!
Click on LINK to read about plastic being found in sea-salt from around the world. And if sea-salt has plastic, imagine the seafood you eat. Imagine how much plastic we are eating everyday.
PLASTIC IS JUNK FOOD FOR FISH
PLASTIC PARTICLES IN OUR DRINKING WATER
PLASTIC IN OUR FOOD
Let today be the day where you start being more environmentally conscious. Here's to a healthier planet Earth and a healthier YOU!
Good luck!
P.s.: And if you're already living a life of less-plastic, do share your tips!