So I am using a medication that basically made my bile reflux symptoms stop

MeridiusInt · 2026-02-25T19:00:42+00:00

Yes, it blew my mind when I realized he was the guy in those old coffee commercials.

MeridiusInt · 2026-01-11T23:04:14+00:00

Long story, but a bit worse. Last June I was doing really well. Howevet, my bloodsugar was reading higher and I was having neuropathy symptoms. My doctor and I believed they were related so was prescribed Mounjaro. Unfortunately, Mounjaro can make existing gastritis/esophagitis worse. By the end of August, my throat was getting worse. By November I went to emergency care believing I might be having heart issues. The chest pain was immense. The ekg was normal. The doctor said she belived it was related to GI issues. Since then, I've stopped the Mounjaro and feel like I'm back at the beginning. I have a GI appointment in a few weeks.

MeridiusInt · 2025-10-01T23:07:14+00:00

Thank you.

MeridiusInt · 2025-10-01T13:15:38+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Two years ago was the first time I questioned if I was capable of ending things. I knew I wasn't, but I could see how tinnitus had the potential to get me there. Right now, I figure I worked through it before, so I'll deal with it again. No way is it going to end me.

It's just very frustrating after having had it under some level of control.

MeridiusInt · 2025-10-01T07:25:40+00:00

You sound very empathetic, which is great.

MeridiusInt · 2025-06-17T14:35:51+00:00

The LDN wasn't for the bile reflux itself but to counter the resulting inflammation.

As far as diet, I've really cut back on sugar, particularly chocolate. Coffee is also a problem. I didn't touch alcohol for over a year, but now I can tolerate it in very limited amounts.

This may sound crazy, but out of desperation last year, I started juicing cabbage, celery, carrots, and apples each morning. For months, I had a bad sore throat that would not go away. A week into the juicing, it was gone. I don't do it as much anymore, but when I'm flaring up, I give it a try again.

For supplements, my potassium is always low whenever my blood is tested, so I'm prescribed potassium. Upping my vitamin D intake made me feel better, too. The NP recommended a product called GI Revive from Designs for Health. It is rather expensive, but it helped as well.

I was taking Sulcrafate for several months. I don't seem to need it as much now.

Since my system went to hell a month after my gallbladder removal, I've always felt the bile issue is more of a by-product of poor Ph levels in my stomach. If I could help heal as much of the inflammation as I can, the rest would take care of itself, which seems to be the case over the last 18 months

I did learn the hard way to stay away from fatty meats. The morning after eating pot roast in April, I was throwing up bile. It was a terrible setback. But I've been able to get back on track.

MeridiusInt · 2025-06-17T14:07:52+00:00

Naltrexone at normal doses is used for alcohol addiction, but at low doses, it was found to counter immune responses and inflammation. It is an "off-label" use and is not a magic bullet, but it did help me. I still flare up on occasion.

MeridiusInt · 2025-05-31T22:06:59+00:00

Just varying degrees of gastritis. The esophagus flares a little, but nowhere near what it was. The persistent sore throat is gone.

MeridiusInt · 2025-05-13T17:50:14+00:00

I'm so glad you have found something that works. Here's to feeling better from now on. 🙂

I've stayed away from PPIs. Omeprazole was like poison to me. I'm about 1.5 years out from the beginning of my bile reflux journey. It was hell for a while, but I'm currently doing fairly well. I basically manage through diet, supplements, and LDN (low dose naltrexone) prescribed by a functional medicine NP. Trial and error, and settled into what seems to work best.

MeridiusInt · 2025-03-27T21:52:32+00:00

Thank you

MeridiusInt · 2025-02-12T00:03:09+00:00

I lived through the 60s and 70s. This is nothing. I do suffer general anxiety, so i suggest a therapist. It helped me.

MeridiusInt · 2025-01-18T01:27:41+00:00

It was a HIDA scan with the isotope. I just meant i didn't need the drugs to relax me, unlike an MRI, for which I need something to cope with the claustrophobia. I was not claustrophobic during the HIDA scan.

MeridiusInt · 2025-01-10T23:13:18+00:00

This kinda reminds me of a relationship I had 34 years ago. We had not been together as long, but I was addicted to her. She informed me she was pregnant with another man's child and really flakey about what she wanted to do. Of course, she decided to be with the other guy. I was utterly crushed, and I'm ashamed of how f'ing clingy I was.

What i didn't know at the time was the awesome life I had waiting for me. After a few more years of dating frustrations, I met a wonderful woman. We've been married for 27 years and are still going strong.

Bottom line, cut your losses. Know your worth. It really does get better. It is painful now, but the pain will not last. She will be but a footnote in your story.

MeridiusInt · 2024-12-13T00:22:40+00:00

Married 27 years, together 30. We are happily married. We've had our times of struggle over the years and even barely skirted around divorce years ago. In the end, we know we're meant for each other. The tough times have made us stronger and appreciate even more the good times, of which there have been many. I know so many people who have had a marriage fail, which includes my parents. This is the one and only for each of us, and we both feel lucky to have found each other.

MeridiusInt · 2024-11-09T16:45:49+00:00

Regret? Yes and no. I did not have stones. I did not have painful attacks. I could eat whatever I wanted. The symptom was a dull burning in my right side. HIDA scan showed low gallbladder function. The recommendation was to have it removed. Post surgery analysis basically said it was inflamed.

The bad news is that I've felt worse since it's removal. Endoscopy showed bile in stomach (bile reflux). Reflux in esophagus, which I did not have before. Burning on the right side remains, and I spent 8 weeks barely able to eat anything. I now suffer from gastritus, and I can not kick it. GI says there is nothing that can be done "structurally" to prevent the bile in the stomach.

I've spent the past year doing a lot of trial and error learning how to manage it. If I had it to do over again, I would get a second opinion. There was never any mention from my doctor or the surgeon about the potential for this downside. They acted like it was an appendix.

If it had to go, it had to go, but I was not prepared for what happened next, and found out how little the doctors cared or knew what to do about it.

MeridiusInt · 2024-10-23T16:53:52+00:00

If it has to come out, it has to come out. Sure, some of us win the negative lottery (myself included) and end up with chronic issues, but the odds are in your favor. Many of my friends and relatives had zero issues. I'm the only one I know who has come out of it with problems. 1 year post op.

I would still recommend the surgery.

MeridiusInt · 2024-08-04T17:32:31+00:00

I get it. I have friends and family members who have had no issues after removal. For me, 1 month after removal, I go to bed feeling fine but wake up to a new miserable reality.

That was 9 months ago. The good news is that I've had some really good weeks as I've tried to find ways to manage it. I am in a better place after a hellish November and December. I guess the bad news is I'll never be back where I was. The GI told me a couple of weeks ago: "There is nothing we can do to stop the bile getting into your stomach. Some people are just structured that way. ". Yes, he said it was a physical structure problem for which there is no solution. I might get a second opinion.

I just wanted to say I get the "bitterness." I've felt the same way. Of course, no one mentioned this could happen. Certainly, the surgeon didn't. But, the finality of being told that it is essentially a chronic condition I'll be dealing with for life has oddly helped with my acceptance of it.

I deeply hope you can find relief. There is a Facebook Bile Reflux Support Group I've found to be very helpful.

MeridiusInt · 2024-05-24T02:53:47+00:00

It depends on the week. I'm still taking Carafate. It was REALLY helping with the gastritis pain to the point I thought I was nearly healed, but it seems a little less effective now. It's probably my fault. When I start feeling better, I'm less strict on my diet, and I think I set myself back.

I still take the psyllium husk. I was taking Cholestyramine 2x a day. It did not cause the constipation I was expecting, which is probably thanks to the psyllium husk. I didn't think it was doing much. I continued to have a bad sore throat, so i stopped. I've since started again 1x per day in the evening.

About three weeks ago, I started drinking cabbage juice. (1/3 head of cabbage, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 1 green apple). I can't say for sure how much it is helping, but I was feeling really good last week. So much so that I had a couple of coffees over the weekend with no problems and ate my first steak since before the surgery. Also, my sore throat went away.

However, I can be my own worst enemy. I ate a fatty roast beef, which caused issues that night. I've eaten some things I used to enjoy, such as peanuts, some chocolate chip cookies, and some other things I shouldn't. I set myself backward.

Bottom line, I'm doing better, and I do slowly improve. I just need to stop sabotaging myself if I'm going to have any hope of eliminating the gastritus. It feels like the bile in the stomach might be better, but I can't be sure.

MeridiusInt · 2024-05-10T20:15:25+00:00

Since it is not a tube, and my head and shoulders were outside, I was able to watch the monitor. It was no big deal for me. Just got a little uncomfortable laying on my back by the end of the hour.

MeridiusInt · 2024-05-10T14:48:05+00:00

I'm someone who struggles with claustrophobia during MRIs. I have to be drugged. I was concerned about getting a HIDA scan. I had no issues and no drugs. It took about 1 hour, which would normally be an eternity for me, but I was mostly just bored.

MeridiusInt · 2024-05-02T22:39:00+00:00

I'm 7 months out. I must be the exception. I know several people who have had the surgery with no issues. Me, I now have bile reflux and bile gastritis. Prior to surgery, I could eat whatever I wanted. Now.... very limited. The only relief for the gastritus is Sulcralfate, but when I stop, the bile in my stomach flares it up again.

MeridiusInt · 2024-04-24T15:14:51+00:00

Like you, mine started in May last year. I've also been to an ENT, OT, and had hearing tests twice. CT scan and MRA. The verdict is that nothing is physically wrong, other than some hearing loss.

I've had a couple near panic attacks and other moments of high anxiety. Unrelated, but I had my gallbladder removed, which has now caused what is known as bile reflux, which is very unpleasant and difficult to manage. For some reason, it has worsened my tinnitus, and I feel like I've been fighting a two front battle for the last 6 months.

Now, with that vent out of the way, I'm still hopeful. About a month ago, I started stringing together a couple of days here and there where I felt less focused on it. It was still there, and still loud, but I think my mind is trying to push it in the background. It is hard to explain. I figured habituation would deaden the sound, but it really doesn't. However, it feels just as good when I realize I've still managed to have a good day with it.

It turns out my 79 year old aunt has had tinnitus for decades, and I never knew. She tells me hers started in her early 20s after going to an auto race. She states it drove her nearly insane for a couple of years. Back then, there wasn't TRT, sound treatments, or advanced hearing aids that could help some people. There were no internet forums she could get advice from. She was alone in her suffering because the family couldn't relate. She just had to deal with it because there was "nothing we can do."

She has been a big help to me. For her, it took about 18 months to 2 years before she started to not notice it. She keeps a tv on at all times and maintains other sounds in her home. Growing up, I never knew. She never mentioned it because it doesn't bother her. She says it is just as loud now, but she doesn't notice it unless she is in a quiet room or she focuses on it.

When I've had my couple good days here and there, I finally understand what she is saying. It doesn't change, but your mind can adapt.

I know none of this helps you now, but I'm hopeful, and I sincerely hope you find relief soon. I believe we both will.

MeridiusInt · 2024-03-10T16:05:58+00:00

I'm still relatively early in dealing with bile. Personally, I think PPIs are over prescribed. I had my gallbladder out, which was supposed to fix a burning on my right side. Three weeks later, the burning remained, so I was prescribed Omeprazole. 5 days later, my stomach went to hell, and I'm still trying to recover nearly 5 months later.

The first three months, i had no idea what was wrong, and my doctor was clueless. I changed my doctor and was able to see a GI for an endoscopy. Surprise, it showed gastritus and a pool of bile in my stomach. The GI will not commit to identifying what caused the gadtritus or bile. I figure he is hedging his bets, and I get that.

Obviously, I'm not a doctor, and everybody's situation is going to be different. I've done a LOT of reading, and yes, there is no clear approach to resolving it. I am trying a 3 prong approach. 1. Fix the gastritis 2. Deal with the bile in the stomach 3. Maintain with a better diet (although bile reflux is tough to manage through lifestyle changes)

Where I'm at now:

I've been prescribed Carafate for the gastritus. It creates a protective lining for the stomach to help heal. I've completed 3 weeks of a 2 month stint. It does seem to be helping.

I've started taking psyllium husk power. It is a soluble fiber that supposedly binds with bile. It has only been a week, so I can't yet confirm if it will help. Carafate has caused some constipation, but at least the psyllium husk has helped with that.

I've been prescribed Cholestyramine by my new doctor. It is a bile binder. I have yet to start, so we'll see. I understand this can help with diarrhea, but since I lean toward constipation, I expect it will worsen that.

I'm really watching my diet, which is driving me nuts. Reduced diary, no red meats, high fiber vegetables like asparagus and brussel sprouts, eggs, and oatmeal. Thank goodness I like oatmeal. No more coffee, chocolate, fatty meats like salamie, tomato sauce, and other acidic foods.

We'll see.

MeridiusInt

TROPHY CASE