Is there a cure for gastro reflux?

Question

I don't enjoy seeing my boyfriend eat pills for that and he doesn't seem to be getting well. He works 7 days a week at odd hours and obviously, the stress from work aggravates the problem.

Is there a permanent cure for this?

Answer 1

No, there is no cure. However, if the symptoms are bad enough that he has persistent and debilitating acid indigestion , he can have surgery. He could be a candidate for a fundoplication (Nissan Fundoplication) but only his doctor can make this decision. This is a last resort surgery so if your boyfriend's medications are providing no relief, he needs to see his doctor. It could be as simple as trying a different medication.

The surgery can be anywhere from 50-90% effective in relieving the symptoms of GERD. However, it can lead to new problems and further symptoms which medication will then not help...so it is a double edged sword. The surgery can also become undone.

On a side note, my youngest son was born 3 months premature and had constant pneumonia due to GE reflux. After a year, it was determined that a nissan fundoplication had to be done if there was ever any hopes of getting him off oxygen. It worked but one of the major post surgery effects is the inability to vomit. Imagine what that is like! Imagine having the flu and being unable to vomit...it prolongs your misery. At any rate, my son's fundoplication has slipped over the years (as shown in a follow up x-ray) but he is lucky because he is not having any GE reflux problems. My son had some major complications with his surgery but his procedure required a feeding tube via the abdominal wall due to his prematurity...this led to his complications. Surgery done on adults do not require the abdominal feeding tube so I will not go into what happened regarding this with my son.

Please have your boyfriend see his doctor to try different medications before resorting to the option of surgery. He should not suffer like he is doing and it is nuts not to seek further medical assistance. Sometimes, finding the right GERD medication takes time and practice. Everyone is different which is why there is more than one medication for treatment. Good luck!

Answer 2

The bad thing about those diseases is that if you let it go long enough it can cause lesions on the esophagus, causing cancer. Which, I would say, can be fatal. Nexium heals erosions on the esophagus as well as prevents them. Other acid reducers, to the best of my knowledge, only prevent the acidity. Really, you can take over th counter meds, or drink alot of milk to alleviate the pain and burning but does it really work? No. You should get a prescription and get in under control otherwise it will control you.