Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Hi,

Has anyone tried Rabeprazole?

I have been prescribed a long dose to follow the current mix of Klacid / Probitor / Amoxicillin that I am now on. This combination of drugs is supposed to cure H.Pylori which I tested positive for but really all it has done is cause diarrhea.. so I took more probiotics to cure that..

Anyway interested to know if anyone tried Rabeprazole as i'll be starting that soon.

Deebas,

For how long are u supposed to be taking these medicines?
I have taken Rabeprazole ( Pariet) not as a part of h.p therapy, but as a ppi.

Appt. at Gastro. Dr. set for Nov.17th (first with Physician's assistant)... I hope he can discover something!
I will keep you updated.
Thanks!

Yay Mindy!
Iva, I am going to see the surgeon later today. I will let you know what comes of it.
I get more and more convinced each day that the bile is the real problem for me so I will likely end up doing both surgeries. My stomach has been giving me TONS of problems in the past few days. It just won't shut up...I feel like I have an alien living in there. It's embarrassing....
I read that removing the gallbladder causes the bile to become more concentrated...like 6 times more concentrated. Geez, no wonder why the taste/smell got so much worse after removing it 5 years ago! The doctor thinks I had bile reflux all along though, and removing the gallbladder just made it worse.
Atleast the Nissen should stop the acid...
My doctor was amazed that after going untreated for so long that I didn't have Barretts. I think that the bile might have actually saved me from that. Bile is alkaline so I think it may have neutralized the acid just enough to keep my esophagus from getting cancer. Weird, huh? I guess in that sense I am glad I refluxed both.
My cousin just had a procedure where they had to burn his esophagus. He was diagnosed with Barretts 8 years ago and had the Nissen done then. It stopped his reflux but since he already had Barretts it has now developed into cancer. They are trying this procedure and if it doesn't work they will have to remove his esophagus. Scary!

Deebas,

I have never tried those drugs. I tested negative for H. Pylori...

I think the drugs were split into curing H.Pylori which was the first batch of Klacid / Probitor / Amoxicillin for 7 days followed by the ppi drug Rabeprazole ( Pariet) which I have a script for 5 months usage.

Did Pariet help your BB Iva?

iva wrote:Hi, bbforyears

I can relate to what you are saying about being mostly cured. I also have bad days but I would say much better. The main problem with me is mostly psychological now too. Being in my own private hell for so long has definitely changed me as well. I do not know if I shall ever overcome these psychological issues.
Nissen fundoplication was not an option for me because it hid too many risks that I was not willing to take. Forums are full of terrifying posts of people with failed Nissen fundos. With my Esophyx procedure the worse thing that may happen is not to work, while a failed Nissen is a far more complicated thing. And it is done laparoscopically while the Esophyx is done endoscopically which is safer and gives a better result.
I have never discussed my bad breath in such details with anyone and I have always wondered what it smells like. What I know is that the licking of the dorsum of the hand smells like vomit to me.

I had nissen fundoplication and the dr. just about killed me. I ended up in ICU on a ventilator for a few days. They collapsed one of my lungs. I would NEVER suggest this to anyone. It was a horrible experience and I still have massive reflux.

Susie

bbfor years,
Does carafate have alot of side effects? How many times do you have to take it a day and what size is the pill?

Thanks for your info.
Susie

Bbforyears,

good luck today! keep us posted..I am surprised that u tested negative for h.p, I always thought that was the major reason for gastritis and reflux. Do u have any idea what causes the unpleasant feeling in ur stomach?

Deebas,

Pariet didn`t help me with the reflux, but actually only Nexium helps me for the bad taste in the mouth. Good luck with the therapy!

Well, Monday's appt didn't go so well. Arrrggg! Sometimes I just want to bang my head against a wall!
I am seeing a different surgeon tomorrow. The surgeon I saw on Monday is baffled by my manotry from the PH monitoring. It showed elevated pressures between my distal and proximal esophagus. So they are thinking I have a problem with my esophagus. Specifically, they think I have "nutcracker" esophagus.
I've researched that condition and I honestly don't think that I have it. The 2 major symptoms are chest pain so severe that you think you are having a heart attack and difficulty swallowing (which I do have on OCCASION, but not all the time). I think I just have spasms as a result of acid/bile reflux.
The surgeon I went to doesn't think I would benefit from the Nissen. He said he only takes cases which are a sure thing.
God, why can't I have typical gerd??? It would be so much easier -- this bile/acid LPR crap sucks. The surgeon I went to has never even heard of LPR! It's sad when I know more about stuff than doctors do! I'm tired of having to "educate" them!
Susie, the only side effect I've experienced with Carafate is constipation...which for me was a welcome change from the chronic diarrhea. Other than that I feel pretty good on it.

Iva,
Believe me....I was surprised when I tested negative for H. Pylori too! I wonder if I did have it before but it was killed off prior to my test. I had been on Nexium and antibiotics for a while when I was tested. I had the blood test and a biopsy when they did my endoscopy. Both were negative.
My stomach is always upset. I have a great deal of spasms in my stomach which I think is what propels the acid and bile up....and apparently I have spasms in my esophagus too....
I spent a great number of my early 20's in constant stress mode...I had panic attacks from the age of 19 to 22. I am a worrywart by nature too. I really do think this has caused my stomach issues and reflux. And then of course when I got the stomach issues and reflux I was even MORE anxious so I was stuck in this vicious cycle....
Even as a child I would worry about the stupidest stuff...and then when I started having children I would constantly worry about their health and safety. I would literally sleep with my hand on their backs to make sure they were breathing....write down every feeding and bowel movement..crazy....I know I have a bit of OCD in me...
I am at a place in my life where I don't worry about insignificant stuff anymore but am paying the price for all those years of stress!

Bbforyears,

I am sorry your situation is so complicated! I also think the combination of a big stress and h.p caused my stomach problems. And I am not sure if any anti-stress techniques and medicines would help your stomach get back to normal.
Are u sure your h.p test was not influenced by the antibiotics u were taking at that time? How many time have u been tested for h.p?

From what I read about the nutcracker esophagus the treatment includes relaxation of the LES while u want to tighten it with the Nissen?
I do not understand how the nutcracker esophagus causes LPR?

I agree with u that doctors do not know about many conditions.But if u are asking a gastro about LPR, u are barking at the wrong tree. An ENT may know about it.

Hello all!

I really like my new surgeon. He agrees that I don't have nutcracker esophagus. I don't have a problem with chest pain or food getting stuck in my esophagus. I told him I have difficulty swallowing on occasions but it is my throat inflammation that is the problem, not my esophagus.

You are right, nutcracker esophagus requires relaxing the LES. That is why I am so adamantly opposed to that diagnosis. My LES is already loose.....I certainly don't want it even looser!

I had my PH test done at a different hospital than where this surgeon is. He wants to review the entire study from my procedure. He said sometimes when they can't explain something....like the high pressures between my distal and proximal they just slap a nutcracker diagnosis on it. He said he sees it all the time...

This new surgeon really seems to know what he's doing. Before I even told him anything he said "You are showing a high number of reflux at the proximal...I bet you have a lot of throat problems." I was like Yes!!! Finally a doctor/surgeon who "gets it". He knows what LPR is!

I have a gastric emptying study scheduled for Monday and another Endoscopy scheduled for Tuesday. He wants to take a look for himself at my esophagus.

I have the choice between the Lap Nissen and the Esophex (sp). He said the recovery times are the same and are basically the same procedure except the latter is done via the esophagus. I am still pondering over which one to do.

Iva, I had a blood test for H pylori about a month after starting the PPI's. I had also been on 3 rounds of antibiotics for a severe sinus infection. My Endoscopy was in June-- I had been on PPI's for several months at that point. They did a biopsy for H. Pylori. Again, it was negative.

Hi, thanks for your posts!

Honestly, if I changed the dates and characters, it's something I could've written myself. I'm completely serious and was amazed at reading.

That's too bad about the "dentists" and the "special" "rinses", since a dentist can rule out practically on the spot whether the bad breath is even originating in the mouth.

I am seeing a GI and Resp doctor soon, might actually reference your posts to reinforce the idea I'm not crazy or making this up, and just got a prescription for a proton pump inhibitor from my GP. She organized an endoscopy for me, so I'm just waiting for the appointment.

Saw ENT ages ago, she did indirect laryngoscopy with a mirror and noticed no inflammation of throat or vocal cords, but the situation has since changed.

This has been going on nearly a year now with me, starting seemingly suddenly and worsening over time, from throat discomfort to irritation to chronic pain to chronic burning pain affecting, also now, the base of my tongue. Though seriously, I'm starting to confuse myself with what I actually feel at this stage. It even feels like the air itself in my throat is thick and hot.
I too, can smell myself, and in certain moments, worse. The smell seems interspersed occassionally with what seems like (not all at once)...a vomity-smell, a sulfuric odor, a rotting meat odor, sickly sweet odor (no diabetes or abnormal bloods, deficiencies, hormones, etc.. had them all checked), and a smell from the tongue, which is different.

As far as mucus goes, for the past two-odd months, I can't say I've been spitting them up, they just seem to migrate up out of the throat (I assume) and then I quickly/reflexively swallow them. If I make an effort I can spit them out, they are clear and odorless. Sometimes- and I'm not making this up- they seem to be shooting up. They come up fast, without coughing or warning, several times per day.

Other symptoms I have

Pain- Seems better in the morning after waking, worsens throughout the course of the day, this is in the throat/esophagus/tongue(now). For practically the whole time I thought the pain was originating in the throat but maybe it was the esophagus all along, it's actually hard to tell.

Eating- (forced) coughing, sputtering, the occasional burp, central sternal pain after eating, seems like a tightness/pushing sensation.

Other people's opinions- Partner of four years says he has not noticed anything over the past year, nor has he noted any smell at any time during our relationship. I have concluded he is either lying to me, his sense of smell is defective, or he has habituated somehow, or, and this just occurred to me, maybe he also has bad breath which I can't smell!

My (other) Doctor- I was finishing up some anti-fungal meds when I went to her, she noted no halitosis, just a slight smell with her nose practically in my mouth and me breathing slowly and deeply- BUT I could smell it myself strongly, so was very surprised she didn't. I considered maybe she was lying but what would be the point of that- although I was reading on the post that some people feel doctors (medical doctors or dentists, i don't know...) tell them it's all in their head when they can't find a cure. Who knows.

Others- Some people seem (in my mind) to react to it, while others insist on standing practically nose to nose and don't seem to notice anything. This leads me to believe, as you noted, some people either genuinely can't smell and other people can, or that it's better at certain times and worse at others. Or that the people are being polite because it's rude to back away from someone when they start speaking to you!

One enlarged lymph node on neck, was told not to worry about it but it's been there for months now.

Tongue-
Was a little white in the back, and was treated for a fungal infection initally since I had recently finished a course of antibiotics for something else at the onset of this whole thing. The whiteness went away...then returned much later, this time coating the entire tongue, and it, too, had an odor. It's been treated now and seems to be clearing

Teeth!!

Something which occurred to me the other day-
I noticed coffee staining on the backs of my (lower)teeth last year, something which I have never noticed despite drinking coffee for years. I had the teeth cleaned. The stains reappeared some time later. This year I went for my annual cleaning, and they reappeared within a few days. Especially around the base of the teeth.
I wonder if some sort of erosion is going on...

Well, this all seems to be leading in one direction, the upper GI camera test should confirm this, as well as the whole PH monitoring thing.

If not, fine, we'll look elsewhere; the pain and smell are driving me nuts, and they are not just coming from nowhere, and, as you know, could signify something worse.

It's embarrassing too, and whatever, but if something more sinister is going on, embarrassment will be the least of my problems!

Thanks again for your excellent post!!

bbforyears

I`m so happy for u! I hope this surgeons helps u since he seems to know what he`s talking about. Curious to know the results from the endoscopy and the gastric emptying test...
Did the docttor have any iddea what might have caused the reflux?

Sorethroat,

have u been taking any ppi, do u have an appt for endoscopy?