GERD and Autism

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I’ve been suffering with GERD for a couple years now. Thing is, nothing short of fasting helps (doesn’t bother me if I go to sleep on an empty stomach). Thing is, I can eat something prior to 10 AM and have stomach issues that flare up around 5 PM and bother me into the night…a point where my stomach should be empty. I had an endoscopy which was fairly normal but noted GERD and a minor hiatal hernia. Doc has me on meds (Pepcid 20mg). I should take it twice a day, but I’ve only been taking it in the late afternoon….since he said I would eventually get down to just taking it in the evening.

Since autism may impact how one treats a condition as compared to someone without autism, any help or experience with this matter? I’m 56, male, if that matters.

Let me add what may be relevant details.

My life is “good” in general terms, but my mom is 83. Her health is “okay,” but she’s getting more scatterbrained. She had an aunt with Alzheimer’s, and this is a concern, but she doesn’t have provable cognitive decline. Since dad passed, I’ve been responsible for taking care of things around the house. My sister lives too far away to be of any help. She forgets things she used to remember all the time. Doctors want her on meds to treat various issues, one drug making her so bad she nearly passed out driving home. She stopped that drug and had been getting better.

My biggest issue with mom is what my dad had issues with…she’s good at coming up with things to do but useless in getting them done. After a while, you just don’t have the time and energy to do everything she comes up with and have to put your foot down. Mom loses her composure easily (worsening with age), and I’m the one who has to “keep it together.” Not hard for me, but it’s exhausting to have to keep doing it.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been carrying a lot of stress in working full time, caring for dogs she adopted (which I adore…but there are days), doing house maintenance and trying to arrange repair work for items I can’t do myself. It’s a little better now, but I’m irritable, short tempered, exhausted, unable to enjoy most anything. A part of why I don’t want to lose her anytime soon is that I absolutely dread having to deal with her estate. I don’t mind taking a few days off for myself, but I’m always wondering “what if” mom needs help while I’m gone.

I had a problem with it a couple of years ago. In my case it was for the most part caused by visceral belly fat. When I lost some weight it got much better. I still have to avoid some exercises at the gym or bending down with straight legs to tie my shoes after eating a meal.

In 2012, I was in my Mum's loungeroom when I suddenly coughed up a whole lot of stomach acid. That was the start of GERD for me. Since then I have gained a lot of weight due to medication and I'm pretty sure that's made things worse for me. Though if I take esomeprazole before breakfast every morning, I don't have any problems. If I forget a dose, I wake up with that burning feeling in my esophagus.

I have Barrett's oesophagus. I found out I had it within the last 3 years. I was already on omeprazole.

Been on Nexium since I was 24, I'm 45 now. I can't do anything too hot or spicy, or I am in pain.

I was given a two month supply of meds that made the acid and discomfort disappear. But I read that used too long it can damage the gut microbiome. So I didn't renew the meds. Symptoms came back. Waiting for a GERD cookbook that I ordered to arrive. Will make lifestyle changes, lose weight, etc. See if that helps.