# Cancer and Acid Reflux?



## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She received radiation treatment and developed horrible acid reflux. Extremely painful (she rarely complains of pain so I know when she does it is bad) and caused her to vomit several times a day. She was put on nexium (sp) which helped a bit but it really did not get better until after her treatments had been over a while. I always thought that it had something to do with the radiation damaging tissue as one of the markers was near her esophogus. 

After being cancer free (we thought) for 7 years we recently found that the cancer was back and has spread to her bones and lungs. She is being treated with radiation for pain management, mainly in her arms and shoulder area and now the acid reflux is back. The are not using the radiation on the esophogus area so I am rethinking that the two were related (maybe the cancer and AR are related though??). I guess the point of all this is can anyone suggest any kind of remedy for the AR? She is back to being in extreme pain (she says the AR pain is worse than the pain in her bones) and vomiting, which is no good as she is down to 98 lbs. She is scared to eat or drink anything for fear of triggering an episode and even does not take her pain meds as she should for the same reason. I have researched and researched and find stuff like ACV, cutting caffeine, etc but none of the common home remedies that I can find seem to help. She has already cut out almost every food group and is taking nexium and maalox as prescribed with very little relief if any. Any ideas/thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

ETA: I did see the other thread but didnt want to hijack and will study more about alkaline diets for long term, but if anyone can suggest something that might help the discomfort now that would be great.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

When I was receiving chemo and taking oral chemo drugs my doctor prescribed prilosec and it worked very well. Actually eating often is better than not eating for long stretches. And some people on the board have mentioned dill pickles as a remedy for acid reflux, and since vinegar is also a home-remedy, it may be the vinegar in the pickles that helps the most. I hope she feels better soon. I was fortunate to not be sick too much, I can't imagine getting down so low in weight.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

You might also try some digestive enzymes, but I don't know if it will help. Some of the pain might simply be from the radiation itself.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Yogurt with active cultures might be helpful, but do ask the doctor if her white count is low. When I was in the hospital, I had to eat two activias a day and drink three boost shakes a day. Pretty yucky stuff, but I imagine it had some nutrition in it.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions, I will pass these on to her.


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## morninglory (Aug 7, 2003)

I have suffered with acid reflux for years because of overdoing asprin(it was Dr ordered). 
Best thing is to consume small meals. Dont overload stomach. Dont lay down for 4 hours after eating or drinking. Recliners are an asset there. I chew Gaviscon if I feel the reflux coming on. I also take an aciphex every morning 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything. Dont skip a meal. the empty stomach needs something to knaw on.Chew food slower. Raise head of bed 4 inches, not with pillows but with raisers under the head of the bed. all these things seem to work together to help me not know I have reflux so bad. God be with you.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

aciphex works well but is expensive


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## Travis in Louisiana (May 14, 2002)

I had acid reflux mostly due to eating late after dayshift and going to sleep several hours after eating. I was put on the acid medicine. I also raised the head of my bed by seven inches. This helped so much, that I quit taking my medicine, unless I ate something pretty greasy or acidity. I had started having chocking problems, unable to swallow when eating, so when it was time for my colonostomy (sp), I told them I wanted them to look down my throat. After looking down my throat, the doctor said that I did not have no lining left in my throat and that I had "cellular changes", which I understood as pre-cancerous. He told me to take my medicine everyday and not to skip a day. He said in three months your lining will have grown back. During the three months, the chocking kinda started to go away till it quit all together. After the three months, I had another throat scope done. My lining had grow back and all was fine. I was told to always take my medicine and I have to be rescoped in a year.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I also had AR and did the bed raising, slept in recliner, took acid meds. didn`t eat spicey foods to late in the day. The best thing I EVER did was start drinking raw milk, I use to take a handfull of Tums every night just to be able to sleep. Now I can`t advise your mom drink raw milk, not sure how that would work with the cancer, but it has been a miracle for me, I have not taken any AR meds in years. > Thanks Marc


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Travis in Louisiana said:


> I had acid reflux mostly due to eating late after dayshift and going to sleep several hours after eating. I was put on the acid medicine. I also raised the head of my bed by seven inches. This helped so much, that I quit taking my medicine, unless I ate something pretty greasy or acidity. I had started having chocking problems, unable to swallow when eating, so when it was time for my colonostomy (sp), I told them I wanted them to look down my throat. After looking down my throat, the doctor said that I did not have no lining left in my throat and that I had "cellular changes", which I understood as pre-cancerous. He told me to take my medicine everyday and not to skip a day. He said in three months your lining will have grown back. During the three months, the chocking kinda started to go away till it quit all together. After the three months, I had another throat scope done. My lining had grow back and all was fine. I was told to always take my medicine and I have to be rescoped in a year.


Been dealing with the same and if you ever get Cancer at most you will have two years.

Now getting back to OP have her try sleeping on her Left side.

big rockpile


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

big rockpile said:


> Been dealing with the same and if you ever get Cancer at most you will have two years.
> 
> Now getting back to OP have her try sleeping on her Left side.
> 
> big rockpile


Yes, sleeping on left side does help!


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## BeeFree (Feb 23, 2004)

My MIL has breast cancer. She has had it for about 10 yrs. She kept telling us she had it but when we would tell her to go to a dr , she would not, at least not for that. It wasn't found out until this past year that she had it. [by drs.] That happened when she had a dr appt and was passing out and DH took her to the ER room instead of the dr appt. During a CAT they discovered the breast cancer. It is a horrible looking place. It looks similar to how a volcano looks when it erupts. Dh and his sister took her to a cancer specialist and she refused treatment, except for pain meds. She is now in an assisted living facility and has lived almost a year since seeing the cancer spe. She tries to take a bath each day and she uses epson salt baking soda and salt in her bath. She cleans the wound with hydrogen peroxide. She is now getting chocking spells when she eats. She also has the AR and is on nexium. We have not raised the head of her bed, but after reading this, I think I will purchase some raisers and use them on her bed. She sleeps without a pillow, so it should help. She has refused an mri to see how far the cancer has advanced into her body, but I feel it has went all over. She uses Prep H and epson salts and baking soda on the wound after the bath, also CQ 10. Does anyone else know of some home remedy I might tell her about she could use?


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## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

I suggest getting her on some keifer - preferably from raw milk. 
This is something that takes months to slowly work, so hang in there. 
8oz each morning. 
My husband who was on nexium for 8 years was able to gradually eliminate nexium all together after a gradual 6 month transition to daily keifer.


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