Angela Woolley
"You can change your life in a week."
Heartburn type: Severe
Age: 43
Hometown: West Linn, OR
Angela's life with heartburn
I started experiencing heartburn symptoms every day in my thirties. Because I was not familiar with the problems I was having, I never acknowledged my heartburn as anything serious until later.
I was taking antacids by the handful every day. Occasionally, I would wake up in the middle of the night with built-up acid in my throat. Sometimes, it was so bad that I would wake up choking on acid build-up in my throat. The first couple of times this happened, I didn't acknowledge it as a serious problem. I thought my episodes must have been a result of something I ate or drank prior to going to sleep. After a few more nights, waking up frightened and choking, I immediately decided to contact my doctor. I knew something had to be wrong.
Angela takes control of her heartburn
I went to my doctor in an effort to find a solution to my heartburn symptoms and late night episodes. As it happened, the clinic was conducting a research study on heartburn. When I realized that I qualified, I volunteered. As a part of the study, I received an endoscopy. The results of my endoscopy revealed that I had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and an erosive esophagus. I was prescribed a heartburn medication (a prescription PPI) that made me start to feel normal again.
During the course of my participation in the heartburn study, I read articles on heartburn to stay abreast of the topic. I started cutting out certain foods and watching how much I ate, as well as the time of day that I was eating. I noticed that in addition to the doctor's recommendations, these articles were extremely helpful in reducing my heartburn symptoms.
At the end of the study, another endoscopy was performed to see the improvements I made while I was on the treatment. The results showed that my erosive esophagus had healed, so the doctor decided to take me off the medications to see how I would react. Within 2-3 weeks, I started experiencing symptoms again and my doctor recommended I continue taking a prescription PPI.
A couple years later, my doctor gave me the choice to continue taking heartburn medication or I could choose to have a surgical procedure to correct my problem. I decided to stay on the medication.
Angela's new outlook
I am currently still taking my heartburn medication every day and it works! I can eat pretty much whatever I want and not worry about choking in the middle of the night. I don't overeat and I don't eat late at night anymore. It's a great feeling to be able to eat the foods I choose.
Acknowledging my heartburn was a problem and going to my doctor has been a blessing and has completely changed my life. I would recommend to anyone experiencing severe heartburn symptoms to see their doctor immediately. Finding a solution to your heartburn can change your entire outlook on life in a week.
NHBA on Angela's Story:
Angela qualifies as a severe heartburn sufferer because she took heartburn medicine every day and tried various treatments and lifestyle modifications, but nothing worked for her. Angela is not considered an episodic or frequent heartburn sufferer because episodic and frequent sufferers find relief in taking heartburn medications. After talking with her health care provider about her symptoms, an endoscopy was performed and revealed Angela needed care, long term medication and follow up. If you think you might be a severe heartburn sufferer, talk to your health care provider about treatments that might help.
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