It seems to be the same with a lot of medication. I’m just guessing it’s the clopidogrel. I just hope I get it sorted out soon as it’s really getting me down. It seems I’ve been making a good recovery from the stroke but now this has happened to make me feel rubbish again.
It’s so frustrating, I’ve been taking the medication for 8 months with no real issues so maybe something else is wrong which they’ll find out with an endoscopy. It’s just coping until then .
I checked with the GP Practice and they say they’ve referred me for an endoscopy so hopefully I won’t be waiting too long.
There could be something else going on. I think We forget sometimes we can get other ailments & often put things down to stroke issues. Hope the endoscopy provides some answers & that it is easily treated for you.
Hi Nigel–One more thing I just remembered. The doctor did blood work on me and did find my liver function readings to be “off”–which he said showed my liver was irritated, and it was probably the statin causing it. The liver is in the abdomin–it felt like a stomach ache, but it was really a “liver ache”. Has your doc done blood work with a liver function test? Jeanne
I’ve had a few blood tests over the last few weeks, so I can ask abou that - but they just said everything was okay. I don’t know if they tested liver function.
Just an update. On my NHS app I can see letters going between the hospital and the GP, and the hospital have written back saying they’ve triaged the request and referred it back with advice is to add a medication called famotidine at night and also Gaviscon after meals.
So I’ve called the surgery and they’re going to talk to the nurse practitioner and assuming she agrees, issue a prescription.
I guess that means I won’t be having an endoscopy. I was getting a bit anxious about the prospect of an endoscopy as I’ve read you need to stop taking clopidogrel and the proton pump inhibitor for 7 days or so, and the thought of stopping those, particularly clopidogrel (even temporarily) makes me very nervous about having another stroke.
Also, the change from Lansoprazole to Rabeprazole seems to have really helped.
@Pinch I too can see the letters on the NHS app.
I find it quite useful. It sounds like you won’t be getting an endoscopy for now. Good to hear the meds change has helped.
The reason you have to stop those meds for 7 days is the risk of any bleeding during the procedure, the new medication has the least risk if it works you, and thankfully it does
We bleed so much on blood thinners, just from the slightest of scrapes When testing my blood sugar, blood has shot out and nearly hit the ceiling from the pin prick
Unfortunately stopping clopidogrel for 7 days would make me really anxious, which probably wouldn’t really help. Even though I would know there’s a good reason for doing it.
The change in medication has helped a bit, but not totally. Yesterday I had a bad day with reflux and was quite low. Today has been better, but I’ve still had a bit of reflux and eaten virtually nothing. If it doesn’t improve I’m going to go back to the GP as it’s making me feel even more rubbish.
I thought I’d post an update. The additional medication helped but I still had issues so I was prescribed an additional Famotidine tablet to take in the morning but only for 2 weeks. Again, that helped more, but I still had problems. The Nurse Practitioner thinks it’s linked to anxiety, which I agree with, but it’s not entirely caused by anxiety. Anyway I’ve now had to stop the additional tablet as the 2 weeks is up and the heartburn and indigestion is bad again. Luckily it’s not too bad at night so doesn’t stop me sleeping. The whole situation is making me feel really low. I know I will get fatigue and anxiety as a result of the strokes, so whilst frustrating at least I know that - but I shouldn’t be getting constant indigestion and heartburn. It’s every day, and I now just cope with the day and try and work around it best I can, taking loads of Gaviscon. I messaged the GP on Friday and got a text back saying they had no appointments left that day but had passed my message to the doctor, so hopefully I’ll hear something next week. I’m also having a consultation with a Herbal Medicine Practitioner on Wednesday (she’s fully qualified and reputable) to see if there’s anything she can do. I’m getting to the point I’ll try anything. We’re going away for a couple of nights now with some friends and I’m nervous about that, and how I’ll be - but hopefully it will take my mind off things. I’m so hopeful I can get it improved this week.
No, it’s never excruciating but I have discomfort a lot of the time. They never actually planned an endoscopy but I thought they might do one. I’m really hoping I can get it improved this week.
The trouble is, throwing pills at you may only be masking the issue, it’s the easy option all round. Your anxiety being the cause should only be used as a last resort. I mean, have they investigated your gall bladder, it’s usually where these issues stem from, gall stones. And you don’t want to get stones trapped in the bile duct because that is excruciatingly painful. Good luck this week and don’t let up with your doctor.
I agree, throwing pills at things seems to happen all to often nowadays, and it isn’t always the answer. Often GPs don’t have enough time to explore what is really causing the problem. I’m not averse to anti anxiety medication but I don’t think anxiety is the main cause - and that medication will have it’s own side effects.
I will persist, I really need it sorting otherwise I fear I’ll end up with depression which will just add to my problems.
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Jeanne
When testing my blood sugar, blood has shot out and nearly hit the ceiling from the pin prick