Reflux and Allergies

My daughter’s reflux has been effectively treated with Prilosec until recently. She began to experience more discomfort and pain and an endoscopy revealed that the gastric acid was moving farther up her esophagus. The doctor is now recommending surgery. Our family recently moved and this necessitated a change in schools. Her allergies have subsequently gotten worse. Is there any relationship between allergies, and reflux? Or to stress related to major life changes?

Allergies can aggravate reflux can stress. There is something called eosinophilic esophagitis, which is poorly understood, can be very hard to tell from GER, and can be associated with allergy or can respond to elemental diet (e.g., removing all milk products). You could ask her GI doctor if the diagnosis was compatible with that. They could also try adding a drug like Reglan or Carafate to help. Prevacid is also supposed to be coming out with a liquid and SL form that should have more predictable bioavailable form (not a capsule form made up to a liquid.) That may work better. Sometimes adding nighttime H2 blocker such as Zantac will help. The approach depends on how severe the biopsy findings are.

CP/TK 7-13-10