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From: Thomas from UK
Hello there everyone,
It has been at least four months since I visited this site let alone posted a message (scroll down and find my old postings from February!)
I am 20 years old, and live in the UK in the town of Bournemouth. I had been suffering from GERD for about two years. I have had an endoscopy and have been on Aciphex, Axid, Ranitidine & Gaviscon (not to mention loads of tums etc). For a full description of my hellish two years go to the website at the bottom of this posting.
Well, three months ago I started a new treatment with an alternative health doctor who was using a piece of equipment called a VEGATEST. I was so dissapointed with my usual doctor who just seemed to say "You have non-ulcer dyspepsia, you'll just have to live with it, try these drugs to ease it!". The side effects like bloating were too much for me to bear for the rest of my life to be honest, so, I agreed to go and see an alternative health doctor recommended to me by a friend of mine who swore by him.
It has been three months since starting the treatment and he has prescribed five different things in that time. I am heartburn free (bar about once a week, but a glass of water flushes that away!), I am nolonger on any H2 blockers or PPIs, and haven't taken an antacid in about a month!
I was very very sceptical after the first month, as most of my symptoms came back soon after the first lot of medicine, but the doctor was not concerned and re-did the test and gave me some more stuff. He has been telling me that people suffer from heartburn for all sorts of reasons, usually either infections, fungal or parasite - and people must find the cause rather than just mask the problem by taking H2 & PPI drugs.
Well, when he first said all that I thought, fair enough - but I can't see how a couple of drops under the tongue are going to make much difference three times a day? But it has made a big difference to the quality of my life - so I stand corrected.
Doctor Millward is the resident editor of the UK's Alternative Health Magazine and was also a governor at my university! He was also on the Bournemouth town council. (I only realised this a couple of months into the treatment (I had an appointment once a month)) so he isn't a odd ball cowbay!
The total cost so far has been £80, thats about $130 I think. The first one hour meeting cost £35 (student rate) and the drugs were about £16 each time I went after that (to last a month).
I am at 95%, I feel so much better and haven't looked at Heartburn help.com for about four months!!! Sorry Hawk.
Anyway, I would recommend everybody on the site to find a VEGATEST specialist in your country - as I really believe that you must treat THE person, not just the symptom. Everyone is different, different things can cause the same symptoms can't they?!
I used to think - why on earth do I get this (I didn't have a hernia etc.) I am 20 and can't eat much without feeling ill - whats going on???
If you have any questions then please email me back, dont post as I don't visit the site anymore - there is little point asking me what drugs I had to take as he prescribes whatever you need after doing the vegatest thing.
Kind Regards - at last I can have a alcoholic drink! FIRST IN 1 year!
Thomas
P.S. He thinks allergies are just the surface of a deeper problem, I thought I was allergic to tomatoes, but now I am nearly sorted out I can eat them without problems.
Good luck with the site Hawk - it was a great source of comfort when I was very ill with esophageal spasms, GERD & bloating on a daily basis. ?:-)