Having an incurable comorbidity where their treatment plans contradict the other is a hell that no one should ever have to face.
Gerd: Stay away from salt. It irritates your stomach and causes heartburn.
POTS: You need a decent amount of salt to function.
Gerd: You can't skip meals. It causes even more acid reflux and nausea since there's nothing to break down.
POTS: There are going to be days when you are too nauseous to eat meals and be forced to skip meals.
Gerd: Carbonated drinks will severely worsen reflux and heartburn.
POTS: Carbonated drinks can help with nausea.
Gerd: You can't eat too much fiber, it will make symptoms worse.
POTS: You need to eat a lot of fiber in order to keep your bowels moving.
Gerd: Intaking a lot of fluids will exacerbate painful bloating.
POTS: You need to constantly be intaking fluids in order to function.
Gerd: Do not lay down after you eat. It will immediately promote reflux.
POTS: You will need to lay down after you eat to alleviate the tachycardia that comes with digestion.
Gerd: Anxiety and being in a fight or flight (FOF) response can make all symptoms worse.
POTS: You will always be in a FOF response during a flare. Along with constantly having symptoms that make you anxious.
Gerd: Nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain will exacerbate symptoms.
POTS: Nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are all side effects of the medication you take for POTS.
Gerd: Any kind of trigger that worsens Gerd symptoms will exacerbate POTS symptoms.
POTS: Any kind of trigger that worsens POTS symptoms will exacerbate Gerd symptoms.
I hate this shit. So fucking much. I want someone to just cut out my fucking stomach.
