Can indigestion/heartburn feel like hunger?

angelexperiment

I have had this really hungry feeling but I eat and does not go away could it be acid reflux or indigestion? It does not hurt just feels like when you are really hungry. I figured out it was not real hunger bc real hunger would be satisfied.

haviegirl

When my acid reflux acts up, it feels like a gnawing sensation in my stomach. It's similar to hunger, yes. But food only helps for a few minutes, then the gnawing sensation comes right back.

lemonlionheart

I found some good info here:

nemechekconsultativemedicine.com/?page_id=1289

'We often confuse dyspepsia with hunger because you may feel shaky, slightly nauseated or weak and eating food makes the symptoms disappear. They go away because food stimulates the stomach to empty. The food therefore causes the excess acid to be emptied into the small intestine and your symptoms resolve.

The symptoms would also go away if we took an antacid such as Tums since they are truly the result from excess stomach acid. But since they go away after you eat food, you draw the reasonable conclusion the symptoms were due to low levels of blood sugar or some other nutrient. Consequently we believe the symptoms were a sign of hunger. So the next time we feel similar symptoms, we’ll eat food again and the symptoms go away again. After a while it becomes almost second nature."

Have you tried taking an antacid to see if the hungry feeling goes away?

tara_means_star

YES! Yes it can. Most people with ulcers or GERD lose weight but a certain percentage (i forget the number) can gain weight because they find that eating alleviates the pain. I was the unfortunate type to gain. It felt like I was starving. Not a little hungry but starving--gnawing burning emptiness that did, temporarily, feel better with bland foods like bread. But it took quite alot of bread to alleviate the sensation. Even to this day, I get the two sensations (acid reflux and hunger) confused.

tara_means_star

also, somtimes tums will help my acid reflux and sometimes it will not. I generally have to take a daily acid reducer (prilosec) as the only thing that, over time, helps the pain. If you haven't already, see a doc. The meds they give are much more effective than the over the counter stuff plus they can tell you what type of issue it is (peptic ulcers, GERD, etc...) to help properly address the issue. That is the only thing that helped me.

angelexperiment

Thanks everyone!

missblondi2u

I have never experienced this. When my acid reflux strikes, eating is the last thing I want to do!

Queenmunchy

Yes! My dr said that it's usually an ulcer that is alleviated by eating, while something like GERD is triggered by food. I have some kind of ongoing severe stomach pain (seems like GERD) that we haven't figured out yet. Anyway, sometimes hunger feels like the very beginning of the pain.

lrenae501

Yep, for sure. I had a stomach ulcer and ended up gaining weight, because I felt so hungry all the time! And bread and spongy food like that is the only thing that made me feel better for a bit (tho tums did help a lot). If you have an ulcer you need to be on a daily acid reducer, and you need to get tested for the h. Pylori that can cause it.

tara_means_star

lrenae501 wrote: »

Yep, for sure. I had a stomach ulcer and ended up gaining weight, because I felt so hungry all the time! And bread and spongy food like that is the only thing that made me feel better for a bit (tho tums did help a lot). If you have an ulcer you need to be on a daily acid reducer, and you need to get tested for the h. Pylori that can cause it.

Yes! I've eaten like 5-7 eices of bread just to feel better. Its like it absorbs the acid or something. Thankfully I think I've dealt with them and haven't had to do that lately.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Heartburn/reflux did lead me to eat more. The food acts as a buffer, providing relief. I've found that it's much easier to control my eating since my doc put me on prilosec. I also don't randomly start choking on barf, so that's a plus.

Sheks41191

I suffer from GERD and get the hunger sensation. It's the gnawing feeling - that food alleviates for a while.

cafeaulait7

I've had both the wanting to eat to help it and the 'food is the last thing I want' problem when the acid had caused too much irritation. So I gained weight and then had like 4 weeks where I lost it fast from not being able to eat nearly enough.

You can try the OTC Pepsid, etc that are the kinds of drugs the doc gives. Tums aren't, because they are just literally acid reducers like a chemical reaction in your belly. Tums are great for occasional problems, but the other meds are fine to try and much better for many folks to let it heal. Seeing a doc is always a good thing, though! Mine got so painful that I went to the ER, so I wish I'd gotten on the Rx doses before that of course, lol.