Reflux

47Jacqueline

Last winter I had a sore throat and a cough for about a week. The sore throat went away, but the cough lingered for about five months before I finally made a doctor's apptment. She sent me to an ENT who did a test of looking up my nose and diagnosing silent reflux (no symptoms). So the cure process is some medication, Zantac and a whole list of foods I love and depend on banned from my life.:noway:

So here I am on maintenance and having to change the whole way I eat and I am losing weight that I really don't need to do. Want the list?

NO!
chocolate
fried and fatty foods
peanut butter
nuts
citrus and any tart fruits
blueberries
strawberries
caffeine
onions
tomatoes
tomato sauce
alcohol, esp. red wine
carbonated beverages
creamy cheeses
peppermint (including tea)
smoking (no problem)

I don't really have a question. Just needed to rant!

126siany

Are you allowed to experiment with adding any of these back to your diet?

RodaRose

Wow. Some of those are my favorites too! You will have to find new favorites. Good luck and feel better.

nicsflyingcircus

I have reflux, and with eating better if late, have reduced my ranitidine (zantac) to 150mg/day vs 300 previously. However, I have caffeine and lemon or lime juice daily, I eat natural pb and pistachios, raspberries, strawberries, onions, tomato stuff, and the occasional carbonated beverage. When my reflux was at it's worst though(4th pregnancy), I couldn't have the tomato, citrus or fatty stuff.

Some of the stuff on that list I've never heard to avoid with reflux, mainly the pb and nuts, and I've had reflux to some degree since my first pregnancy in 2000. It got worse with each. Thank you, children!

xDawnsgrace

If you're on the right medication, you should be able to eat anything you like(just not gorge yourself on it)

I'm on omeprazole(Prilosec) 40mg/daily for reflux, and so long as i take my meds, i'm able to eat anything.

AyaRowan

I have reflux as well, though it's gotten better after some weight loss and a reduction in fatty foods. I wouldn't count everything on that list as an absolute no because even among reflux sufferers some react differently to different foods.

Before I lost weight and changed to lower fat options, I stayed away from all kinds of hot salsas and peppers. But now I absolutely love them, and they never give me heartburn. I use onions constantly in my cooking, and frequently have green smoothies with berries. Things that do give me heartburn? Greasy, high fat/oil meals and meals with far too much garlic.

Just experiment a bit, allowing yourself small amounts of the stuff on the list one at a time until you figure out which ones aggravate your reflux. You might discover that you can eat some of them after all. But always remember to eat in moderation, a few onions to flavor a meal would probably be perfectly fine, but if you slap some butter on a whole onion and microwave it, you're bound to get heartburn.

AlabasterVerve

Bread and just high carbs in general cause acid reflux as well and I almost never see it mentioned. My husband was taking medication daily before we went low carb. One of the unexpected side effects was his acid reflux is completely gone -- he can eat all of the acidic, spicy and high fat foods he wants without issue and without any medication what so ever. Pretty amazing considering not once was he told to cut back on the bread and carbs but just given a prescription when the typical healthy whole grain, bland diet didn't work.

AnnofB

Wow Jacqueline,

I was just diagnosed with the same thing last week. Mine is Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease. Still reeling from the list, i.e. coffee and chocolate being two of my favorite food groups as well as Mexican food. Sigh.:grumble: :sad:

I think my biggest issue was with mint. I used to basically eat breath mints. I never realized mint could cause reflux. Years ago I read that peppermint can ease an upset stomach! LOL... "of course it must be true, I read it on the internet.." I think my love of salsa is an issue too. I'm willing to give it up and the rest but I'll be durn if I give up my coffee! It's practically the only vice I have now. I have cut back to one cup a day though. My ENT has LPR as well. He takes one expresso shot a day-even he couldn't give caffeine entirely.

It's my understanding from the handout my Dr. gave me that if you have some damage from the acid reflux, it will resolve with treatment though it might take a few months. I would think that your doctor will be seeing you at regular intervals and let you know how that's going. I'd stick with the list till you find out how your healing is going. Then see if you can add back things. My list did not include blueberries or strawberries or cream cheese.

This is still new for me too and I'm trying to work around it as best I can. I wonder if in maintenance mode you could add more protein to help you get more "good" calories in? And maybe a little less exercise. Ha-that ain't happen to a Zumba instructor, is it? You have no choice but to dance, dance, dance, huh? So you are going to have to up your calories some how. A lot of advice about handling this is geared toward losing weight... not what you need at all. It's going to be challenging I know.

Here's something I found on WebMD -a book by dietitian Elaine Magee, MPH, RD. Magee is author of Tell Me What to Eat If I Have Acid Reflux. Haven't checked it out yet but it might be helpful.

Hope this gets resolved quickly and you can get back to some normalcy.

Ann

126siany

Bread and just high carbs in general cause acid reflux as well and I almost never see it mentioned. My husband was taking medication daily before we went low carb. One of the unexpected side effects was his acid reflux is completely gone -- he can eat all of the acidic, spicy and high fat foods he wants without issue and without any medication what so ever. Pretty amazing considering not once was he told to cut back on the bread and carbs but just given a prescription when the typical healthy whole grain, bland diet didn't work.

I wonder if the sodium in processed carbs was the culprit? I almost never get heartburn (which I realize is not exactly like some of the forms of reflux being discussed here) but if I eat something very high in sodium, I will.

47Jacqueline

I have another appt with the ENT end of July. This is supposed to go away eventually. The symptom is my cough and it has finally improved - I'm coughing less. A friend of mine, a nurse practitioner, said if I noticed that then the treatment is working. Yes, Prilosec prescribed and Zantac otc. ;-)

LB2812

Huh, thanks for posting this, you're making me think I should see a doctor again as that sounds like what I have. I saw a gastro years ago who said I had reflux (which didn't make sense to me since I never had heartburn) and esophagul ulcers. I asked him about my sinuses & he brushed it off. Gave me some meds I don't remember the name of, the list you posted above of foods not to eat & sent me on my way. I was told to do the meds & list for 3 months. I did feel significantly better in general, but cutting out those foods long term has been impossible! I tried to stay in like a maintenance mode after the 3 months were up, adding back the things I thought were 'safe' (and ok, just that i missed the most), but after a while, my diet is going back to "normal" and low and behold... I feel like crap again. I've been recently thinking I should do this diet again. I wonder if it will help without the meds though?

It's hard too... I cook almost everything with garlic & onion, but no more raw onion for me. I'm trying to cut out coffee & wine & just do tea. Chocolate I don't mind losing, but strawberries & blueberries?! I guess I'm going to have to cut it all out again & find the right mix

Good luck to you!

tryan005

Hang in there my friend! I was recently diagnosed with a sliding hiatal hernia & reflux and they told me the same thing about a strict diet. I currently take Zantac in the morning & Protonics right before dinner. I can tell you it does get better with time though I do splurge with a glass off red wine every now & then, followed by an 8 oz. glass of water which seems to help with the acid

aneary1980

I had reflux for close to 20 years, I had every medication going but nothing really got rid of it.

When I decided to lose weight I started eating breakfast when I got up rather than when I get to work (generally scrambled eggs on toast (seeded) and latte) and now it's gone completely.

Might just be me but I didn't have to give up any food or drink.

47Jacqueline

A relative of mine had reflux with that hiatal hernia and had some wrap procedure that tok care of both. Mine is due to my winter illness and she said it should be "temporary."


The problem with the food restrictions is that I haven' been able to change how I eat and I'm losing weight even though I am at maintenance. It's taking some time to change my diet immediately. So I've cut out those foods, but I haven't.replaced them with alternatives yet. And by the time I do, the problem will have been taken care of sand I'll need to change again :-/

Good to hear other perspectives though.

rockstrong

You are lucky it's only temporary. There is no cure for acid reflux, the esophagus muscle is basically dead allowing stomach acid to creep up. I was diagnosed with acid reflux when I was 20. (now I'm 49) I have chronic sore throats and heartburn. As a young person, I had terrible throat infections that wouldn't clear up, now I have damaged vocal chords because it remained undiagnosed for years. For me, I have to keep my weight down, when the belly gets big, it applies pressure to the esophagus causing heartburn. While I do have a prescription, the condition is manageable by staying away from all of those foods on your list and especially eating smaller meals. Someone mentioned carbs, I had no idea this triggers heartburn, so I'll watch out for this.

disasterman

Anecdotal only but I used to have reflux every single night-so bad that I couldn't sleep well without being on Zantac. SInce losing 35+ pounds and changing up my nutrition to eat more protein (and thus minimizing carbs) I've been almost entirely reflux free. If I go crazy eating lumpia or something I'll have it but I don't even know where my antacids are now.

ETA : I eat all the things on that list except not very much fried food. And I don't smoke either.

rockstrong

Thanks for the info about bread, this is the first time I hear this. I have acid reflux that has at times consumed my life with discomfort.

BeckyD1105

I was diagnosed with silent reflux several years ago. I found (once the reflux was being controlled) that I was able to add back in several of those items. I can't have a day where I have more than a few things on that list though. And at first it was a bit of trial and error on what I could and couldn't have.

tennisgirl444

I didn't read the whole thread, so apologies if people have mentioned this already.

The list provided are just foods that generally instigate acid reflux in those who are susceptible- it varies per person. You should start logging your symptoms along with your food intake to figure out what your triggers are. Tomatoes give me pretty bad reflux- my dad has reflux and can eat tomatoes all day. Similarly, I can eat as much garlic and onions as I want, but it gives him reflux. I do drink coffee every day, but have to do it with food in the morning. I'm okay with most dairy, especially low-fat, but cream does me in every time. Peanut butter is just fine, unless I eat it right before I work out. And if I know I'll be drinking wine and alcohol, I just bring a few Tums and/or Pepcid AC with me. Also, figuring out the timing of your medication can be helpful- if you tend to get reflux at night, you might want to take it later in the day- and the opposite if you tend to get it in the morning. Also, watch the sodium- it has been linked to the development of acid reflux. I wouldn't be surprised if it is linked with reflux episodes as well in those who already have it. Then of course, there are the behavioral patterns of your eating- eating smaller meals so your stomach isn't overloaded, what time of the day you eat, etc.

As a side note, ginger helps me a lot- I have a cup of ginger tea with honey when I'm not feeling too great. You can also get ginger in different forms at Trader Joe's or places like that if you prefer to suck on something.

AnnofB

You are lucky it's only temporary. There is no cure for acid reflux, the esophagus muscle is basically dead allowing stomach acid to creep up. I was diagnosed with acid reflux when I was 20. (now I'm 49) I have chronic sore throats and heartburn. As a young person, I had terrible throat infections that wouldn't clear up, now I have damaged vocal chords because it remained undiagnosed for years. For me, I have to keep my weight down, when the belly gets big, it applies pressure to the esophagus causing heartburn. While I do have a prescription, the condition is manageable by staying away from all of those foods on your list and especially eating smaller meals. Someone mentioned carbs, I had no idea this triggers heartburn, so I'll watch out for this.

Hi Rockstrong,

It's sad that it took so long to DX your problem. I feel for you. That's a long time to be miserable. I hope your condition improves with additional attention to carbs. Bread/carbs weren't on my list of things to avoid either.

47Jacqueline

I'm glad I posted this. Hopefully it will help others. Yes, it's good that what I have is temporaary, but that doesn't mean it isn't a hassle now and that it tool six months for my doc to pay attention to me. Now I'm dealing with a 5 year bout of dry mouth plus I have to have a cataract operation for one that is positioned in the center of my pupil. It has grown within and is blocking my sight. Boy, do I hate growing old. So lucky that you can't tell from looking at me that I have these problems. And they're all treatable, not chronic.

Geez, I just looked at the number of posts I've done. I guess I'm more yappy than I though. ;-)

Kristinemomof3

I am dealing with silent reflux right now, so far now dairy, cherries, gluten, I'm not sure what else, I'm still trying to figure out what I can and can't have.

leahraskie

I have GERD. Certain breads, cereals and fruits eaten in large quantities bother me, but small quantities haven't really given me a problem. I'm not on medication anymore, I should be but I'd need to go get another prescription. Omeprazole is great and if you have insurance it's generally like $5 compared to what they are shucking out on the shelves that is over $20 for the same thing. Sodium bicarb isn't a long term solution for reflux, it's for the short term.

SanteMulberry

Bread and just high carbs in general cause acid reflux as well and I almost never see it mentioned. My husband was taking medication daily before we went low carb. One of the unexpected side effects was his acid reflux is completely gone -- he can eat all of the acidic, spicy and high fat foods he wants without issue and without any medication what so ever. Pretty amazing considering not once was he told to cut back on the bread and carbs but just given a prescription when the typical healthy whole grain, bland diet didn't work.

I would agree with this--when I cut out bread, I got rid of my acid reflux. Coffee does seem to be a little aggravating if I drink it alone.

SharpieV

I am a bad patient. I have reflux, and have had it since childhood, though wasn't diagnosed until college. I've been given than list and thrown it away more times than I can count. It's more a list of 'foods that might or might not cause problems depending on your own particular body.' The only things, that for me, have reliably caused issues that I need to watch for are alcohol, and as others have mentioned, excess amounts of simple carbs (without protein or fats in the mix). That and coffee... which, like alcohol, I choose to drink anyway. I don't blame anyone but myself when I am reaching for another round of prilosec though.

So get better. Use the list. Heal yourself. Then slowly add foods back in and see which ones are actually a problem FOR YOU. Most of them will probably be just fine. Some of them might be iffy. One or two you're likely to find result in some unhappiness. I had it easy though- my reflux and stomach ulcers are very painful, so it's hard to miss when something is not working. You're going to have to look much harder with such subtle symptoms.

47Jacqueline

I just checked back with this post. So glad to have it continue after the initial post. Tomorrow I have a follow-up visit with my ENT and will find out the prognosis. I successfully changed my diet according to the list she gave me, and I don't think it makes much difference, but I've expanded my choices anyway. My dry cough is gone; hoever, I notice other symptoms have popped up now and then.

I ordered a mattress slanter for my bed. I figure about 2 inches up at my head will help immensely. My weight slide has stabilized. My doctor said I'm not underweight. I've had a few indulgences of some of the no-no foods, except for tomatoes and onions. My perscription for Prilosec or whatever, will be finished tomorrow as I go to the ENT.

I'm going to ask her about a hietal hernia, just in case, although if there are symptoms for that, I don't have any.

I'd rather have this than diebetes. ;-)