Weight loss and terrible acid reflux!

redhead91

I have noticed that every time I have tried to lose weight especially now, I constantly have terrible acid reflux. I get that burpy feeling and everything tastes sour. Is there anything I can do?

lunchgirlie

I've been having the same problem! I've just been taking (off-brand) Zantac. It helps some.

pittsblue99

don't eat too late at night, that is what helped me

redhead91

don't eat too late at night, that is what helped me

It's currently 6pm. I haven't eaten dinner yet and I feel like puking because of the acid taste in my mouth : /

hecallsmeroses

I am starting to notice it when I've done my exercise video the last two days in a row, I just assumed it was from the vigorous activity and its really unpleasant, so glad you brought this subject up. I don't know why its happening.

j_courter

be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. the water reduces some of the acid... zantac and pepcid a/c are both decent meds, but you don't want to take them for too long. maybe try to eat smaller, more frequent meals, to keep from having an empty stomach. hope you get it figured out, but if not, see a doctor.

mstankowski

my husband swears by pickle juice....it's worth a shot

redhead91

I am starting to notice it when I've done my exercise video the last two days in a row, I just assumed it was from the vigorous activity and its really unpleasant, so glad you brought this subject up. I don't know why its happening.

At least I'm not the only one! I think that exercising might have something to do with it

BrewerGeorge

I've had reflux since I was a kid and been on some treatment or another since high school.

Your stomach may be overproducing acid based on the expectation that you're still eating a lot, then has nothing to do with the extra acid.

Try a 14 day course of OTC Omeprazole (generic Prilosec). It's very, very important to follow directions and take it on an empty stomach then don't eat for at least 30 minutes after. (I take mine immediately after waking, then by the time I shower and get ready I'm good to eat.) It will reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces.

If it doesn't work or comes back after you stop the omeprazole, see a doctor.

ETA: If you're drinking tons of water the way this site recommends, that could be aggravating the problem. Dilute acid in an otherwise empty stomach is still acid, and it's higher volume so it has a better chance of splashing out of the cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach.

Zeromilediet

What are you eating? Look to eliminating things from your diet for a week and observing, even recording, how you feel. Then add back in to see what happens. Acid reflux is unacceptable and long term can be harmful to your esophagus. Medications are not a lifetime solution. You can figure out what is causing this with a little detective work.
Edit for stupid spelling errors

redhead91

What are you eating? Look to eliminating things from your diet for a week and observing, even recording, how you feel. Then add back in to see what happens. Acid reflux is unacceptable and long term can be harmful to your esophagus. Medications are not a lifetime solution. You can figure out what is causing this with a little detective work.
Edit for stupid spelling errors

There isn't a single thing that I eat every single day. I'm not sure that it's a specific food that's causing it. I may go see the doctor, but I really don't want to be on a med forever. I might try a short term med.

grassette

You actually get less acid reflux if you are not overweight. I am very familiar with this problem, because I have a major case of it. If you do get a lot of acid reflux, see a doctor, because serious cases can lead to erosion of the esophagus. When this happens, the acid destroys the lining of the esophagus, scar tissue grows in, and prevents you from swallowing.

What to do about it?
Certain foods exacerbate reflux: mint, acid fruits like tomato, orange strawberrry, coffee, tea, alcohol.
Eat small meals, but more frequently. Instead of 3 meals a day, eat six.
Don't over-eat
Don't exercise right after eating.
Wait at least 3 hours to go to bed after eating.
Raise the head of your bed by six inches by putting bricks below the head of the bed. Pillows won't work.
Lose weight

There is a lot of information out there, and good advice. Do a google search using the terms GERD, or Gastro-Esophagal Reflux Disease to find it.

jg627

my husband swears by pickle juice....it's worth a shot

I believe there is actually some scientific truth to that. Doctors have been known perscribe vinegar for acid reflux disease.

BrewerGeorge

FWIW, meds have been a lifetime solution for me. Through the years I've been on xantac, then prevacid, then nexium, now omeprazole which I've been on since it went generic.

I have a malformed cardiac sphincter that never closes fully. It's a birth defect, essentially, and only surgery would actually fix it. I've been fine with meds for all these years, though.

You definitely want to see a doc for long-term treatment, and not just keep using the OTC stuff, though.

stephanie_88

I used to get reflux so bad it would burn like it was eating a hole in my esophagus. It would make me cough until I threw up. I now drink 2 tablespoons of Bragg's apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of honey and 6 oz of water every night before I go to bed. No more reflux and the vinegar helps level out the ph in your body. You can just drink it straight but the honey makes it tolerable for me.

grassette

I tried the vinegar solution and got the worse acid reflux from it. Combining acid with acid does not reduce Ph. That is basic chemistry. It might trigger the placebo effect in some people, I would recommend staying away from it.

ColoradoRobin

I found that low fat high carb diets cause acid reflux for me. I do great on balanced macronutrient or low carb diets. Too much bread or pasta gives me reflux. Everyone is different, so try changing things up a bit to see how you do. I keep my ratios of protein carbs and fat around 35: 35: 30. Meds are good for the short term.

shelly650

I seem to be the opposite! Ever since joining MFP mine has all but disappeared!!

epoint

I seem to be the opposite! Ever since joining MFP mine has all but disappeared!!

Me, too. Once I lost the extra weight, I had no more trouble with it. I had a terrible time with it before, though. I carried my fat right around my midsection -- I wonder if that makes a difference.

stephanie_88

Actually, vinegar (as well as lemon) becomes alkaline in the body and will raise your ph. Ph lower than 7 is acidic.

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/531375-does-drinking-apple-cider-vinegar-affect-your-bodys-ph/

http://victoria-anisman-reiner.suite101.com/tips-to-balance-ph-a24438

BrewerGeorge

Actually, vinegar (as well as lemon) becomes alkaline in the body and will raise your ph. Ph lower than 7 is acidic.

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/531375-does-drinking-apple-cider-vinegar-affect-your-bodys-ph/

http://victoria-anisman-reiner.suite101.com/tips-to-balance-ph-a24438

Aw, Come on! My quirky old maiden aunt is always send me links to this kind of stuff. I didn't expect to see that level of quackery here.

The idea that an acid "becomes" an alkaline through some magic process in ridiculous. Even if it did, the pH of the food you eat has NOTHING to do with the pH of your body.

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral2.html

estelle74uk

I've had reflux since I was a kid and been on some treatment or another since high school.

Your stomach may be overproducing acid based on the expectation that you're still eating a lot, then has nothing to do with the extra acid.

Try a 14 day course of OTC Omeprazole (generic Prilosec). It's very, very important to follow directions and take it on an empty stomach then don't eat for at least 30 minutes after. (I take mine immediately after waking, then by the time I shower and get ready I'm good to eat.) It will reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces.

If it doesn't work or comes back after you stop the omeprazole, see a doctor.

ETA: If you're drinking tons of water the way this site recommends, that could be aggravating the problem. Dilute acid in an otherwise empty stomach is still acid, and it's higher volume so it has a better chance of splashing out of the cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach.

I can def vouch for omeprazole working, they take a couple of days to work though.

DWilbanks

I have a hiatial hernia and what the doctor has suggested is, eat smaller more frequent meals and to stay away from anything with tomatoes, and acidic food. Unfortunately that means fruit too. But I find that it works and I have lest acid reflux.

_Ben

Pretty normal thing to be gassy. Talk to any muslims you know, theyll tell you how bad their breath smells because of their lack of eating. Its because your stomache acid is still active in anticipation of either the quantity or frequency of food it expects that its no longer recieving because you are dieting. I suggest maybe some extra low cal snacks, like popcorn or carrots, will settle your stomach some. This happens to me, but biggest thing Id say is keep some gum with you to keep that breath fresh!