Anyone else suffer from Acid Reflux??

classycouture

I was diagnosed with acid reflux about 5 years ago (went to the doctor because it felt like I was having a heart attack, left arm was numb, extreme chest pain, etc.. And I was only 20 at the time), and I seem to go through phases where it's not bad at all, or it's absolutely unbearable. I took Prevacid for a while, helped a bit, but now I'm back to square one. Anyone know of any foods or medication that really help put out the fiery inferno in my chest??

sandy2006

I take Prilosec for it and it always works. I hate taking it but I do find when I cut out all processed foods and sugar I dont have the reflux as bad.

86_Ohms

Here's a good answer from the same type of question asked on yahoo:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070504112408AA17sCY

Here's the advice when not following the link. I'll just use that as the source:

* Drinking milk or eating milk products are helpful in relieving symptoms of acidity.
* Foods such as pickles, vinegar, fried foods, hot spicy foods, chocolate, pastries, and raw salad vegetables like onion, radish, cabbage, and peppers should be avoided.
* Clove also helps to relieve the symptoms of acidity. Suck one piece of clove slowly to relieve the symptoms. It also helps to reduce the onset of disease that arises due to acidity.
* A cup of vanilla ice cream or a glass of cold milk also helps to get relieve heartburn and acidity within minutes.
* Almonds are also a good source for relieving the heartburn and acidity. Eat several almonds when heartburn symptoms persist.
* Lemons also help to prevent heartburn. Cut a lemon into thin strips and dip in salt. Eat before meals to prevent heartburn.
* Take some mint leaves and chop these and then boil in a cup of water and sip slowly after meals. If a person drinks Fresh mint juice every day he will never experience acidity.
* Jaggery or gur taken after every meal also helps to reduce the acidity. Keep a piece of gur in the mouth and slowly suck it till acidity decreases.
* Eating bananas is also helpful in preventing the symptoms of acidity and heartburn. To prevent acidity it is advised to eat a banana daily.
* A mixture of 2 tsp of natural apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp raw honey in a glass of water before meals fights with acidity.
* Basil (tulsi) leaves helps to get relief from burning, nausea and gas. Chew some leaves of tulsi to decrease the acidity.
* Coconut water 4-5 times a day decreases the symptoms of the acidity and the heartburn.
* Harad (Terminalia chebula) if taken after every meal prevents the symptoms of the acidity.
* 1 tsp juice of chebulic myroblan mixed with 1 tsp of amla (Indian gooseberry) juice helps to prevent acidity and heartburn.
* Boil one cup of water. To this add 1 tsp of Aniseed (Saunf). Cover and leave overnight. Strain the water in the morning, add 1 tsp of honey. When this is taken 3 times a day it prevents acidity.
* To 1 ½ liters of water add 1 tsp Caraway seeds (shah jeera). Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Sip while warm. Take this liquid 2-3 times a day for 5-6 days. It will decrease the acidity.
* Take a glass of water, add a pinch of baking soda and drink it. It gives immediate relief from acidity.
* Take a glass of warm water, add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and have it every morning to prevent acidity.
* Eat a serving of cucumber or watermelon 4-5 times in a day to fight against acidity.
* Fennel helps to relieve abdominal pain, colon disorders, gas, and gastrointestinal tract spasms. It is an effective remedy for acidic stomach conditions (heartburn).
* Ginger is very useful for digestive disorders. It help to relieve indigestion from rich foods.
* Make a fine powder by adding equal amounts of ginger powder, black pepper, dried mint leaves, asafetida (hing), anise seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel and common salt. Dosage: Take about 1 teaspoon of this powder with water, twice a day after meals.
* It is advised to eat 8-10 glass to water daily. Drinking water gives immediate relief to symptoms like wind, distended stomach and acidity.
* Chewing bubble-gum also disappears the acidity. This is an easy and best way to get rid of Acidity.
* For heartburn drink a teaspoon of vinegar. It is because there is not sufficient acid in our stomach to digest food properly, thus gasses come back up and burn our stomach.
* Calcium also helps to fight with the heartburn and acidity. Yoghurt or ice-cream gives immediate relief from acidity and heartburn.
* 1 tsp juice of chebulic myroblan mixed with 1 tsp of amla (Indian gooseberry) juice daily relieves acidity.
* Powder one clove and one cardamom; use the powder as a mouth freshener after every meal. No more acidity and no more bad breathe.
* After food maintain an upright posture to prevent the reflex and to prevent the symptoms of acidity.
* Sleep with your head and shoulder on a high pillow for elevation.
* Do not skip meals. Do not keep large gap between meals. This produces gas / wind.
* Eat dinner 2-3 hours before going to bed.
* Last but not the least stop smoking and cut down on alcohol.

swisspea

My husband has Acid Reflux and shares the same symptoms as you- it's pretty bad when it's bad. Alcohol, raw onions, and sometimes even whole wheat products along with over-eating in general can set it off! From what I understand, it's different for everyone, but my husband's only sometimes gets aggravated by the usual culprits- tomatoes and spicy foods.

AdrienneHart84

I drink a big glass of milk when I get it. I'm not sure of anything you could eat regularly to help, though.

liftandcycle

this is like a family thing for us, both my dad and I suffer from it.. if I eat fruits and lean meat etc, I never get it, my dad takes prilosec... its actually really good.

meglynne1987

I have had the same issues. I was "diagnosed" with reflux. The doctor told me alot of mine was because of my weight. I have noticed after loosing a couple of pounds the reflux has gone down a little bit.

there are "trigger" foods for me, tomatoes, orange juice, soda, tea, spicy items.... etc.

I sleep elevated and have a prescription.... hopefully one day i will be off the meds and able to sleep flat! LOL Also, try sleeping elevated on your right side it hekos with circulation and reflux. Hope this helps!

Sabresgal63

I take Zegerid and have had great luck with it. I used to take nexium, but the insurance would not pay for it any longer. I have reflux real bad and have had it for years. The Zegrerid works good.

Also, I keep Gaviscon extra strength chewables on hand if I go overboard with eating. They are great too. You have to chew them fast because they foam up in your mouth.......but...........leave a nice barrier that nothing is getting through:bigsmile:

WILSONBA

stay away from greasy foods, take either an over the counter med for reflux or a prescription. tums never seemed to help me but they may help others. i used to get it so bad i couldnt eat or swallow to the point i had to go to the doctor for relief. then one day it settled down, but i still have it from time to time. i end up propping myself up at night so i don't throw up the acid and i take a tum or something over the counter. also sometimes bread helps, anything to help absorb the acid and calm your stomach down.

arshness

Yes! There are some great natural remedies.
My favorite two are Pickle Juice (just take a big drink from the jar) or yellow mustard (a heaping spoonful, swallow it. It will burn at first then the burn dies and so does your acid reflux).

The key ingredient in both of those are vinegar. We're doing simple chemistry here. However, pickles and mustard aren't going to hurt our teeth like straight vinegar would. Take a big drink or a big spoonful and the acid calms down.

I tend to also avoid trigger foods late in the day. Tomatoes are probably the worst for me. But there are a lot of foods that trigger acid upset. Chocolate is one even!

Especially, don't eat a big meal late in the day before bed. If you have a large dinner and go to bed early, expect to wake with your chest burning.

CMDCMstr3

I feel your pain. I was diagnosed a few years ago but did not want to take the daily meds. I try and stay away from most hot sauces and drink virtually no to little carbonated drinks. Having a soda or energy drink always brought it on.

dominions

My mother was diagnosed with Acid Reflux and suffered for 20 years. Then someone told her to get tested for Helicobacter in the stomach. She had it and was put on a course of 3 different tablets for 1 week. And she has never had a problem since, thats 5 years now.

You may want to get tested for Helicobacter just to rule it out or stop the symtoms.

gldnlark

I take Protonix, as needed. It is the best stuff I've ever tried. However, your body can get dependent on it, so I try not to take it every day unless I need it. I've read that long term antacid use can cause or aggravate osteoporosis.

Recently, someone here recommended apple cider vinegar (added to water) - I'm trying it, but after 2 weeks, I've not noticed a difference yet. Two weeks is not much of a trial when it comes to a food additive though. I'll keep using it and see.

mzhokie

I have it occasionally. I use Prilosec when I have a real problem, TUMS when it's minor. It's the worst when we travel and I eat a lot of rich food. I have to watch acid in foods, spices, fatty foods, etc. It's hard. Dieting has really helped because I haven't been over eating when we go out and I'm eating more small meals. My husband has even commented on the fact he hasn't had any heartburn since we started our diet either.

Your problems sound more severe than what I have had to deal with. The worst for me is when you wake up in the middle of the night with the burning sensation of acid in your mouth. It's jolts you awake too. My mom suffered from it and I never understood why she kept hard candy by her bed and now I know. It's one of the few ways to get that taste out of your mouth when it happens. I now keep cough drops and candy near by.

I read to sleep on your left side because it's harder for the acid to go from your stomach to your mouth that way. I thought that has to be a myth, sounds silly. It works. I have not had an issue anytime I'm sleeping on my left.

I still eat things I shouldn't. I love things like pizza and pasta. I just have to be careful not to have them often and to nt over eat when I do. Entering my food here really helps me remember so I can space out the bad foods better. Exercise has been helping since one of my causes is stress and anxiety. Exercise also helps with digestion too so a walk after dinner helps. Chewing gum helps with digestion (I know I read that somewhere years ago but not sure where).

Figuring out what is causing it for you is probably the best thing you can do. Learn what foods can trigger it. I knew certain foods before but the stress issue was a recent discovery for me. When I know I am going to be an a really stressful situation, I will start taking Prilosec a few days before. The same goes for big trips.

Becky_Boodle

I feel your pain

I found that eliminating carbs and fatty foods helped me...
I also cut down on eating onions, coffee, tea

I recommend this:

1 tsp of buckwheat honey
1 tsp of cinnamon
boiling water

now instead of going for a pill (which I'm not a fan of pills of any kind)
I drink this...and I find it really helps

classycouture

Oh, thank you ALL for the responses! I find that carbs are a wicked trigger for my reflux, along with the obvious alcohol (especially wine) and soda. I think Prilosec will be next on my list of medications to try, and I think I'm going to have to carry around pickle juice where ever I go! Haha (seriously though, I lovee pickle juice!)

Thank you all again!! :flowerforyou:

classycouture

I read to sleep on your left side because it's harder for the acid to go from your stomach to your mouth that way. I thought that has to be a myth, sounds silly. It works. I have not had an issue anytime I'm sleeping on my left.

I find that this works for me as well!! And my biggest problem is the acid erosion on my teeth. I just had FIVE cavities filled, all back molars, because of this stupid issue!

ojell

I was diagnosed with acid reflux about 5 years ago (went to the doctor because it felt like I was having a heart attack, left arm was numb, extreme chest pain, etc.. And I was only 20 at the time), and I seem to go through phases where it's not bad at all, or it's absolutely unbearable. I took Prevacid for a while, helped a bit, but now I'm back to square one. Anyone know of any foods or medication that really help put out the fiery inferno in my chest??

I didn't like Prilosec. Nexium worked for me.

AggieCass09

i found that my acid reflux (similar symptoms as you...i also thought i was having a heart attack) was a symptom of a gluten allergy. I cut out gluten and now i'm heart burn free---i didnt know what life was like with out heart burn since previously, i had dull heart burn all the time. I don't need my medicine (prilosec or nexium) any longer nor do i use tums. Comparatively, my pre-gluten free diet and after gluten free diet endoscopies show a huge improvement.


anyhoo, to start try avoiding grains for a week and i bet you'll feel a difference. What you should focus on eating is meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts; no bread, rice, corn, or other grains.

dibdobw

I had exactly the same symptoms as you years ago. I had a camera down my throat and was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia. I take Lansoprazol every day and remain symptom free now!

KimbersNewLife

I take Prilosec for it and it always works. I hate taking it but I do find

when I cut out all processed foods and sugar I dont have the reflux as bad.

I find that to be true to I do not take Prilosec I do Pepcid and it is AMAZING! But when I cut the processed foods and such I do much better.

ojell

BTW as for diet...I couldn't eat or drink anything for a while there, but don't eat right before you lay down, and maybe try a little bit of apple cidar vinegar.

dibdobw

Another thing my doctor told me to avoid was caffeine. This is most definitely a trigger for me!

tnorth82

I take Lansoprazole and Omeprazole (alternated every few months) everyday on prescription. I have to or I suffer so much.
I avoid foods that aggravate it, fats and creams, onions, breads etc.
Im hoping losing a few lb will help...

bcampbell54

I'm not sure where you are in your fitness goal, but I lost 40 lbs, hoping to get rid of mine.
It worked.
Before them, I used Pepcid, Tums, prevacid, prilosec, well, all of them.
I tried not to eat within a few hours of bedtime, avoided my favorite foods, like Italian and Mexican, and nuts.
Nothing worked consistently until I put down the weight.
Haven't had an incident since my first -20lbs.
I am presuming your doctor has looked for some less likely suspects, such as H. Pylorii, ulcers, or other digestive disorder. These symptoms sound pretty severe.

natnlj

I have tried everything and my physician finally doubled my Aciphex, which really helps! My physician has informed me that the more you take Tums, the worse the AR becomes for some reason...I hope you improve as that is miserable! Take Care!

RAFValentina

I used to get it all the time... sometimes from overeating, bit more often than not related to eating rich dairy products such as hard cheeses. also alcohol didn't help and being stressed too. I find exercising helps it as well as water.

classycouture

I'm not sure where you are in your fitness goal, but I lost 40 lbs, hoping to get rid of mine.
It worked.
Before them, I used Pepcid, Tums, prevacid, prilosec, well, all of them.
I tried not to eat within a few hours of bedtime, avoided my favorite foods, like Italian and Mexican, and nuts.
Nothing worked consistently until I put down the weight.
Haven't had an incident since my first -20lbs.
I am presuming your doctor has looked for some less likely suspects, such as H. Pylorii, ulcers, or other digestive disorder. These symptoms sound pretty severe.

I'm only about 5-7 lbs away from my weight loss goal (now focusing on toning), so I know my weight isn't a factor with my reflux, but I haven't brought it up to my doctor in a while, I guess I just kind of got used to living with it. So, I'm thinking it's time to take another trip to let her know I'm getting worse. Maybe then we can explore other possibilities and tame this beast!

Again, thank you to everyone who has posted!