heartburn and acid reflux

Dfracassa
Dfracassa Posts: 318 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've experienced heartburn twice in the past week, now, and acid reflux so bad I thought I was going to throw up. I researched what can cause these, and found that the foods I eat on a pretty regular basis (coffee, onions, peppers, wine) can set this off or just make it worse. But it's curious, because I've never had heartburn before -- could it just be from eating these foods regularly, over time? Could I be drinking too much water, and be damaging my esophagus and stomach lining by constantly washing away the natural protections they offer? Please take a look at my diary and let me know what you think. Oh, and I'm not pregnant, either -- that was ruled out yesterday, thank freaking God.

Replies

  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
    Honestly it could be 100 different things...I have that problem too and have found dairy products tend to set if off - I keep an acid reducer on me to help in those situations...
  • Dfracassa
    Dfracassa Posts: 318 Member
    Honestly it could be 100 different things...I have that problem too and have found dairy products tend to set if off - I keep an acid reducer on me to help in those situations...

    Thanks! For me I doubt it's dairy...I just don't want to give up the foods I love, you know? I do keep Zantc in my purse now, so that's something.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Is the protein powder a new thing for you? I've heard some people say certain brands or types (whey vs say, egg) can bother their digestion.

    The great thing about tracking food is that you can see what you've eaten lately, what changes you've made, etc and figure out the trends. Try going without the protein powder or the wine or whatever else you suspect is causing the problem for a day or two, see how you feel then reintroduce one item at a time and see how it affects you. Make notes in your food diary memo to keep track.

    Acid reflux is the worst!! Good luck!
  • ultrafishboy
    ultrafishboy Posts: 63 Member
    Your experience sounds like mine. Heartburn wasn't the issue for me. The acid reflux would make me so nauseous! Went to doctor a few weeks ago. No, not pregnant. (I hear ya on that one). Anyway, was prescribed Prilosec which I now take daily. Took over a week for it to kick in, but man do I feel better now! Have reduced coffee to 1 cup/day for now, will strive to eliminate completely.
  • onionparsleysage
    onionparsleysage Posts: 103 Member
    When are you drinking the water?

    I (randomly) started getting acid reflux last year. I found, through trial & error, that one of the biggest causes for me was drinking water while I ate. Now I pour only the smallest glass of water at mealtime, and drink fluids between meals.

    Pizza turned out to be a compilation of my worst foods - gluten, tomatoes, and excess dairy. I switched from coffee to green tea too, and that seems to settle my stomach better in the mornings.
  • Dfracassa
    Dfracassa Posts: 318 Member
    Is the protein powder a new thing for you? I've heard some people say certain brands or types (whey vs say, egg) can bother their digestion.

    The great thing about tracking food is that you can see what you've eaten lately, what changes you've made, etc and figure out the trends. Try going without the protein powder or the wine or whatever else you suspect is causing the problem for a day or two, see how you feel then reintroduce one item at a time and see how it affects you. Make notes in your food diary memo to keep track.

    Acid reflux is the worst!! Good luck!

    Thank you! The protein powder is not new at all, I've been using it for about two years. The thing it does to me, though, is give me gas -- well, the artificial sweeteners do. I had heartburn the first time last Monday, and read about all the things that can set it off, so I cut out a few of those things last week. It came back this Monday, and lasted a little longer than the first time. But again, the Zantac knocked it out in about an hour, so that helped. The acid reflux, though...that one lasted. It was the worst it's ever been yesterday, and I thought I was going to barf in my car!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have mine (mostly) under control now. Still have some work to do.

    There are on-line resources....look for PH in foods (for PH a high number is good).......anyway, systematically work thru your diet and eliminate (lessen) foods to find your triggers.

    I started with a book called "Dropping Acid"......lots of info in there.

    Cutting out cola was a big thing for me. Now any soda is root beer.
  • Dfracassa
    Dfracassa Posts: 318 Member
    When are you drinking the water?

    I (randomly) started getting acid reflux last year. I found, through trial & error, that one of the biggest causes for me was drinking water while I ate. Now I pour only the smallest glass of water at mealtime, and drink fluids between meals.

    Pizza turned out to be a compilation of my worst foods - gluten, tomatoes, and excess dairy. I switched from coffee to green tea too, and that seems to settle my stomach better in the mornings.

    Thank you! I drink water ALL day. I have this great bottle that holds about 26 ounces, and I regularly drink four of those. So...it's a lot of water. I don't drink a ton while I eat (I'd rather eat!) but I guess it could be overkill. And I can't even think about switching from coffee to tea. I hate tea. It makes me jittery and I can't stand the taste. Coffee doesn't seem to bother me, as the heartburn and acid reflux have only happened at the end of the day each time. Like, 3 p.m, when I'm getting ready to leave work. Weird.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    When are you drinking the water?

    I (randomly) started getting acid reflux last year. I found, through trial & error, that one of the biggest causes for me was drinking water while I ate. Now I pour only the smallest glass of water at mealtime, and drink fluids between meals.

    Pizza turned out to be a compilation of my worst foods - gluten, tomatoes, and excess dairy. I switched from coffee to green tea too, and that seems to settle my stomach better in the mornings.

    Thank you! I drink water ALL day. I have this great bottle that holds about 26 ounces, and I regularly drink four of those. So...it's a lot of water. I don't drink a ton while I eat (I'd rather eat!) but I guess it could be overkill. And I can't even think about switching from coffee to tea. I hate tea. It makes me jittery and I can't stand the taste. Coffee doesn't seem to bother me, as the heartburn and acid reflux have only happened at the end of the day each time. Like, 3 p.m, when I'm getting ready to leave work. Weird.

    I'm not a coffee drinker....but cold brewing is supposed to result in a much lower acid coffee.
  • starznholes
    starznholes Posts: 170 Member
    Bell peppers do it for me every time!

    I've always struggled with acid reflux/heartburn. I recently had an upper EGD done and was informed that I had inflammation in my esophagus, so I was prescribed Famotidine (aka Pepcid), and I am completely better now. I've stopped taking the prescrip. too. Probably won't be the same in your case, but if it continues, go get it checked out. It may stop you from being uncomfortable in the long run.
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
    raise the head of your bed by at least 4". you can do this by putting a brick under both feet of the head of your bed. you wouldn't believe how this will help. then gravity will prevent the acid from being able to go "uphill" from your stomach into your esophagus. honestly, it will work. if 4" isn't good enuf, maybe an in or so more. but 4" should do the trick just fine.
  • knoxtenn2
    knoxtenn2 Posts: 1
    Raising bed is important, and very helpfull. I can advise one more thing. I had an hiatal hernia, and reflux. Most medicines did not work, at the end i was using dexilant. It helped a lot. But them my friend advised me chesnut honey. I started to eat every morning 10-15 min before the breakfast as 1 tea spoon. Then i quit dexilant. No heartburn, no pain nothing. You can find it amazon. Just give it a try. you will see the difference. I am not taking any medicine last 4-5 months.
    But be carefull not to take more then a teaspoon, it might have some side effects.

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