How to deal with heart burn without the use of OTC medications...

SingingSingleTracker
SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm not a big proponent of using OTC heartburn/reflux medications (Nexium/Tums/Prilosec/Zantex, etc.).

Curious how some of you keep it at bay without turning to meds and avoiding any sort of food that might cause heart burn/reflux?

TIA

Replies

  • NatalieThomas90
    NatalieThomas90 Posts: 61 Member
    Since I've cut down my calories I suffer heartburn almost every day!
    I cant see any rhyme or reason to it.

    interesting thread!
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited February 2016
    Look through your food diary and see if any foods could be setting this off.
    Ex: Chili or alcohol are triggers for me.
    Sometimes high fat foods like chips or high fat dessert.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Depending on how bad it is, it might be a matter of figuring out trigger foods and then avoiding those foods. I can't seem to identify specific trigger foods for mine. However, I am supposed to avoid "acidic" foods for another annoying medical condition. When I am being good about avoiding the triggers for that condition (tomatoes, spicy foods, sodas, apples, oranges, etc.), my heartburn usually goes away.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Eating an apple actually helps mine. A few good burps later and it's usually gone or dulled.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Milk?
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Peppermint helps some people. Spend a few calories on a hard candy.
    Or there's the old standby of baking soda. Mix a spoonful into a glass of water.
    That's only a temporary solution, as it neutralizes some of the acid.
    The OTC medicines actually reduce the production of acid.

    Keep a little notebook in your pocket, write down when it happens & the circumstances:
    activity, what have you eaten in the last couple hours, stress, what are you doing...

    Mine was mostly at night, but when I
    a - lost weight
    b - did not eat for several hours before bed (at least 4)
    it pretty much disappeared.
    Can also elevate your head at night (pillows, or the whole head of the bed).
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    I've never tried it but have read that a little apple cider vinegar helps to alleviate heartburn although it seems counter intuitive.

    Of course there is always Tums.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Yes, I've fought it over the years - including with Prilosec, Tums, Nexium, and watching all the trigger foods. Things have been going great for months!

    Then, I had a 6" Subway sandwich on Friday for dinner before a rehearsal at 6 pm, and I imagine the banana peppers, Chipotle sauce, onions and all the raw veggies kicked things into gear. It hit me at about 10:30 pm that night. And the heartburn stuck around all weekend which I didn't really help with all of my food choices - including spicy Superbowl party food (chili, meatballs, red wine, chocolate cake).

    I know that all contributes as a recipe for the heartburn. It only acts up occasionally, but when it does I'm just wondering about tips and tricks to slap it back down without reaching for medications. I'll try some Tums after the next few more bland meals as I feel the Tums are less evasive than the other OTC solutions.

  • erwende
    erwende Posts: 5 Member
    When I cut down or eliminate gluten my heartburn goes away!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    milk

    a bit of baking soda and water
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    peppermint tea
    avoiding beer
    keeping my weight under 155
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    edited February 2016
    I used to have horrible heartburn and reflux, and was on prescription-level Prevacid. My doctor told me I should try coming off it after I lost 60+ pounds. He told me it may or may not work, as it's not always extra weight that causes the reflux. The very next day I stopped taking the medication, but within 48 hours the acid production and reflux symptoms rebounded so ferociously that I had to back on the medication. After that failure, I decided to try tapering the dose (under the guidance of my gastroenterologist). I went to daily half-doses, then quarter doses, then quarter doses every other day, then every three days, and finally not at all. It took me about three months to come off them completely. I've not had problems with heartburn or reflux since September of 2012 now.

    Edited to add - for me, it turned out the extra weight I was carrying was my only trigger. I can eat anything now, and I don't get heartburn symptoms.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    I've never tried it but have read that a little apple cider vinegar helps to alleviate heartburn although it seems counter intuitive.

    Of course there is always Tums.

    Yup vinegar or lemon. Forces your stomach to produce more mucus and helps with acidity.

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    That baking soda and water thing works but it is really high in sodium, fyi
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I don't get it that often anymore...I just take some Tums when I do. Tums is only calcium carbonate...it also works well as a calcium supplement for people who don't get enough in their diet and it also works pretty good for cramps...I keep some with me on long rides.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Probably sounds weird but drinking water always helps me. I'm also a big tums user when needed but I hadn't had heartburn for YEARS before I got pregnant.
    Watch the tomato based foods and chocolate. those can cause it pretty easily.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    My triggers are high doses of fat, tomatoes, and spicy food. I've heard the Apple Cider vinegar thing, and have tried the bicarb soda thing when I was out of chewables, it did work in the short term.

    Losing weight has improved my GERD out of sight.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Thanks all. Lots of good suggestions.
  • Redbeard333
    Redbeard333 Posts: 381 Member
    Changing my diet (less fried foods, less tomato-based sauces) and losing weight all but eliminated my heartburn. I still get it occasionally, but nowhere near the frequency I used to. That being said, sipping milk will help you, too :)
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Doctors do not recommend drinking milk to reduce heartburn, as it has been proven that milk temporarily reduces the symptoms only to later increase acid production by the stomach, which causes more heartburn.

    Myths About Heartburn Debunked | Prilosec OTC
    www.prilosecotc.com/en-us/tips-faq/heartburn-myths
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    There's a book called Dropping Acid that recommends eating higher PH foods (lower acid).

    Apples that fit the bill: Gala & Fuji. Raspberries, melon, and bananas are all low acid.

    Colas & most sodas are acidic, but root beer is the least acidic.

    Wearing looser clothes. Chewing gum. Both helpful.

    Large doses of fat, garlic & onions will trigger reflux for me.

    Some people swear by adding acid to their diets, .....lemon, vinegar, etc. But these just make it worse for me.
  • bubbajoe1066
    bubbajoe1066 Posts: 95 Member
    I had excrusiating acid reflux... so bad that it hurt to swallow most food... it would burn on the way down..i was living off of zantac and tumms... my triggers were sugar and carbs... as soon as i started this journey and cut out all added sugar and most carbs from my diet the reflux slowly went away...almost a full month without and OTC meds... believe it or not raw apple cider vinegar with the MOTHER is a natural way to control acid reflux, it works..try it. it has to be cider vinegar with the mother... no idea why the residue on the bottom is called that but thats what it is.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    I haven't tried it myself, but I was recently looking at switching from my calcium citrate pills (huge) to calcium citrate powder (easier to mix & swallow) & read several reviews that said people were using the powder for their GERD. So it might be worth trying.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited February 2016
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    I've never tried it but have read that a little apple cider vinegar helps to alleviate heartburn although it seems counter intuitive.

    I'm a huge skeptic when it comes to "magical" foods, but I had heard the same thing about apple cider vinegar and decided to give it a try. Surprisingly, it actually works. I put a tablespoon in a shot glass, then add some water to make it a little more tolerable and chug it down. Burns on the way down and feels like it's going to make it worse, but as counter-intuitive as it seems, it works every time (I did use the ACV with the "mother" in it - don't know if it makes any difference or not).

    Now that I've lost about 25 pounds I almost never have heartburn/acid reflux anymore, so I rarely need it. But it does work, at least for me.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    It's amazing to read everyone's different triggers. Mine are coffee (even decaf), soda, and red wine. My acid reflux is much better without those foods. I'm really hoping that when I lose the weight, the reflux goes with it.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    It's amazing to read everyone's different triggers. Mine are coffee (even decaf), soda, and red wine. My acid reflux is much better without those foods. I'm really hoping that when I lose the weight, the reflux goes with it.

    i never found out what caused mine but it was so regular it was getting me down. one stage the doctor prescribed with a 28 day medicine (cant remember the name now) which seemed to help for awhile
    since i lost weight i dont get any episodes any more thankfully.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I can't come off my medicine and I still have issues
    triggers were fat, coffee, acidic foods, barbeque, peppers, curry. sometimes even rice and chicken was too much

    ginger and mint are a good combination. baking soda works if you can get it down. i like rolaids chews. any vinegar will do, it doesn't have to be ACV. I've heard water works. I've also heard that something very acidic can encourage you stomach to "flush" and provide relief
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    I've never tried it but have read that a little apple cider vinegar helps to alleviate heartburn although it seems counter intuitive.

    I'm a huge skeptic when it comes to "magical" foods, but I had heard the same thing about apple cider vinegar and decided to give it a try. Surprisingly, it actually works. I put a tablespoon in a shot glass, then add some water to make it a little more tolerable and chug it down. Burns on the way down and feels like it's going to make it worse, but as counter-intuitive as it seems, it works every time (I did use the ACV with the "mother" in it - don't know if it makes any difference or not).

    Sounds like this is worth a try.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    What's wrong with a few tums? I wouldn't take them constantly, but a couple a day are a good source of calcium.

    The systemic medications are way better than esophageal damage from reflux.

    If it is just at night, there's the old solution of a sleeping wedge or raising your head with bricks under the bedpost. (Or buying an adjustable bed, if you got the $$.)

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