Does anyone know anything about Acid Reflux?

(sorry that was no help was it)

BTW wtf is "womanly complaining" when its at home?

i can picture how that might be said

I get irate when people want to talk about it being an invented disease: why, 'cause you just heard of it recently?

The basic deal, as I've been told, is this: the valve between the esophagus and the stomach can be weakened to a point that it doesn't completely close. High levels of smoking, drinking, or caffeine are the most common substances that will weaken the valve muscle. When the valve is even just slightly open, it leaves your esophagus open to exposure to extremely acidic stomach acid. And if this happens anywhere near mealtime, then obviously there will be a much higher risk of acid leaking.

For me I am 100% certain that it was caused by stress. I also had a small ulcer around the same time.

I have heard a theory that the pyloric sphincter (that valve) contracts/closes off more strongly if there is a high acid content in the stomach, and that taking antacids might sooth the immediate pain but not help in the long run. I think I heard this on a new report a couple years ago, so it might be completely wrong.

If it persists your wife must see a doctor.

My recommendation is to try to change up your diet so as to avoid the caffeine/smoking/drinking combo as much as possible (or at least right around mealtime or any other time you'd have a full stomach). Doing that, I've more or less minimized my attacks to the point that they're now rarities. And I used to be getting one or two a day on average.

I don't have heartburn or indigestion or anything. but I do have a horrible cough that nearly makes me puke, shortness of breath, bitter taste in my mouth and I haven't slept well in almost a week. If I don't start out there, at some point in the night I end up sitting up on the couch, trying to sleep.

Doctor gave me some Nexium samples and told me not to eat or drink 2 hours before bedtime (I can't go two hours without water). she also said to look online for diet tips. everything good is now bad! I'm going to cut back on the caffiene but there's so much to change I don't know where to start to find the quickest relief. and this coughing's about to drive me mad.

doctor also thinks my heavy hitting on the asthma inhaler is due more to anxiety than any actual problems with my lungs. Okay, thanks. How exactly am I supposed to fix that??

Yeah all the advice I've read is pretty easy to follow - modify diet, eating habits, raise bed, take pills. I'm just being whiny b/c 'modify diet' means no cokes, chocolate, less dairy, alcohol, etc. argh! also, I think the lack of sleep is getting to me and I am irritated that my doctor just didn't fix me goddammit!

Beth, I have been exceeding the recomended "emergency" inhaler uses, which is why I went in yesterday. I was hoping she'd give me a nebulizer treatment, maybe a different steriod inhaler and I'd be on my way. But no, I have to stop drinking diet dr. peppers and margaritas if I want to sleep well. grr.

xpost, I might try that at night (or zantac) along with the preventive medicine she gave me (nexium).

I'm still going to try and cut back on the bubbly. or start taking massive amounts of sedatives before bedtime.

Probably all the sugar isn't helping. Try a less-sweet tipple.
Not reflux, but I do get horrible insomnia if I drink too much wine at night, and if I eat dessert it's doubly bad. But I would never cut out drinking entirely. How bleak life would be! I just try to keep it to a reasonable amount. In social situations all caution is thrown to the wind, then I wake up at 3 or 4 AM with clenched jaw and racing heart, woe is me.

Sometimes I think doctors delight in forbidding all life's pleasures. You need to find a doctor who's a two-fisted drinker him/herself. Or be honest with them that you're NOT GOING TO STOP DRINKING COFFEE AND ALCOHOL. Then he/she will get real with the advice.

Anyway, it sounds like you've got a serious case (there have only been three for four times in my rich history with acid reflux that I've not been able to sleep because of it) so before you try any alternative remedies, which would I advocate otherwise, maybe it's best to get this particular episode under control. Then you can see which foods trigger reflux in you and just avoid those. Chin up! It will be okay as soon as you address the immediate crisis.

*Or used to, anyway. Every once in awhile I would go a couple days without to see if I still needed it and normally that would result in searing pain but now I've not taken any in almost two weeks. That pretty much coincides with my having started back on Weight Watchers and having stopped eating... refined sugars and carbs. YMMV, of course.

Oh and I'm going to check out the aloe thing - I don't like taking lots of pills if I can help it. Thanks friend.

The Secret Ingredient: RAW, LIQUID HONEY – Raw honey in liquid form is really what helps get rid of your heartburn for good. We suggest taking 1 tsp. of raw liquid honey any time you begin to feel discomfort of heartburn or acid reflux. You can also take the honey before bedtime, which will help soothe your esophagus and allow you to heal while you are sleeping.

Honey works fast, and it’s important that you use pure raw honey. (This is the most common type of honey you’ll find at the grocery store – in liquid form… like in those “Honey Bear” plastic bottles, for example). Honey has long been known to fight bacteria, block infection, combat inflammation, reduce pain, and improve circulation. It also stimulates the regrowth of tissue – in fact, there are some people who claim a certain blend of bee powder and honey cures baldness!

8. The Other Secret Ingredient: APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV) – Did you know that most acid reflux is actually caused by too LITTLE acid in your stomach? This makes sense when you think about how it works. If your stomach isn’t producing enough acid to digest your food, then more food (and gas) will stay in your stomach for longer periods of time… without getting properly digested. So, since Apple Cider Vinegar is so acidic, it immediately starts digesting the food in your stomach and eases your heartburn very quickly.
Please note – some people have reflux because of too much acid. If this is your case, then the Apple Cider Vinegar will probably not help you. If you currently take medications that are acid blockers, you probably have too much acid already. If you don’t know, please consult with your doctor.

How much Apple Cider Vinegar should you use?
First of all, it won’t take very much at all. One or two “swigs” should do it (one or two teaspoons). You’ll probably feel a slight burning sensation for maybe 5 seconds, but then it should go away and you’ll notice almost immediate relief. And it should keep you relieved for days at a time.

Another tip is to try and get the best apple cider vinegar you can – we recommend you find some at a health food store, not the cheap Heinz brand found at grocery stores. Some grocery stores will have the good kind – you’ll know it when you see it. The Bragg brand has worked really well, and it usually costs less than US$5.00. But if you don’t find Bragg or another organic APPLE CIDER VINEGAR brand, Heinz should work better than nothing.

Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar together should help you tremendously! We recommend trying just the honey first. If that doesn’t work, try adding some honey to two or three teaspoons of APPLE CIDER VINEGAR in a cup of hot water. If that doesn’t work, try using the APPLE CIDER VINEGAR straight – one swig at a time. The taste of APPLE CIDER VINEGAR isn’t very good, but it should help you get rid of your reflux/heartburn

you must get a good organic vinegar but any old honey works (in my experience).

Did you know that most acid reflux is actually caused by too LITTLE acid in your stomach? This makes sense when you think about how it works. If your stomach isn’t producing enough acid to digest your food, then more food (and gas) will stay in your stomach for longer periods of time… without getting properly digested. So, since Apple Cider Vinegar is so acidic, it immediately starts digesting the food in your stomach and eases your heartburn very quickly.

Famotidine (Pepcid generic) is a wonder drug for me - one little guy before a big meal, and I'm good.

I've gotten zantac and gaviscon to take while I wait for the nexium to kick in. I think I've got to figure out what in my diet causes problems and work on the no-eating before sleeping bit (last night I stupidly ate cupcakes around 9. doh)

Haha, XP.

and i seem to have it similar to a few people here, where there's no heartburn or pain or really any symptoms other than a feeling of liquid rising in the throat. until my ENT handed me the GERD pamphlet i was certain i had been experiencing swelling. that's all it feels like. went to my GI this morning to talk about it and my enduring intestinal issues and he seemed annoyed at how often ENTs jump to GERD when there are other reasons for it. i hope he's onto something bc i don't think i'll always be able to afford pills and i also don't think it's humanly possible for me to cut out coffee. if it comes down to it i just might deal with having the frog-in-throat feeling all the time, but mention of esophageal cancer itt has me worried

afaik you are supposed to be taking it in the morning!

everybody's talkin about the gerd, gerd gerd gerd, gerd is the werd etc

diagnosed with gerd a week ago, have been taking prilosec since last Tuesday, and have been trying to hit the diet pretty hard wherever I can. have scaled back my coffee intake considerably, dialed back to one small single shot latte with 2% milk which I don't have til after lunch or when I finish work, instead of first thing in the morning.
prilosec seems to have kicked in now, I am finally able to sleep through the night, and I'm not feeling food-pregnant when I wake up.

timing of this whole lifestyle change was pretty terrible though -- this weekend I went to a concert and then a tailgate the following day, a weekend which would normally be wall-to-wall booze. I was unprepared, at least on Saturday night, for how much it suuuuuuuuuucked to be the person choosing to be sober when every single one of your friends is drinking. tailgating on sunday was easier, it didn't gnaw at my brain so much.

biggest downside so far (sry for tmi) - fucking prilosec made me constipated as a motherfucker. it's stressful to have to not only figure out my diet for reflux but to also figure out okay where can I add more fiber gah. hello psyllium my old friend

might not be prilosec! gerd is often connected to intestinal/bowel issues (HIIIIIIIIIIIII)

ugh

yeah but since I started prilosec on Tuesday and was constipated by Friday, I'm kiiinda thinking prilosec in this case

might be worth it to try out zantac

I took the slow-release prilosec & it was great for the 3 or 4 months or however long

but I got a bit weirded out by a lot of the things I was reading about how it can have long-term adverse affects on your stomach if you take it for too long

Now that I'm off it I'm pretty much back in gerd world...I got lazy and it flared up again recently. But now I'm torn between going back on prilosec again, or trying to ride it out with diet changes etc.

idk

My purely uninformed opinion, based on general principles but not on experience, would be to try to control the gerd primarily with diet, but allow myself to rely on Prilosec on occasions when that approach is too difficult. This should solve the 'long term use' problem without removing the Prilosec as a tool in your toolbox.

that's a good compromise imo

it sends you into really crazy reflux relapse when you stop taking it but you should return to whatever "normal" is for you after a couple weeks apparently

gerdwerld

There's an immediate-dose form of Prilosec, as opposed to the slow release form, which maybe would be more adaptable to one-time use without blowback?

ugh fuck this shit

you get to eat all the tums you want

i take prilosec every day but i had a flare-up today. i think i had too much coffee, it being national coffee day and all.

i took an anti-nausea pill to stop the food from coming back up, but i still feel gross.

I have this terribly and I'm a major skeptic of natural remedy but it's a) no coffee no booze (oolong if you need it) b) 1 Tb manuka honey unheated undiluted twice daily, and it works it works for three friends who've had it and also myself

i mean good for them/you but there are so many things that trigger reflux and they're all delicious and there's no point in living without them

successfully knocked out booze

getting rid of morning coffee & subbing it with small slightly weaker latte after lunch has worked well

roobios turned out to be a great tea sub for my mornings, thx to fgti for that tip :)

I don't understand non-discipline w food and drink. Bf was diagnosed with high blood pressure at age 27 and his doctor said "no more bacon" and he said "I'd rather die than live without bacon" and I've been teasing him about that ever since. Manuka honey tho, expensive enough to raise an eyebrow but it works, just don't put it in tea, eat it raw

I recommended rooibos? Really? I find rooibos so tasteless and dull that I took all te rooibos in the house and ground it in the coffee grinder and made stove-top espresso with it. It tasted like fragrant engine oil, not entirely undelicious

fgti, bought some manuka honey on yr recommendation (cheapest one whole foods had was $29.99, but okay). cross your fingers.

Fingers crossed and give it a week and no coffee!

I must try the honey/vinegar thing. I take pills when i need em, but really I should stop smoking - thats a real flarer-upperererer of this shit.

helping with your reflux is like reason #100 to stop smoking, yes :)

Well der ;P heh.

uggh i get this when i'm super-stressed. eating ginger candies, trying some manuka honey. idk.

1 Prilosec OTC in the morning completely alleviates heartburn. 1 24hr Nexium almost completely alleviates heartburn. But maybe you have to be the kind of person that has heartburn everyday to be taking these?

Long term side effects of treating yourself to frequent heartburn could be bad :(

If anyone has any good ideas, plz help!

Recommend these two videos from Dr. Greger.

Proton pump inhibitors (like Prilosec) have a dark side, in that gastric acid is an important means of preventing small intestinal disbiosis.

i found prilosec is a good short term way of settling the heartburn (2 week short course then dont use it again for at least 3 months) - during the 2 weeks work on weeding out your flare up foods. once youre off the prilosec, see how you go with yr reworked diet & kinda go from there

but srsly do not be afraid to go to prilosec, it is worth it just so you can feel normalish & not stressed abt yr gut

I used to have raging acid reflux which basically disappeared once I started taking anti anxiety meds.. Im not sure if theres 100% correlation according to science(tm) but Im happy about it

I take Omeprazole once a day. Works a treat. You can buy it over the counter but luckily I get it on prescription (free as i live in a nice country)

i have been fighting with a burning (sore) throat from when i stopped smoking in 2008 until now. it took me a while to find out that it was an acidity problem but it has been confirmed with a 24h ph test which i initiated. the doctors are not interested in my case. i usually wak up around three in the morning, i rarely sleep more than three hours in one piece. my life has become a nightmare and the doctors tell me that medical insurance does not pay for this as it is a disturbance of wwell-being. what a bunch of incompetent ass-holes. they have no idea what this does to you. the thing is it never really stops, it is always there in the back-ground, it gnaws at me night and day. it makes me aggresssive. the last gastro guy i saw - he made a gastroscopy where i almost threw up, he said everything was fine, no cancer or inflammation etc. - told me i should do a behavioural therapy. there is something very rotten in medicine if they dare to suggest you something similar when you have a real physcal problem. they do not look at your whole body, only at the parts of it, they treat you like a machine. they think nothing has to do with nothing when it is the opposite, everything has to do with everything. the reflux with the insomnia with the inflammation of the tooth with the diarrhea with the inability to concentrate with the aggressivity etc. what to do against this? i have tried so many things, a diet, sleeping with the upper body higher than the rest of the body. not eating late at night etc.. nothing really works. except chewing gum and fasting. and walking long distances. if this goes on i will restart smoking in 2018. i am not going to wait for more than ten years. i did not have this shit when i smoked. i was happier then.

omeprazol for one month did absolutely nothing. nada. zero. null.

same with pantoprozol.

it's a long shot but I had some success with a supplement called d-limonene

take 1 after evening meal. it seems to coat the esophagus somehow idk but helped me get some decent nights sleep after a few days of taking it

not a longterm solution but maybe helpful idk

I'm about to go back to omeprazol after over 18 months of avoiding it. I'm tired of being bloated.

but I def did get relief from d-limonene for a while, that's not a lie.

i'm sorry to hear you're having a rough go of this, and sorry your doctors sound shitty

omeprazole and pantoprazole are drugs of the same class. when i used to work as a pharmacist i noticed doctors would try one after another in the same patient, a practice that baffled me. now that i've been to medical school i can't say i understand it any better. have you tried twice a day dosing? that is usually the next step after once a day dosing fails

it seems as though you've been seen by an array of docs, including a GI doc, so there's not much advice i can give you that you haven't probably already heard. lifestyle and dietary interventions do tend to work well in my experience, but not for everyone. losing weight almost always helps, if that is applicable in your case. coffee, spicy foods, soda, and fatty foods are often implicated, though the effects are individual-dependent -- thus the usual recommendation is typically to avoid whatever happens to trigger your episodes. chewing gum, or sucking on hard candy (anything that increases saliva flow) tends to help as well, as you've found. peppermint is often overlooked -- it actually causes the sphincter connecting your stomach and esophagus to open, increasing the likelihood of reflux. elevating the bed often helps for nocturnal symptoms,

i can't imagine you havent tried an H2 blocker yet, but nighttime dosing of an H2 blocker like famotidine or ranitidine is often useful (though the effects tend to wear off after a couple of months)

best of luck

I had pretty bad reflux and wouldn't leave the house without ranitidine in case something triggered it. It kinda went away after a combination of that + seeing a therapist/psychiatrist and taking lexapro/welbutrin. I was scared the reflux would come back when I stopped taking lexapro, et al once I got off that stuff a couple months ago but so far so good.. Not sure if this advice is useful but good luck man. Not a fun problem to have.

What does the medical establishment think about aloe?

can't say i've ever heard of it used for reflux (though i'm sure some use it). can confirm that it is yummy

A woman I worked with years ago told me that she took it every day for reflux and then when my partner had a bout of reflux, I tried it. I mixed aloe gel and a little not-super-acidic fruit juice (guava or peach iirc) and he drank it every morning for a week or two. No more reflux, but I wondered maybe it was placebo?

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try an H2 blocker and aloe. I can confirm the problem with peppermint. For a long time I avoided chewing gum as after chewing the reflux got worse. Then I discovered it was the peppermint flavour. Now I chew a gum with lemon taste which works fine against the reflux. Higher doses of omeprazole did not change anything. Right now I am taking riopan whenever the reflux gets insupportable. Not sure if it works but it seems to calm me down a little.

woke up yet again choking on vomit, cos I stupidly ate late at night and didn't sleep on an incline. always fun. happens 4-5 times per year.

guess another endoscopy is in the cards (had one ten years ago)

I was going to make a dumb joke and say that I though that this was an ILM thread.

Sorry Neanderthal, hope you feel better.

Lol the capitalization made me think the same at first

happened again Monday morning in the middle of my sleep (for same stupid reason as before - overeating right before sleep). this time, I don't know that I was successful clearing everything (a first). i was clearing stuff from lungs all day.

had a fever of over 100 all day, no other symptoms - possibly due to dehydration, or presence of foreign material in lungs, idk. went away immediately and permanently after I got a normal night's sleep and hydrated profusely. did the usual COVID tests, not that, and today I feel normal other than occasionally coughing up residual gunk. everything I can read suggests that if my respiratory system is fine, this type of minor aspiration should clear up in a day or two rather than become pneumonia.

anybody else had this happen? naturally, in my situation, I have to make sure ER visits are truly necessary before I make them, as it would require my brother to take FMLA leave to back me up w/ the folks.

I have never had anything quite like that or anything remotely approaching pneumonia myself. I don't know if this is your situation, but my (US HMO) healthcare provider has phone consultation and often non ER appointments available in a few days.

FWIW as embarassing as it is I do mostly sleep on a wedge anymore. Recently in another thread I was praising the effects of (non peppermint) gum and slippery elm tea, which fortunately has almost nullified any symptoms (after about 8 years)

I'm all better now. Definitely not eating late anymore. Yikes