Acid Reflux....Bleh!

[Buttercup]

Does anyone have trouble with horrible burning acid in your stomach?

I have for a couple of years and started out with Tums trying to alleviate the problem, went to generic acid reducers, the onto Nexium but it gave me headaches so now I'm using Prilosec but sometimes it still doesn't work.

Any suggestions?

 

[Smoke]

Does anyone have trouble with horrible burning acid in your stomach?

I have for a couple of years and started out with Tums trying to alleviate the problem, went to generic acid reducers, the onto Nexium but it gave me headaches so now I'm using Prilosec but sometimes it still doesn't work.

Any suggestions?

I have a stomach of steel, so I know nothing. Sorry.

Feel better.

 

[Valjean]

It's probably not your stomach that's the problem, unless you have gastric ulcers. The burning is probably in your esophagus, secondary to an incompetent gastro-esophageal sphincter.

If adequate relief can't be obtained with diet, position and medication you'll have to consider sergury.

Try Googling GERD.

 

[Buttercup]

Thank you Seyorni for your help....it's much appreciated.

 

[Willamena]

I used to get acid reflux when I consumed too much in the way of sweets. Since I cut down on sugars in my diet, I don't get it anymore.

 

[Buttercup]

I used to get acid reflux when I consumed too much in the way of sweets. Since I cut down on sugars in my diet, I don't get it anymore.

Yeah, I've noticed that too, especially at night. I've tried to cut back but it's hard. I'm glad that worked for you. I should try to be smart as well.

 

[Booko]

Does anyone have trouble with horrible burning acid in your stomach?

I have for a couple of years and started out with Tums trying to alleviate the problem, went to generic acid reducers, the onto Nexium but it gave me headaches so now I'm using Prilosec but sometimes it still doesn't work.

Any suggestions?

Lots of them.

First off, let me tell you up front where I'm coming from. I think medicines to treat digestive problems are mostly a crock. Why would you bother with a "treatment" you have to take the rest of your life when you can "cure" the problems in the first place?

It's not like treatments don't have their place -- but please put them in a wider perspective. Treatements are what we do when there is no cure or when we need a little something to get us over the hump while we're working to let our body heal.

1. Home remedy "treatment" -- maybe you're stomach acid isn't strong *enough* to digest your food. Taking Tums and antacids makes a bigger problem over the long term. Instead, take a tablespoon or two of (preferably organic) apple cider vinegar. This has worked for me personally and many people I know. EDIT: Take a few bites of your food, then the vinegar, then keep eating.

2. Your stomach might need to be "pulled down" -- it ain't surgical and it ain't hard, but you'll have to find a complementary doc to do it -- ask a chiropractor they might know someone. If you come to Atlanta, I'd do it myself.

3. Most likely for those of us around 40 and older -- welcome to the American diet! Your digestion is a mess. You can try any number of things to fix it.

Oh crap...I gotta run and get Eibhlin ready for a dance worship.

I should probably try a separate thread on digestive problems anyway. It's not like anyone has to do everything, but looking at one or more possibilities might help.

Let me see if I can get back to this this afternoon.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Acid reflux can be stopped with something like Gaviscon. It forms a layer on top of your stomach contents and prevents it coming back.
I have had a slight hiatus hernia that causes this for many years... but as I have got older it has stopped being a problem.
In severe cases an operation solves the problem.

Have a look at this site and see if it seems to match your symptoms...
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Hiatus_hernia.html

 

[Booko]

Acid reflux can be stopped with something like Gaviscon. It forms a layer on top of your stomach contents and prevents it coming back.
I have had a slight hiatus hernia that causes this for many years... but as I have got older it has stopped being a problem.
In severe cases an operation solves the problem.

Um! Hiatal hernias...yeah my late step-dad had one of those. You can feel the hernia, though -- well at least I could on him. He'd had the surgery and it did help. The success rate wasn't incredibly high but that was years and years ago, and I expect they've made a lot of progress in the surgery since then. :yes:

He practically lived on Maalox.

It was extremely useful to know what to do about heartburn when I was pregnant, though. I carried both kids really high and had bad heartburn for months, but I had some ideas to alleviate it. It was kinda strange propping up the head of the bed, though -- I felt like I might slide off and end up going downstream like that Bugs Bunny cartoon.

 

[nutshell]

I have no idea what your body type/weight is, but losing weight can often reduce or eliminate heartburn.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Um! Hiatal hernias...yeah my late step-dad had one of those. You can feel the hernia, though -- well at least I could on him. He'd had the surgery and it did help. The success rate wasn't incredibly high but that was years and years ago, and I expect they've made a lot of progress in the surgery since then. :yes:

He practically lived on Maalox.

It was extremely useful to know what to do about heartburn when I was pregnant, though. I carried both kids really high and had bad heartburn for months, but I had some ideas to alleviate it. It was kinda strange propping up the head of the bed, though -- I felt like I might slide off and end up going downstream like that Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Most hiatus hernias can't be felt.
Mine was found with a barium meal investigation.Followed By a scope down into my stomach to have a look... It was too small to need an operation.
The trouble was that for many years is was a intermittent aggravation. some times lasting for weeks on end.

 

[Buttercup]

1. Home remedy "treatment" -- maybe you're stomach acid isn't strong *enough* to digest your food. Taking Tums and antacids makes a bigger problem over the long term. Instead, take a tablespoon or two of (preferably organic) apple cider vinegar. This has worked for me personally and many people I know. EDIT: Take a few bites of your food, then the vinegar, then keep eating.

I'll have to give this one a try because I already have cider vinegar in the house. Sounds a bit scary though I must say. Vinegar is acidic and my stomach/esophogas is already in bad shape. Are you sure this won't blow it up for good?

Have a look at this site and see if it seems to match your symptoms...
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/h...us_hernia.html

Some of the symptoms sound like those listed but some don't. I'm not over 50, overweight nor do I smoke so perhaps the symptoms are similar but it's not the same thing.

I need to go to the doctor again I guess even though I just went a couple of months ago and she prescribed Nexium. I have the H. Pylori bacteria that causes ulcers. I took medication years ago to kill it off but I hear it can come back. Wonder if that could be part of the problem.

Thanks to you all for the help. Sure would be nice to not feel like a hole is being burned through my stomach every day. Hugs to all who responded! :group:

 

[Isabella Lecour]

My daughter has acid reflux because she's a preemie. My sister has acid reflux that's damaged her valve because it was misdignosed as colic. There are several reasons for the reflux and each reason has a different treatment. Not all heartburn cases can be treated with home remedies. This link is just a quick overview for the different medications used. It's the same for infants as for adults, just a different dosage.

I've tried my share of home remidies and most don't work. At best marginal relef. You can change your diet, change when you eat, how you eat, how you sleep and it's all about having to do this routine everyday for the rest of your life, just for so so results. If your looking at doing that, you might want to consider seeing a doctor to rule out any other problems. I think you might be pleased to find out what they can do when you've done all you can already.

Good luck.

 

[Valjean]

Hiatus hernia is much less common than GERD. Initial treatment is similar, though -- diet, positioning and drugs. If these are ineffective the next step is surgery. These hernias are generally easily corrected surgically.

I haven't examined you, but my primary differential Dx would still be GERD, though.

 

[Buttercup]

I haven't examined you, but my primary differential Dx would still be GERD, though.

I'm thinking so as well. If surgery is needed at some point, is it done laproscopically?

 

[Valjean]

It depends on the facility, the surgeon, and exactly what needs to be done.

There is a good chance that in an up-to-date hospital the defect could be corrected with minimally invasive surgery/laparoscopically.

 

[Aqualung]

I have a stomach of steel,

Me too. Except when I eat too many sunflower seeds.

 

[Booko]

I'll have to give this one a try because I already have cider vinegar in the house. Sounds a bit scary though I must say. Vinegar is acidic and my stomach/esophogas is already in bad shape. Are you sure this won't blow it up for good?

Actually, I'd aim for the digestive enzymes first and not the vinegar. The enzymes are definitely safe.

The thing is, there are all sorts of reason for acid reflux. Some are related to diet, like food sensitivities, but some causes need to be remedied by surgery.

You don't really know what you're dealing with yet.

I need to go to the doctor again I guess even though I just went a couple of months ago and she prescribed Nexium. I have the H. Pylori bacteria that causes ulcers. I took medication years ago to kill it off but I hear it can come back. Wonder if that could be part of the problem.

Quite possibly. Rhonda, I would encourage you to push your docs like heck to find out what the actual problem is instead of just pushing pills at you.

As for diet, you can easily try that on your own while you're waiting to get into a doctor's office.

The closer you can come to a simple diet of non-convenience chemical-free foods, the better. Normally it's good to have whole grains in the diet, but in your case probably easy-to-digest is a priority. Try it for a week and see how you feel. It certainly won't hurt.

Also, keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel afterward. You might find a connection somewhere.

 

[Valjean]

I need to go to the doctor again I guess even though I just went a couple of months ago and she prescribed Nexium. I have the H. Pylori bacteria that causes ulcers. I took medication years ago to kill it off but I hear it can come back. Wonder if that could be part of the problem.

Thanks to you all for the help. Sure would be nice to not feel like a hole is being burned through my stomach every day. Hugs to all who responded! :group:

Buttercup, if you have H. pylorosis all these suggestions will come to naught. Nexium is just a band-aid. The bacteria will continue to erode your gastric mucosa.

The only permanent cure will be to get rid of the H. Pylori.
Attack it aggressivly! Antibiotics!

 

[Booko]

Buttercup, if you have H. pylorosis all these suggestions will come to naught. Nexium is just a band-aid. The bacteria will continue to erode your gastric mucosa.

The only permanent cure will be to get rid of the H. Pylori.
Attack it aggressivly! Antibiotics!

:yes:

And some probiotics to go with.