Acid Reflux... (GERD)

[Nikita]

Does anyone else suffer from this digestive hell? I'm convinced all the Prednizone I've been on over the years for my asthma led to my acid reflux. I've been doing well for the past few years, but last weekend I drank way too much orange juice to help treat my chest cold, and the dreaded acid came back. I put myself on Prilosec and it took a few days to kick in but I'm doing better. I also take a natural supplement somtimes called DGL licorice and have had good results with it for the acid. But this time, I needed something stronger so that's why the Prilosec.

Any other homemade remedies or supplements you take to treat it? Do they help? I hate taking meds because I've taken so many meds all my life for so many things. I'm staying on the Prilosec because I don't have a choice right now. I used to take Prevacid years ago but I get more sensitive to the sun when I'm on it so I had to stop it. Anyone tried Nexium? How's that med? I've never tried it.

Anyone had to have surgery for their GERD?

So, for now, I can't eat chocolate, anything with tomato, anything spicey, anything too fatty, icecream, pop, anything too acidic, etc. So in other words, I can't eat anything that actually has some flavor to it. :( It's back to "bland food city" till my reflux calmes down.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Mainline non-sugary carbonated liquids. I have it pretty bad (being a fatass doesn't help) so I drink plenty of Mineral Water. That helps alleviate the problem if I'm unable to take a pill.

Any of high range pre-pulsids are the way to go.

[Gary_B]

I experience mild acid reflux compared to what some people suffer through. It mostly affects me when I'm stressed and wakes me up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation. Eating several Gaviscon tablets gives me relief.

What’s GERD - Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease?

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Nik, also research into Idiopathic eosinophilic esophagitis. That seems to be the disease of the week related to reflux.

[Nikita]

Mainline non-sugary carbonated liquids. I have it pretty bad (being a fatass doesn't help) so I drink plenty of Mineral Water. That helps alleviate the problem if I'm unable to take a pill.

Any of high range pre-pulsids are the way to go.



Yeah, I need to lose weight too. I've gained weight since last year and I'm sure that hasnt't helped. Doesn't the carbonation irritate the reflux no matter what kind of drink it is? For example, if I get too much gas caught in my system, the pressure from it can push more acid up my esophogus. I guess I never thought something like minaral water might help. I've always just drank lots of regular water to help nutralize the acid.

[Nikita]

Nik, also research into Idiopathic eosinophilic esophagitis. That seems to be the disease of the week related to reflux.


I've heard of this. It's seems to be related to food allergies. As far as I know, I don't have any. My allergist tested me for good allergies a couple years ago. I do have asthma however and I know that more and more asthmatics are developing problems with GERD. I think part if it is due to some of the meds we have to take and some of it might be genetic.

The reverse is also true. Many GERD sufferers are developing asthmatic symptoms because the constant acid back up starts irritating the lungs somehow.

Sorry to hear you have a rough time with reflux too. It sucks. It's like torture for me to have to stop eating chocolate and pizza when it flares up. Torture!

[Nikita]

I experience mild acid reflux compared to what some people suffer through. It mostly affects me when I'm stressed and wakes me up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation. Eating several Gaviscon tablets gives me relief.

What’s GERD - Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease?



You are correct sah!

[Athena Bast]

I take OTC Ranitidine for mine. Gotta make sure I don't take too many too close together other it makes me schitzo.

[Mike Smith]

I found eating smaller meals consistently (including not skipping breakfast :p ) along with eating celery and bananas tend to help. Whole milk, things with citric acid, spices, onions, really greasy stuff and broccoli always seem like good things to avoid.

[howyadoin]

I pretty much can't drink orange juice late at night. I get acid reflux occasionally, so I keep generic Zantac onhand, but it's fairly rare that it acts up these days. I suspect it may be partially stress-related, which might explain the rarity.

[StoneGold]

My mom does. I don't, but fear the day I might, since I tend to be pretty liberal with the spices. As people might remember from the weenie roast two years ago.

[Cody H]

Yeah, I've had it pretty bad since I was about 16-17. It started out pretty mild but got to the point where anything short of water or vegetables will trigger it. Got bad enough that I had a ton of trouble swallowing most foods. My family's got a history of stomach problems but I'm pretty sure my diet hasn't done me any favors. I've been on Prevacid since I was 19 and as long as I take the pill, I'm fine. Sadly, I've ran out of pills and haven't got around to renewing my prescription, I've been getting by on Zantac but it wears off way too quickly and doesn't really eliminate or block all the acid. I've pretty much reserved myself to the fact that I'll probably be on the pills for the rest of my life. Never thought about surgery though, didn't even know it was an option.

[blackdragon6]

i think my mom has this........

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Sorry to hear you have a rough time with reflux too. It sucks. It's like torture for me to have to stop eating chocolate and pizza when it flares up. Torture!

Nik, I'd got to the point where I couldn't eat chocolate after say 6:00 or I was Mount St Helen's during the night.

The pills I take seem to be fixing the problem but I haven't put it to the test big time yet. We'll see how good they are.

[Clint Barton]

I used to suffer until I bought a pillow which raised my head up high when I sleep. Combined with the CPAP machine, I'm sleeping like a baby, without snoring a bit.

[Matt Algren]

I have GERD. A little over five years since I was first diagnosed. I'm actually having a little trouble right now, but that's just because I had tomato sauce and Pepsi, then took a two-hour nap. I'm an idiot.

Weird thing is that I didn't notice sour stomach or acid backing up in my throat before I was diagnosed. I just always had a horrible sore throat and lost my voice one week out of the month. I assumed it was bronchitis or something until I had to leave a job to cough and cry for 15 minutes one day. For a few weeks before I finally went to the doctor, I was taking four Tylenol XStrength every four hours, around the clock.

Nexium isn't covered by most insurance as of a few months ago, so I'm on Aciphex now. I tried Prilosec OTC a year or two ago, but it didn't really help much. Aciphex seems to be doing the job, but I still have to sleep on an incline, and I also can't eat chili after about noon.

If you're having trouble with orange juice, try Tropicana Low Acid. It tastes the same, if slightly smoother, which is better anyway as far as I'm concerned.

[Nikita]

Yeah, I've had it pretty bad since I was about 16-17. It started out pretty mild but got to the point where anything short of water or vegetables will trigger it. Got bad enough that I had a ton of trouble swallowing most foods. My family's got a history of stomach problems but I'm pretty sure my diet hasn't done me any favors. I've been on Prevacid since I was 19 and as long as I take the pill, I'm fine. Sadly, I've ran out of pills and haven't got around to renewing my prescription, I've been getting by on Zantac but it wears off way too quickly and doesn't really eliminate or block all the acid. I've pretty much reserved myself to the fact that I'll probably be on the pills for the rest of my life. Never thought about surgery though, didn't even know it was an option.


There are two different surgical options. One is where they wrap a part of your stomach around the esophogus to keep the acid from coming up. The other is much newer and it's where they use radio waves to heat part of the esophogus so that it developes scar tissue and closes up more tightly. They've had some complications with the newer procedure though, so I think they're still testing it.

Here's some info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissen_fundoplication (older method)

http://www.articlestreet.com/Article/Treatment-of-GERD/5579 (scroll down to the part that says "endoscopy")

[Nikita]

I have GERD. A little over five years since I was first diagnosed. I'm actually having a little trouble right now, but that's just because I had tomato sauce and Pepsi, then took a two-hour nap. I'm an idiot.

Weird thing is that I didn't notice sour stomach or acid backing up in my throat before I was diagnosed. I just always had a horrible sore throat and lost my voice one week out of the month. I assumed it was bronchitis or something until I had to leave a job to cough and cry for 15 minutes one day. For a few weeks before I finally went to the doctor, I was taking four Tylenol XStrength every four hours, around the clock.

Nexium isn't covered by most insurance as of a few months ago, so I'm on Aciphex now. I tried Prilosec OTC a year or two ago, but it didn't really help much. Aciphex seems to be doing the job, but I still have to sleep on an incline, and I also can't eat chili after about noon.

If you're having trouble with orange juice, try Tropicana Low Acid. It tastes the same, if slightly smoother, which is better anyway as far as I'm concerned.



LOL. You're a brave soul. I was sleeping normally ok, but this past week, I had to elevate my mattress again for the first time in two years. I just love sleeping on an incline again.

[Nikita]

Nik, I'd got to the point where I couldn't eat chocolate after say 6:00 or I was Mount St Helen's during the night.

The pills I take seem to be fixing the problem but I haven't put it to the test big time yet. We'll see how good they are.


I found a supplement a couple of years ago that seems to be just as effective as Tagamet. It helps encourage mucus production in the stomach so that when it reduces acid, the stomach has a healthier lining created at the same time for when the acid returns to normal levels. It's called DGL. (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) You can find it at any healthstore. I kid you not, it works. Make sure you get the "de" version because it's had an ingredient taken out of it that can cause high blood pressure. I started this thread because I thought other folks might know of other herbs or supplements that have helped them. The DGL licorice has helped me but it was not strong enough for this last flare up since it was so severe.

I just found out some new info on all these meds and why we have to become so dependent on them. Supposedly, when Zantac, Prilosec, or any of these meds are taken for long periods of time, they reduce the stomach acid to such low levels, the stomach gets a signal to go into overdrive and produce a large amount of gastric acid because it's assuming something is wrong because the acid is too low. So, that's why the minute we stop these meds, the acid comes back twice as strong and comes back worse. I guess it becomes a vicious cycle and it keeps us dependent on the meds. The stomach goes into overdrive when the acid gets too low. (I just learned all of this last night because I decided to do more research after starting this thread)

[Winslow]

I have occasional problems.

Caffeine is usually the trigger for me, if I drink too much coffee, I'm history.

I also can't eat late at night.

I can control mine through:

Not over eating

Watching caffeine

Being careful with sugar

Tomato and spicy stuff is rarely a "trigger" - but can complicate an already bad situation.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

I just found out some new info on all these meds and why we have to become so dependent on them. Supposedly, when Zantac, Prilosec, or any of these meds are taken for long periods of time, they reduce the stomach acid to such low levels, the stomach gets a signal to go into overdrive and produce a large amount of gastric acid because it's assuming something is wrong because the acid is too low. So, that's why the minute we stop these meds, the acid comes back twice as strong and comes back worse. I guess it becomes a vicious cycle and it keeps us dependent on the meds. The stomach goes into overdrive when the acid gets too low. (I just learned all of this last night because I decided to do more research after starting this thread)

This is 100% correct. I was away in Sydney for a couple of weeks and ran out of my prepulsid. As Liv can attest, I was mainlining coke zeros for two days until I could get a doctor's appointment.

[Nikita]

This is 100% correct. I was away in Sydney for a couple of weeks and ran out of my prepulsid. As Liv can attest, I was mainlining coke zeros for two days until I could get a doctor's appointment.


Coke? I thought pop can make it worse? What is in Coke that helped you? I've never heard of this before. Due tell grasshoppa! :)

[Matt Algren]

Coke? I thought pop can make it worse? What is in Coke that helped you? I've never heard of this before. Due tell grasshoppa! :)From what I understand, it's not the carbonation that's the problem, it's the caffeine.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

From what I understand, it's not the carbonation that's the problem, it's the caffeine.

Yeah...I realized my mistake after I posted. I meant Lemonade, well diet Sprite to be exact but Mineral Water is the best.

[Winslow]

From what I understand, it's not the carbonation that's the problem, it's the caffeine.

Yeah . .caffeine is my acid reflux bane.

Soda is a base (rather than acid) so it can act as a neutralizer.