Acid Reflux

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I have HORRIBLE acid reflux and this makes my emetophobic anxiety even worse because reflux increases the chance of my phobia happening. I can't even type the words.

The worst part is not only am I addicted to coffee because my meds make me so tired, but my family is constantly making Italian food full of onions and tomatoes, which are a no-no for the condition.

I have tried looking up some reflux diet recipes online but I'm not a very talented cook and the combinations for the recipes come out disgusting and inedible.

Also, my mother insists on buying only menthol cough drops, when I specifically asked her to get me the honey ones so my GERD won't be aggravated. She refuses.

I tried talking to my dad and he just triggers me by saying that I have no reason to be afraid of *said thing* and that I should just get over it.

I know I'm ranting as usual, but does anybody know what the hell I CAN eat with this issue. Whenever my GERD flares up it increases my anxiety because of the phobia.

Try low fat milk products. I drink stuff like that to balance out the acidity when i experience acid reflux.

Best thing is to control what you are eating in the first place. If you go to bed and have acid reflux while sleeping, things can get very bad... Have a serious talk with your family about that.

Do you take any medications for it? I have GERD & I take Pepcid before meals & it helps. I've also been on a proton-pump inhibitor which is more effective but is more risky taken long term. I take it occasionally when I'll be eating something that really aggravates it or when my throat is burning.

It's probably a good idea to stay away from the mint family altogether, which includes menthol. I would also be cautious of any kind of herb, including Ginger. Read up about it before trying.

You could try Gastrocote tablets, if you are not already taking something like that. In the UK they are available over the counter.

A good way to clear the digestive system is to eat boiled beetroot (not pickeled). You could mix it up (blend it) with celery and other good vegetables. Just stay away from Spicy and fatty foods.

The caffiene in coffee could be making it worse. If you can't give up the habit, try just 1-2 cups a day of normal coffee and then a decafinated coffee for the rest of the day. Just don't over do it as decafinated still has chemicals in it, and a little bit of Caffiene.

Here's another tip for you, put some books under your bed to raise the head up a little, this supposedly stops the acid from going up the tube while you sleep.

I don't have experience with it, but my father developed GERD somewhat recently. It can cause him a good deal of trouble at times. I'm hoping to buy my father a product called Gastritonin, which used to be called Protexid. It's out of stock but read on Dr. Eades sight a new batch should arrive soon. I'm hoping it provides some relief. It can be read about here ~

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/misc ... atching-2/

I take a generic version of Prilo Sec and it works quite well, however the packaging says you're only supposed to use it for a couple weeks, but once your system gets adjusted to it, if you stop taking it, your AR will come back even stronger than before, so as far as I can tell, once you start it, you're taking it for life.

I've also heard it can cause bone fragility over the long term, but I've used it for years now with no sign of that. Also, it takes 24 hours to get into your system and take effect, so you can't forget your daily dose, or you're likely to have a nasty flare-up.

I don't have acid reflux as long as I eat properly

Hi

A few years ago I was just out of hospital after suffering a serious allergic reaction to an antibiotic and even though I was a lot better I was left with permanent heartburn / acid reflux / indigestion ....... We bought a huge bottle of Gaviscon for about £12 and it was useless .

My old mum told me to put a little bicarb in a glass of water and drink . I worked within 2 minutes and the symptoms I'd had for days dissapeared permanently !

http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/b ... plication3

I had bad GERD for years, with more tests and doctors than I can recall. Now, after surgery, it is just annoying but manageable. Some thoughts based on my personal experience :

- it helped me to recognize that "acid" and "reflux" are two separate things. Antacid products can reduce the acidity of the refluxate, addressing problems like heartburn, but reflux can still happen.

- all the usual suggestions can provide degrees of help (no eating 2-3 hours before bed, raising head of the bed, avoiding trigger foods, careful with caffeine including chocolate, smaller low fat meals) and so on.

- I was on PPIs for years (e.g. Nexium) though now I rely just on the occasional Gaviscon as needed.

- a diet of lower fat and higher soluble fiber really helps speed stomach emptying. Soluble fiber tablets work well for me in this regard; I still take them with each meal.

My hearts goes out to you. I know what a frustrating journey it can be to manage.

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, for some people acid reflux is caused by having too little stomach acid and, in those cases, taking PPI's or antacids can actually exacerbate the situation. A common cause of having too little stomach acid is chronic stress and anxiety. If you find that med's don't help you, I'd look at stress relief and an elimination diet to see if you have any food sensitivities that are exacerbating your problem. You could also try digestive enzymes and see if those help.

I have an acid reflux issue that affects my esophagus more than the stomach. So my issue is making sure food goes down and stays down. This is pretty much an ulcer that likes to act up if you would like to call it that too. This also makes my colds and sore throats very painful to deal with and I usually have a bout of acid reflux after the cold disappears more often than not. I drink lots of water as well which does nothing much, but makes me pee more.

The four worst things for acid reflux- Refined (white) sugar, tobacco, alcohol, and high amounts of caffeine.
other things that have caused issues for me are bread, certain breakfast cereals, cheese and peanut butter (I eat the last two in small amounts, but more than what I normally eat causes some issues). I ultimately started to replace peanut butter with avocados. I also started replacing tortillas (when I eat Mexican type food that I cook myself) with rice.

Common symptoms I have found with acid reflux include: dizziness, minor headaches, discomfort in the throat and dry heaving in extreme cases. I have also found a correlation with my sinuses as well and the doctor has mentioned that the sinuses flaring up from long distance running can be related to acid reflux.

Here is a list of charts on a website I found a while back. Despite other claims on this forum that say don't eat onions or tomatoes, I find no issue with that food here. Different bodies, different reactions I guess. Also keep in mind with the link that there is a note to read at the very bottom of the page indicating that the FDA hasn't evaluated the claims either.

I stopped eating tomato products and onions two weeks ago and it's improved quite a bit. I find having lots of dairy helps because milk is a base and can neutralize acid. I still have a little bit of trouble when I drink coffee. But that can't be helped because my meds make me too sleepy and I need it.

Try sleeping with your bed tilted up a bit. A brick under the feet at the top end can give the bed just enough tilt so that your stomach acid stays down at night. Worked wonders for me and my acid reflux.

Hello,
Thanks for starting such a good discussion on Acid reflux. My best friend is suffering now from this Acid reflux and he wants a good way to cure from it instantly. Though I have suggest him for concern with a doctor about this but she saying that he wants to try it by using home remedy. Someone suggesting him to use a natural medicine as "Acidgone". What are your opinions on it?

I find if I start to grow a fat belly, I get the acid reflex, especially when I am bent over working on my motorbikes.
So I lose weight until I have a trim tum, then it goes away.

Give up coffee and start drinking tea instead. I take a protein pump inhibitor. It beats the alternative of having major surgery that can cause a lot of other complication. I know, because one of my best friends had surgery for reflux and now he has all these stomach problems and pain. I would say, take an inhibitor prescribed by your doctor and take vitamins and calcium just in case. Protein pump inhibitors do prevent absorption of nutrients, but not by much.