Gastric reflux

[Suzanne]

What do you do, to calm your throat from waking up with acid in your mouth?

I used to be able to drink some milk and that would be fairly instant in calming my throat, but since I had my gallbladder removed, I tried some and was sick and been frightened to have some again, because I hate being sick.

 

[VAW]

I have the same problem with Acid. My throat can get sore or scratchy. What I do.. or used to do was drink some water with baking soda before I went to bed to neutralize the acid.... BUT I have just tried taking some pepto and it seemed to calm my throat and stomach down. I took it for two days and it seemed to work great so far at least!
I am like you...I hate being sick as well.

 

[Misery]

I just take Tums every time I'm about to get into bed.

Does the trick well enough. Provided I remember to do it, of course.

 

[Suzanne]

I have the same problem with Acid. My throat can get sore or scratchy. What I do.. or used to do was drink some water with baking soda before I went to bed to neutralize the acid.... BUT I have just tried taking some pepto and it seemed to calm my throat and stomach down. I took it for two days and it seemed to work great so far at least!
I am like you...I hate being sick as well.

Right now, I am scared to go to bed, because of what happened last night. I even eat between 5 and 6, to give time for my digestion to digest the food and has been working, but last night, was rudely awaked by that horrible sensation of not being able to breath and the disgusting taste of food and acid in my throat and caughing to the extent that I had to put my hand to mouth and just keep swollowing and ended up, as you say, with soreness and a lumpy sensation.

I try to sleep upright, but I just not able to sleep properly like that.

I take gavison for heartburn, but, as it happened, for once, my husband came to bed at the point I was suffering ( he is usually asleep) and he got me some water and that did seem to help a bit.

 

[Suzanne]

I just take Tums every time I'm about to get into bed.

Does the trick well enough. Provided I remember to do it, of course.

I used to take something called: remagel in the uk, but I am now in France and take gaviscon, but it does not work for acid reflux; just for heartburn.

 

[OkRad]

I take aloe vera juice and licorice root but be careful as herbs can cause trouble for some. But the aloe vera juice really helps.

 

[VAW]

Right now, I am scared to go to bed, because of what happened last night. I even eat between 5 and 6, to give time for my digestion to digest the food and has been working, but last night, was rudely awaked by that horrible sensation of not being able to breath and the disgusting taste of food and acid in my throat and caughing to the extent that I had to put my hand to mouth and just keep swollowing and ended up, as you say, with soreness and a lumpy sensation.

I try to sleep upright, but I just not able to sleep properly like that.

I take gavison for heartburn, but, as it happened, for once, my husband came to bed at the point I was suffering ( he is usually asleep) and he got me some water and that did seem to help a bit.

I do get sometimes where I can't breath but I have a hiatal hernia and it pushes the food up to my lungs and i get that feeling. It is a hard thing, sometimes it doesn't bother me that much and sometimes it is such a pain. I do take prevacid for the acid too. Seems like you are doing all that the doctor told me to do, don't eat late, sleep propped up more and the antacid. The only thing that seemed to quiet my throat was the pepto. It won't hurt you if you get it again tonight and have some try that maybe.

 

[Mary Terry]

I suggest you elevate the head of your bed by about 8 inches. Put some bricks or blocks under the two legs of the bed. Gravity is at play in what you are experiencing as well as digestive juices.

I don't know if it would help, but maybe eat some plain crackers about an hour before you go to bed to soak up acid that is building up inside you.

 

[GadAbout]

Similar to Mary Terry's suggestion - I use a foam wedge to raise my head and shoulders just a bit.

Oh, and I also take omeprazole every morning. Why morning? Don't know, but I think it's a delayed release formula.

 

[clg114]

I also take 40mg of omeprazole every morning. (Why morning? Because my doctor says to.) For the most part, this takes care of heartburn. If I eat to late, I will have acid reflux in the middle of the night. For instance, last night I ate a piece of very rich marrian berry pie at midnight to ring in the New Year. I also had a big shot of pepto when I went to bed. I slept like a baby.

 

[Judge]

I also take 40mg of omeprazole every morning.

Do you perpetually take Omeprazole every day, or only in 14-day increments like Nexium ?

To me this has always been the "Achilles Heel" of Nexium. That it's only good for so long. And that you can only reintroduce a 14-day regimen after so many months. In my own case, those 14 doses only last about 45 to 60 days tops.

I seldom have GERD issues when in bed. For me most of it boils down to what trigger foods I must avoid at all times. Presently on a more temporary basis I occasionally use Famotidine, but take nothing perpetually.

 

[Au Naturel]

The primary cause of any GERD or acid reflux is a leaky, relaxed or weakened cardiac sphincter. Only if it leaks will the stomach acid make it up into your esophagus. If there is a leak, then excess stomach acid can make it much worse. That's why they prescribe things like omeprazole (Prilosec). It greatly reduces acid production. Over many years it can cause side effects so you really shouldn't be using it as a long term daily regimen.

Prilosec is safe for short term use for occasional bouts of GERD but you still need something like Tums until it takes effect. Pepcid AC does much the same thing as Prilosec.

Morning GERD can be helped by the position you sleep in. A sleeping wedge or sleeping on a slight incline uses gravity to keep the acid where it belongs. A smaller meal a couple hours before bedtime puts less pressure on your stomach, so acid is less likely to gurgle up. Because of how the stomach is built, laying on your left side can help.

There are foods that leave you more prone to acid reflux, so avoid them. You can take Tums, or the equivalent, proactively when you go to bed. Stomach acid is VERY potent stuff.

 

[Suzanne]

I take aloe vera juice and licorice root but be careful as herbs can cause trouble for some. But the aloe vera juice really helps.

I tried aloe vera juice, as we have plants, but sadly, it made heart burn even worse. As for licorice, I hate the taste.

 

[Suzanne]

I do get sometimes where I can't breath but I have a hiatal hernia and it pushes the food up to my lungs and i get that feeling. It is a hard thing, sometimes it doesn't bother me that much and sometimes it is such a pain. I do take prevacid for the acid too. Seems like you are doing all that the doctor told me to do, don't eat late, sleep propped up more and the antacid. The only thing that seemed to quiet my throat was the pepto. It won't hurt you if you get it again tonight and have some try that maybe.

I have a hiatus herna too and was supposed to be operated on, since it is now very wide, but due to my esophicial ( can't spell), splincter being sluggish, they refused to operate and put me on omeprazal to regulate it.

I eat between 5 and 6 now and go to bed, between 9 and 10, so that is roughly 4 to 5 hrs without food. but still get heartburn.

 

[Suzanne]

I suggest you elevate the head of your bed by about 8 inches. Put some bricks or blocks under the two legs of the bed. Gravity is at play in what you are experiencing as well as digestive juices.

I don't know if it would help, but maybe eat some plain crackers about an hour before you go to bed to soak up acid that is building up inside you.

Sadly, I do try to sit up, but always end up lying down, because it is the most comfortable. However, I found that there is a pillow for acid reflux, which keeps you at a natural angle, and so shall try that.

 

[Suzanne]

I also take 40mg of omeprazole every morning. (Why morning? Because my doctor says to.) For the most part, this takes care of heartburn. If I eat to late, I will have acid reflux in the middle of the night. For instance, last night I ate a piece of very rich marrian berry pie at midnight to ring in the New Year. I also had a big shot of pepto when I went to bed. I slept like a baby.

Be careful, because I was on 40mg but it was causing issues with other organs.

 

[Suzanne]

The primary cause of any GERD or acid reflux is a leaky, relaxed or weakened cardiac sphincter. Only if it leaks will the stomach acid make it up into your esophagus. If there is a leak, then excess stomach acid can make it much worse. That's why they prescribe things like omeprazole (Prilosec). It greatly reduces acid production. Over many years it can cause side effects so you really shouldn't be using it as a long term daily regimen.

Prilosec is safe for short term use for occasional bouts of GERD but you still need something like Tums until it takes effect. Pepcid AC does much the same thing as Prilosec.

Morning GERD can be helped by the position you sleep in. A sleeping wedge or sleeping on a slight incline uses gravity to keep the acid where it belongs. A smaller meal a couple hours before bedtime puts less pressure on your stomach, so acid is less likely to gurgle up. Because of how the stomach is built, laying on your left side can help.

There are foods that leave you more prone to acid reflux, so avoid them. You can take Tums, or the equivalent, proactively when you go to bed. Stomach acid is VERY potent stuff.

Oh, I now know all about the stomach lol and in fact, it is due to not enough acid, that is the cause, so taking acid reducers, causes untold issues with the digestion and why I am only taking 10mg of omeprazol, but sadly, it is effecting my kidneys, so when I see dr next week, want to discuss ulternative means.

 

[SusanLR]

Doctors always prescribe proton pump inhibitors or H2 receptor blockers for this, like the omeprazole.
Continued gastric reflux can lead to a condition called Barrett's esophagus.

The man I house share with has this condition and has been to many doctors.
He has been prescribed omeprazole for years! And still his esophagus
overgrowth keeps progressing.
He is now on a very strong acid reducer,(don't know the name), that was
prescribed by an oncologist. His last biopsies were showing signs of it
turning into cancer.

I don't like those PPI's either due to what it can do to your organs.
But, they have to give something to keep the acid from causing this
damage to the esophagus.
Sometimes it's just between a rock and a hard place to choose what to do.

Sorry to hear the aloe didn't help.
I found taking the time released peppermint IBS guard caps in the morning and aloe juice before bed has helped me. Tums as needed.

 

[VAW]

I have a hiatus herna too and was supposed to be operated on, since it is now very wide, but due to my esophicial ( can't spell), splincter being sluggish, they refused to operate and put me on omeprazal to regulate it.

I eat between 5 and 6 now and go to bed, between 9 and 10, so that is roughly 4 to 5 hrs without food. but still get heartburn.

Yes, it is a funny thing. I do about the same and yet that acid really doesn't seem to ever go away, I guess maybe because it rides up so high on us.
Sometimes it doesn't feel so bad and other times it just doesn't seem to go away. I did find that the pepto did coat things and seemed to help some along with the other stuff.

 

[Suzanne]

Yes, it is a funny thing. I do about the same and yet that acid really doesn't seem to ever go away, I guess maybe because it rides up so high on us.
Sometimes it doesn't feel so bad and other times it just doesn't seem to go away. I did find that the pepto did coat things and seemed to help some along with the other stuff.

Same here. Some days, I do not suffer at all from heartburn and then, on other days, it is relentless, if I did not take the blasted tablet for it, which is a slow release and thus, have to wait for it to work, but it does give me relief.