anything that you can do .. to help it????

[Rhapsody]

I take a Rx that my doctor wrote for me....... and I eat a lot of Maalox.

[Pita]

Freewill

I take a prescription for it called Aciphex - it is the only thing that has ever worked for me.

[Rhapsody]

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Pita said:
I take a prescription for it called Aciphex - it is the only thing that has ever worked for me.

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Thats the name of the Rx I take as well........ and it works wonders.

Thank you.... will try...

[(JD)]

Ok, I'm not saying don't take scripted meds but please do consider this:

most all heart burn, and reflux issues begin as a digestive enzyme problem. If you begin to experience this, take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. If the problem goes away (and for the majority of people for the time it will) then your problem is caused by NOT ENOUGH digestive enzymes in your stomach.

Medications and OTCs like rolaids and tums cancel ALL stomach acid. At human beings we NEED stomach acid to function healthily. Taking something like a medicine only treats the symptom (unless it's part of the cure as described on the medicine.)

When you pop a tums, you are compounding the problem.

What to do? Go to your grocery store or drug store or health food store and buy DIGESTIVE ENZYMES. These are exactly what your body should be producing. There are 3 of them (digestive enzymes) and they come in one mix. Not expensive, especially considering the relief!

I suffered for YEARS with this problem, caused by taking meds in the middle of the night without enough water. I had to sleep with my head raised to prevent the reflux, as it would cause me to choke and nearly suffocated me many times.
I read about the underlying problem of enzymes in medical pages, and tried it.

From when I took my first tablet, I had near instant relief! (I have to admit, I tried apple cider vinegar tablets first, and while they helped they were intolerable )

Don't treat the symptoms, solve the problem. (Now if you already have damage from the reflux etc, by all means take the medicine that does heal the damage.)

good wishes!

[Perna]

I get relief from Pepcid Complete (not Pepcid AC). It does the same as Tums (calcium) and does a bloodstream thing too. But I need it sometimes at night for my asthma, in case GERD's aggrevating it.

[ECHOES]

Good advice here. Aciphex, Protonix are good Rx's.

Also drink plenty of water.

Don't eat within 3 hours of bedime.

Raise the head of the bed with 6" blocks.

Avoid smoking, caffeine, chocolate.

Eat more freequent but smaller meals.

I hope you feel better.

I had this before getting pregnant and its ever worse now. Sorry to hear you have this problem.

For me, rantidine seems to work well.

[wanttoheal]

sky. Digestive enzymes are great to help. Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered) in a glass of water first upon rising and don't eat anything for 30 min after. You can also take it in the afternoon as a great hydrating drink.

[Perna]

True GERD is caused by problems with the lower esophageal sphincter, the band of muscle that connects the esophagus (your throat) with the stomach. GERD is not the same as indigestion gone evil :-)

With GERD either the sphincter muscle works well/properly or it does not. If it does not, the stomach acids can get up to the esophagus and that isn't protected from the acids like the stomach is.

Lifestyle doesn't cause GERD but adjusting it can sometimes help. Some triggers for GERD are:

Certain foods or drinks
Smoking
Being overweight
Eating too much
Bending over after eating
Lying down less than 3 hours after meals

I don't know why one would bend over after eating? I guess exercising that includes touching one's toes is out? But the way things work is the sphincter opens to let in food; so, it closes at a certain time but it might get in the "habit" of not. It could be, freewill, that having an ED, your stomach has decided over time to leave it open, hoping you'll eat more? Or, like other muscles, it has lost tone? Too, your body might be producing stomach acids out of proportion to the amount you can now eat; kind of like how more sharks than meat can show up at the scene? It's harder for your stomach to shut down some of that acid production and/or your sphincter muscle to close.

Oh I can see why one would bend over after eating :-) If you are eating at lunchtime or have to rush out after supper/dinnertime to get your kids to a game or a class....as soon as teh dishes are put away, you bend over to tie up your shoes or put on boots BAM up it comes.....I know the feeling.....

I have found that Zantac works great for the immediate upset...but something prescriptive would be needed for constant treatment.

[ECHOES]

I forgot to mention that my GI doc, knowing I have no Rx coverage, said to take 40mg of Prevacid daily. It's now available over the counter.

Prevacid? I will have to look for that. I am taking Zantac almost daily now and it is costing me quite abit.