What could I take for bad acid reflux?

1) You should see a doctor. Anything else I share is personal experience, not medical advice. Chronic acid reflux is a medical condition that should be discussed with a medical professional.

2) There are often food triggers to acid reflux. I figured out my triggers by eating a very bland diet until I stopped having reflux, and then adding things one by one. You can find lists of common triggers on the internet.

3) It can help to tilt your bed so that your head is higher than your feet while you sleep. There are "wedge pillows" you can buy fairly inexpensively, but I would fall off of them during the night. I bought a frame that tilts my entire box spring. That works for me.

4) I also have a hiatal hernia, meaning that a part of my stomach has protruded through my diaphragm. This is part of the issue. Of course you need to see a doctor to figure out if this case for you.

As part of the treatment for this, I eat many small meals during the day rather than the normal 2 or 3 big meals. It took me a while to get this right (at first, I ate too many calories and gained weight)... but it seems to really help.


5) Did you get my main point... you need to see a doctor for this.

Ok thanks

Over the counter acid reducer. There are a bunch of brand name and generic.

thanks I will try that. That's what I actually was looking for before trying to run to the dr.

I use generic Zantac (Ranitidine). Nexium and Pepcid also have generic versions. I am not a doctor though and if you have persistent issues you really should seek advice from a professional.

There is a real risk from using over the counter acid reducers for the long term. They can elevate risk pf disease as we age. If you read the packaging (as you should) many medicines recommend not using for more than 14 days without a doctor's advice.

On the otherside, I have developed Barrett's Esophagus, which is a precancerous condition caused by chronic acid reflux.

This is why you really should talk to a doctor (sorry, have we made the point strongly ebough?)

ok that helps i did hear about pepcid will try that .. thanks

Agreed ... agreed .... agreed!

My daughter is going through this - she has met with her primary care which she did a blood test; then referred to GI specialist which she had several tests. She currently is taking a prescription level medication to help with this. She has met with a nutritionist to help formulate a plan to help with this as the mediation has helped her where is frequently vomited to rarely. However, the hope is with diet and eating habits she can do away with the medication as who wants to be on medication forever? And she still has stomach pains.

The doctor can also determine it is not something more serious.

Whatever your doctor prescribes. Acid reflux is not something you should play around with. The condition if not resolved can turn into esophageal cancer. This is a very nasty cancer.

It sounds like a hernia, which means the stomach has left its natural position. When the stomach moves through the diaphragm, then just breathing pumps fluids up the esophagus. The most likely cause is B vitamin deficiency. It is cheap and easy to test that: get a bottle of B-100 at the drug store. Your doctor does not know that because doctors have no training in nutrition. You need to study the subject so you know how to eat right.

And are you a licensed nutritionist? If not, you should not be giving advice like this -

As an aside - a licensed nutritionist is not a bad suggestion. However, visiting a doctor first to get a real diagnosis would be best. Then you can confirm if it as Jewels thinks... but there would be no way to know for sure. Once you get a diagnosis, the nutritionist is then in a better position to suggest a diet plan. A nutritionist has not been trained or licensed to make a diagnosis in regard to a health issue.

Playing with your health - i.e. experimenting with even something sounding harmless as a vitamin supplement - could cause serious issues either in causing you not to see a doctor when you should, or side effects as a result. And say you do as Jewels advises and tests your health - say it does go away. Is this really because of vitamin deficiency or something else? You would not know.

You should see a doctor. The problem I had with such medicines is that initially they worked very well, but it wasn't long before things went back to how they were before, so I stopped taking them.

I can't eat huge amounts, I always have small meals and snacks and a glass of water at the side of the bed works wonders too.

I've only ever had it at night though, it's not gone away completely but is far less frequent then it used to be.

That hernia is in the esophagus. Its a pocket that collects the stomach acid during reflux. This is where esophageal cancer forms. It is an extremely nasty cancer. Visit your physician immediately if you think you have hiatal hernia.

For shits and giggles, google hiatal hernia.

When I saw my doctor, he ordered an endoscopy. This means I got sedated while they put a camera down my throat. It takes an afternoon and I was knocked out for a day. But, it wasnt that difficult.

The risk of cancer is small.... but the problem is that you dont have nerves in your esophagus. I belive esophagial cancer is treatable if it is caihht early... but since you dont notice anything many times people dont realize they have cancer until it is too late.

My doctor has me on OTC meds for the acid reflux. And, I go in for cancer screenings go make sure I catch any problem early. I dont worry more than that.

Seeing a doctor is important.

I've had both. I didn't bother with being sedated, it's just a tube down the throat and some uncomfortable burping, takes about ten minutes.

wait are you saying that's a sign of cancer? My co-worker have hernia and get that bad

Duh, you really need to watch a book now and then instead of so much television.

No.

I am saying that chronic acid reflux means you have an elevated risk on cancer. This doesnt mean you will probably get cancer. It does mean that you should talk to a doctor.

This is not something to worry about that much. It is something that you should get checked out by a doctor.

There are different types of hernias. We are talking only about hiatal hernias.

All I am saying is that you should talk to a dpctor.

Duh - my daughter has severe GI issues - so I have been in and out of doctors getting many of the same tests that others here have mentioned.

We have also visited a nutritionist after getting a proper diagnosis - we did not rely on a book written by some quack but actually met with a licensed nutritionist.

Even being through what I have with my daughter and continuing to work with doctors and nutritionists - I would never try to suggest taking a supplemental or anything else - I am not licensed in this and even a licensed nutritionist would not give such recommendations over someone providing symptoms over the internet.

It is not only just blame old dumb but could in an extreme case be deadly.