Dare to Control GERD

Had a little heartburn following my workout.

Sticking to an acid friendly diet. No caffeine, chocolate, coffee, tea, tomato, orange juice....It's been a week and a half. Can't believe I have come this far really... The first few days/week was the toughest. It's only gotten more doable now. Also, I am restricting my last meal of the day to be at: 5pm. This also is helpful for stomach acid at night. All of this has been tough, but, I feel encouraged today ;-)

Hi, my first day here at this dare. I am 44 years old a woman and I saw my ENT dr. today for the first time. I do not have GERD per say, but, larygintal (sp?) reflux. My physician gave me a script for Prilosec (I believe, haven't filled it yet). I feel fine other than very minor throat clearing occasionally. However, once a year I get a cold and it takes me a month and a half to get over it. This has gone on for 4 years of just having a persistent exhaustive cough post cold. I have been put on inhalers, arbuterol, cough syrups everything, and nothing but strong codeine would quiet the cough. Kinda scary really. One cold would put me out for almost 2 months and I really was getting scared year after year wondering what was wrong with me. So, this Dr. today put that camera up my sinus/larnyx (sp?) and tada. Acid reflux there. So, I feel for GERD folks, we are closely related in our problems. I am glad this board is here, tomorrow I will be cutting out fave foods and I hope to stick to this for a long, long, time so that the next cold I get I won't be on deaths door! lol....Also, my overall health will improve if I cut out the bad foods...of course....all the bad foods are the "good" foods, aren't they????

I have had a cough with phlegm for almost 4 weeks, and at 2 weeks in I went to my doctor who says I have Acid Reflux even though my only symptom is a cough with phlegm. I immediately stopped eating everything on the "bad" list and I mean EVERYTHING. Yet my cough has not stopped and it's been 2 weeks. I would assume that if you're not eating the "trigger" foods that the acid stops coming up, but is that wrong?

Pregnant with GERD, is getting worse and doctor doesn't want me on anything other than Pepcid & Tums. I used to be on Nexium. Any ideas for help while pregos?

Forgot to take my Omeprozale today and then had a big coffee. Ouch. but I took the pill later and feel great now.

So far Gerd's been good lately. I've even been drinking coffee and feel good. If I stay away from tomato sauce, onions and chocolate, I seem to be okay.

I have had GERD for about 10 years now.. I have also been overweight for about that long.. I've taken aciphex.. but for the last few years just take Zantac 150mg religiously at bedtime.. lately I've needed 2.. maybe I should go to the doc and get aciphex.. does anyone know if it causes you to gain weight? someone told me it did...

I lost some weight over the summer and that really seemed to help my GERD. But I've also been taking Omeprozole two times a day, and that has also helped tremendously.

Cutting coffee out of my diet and I have stopped smoking (3 months now).

I am 5'9" and was ~200 pounds last year. The acid reflux at night was rough. I had to sleep on a slight incline and strated taking Nexium after they scoped my throat, which is eroded a fair bit. I'm not a proponent of long term (prescription or OTC) drug use, so I quit tkaing the Nexium after 120 days. I reduced my weight to 169, through a combination of reduced calorie intake and exercise, and the symptoms disappeared -- No more reflux. In my case, the excess weight was forcing the acid up my throat when I was lying down. Due to the stress of my divorce, the reflux is back as my weight has crept up to 190 since January 2009. It's time for more calorie control and exercise. I might point out that I have not altered the foods that I eat at all. I still eat a high fat diet, low fiber diet with virtually no fruits/vegetables (Yes, I know this isn't healthy). I believe that my "diet plan" resulted in gall stones and I had my gallbladder extracted in December 2008 after 3 months of sporadic, but intense pain. All is well now, all things considered.

I was wondering if people had acid reflux because they have a hiatal hernia (like me) or an over production or under production of acid, both or any other reasons. I have been taking zantac, protonix for a few years now, but now it seems it's no longer working as well. I breastfeed my baby and hate to take any Rx's but I would DIE w/out them. It's soooo bad. It runs in our family and my mother (who threw up everyday for 10 years) now takes papaya pills (they are yummy) and she swears by ALoe Vera Juice and has not thrown up in a few years. Any one else try this? She also like Mangosteen juice. YOu can buy it at Costco, looks like a wine bottle.

Has anyone tried apple cidar vinegar OR baking soda for acid reflux?

Do you have problems with coffee and GERD? I LOVE coffee, but I think it's probably a trigger for a GERD attack. I hate the thought of giving up coffee :(

I don't know if this will help any of you, but once I figured out the main cause, I haven't had very much reflux at all.

Chocolate: if I eat too much I get terrible heart burn. Not cake or pudding, but candy bars type of chocolate.

Also, at my worst, the doctor advised me to take vitamins in the morning instead of before bedtime. She said the vitamins get your acids churned up in your tummy and adding that to lying down isn't a good combination, as we all know.

Now I just take an occassional tums if I eat chili or something that causes reflux for most people.....nothing like before!

Good luck everyone. ;)

Does anyone else here have problems with there stomach while drinking water in amounts of like 64oz a day? Im taking the omeprazole for it but would love to understand this a little more.

Any feedback would be WONDERFUL.

I have been on Protonix for the past 5 years and have had no problems. When my perscription went to generic I was doubtful, but this does work. I also find following the food choince for the Blood type dies lessens the effects for GERD. http://intraspec.ca/btb.php

I'm currently on rx pepcid (lowest dosage, 2x a day), walking 30-60 min. a day, getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night (in bed before midnight), and trying to maintain diet changes. However, last Wednesday I ate pizza for lunch and Mexican food for dinner and since then, my symptoms have gone back to pre-treatment status. Not cool.

I'm somewhat relieved to not be alone with this terrible problem. I was on Nexium for 4 years and managed well just having to drop a few things like onions and garlic. All of a sudden it doesn't help at all and I was switched to Protonix...and now plus Reglan. Having a test Monday to see how food moves?!?! Miserable. I will be looking for all the tips in diet changes. I had a BITE of a brownie yesterday that put me in complete misery.

I thought it would be terrible and the taste was, but the Apple Cider Vinegar Bragg with live Mother really does help. You take about a shotglass full dose twice daily. It activates the acid further down in your intestinal track causing your stomach to process food better. It isn't about shutting down the acid pumps it is about balancing the acid production with natural cultures. It has only been one day but for the first time in years I woke up without heartburn!