Author Topic: Damn acid reflux. (Read 5896 times)

Ex-MA Hole · « **on:** July 14, 2006, 07:41:52 PM »

It's 12:36, and I got woken up with this damn pain.

WHY the HELL did I HAVE to eat that chocholate??!?!?!??!

SpookyPistolero · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2006, 07:48:20 PM »

I feel your pain, I'm a whopping 23 and can't even go running anymore because of it. I also had to give up coffee. Coffee!!!! Do you know what giving up coffee right before pharmacy school can do to my fragile psyche? Nothing good, I'd say.

If I'm on prilosec now, god help me when I'm 50.

I heart random chest pain/stomach pain/nausea.

Ex-MA Hole · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2006, 07:58:04 PM »

I'm 33, but have been like this for about 7 years. The meds work WHEN I TAKE THEM.

I f'd up. My bad.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:11:11 PM »

Same problem, different causes.

Up until a few years ago, I could eat as much as I wanted without any adverse effects.

Now I know I need to eat no more than two pounds of food before going to bed. And that raw onions and other stomach irritants are out of the question.

It's scary waking up and thinking you're going to drown in your own stomach juices.

JAlexander · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:16:59 PM »

I had terrible acid reflux for a long time, but when I got my CPAP it all went away. Damnedest thing, but I'm really happy about it.

James

SpookyPistolero · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:17:49 PM »

Does anyone else have a lot of trouble running with the condition? No matter how long ago I ate or what it was, I will throw up after running, or get very close. It drives me nuts. It's like it just destroyed my esophagus overnight.

Sylvilagus Aquaticus · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:30:08 PM »

Prilosec is your friend. My gallbladder has more stones than a frellin' zen garden. Gonna have to do something about that one of these days.
I did the Prilosec thing for a few months because reflux was getting me up all the time at night. Sometimes I'd catch myself with the drys and that's a really unplesant alarm clock in the middle of the night. Especially when you trip over the dog racing to the bathroom. In the dark.

After about 6 months, though, it went away.

Guess I'm in the 'fortunate' column. Keep after the purple pill and your outlook gets better.

Regards,
Rabbit.

charby · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2006, 09:26:20 PM »

Had the same problem, rode it off as acid reflux.. ended up being a H. pylori infection in my stomach, ignored it so long it got bad enough that my major organs started shutting down once I decided to go see my doctor. Dr rode my ass why I didn't go in sooner, nothing like being a month or two away from dead.

just something to think about.

S. Williamson · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2006, 11:26:18 PM »

I think I've got it. Waking up at night, wondering why your torso is melting from the inside out (and who had the bright idea to douse it with habanero sauce with a little wasabi) and drinking water, but that doesn't help, and only after 3-4 Tums does the pain begin to subside enough for you to realize that it's 4:30 in the morning, you haven't slept, and you have a midterm you haven't studied for in five hours.

At present, all I can do is take Tums. They help, but I drink over two gallons of water every day to try to avoid the possibility of kidney stones. Sad

I'm 22.

SpookyPistolero · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2006, 03:13:18 AM »

I'll have to give the tums a try, too. Currently I just keep a few pepto chewables with me and take down a few of them a day.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2006, 03:21:40 AM »

Between my gallbladder and an excess acid situation, I was in a similar boat. After having the gallbladder removed and getting a prescription for some acid reducing drug (can't recall it offhand), I've been nearly troublefree since. About once a month to once every 6 weeks, I'll wake up with a dull ache in my sternum, but either taking my prescription medication (if it's not too early) or a couple traditional antacid tablets will take care of it quickly.

Chris

280plus · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2006, 03:55:15 AM »

Quote from: JAlexander

I had terrible acid reflux for a long time, but when I got my CPAP it all went away. Damnedest thing, but I'm really happy about it.

Same with me at night anyways. What I've found recently is that with this new "heart healthy" diet I am now required to be on forever my reflux is not NEARLY as bad as it used to be. I go days without the medicine and the stuff I get (Aciphex) is way more powerful than prilosec because prilosec didn't work for me. Not to get gross or anything but I used to regurg into my windpipe a little at night. Try waking up to THAT. It's almost like choking to death. shocked

All my nighttime reflux problems went away with the CPAP and only recently my daytime problems with the new diet. The Aciphex costs over $6 a pill. $210 for 30 last time I checked. I had to fight with the insurance co to get them to cover even a portion of it.

Moondoggie · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2006, 05:13:45 AM »

I had it for several years, too. Zantac was my friend.

Came to find out that it was a side effect of the Zocor that I'd been taking for the last 10 yrs (some of the time in the beginning was another statin drug for cholesterol).

A little about Zocor.....Started on statins about 3 yrs before I retired from the Marines. About a yr before I retired I started having a lot of joint pain in my ankles after I'd run my daily 5 miles. Docs took X-rays, said I had ossification in both ankles probably from a prior bad sprain in each one (basketball, racquetball) and that's just how it was, given that I was in my 40's and all. Made it hard to maintain my wt, so I retired rather than go over my max wt limit (5' 9", 185 lbs)...I wan't gonna EVER be one of those guys who "Do as I say, NOT as I do".

Since retirement from the service, my ankles have given me a lot of problems. If I'd spend any time at all on my feet (mowing lawn, IPSC match, extended shopping sortie) I'd be maxing-out on Naproxin and Tylenol in order to get to sleep. Our home always had the aroma of Icy Hot. I considered my hot tub the best money I'd ever spent.

Acid reflux started about 3 yrs ago. Used antacids, changed my diet, then started on Zantac.

Recently I had a bout of "unexplained rashes", which I found out were one of the side effects of Zocor. Stopped taking the Zocor, and the rashes disappeared. SO DID ALL OF MY ANKLE PAIN!!!!! And so did the acid reflux!

It's as if I suddenly got a whole new life!

I'll continue taking my daily aspirin and supplements like garlic oil, fish oil, and timed release niacin for the cholesterol and see what my doctor thinks, but I'm done with Zocor/Zantac. Miracle drugs, my hinder...do a search on the web and read up on all of the side effects that folks have experienced.

I have also found out that an amino acid, L-Arginine and a hormone, DHEA are supposed to help prevent acid reflux. This info was from an acquaintence who take both on his Dr's advice after surgery for a hiatal hernia. Both of these supplements are available at GNC, etc.

K Frame · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2006, 06:33:02 AM »

Mine is mostly stress related. When I get stressed, I get bad acid reflux.

Of course, were I to lose the weight, stop drinking all this coffee, and quit smoking I'd likely never have a problem.

As it is I get sour stomach in cycles. I'll be fine for a couple of months and then for a period of a few days to a week or more no matter what I put in my stomach seems to set me off. That's when I live on OTC Zantac, Rolaids, and/or baking soda.

About the only true food trigger I have these days is raw onions. Cooked is fine, but if they're raw I'm taking my life into my own hands.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:02:41 AM »

Ditto on the Prilosec OTC.

I sometimes get reflux in the middle of the night, and aspirate stomach contents. That's a horrible feeling, getting stomach acid in your windpipe. Prilosec OTC has stopped that, but that's treating the symptoms, not stopping the problem. I've recently made a serious effort to not eat anything after 7:00 PM, so that by the time I'm tucked in for the night, the grub has moved down the tube a ways and doesn't come back through the valve quite as often...

p12 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:20:03 AM »

I've suffered from acid reflux many a year.

Go out and buy some "apple cider viniger with the pulp or mother".

Drink about a half a shot of viniger dilluted with an equal amount of water. Drink it before
you eat dinner. (YES IT BURNS LIKE HELL)

Also go to a health food store and buy some digestive enzimes. Take one each meal after a few bites.

After about 2-3 weeks of this your acid reflux will improve.

It really does help. I'm down to four Prilosec each week. And outside of really spicy foods, I eat what ever I want. Hot peppers don't give me heartburn they screw with my intestines.

p12 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:29:02 AM »

I think I need to clarify something.

Most acid reflux symptoms are caused by a lack of balance of proper acid levels and enzimes. When these get off balance your food doesn't digest properly and pressure builds and forces acid up through the valve.

A proper test for this condition is the next time you have heartburn, drink a small amount
of regular viniger. If your hearburn subsides for a short time you have an acid/enzime imbalance.

Good luck.

Reflux sux.

Felonious Monk/Fignozzle · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:33:55 AM »

You're right, it sucks.

I've adjusted my lifestyle such that I eat very small amounts after about 4pm.
It works for me.

280plus · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:38:52 AM »

Mike, watch the baking soda, all the sodium in there is (I'm finding out) VERY bad for you.

One other reflux remedy I have found is to eat an apple when symptoms strike. It USUALLY works for me. I eat the green ones, I don't know if it makes a difference what kind of apple it is.

Moondoogie, I had the SAME PROBLEM with stains except for in different areas and yes as soon as I stopped the statins the pain went away. I'm hearing it refered to as "muscle tox" and baffles the manufacturers so far. I've tried a bunch of them, all gave me the same problem. Unfortunately none of the other stuff I you mentioned works for me so NOW they have me on 5 MG of Crestor AND the fish oil. The oil brought down my triglycerides but not the cholesterol. So far (~ week) I'm tolerating it pretty well. Not too much achiness etc... of course as I'm writing this my lower back feels a bit achy. At this point I have no choice but to keep taking it and deal with any side effects.

garyk/nm · « **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:42:26 AM »

Wow. Glad to hear that I'm not alone. I get the acid -in-the windpipe so often that I can no longer sleep lying flat. Have to be propped up. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat, or when. 280+, I've have that almost choking to death feeling many times; very scary.
I get by on Tums, and baking soda for the really bad times.
Guess it's time to get on the Prilosec bandwagon.

280plus · « **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:49:05 AM »

yup, do something. What you're describing can lead to "Barrett's Esophagus" which is a precancerous condition. Reflux CAN cause cancer of the esophagus. The body is SO adaptive it will actually start to grow stomach lining in the esophagus at the entrance to the stomach. That is "Barrett"s. I only had the windpipe thing happen occasionally, I can't imagine going through it all the time.

280plus · « **Reply #21 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:50:59 AM »

Again, baking soda, though it seems like a gift from heaven sometimes, is very bad for you in the long run. It'll drive your blood pressure up.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 15, 2006, 07:53:50 AM »

Speaking of enzymes...

My ex-wife had a heartburn preventative that came from natural food stores. For the life of me I cannot remember what it was, but I want to say it was something like Papaya Enzyme tablets. I just knew that they tasted horrible, were a small tablet of compressed something or another, and by Gawd they stopped heartburn right now.

Anybody know what I'm looking for next time I visit our local natural foods store?

280plus · « **Reply #23 on:** July 15, 2006, 08:16:23 AM »

I think your right on the Papaya, I just talked to my kid and he said that it does help digestion and would probably be the best out of everything he has in the store. He works at GNC. Hope we're right.

K Frame · « **Reply #24 on:** July 15, 2006, 12:08:03 PM »

"Mike, watch the baking soda, all the sodium in there is (I'm finding out) VERY bad for you."

Not a problem for me.

Why?

Because I have dramatically low blood pressure.

I get precious little exercise and am overweight, and my BP averages 120 over 60.

A few years ago I went into the doctor and the girl took it 5 times with 3 cuffs before she finally accepted the reading -- 90 over 45.

My doctor's comment?

"Salt your food, Mr. Irwin. You don't have to worry about high sodium."

News:

Author Topic: Damn acid reflux. (Read 5896 times)

Felonious Monk/Fignozzle