Middle of night acid attack?

Posted , 5 users are following.

What do you do in the middle of the night when you have a REALY bad acid attack?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    I well remember those horrific nights waking at 3:00am feeling there was a blow torch down my throat.

    Keep a bottle of Gaviscon beside the bed for such emergencies.

    Sit upright and take a swig. Remain upright ofr half an hour for it to subside.

    Do you have the head of your bed raised on blocks? 6-8 inches (15-20cms) helps gravity keep stomach contents where they belong.

    • Posted

      Thanks Chris.

      I always have a gaviscon tablet on my bedside table -  never thought of the liquid form!

      Last paragraph.  Not possible have a headboard which is also the legs (daft idea)!  King sized bed and don't think OH would appreciate the 'lift'😀I do have extra (hard) pillows at hand however.

      .

    • Posted

      Ah yes I used to get this on occasions too.  I have a special wedge shaped pillow (which I bought on-line) which positions you so that you are raised by your shoulders (tather than your neck such as ordinary pillows).  This works really well at keeping the acid where it belongs - using gravity as Barretts says.  In the past when I have had this i usually get out of bed and sit in a chair until things have calmed down.  Gaviscon is soothing .  I also use slippery elm tablets dissolved in some warm water and sip at that after a bout of this.  Slippery Elm is also good at soothing and coating your throat and windpipe to stop any damage being done by the acid-attack.

      Hope this helps

  • Posted

    Since taking PPIs, I haven't suffered from too much late night reflux. However, because of my reflux, I had one instance where my stomach contents gurgled back up my esophagus and went into my lungs as I slept. Very scary. I was sure I was dying!

    It's important to eat early and nothing too acidic. By nature, people with GERD are susceptible to this seeing our pipes malfunction.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.