1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Reflux Oesophagitis

Acid reflux travel mystery

Posted , 3 users are following.

simoncooper3
simoncooper3

Hello all,

I started suffering from acid reflux 6 years ago and it has gone through stages. I'd often not get it for days/weeks and then it would come on, perhaps on an evening out then the day after then day after. I'd usually put it down to over indulgence on alcohol and rich foods, and then the next day the esophagus sphincter still being weak. I took medication (PPIs) for about a year but came off them and, except the odd bout of acid, was largely healed.

However, my wife and I have just returned from a six-month trip in south-east Asia where the only few times i got acid were after a heavy night of drinking. Otherwise i was fine, eating anything, all of the time.

We returned to Europe. To my country England and my wife's Lithuania and now where we live, Denmark. It seems that even with healthy eating I am getting acid more regularly, every few days, sometimes even once a day. Despite a bit of naughty food here and there, we are both very healthy when it comes to eating. Although I am a snacker and my portions tend to be big. We don't drink often, but it tends to be binges (a week without alcohol and then quite a lot all at once.).

I've often thought alcohol was the problem, but our experiences in Asia, where we had beers more or less every day, proved otherwise. I've tried cutting various things over the years but nothing fixes it entirely.

I'm wondering whether a) anyone has any other experiences of being in different countries/cultures where reflux has occurred more/less frequently and has any idea of why this might be/the different diets that might cause this and b) whether anyone has specifically been to south-east Asia, eating plenty of rice dishes and noodle soups, etc, and found that these are easier on the stomach /for reflux.

I'd also be curious to know if anyone can suggest why the apparent difference between me not getting reflux in one part of the world and yet a lot in another.

Thanks to anyone who can add to the conversation.

Simon

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • mazzy10065
    mazzy10065 simoncooper3

    Posted

    In my case I think it depends on what I eat and drink, how much and what time of the day! When I'm on holiday I always suffer more with acid reflux, especially towards the end of the holiday. I now know its because I'm eating later and drinking more alcohol than I normally would, I also tend to drink coffee which I don't drink at home. I now try to have an alcohol free day every few days when I'm on holiday as I find this gives my stomach a chance to recover. Of course the usual foods such as curries, chinese, spices, onions etc are always going to cause a problem if you suffer from reflux, whereas bland foods will usually be kinder on the stomach.

    • simoncooper3
      simoncooper3 mazzy10065

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply. So did you begin to eat earlier in the evening and did that make a difference? How about when you are not on holiday?

  • norma04599
    norma04599 simoncooper3

    Posted

    were you eating way less gluten in Asia?

    • simoncooper3
      simoncooper3 norma04599

      Posted

      Yes I was, although my diet is not that high in gluten normally, nor have I been eating that much since coming back.

Back to top

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.