Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi guys,
My reflux is consistently getting out of hand. I lost my singing voice, I wake up with terrible reflux burn and sore throats, difficulty swallowing. I had this ever since i was a senior in HS and I will soon be a junior in college. I take omeprazole 40mg twice daily. I get scared of the adverse effects, so I try my best to stay away from it. I think I need to change my diet, but as a college student, it's hard to eat healthy consistently (like buying fruits, veggies, eating out to healthy places when I don't have a job during the semester due to nursing school). However it is summer time and this is my chance. I need some chance.
Please, please give me some tips. Whether diets, voice tips, I'm open to anything.
Thank you guys.
0 likes, 12 replies
omega2020 natasha27240
Posted
Ahhh. being back in college. I remember those days. Yes, I would suggest eating oatmeal. I usually get a big thing of oatmeal and munch on that. It will allow your throat to heal as it settles your stomach. I would also recommend cutting out any sweets if you still eat them, that's pop tarts, honey buns, candy, etc. A big no no. Up your intake of water as well and if you don't exercise such as walking, take time out of your day to start doing more walking.
natasha27240 omega2020
Posted
Like uncooked oatmeal? And honestly, you're so correct. I have an insane sweet tooth (I believe I'm actually addicted to it). Thank you so much
michelle52235 natasha27240
Posted
I was eating ice cream at night. When I stopped that, my reflux got 90% better. I went from omeprezole 2x day to once a day.
Do you consume dairy?
Maybe there's something you eat that makes it worse. Try changing one thing in your diet at a time and avoid known trigger foods. Chocolate is also hard on my stomach.
natasha27240 michelle52235
Posted
I do, and that's the thing. I cannot find my triggers, and it's terrible. Like last night I ate BBQ ribblets and that's when the sore throat came on. Despite eating really well earlier that day. I have a sweet tooth, honestly. So I do like to eat candy. I haven't had it recently though. I haven't had ice cream in a while. And as for milk, I only eat it with cereal- which is rare or oatmeal. I feel like I almost have to cut everything out in my life diet wise, and that's hard because I have not financial income. I'm just lost, you know?
michelle52235 natasha27240
Posted
Yeah, BBQ sauce will definitely affect you. Tomato sauce is bad so spaghetti is out. Ketchup is out. Peppermint is supposed to be bad because it relaxes your stomach opening. I used to enjoy Sleepytime Tea. Chocolate is bad. Donuts. Heavily fried foods. Spicy/sweet foods. Sorry. It seems like everything is bad. When you finally can't stand it anymore, you'll think twice about eating those things.
I hope you feel better soon.
natasha27240 michelle52235
Posted
Yeah, I truly feel like I've had enough. The thing is that I feel so overwhelmed because it seems like my options to eat are so limited now, and that I can't eat anything. So I'm kinda like, what do I drink?
natasha27240
Posted
suzired natasha27240
Posted
I suffered with terrible acid reflux for months - I have a hernia in my stomach and the lid to the stomach doesn't close properly - so I was constantly burning from my stomach to my eyes - couldn't drive for a month and ended up having to even get driving glasses (HyloComod eye drops from the German company Ursapharm can be purchased online in Europe and on Amazon in the U.S. They have hyaleron and are very soothing for burning eyes, believe me!; lump in throat, mouth, esophagus and stomach were raw until I couldn't eat; such chest pain that I thought I was having heart attacks daily and had trouble being able to breath at all...panic attacks. Burning Mouth Syndrome where my tongue was double as thick and my gums, lips and teeth were literally on fire. German doctors put me on 40 mg Pantoprazole daily and this almost killed me. 2 ENTs over 6 weeks also did nothing to relieve my pain and suffering.Like you, after thinking I was going to die (and losing LOTS of weight from not eating, I went online to try to find some remedies...first thing I learned was that I also had LOW stomach acid - so I immediately quit taking the PPIs. Within 5 days my throat and breathing became better - all of the damage to my throat, nose and eyes has improved, but I doubt if it will ever completely heal! Of course, the Germans do not believe in LOW stomach acid so I still got absolutely NO help from the doctors here.
I tried Betaine Hcl capsules to raise my acid levels, but was never able to figure out the correct dosage. Diet is what has helped me most: no sugar in any form, no deep-fried foods, no citrus fruits - no tomatoes or tomato sauce of any kind! Careful with fruit juices - they are packed with sugar! Bananas, green apples, avocadoes and melons work for me as well as dried fruit, no caffeine, no chocolate, ice cream or candies, no soft drinks and no carbonated drinks at all (causes more burping) - I stick with mineral water and herbal teas...green tea is healthy and chamomile is relaxing to sore throats, but don't over do it. Avoid all spicy foods! Lots of green vegetables, carrots, salads, but no mayonnaise! Raw turnips work for me and eggs offer 93 calories and have 13 gr of protein. Also yogurts that have probiotics are good. Kefir and fermented foods are very good for us with acid reflux.I don't over eat potatoes or pasta and stick to whole grain toast instead of plain white. Sweet potatoes baked with some margarine are good for you and healthier than other carbohydrates. A handful of cashews, almonds, pecans or even peanuts and peanut butter are very healthy...avoid processed meat (ham, canned meats and lunchmeats) are not good for you, but I try to eat lots of chicken, fish, shrimp, with less red meat because it is harder to digest. It's hard to get your calories set with enough protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates...
I take probiotics daily, as well as multi-vitamins, omega 3 capsules and a high-dose Vitamin D3 with K2, extra capsules for eye health with lutein and zeaxanthin. And at night I take "5HTP" capsules to aid with sleeping - this is an amino acid, which is a precursor for Seratonin (one of the "happy hormones" in your head). Also, whenever I notice bad symptoms arising in my chest or throat, I immediately swallow a teaspoon of normal yellow mustard and follow up with a half a glass of water! This alleviates the pain within 2 minutes. Or I mix 2 tspns of Apple Cider Vineger (with the "mother" [wink] in a glass of water and drink it right away - also before meals. (Make sure to rinse out your mouth afterwards though because the vinegar left in your mouth can eat away the enamel on your teeth!) Some people swear on mixing baking soda in water, but one has to be careful not to drink too much of that because of the high level of salt involved. Aloe vera juice appeals to some and it does have healing properties for the throat and stomach, the same with coconut oil and virgin olive oil which are ideal to cook with because they are healthier than butter or lard. D-Limonene capsules are quite successful for some people with acid reflux because they coat the acid in the stomach with a layer on top so the acid can't back up in the throat. Instead you burp up orange flavor!
Many say to raise the head of your bed to sleep - to keep the acid from raising in your throat, but I had acid no matter what---laying down, standing or sitting! Was just a nightmare. Try whatever works for you!
I constantly have to watch what I eat and I notice right away if I eat a cookie or doughnut ...but I am on NO FORMAL MEDICATION for reflux and no Gaviscon, Tums or Rennies. If I could just find a way to gain all of my weight back, I would be grateful.
Didn't mean to write a book here, but maybe my story will help someone else. Be healthy and avoid as many of the prescription medications as possible - they are really terrible for your body!
natasha27240 suzired
Posted
Thank you SO much! I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, and I'm happy that you recovered. You really turned your life around and I'm so happy for you. Thank you so much for all of the suggestions and I will surely that them.
frederick_01293 natasha27240
Posted
Hi Natasha, you're very young to have this complaint! I know being young and eating rubbish go hand in hand! But, veg, fruits ( none acidic) mixed nuts, whole meal pasta, rice, stay away from fats, spicy food, its a pity all the good foods are boring, alcohol no go at night, Another bummer! But you're young, years ahead of you! Only you can make the decision.
natasha27240 frederick_01293
Posted
Thanks so much Yeah, having chronic reflux at 20 is definitely a rare thing and it's terrible to go through. What is whole meal pasta?
frederick_01293 natasha27240
Posted
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