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How do I get rid of my acid reflux! !!!

Posted , 8 users are following.

deangrozier1
deangrozier1

I am 22 years old and for the past 4 years I have had Acid Reflux. I've tried propping my pillows up.

changed me eating habits.. I do plenty of exercise daily when I'm at work.

a typical daily diet :

breakfast- cereal and cup of tea

lunch - sandwich and cup of tea

dinner- usually white meat small amount of veg or salad

on a weekend when I'm off work I will just have breakfast and dinner.

I have previously took lansoprozole and given up on medication as nothing ever changed.

the fact that I cant have a couple of drinks of alcohol without wanting to curl up in a ball in pain is ridiculous.

I have lost a lot of my social life and it really gets me down and I'm just sick of it.

I do enjoy a cup of tea and I do smoke but again I have cut down a lot on those. ( 8 per day) I have spoke to my GP and he tries to give me the same medication over and over again.... there has to be something else like surgery which can just get rid of it once and for all..

any suggestions?

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Entie1984
    Entie1984 deangrozier1

    Posted

    Maybe it's the cup of tea that's doing the damage? have you tried going without? Coffee makes my reflux bad sometimes I'm not sure if it's the coffee or the milk in it.

    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 Entie1984

      Posted

      I have been without hot beverages for a long period of time and still no change
  • amy56547
    amy56547 deangrozier1

    Posted

    Some people do get surgery for their acid reflux.  They wrap part of your stomach around your lower esophageal sphincter.  You may want to ask a gastroenterologist about this. But before opting for surgery, I would quit smoking and try drinking only herbal teas.  There are also alternatives to the medication you tried (which has bad side effects anyway).  Some people like Gaviscon which creates a kind of barrier to the reflux.  Also, probiotics work wonders for some people.  If you speak to an informed person in a health food store, they can often advise safe and effective treatments as well.  Good luck!
    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 amy56547

      Posted

      thanks for the advice.... if Im honest, as silly as what it is. I am not willing to give up smoking just yet but I am slowly getting there.. I'm going to enquire about surgery and see what my options are on the surgical side

  • cristi29906
    cristi29906 deangrozier1

    Posted

    MILK is a horrible trigger....High in fat....will get your acid going instantly

    All dairy is horrible for acid....Cut out right away

    Tea can also trigger believe it or not

    Get a WEDGE PILLOW....propping pillows are not enough...they eventually smash down or you slowly move from them when you are sleeping

    They advise to get a 7" pillow...anything else can be a bit high and anything smaller might not even help

    And even MORE important...DO NOT eat 3 hrs before you go to bed...infact try not even sitting down the first hour after you eat...keep busy...do some choirs...but dont bend down if you can help it

    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 cristi29906

      Posted

      thank you for the advice I'll try the wedge pillow

      Wit working around my job and my daughter and everything else I don't really have time to eat my dinner until around about 9 o clock at night at typically goto bed around about half 10.

      I know it's not ideal but it's either that or don't eat at all.

  • Kalypso2005
    Kalypso2005 deangrozier1

    Posted

    Have you had an endoscopy ? Also, doesn't tea have a lot of acidity? I hope you find the answer. My endoscopy is in two weeks. Similar problem just different triggers.

    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 Kalypso2005

      Posted

      I've had 2 endoscopies and them came back with just having enflamed oesophagus ,and stomach and I've tried everything and nothing works for me

  • hilary66829
    hilary66829 deangrozier1

    Posted

    Try de-caf tea... Ive found that its a lot better for me.
    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 hilary66829

      Posted

      I've tried de-caf and stopping drinking hit beverages all together and even that didn't work

  • Abracadabra0
    Abracadabra0 deangrozier1

    Posted

    Hi,

    I'm new to this (still awaiting an endoscopy) so I'm no expert but some of the things I've learnt are:

    -tea is a big trigger for me (not coffee surprisingly). I notice you had tea on there so maybe its the same for you? Also, I got told not to drink while eating or the stomach contents become more liquid and it comes up easier.

    -I find propping my pillows doesn't get me into the right position so doesn't help but actually raising the head of my bed (I just stuck some thick books under the legs) has helped a little

    -the PPI's don't work for me either. I think my reflux isn't so much from the acidity but the fact the liquids coming up. Gaviscon advanced helps a bit whereas normal Gaviscon does almost nothing. Rather than reduce acid it actually forms a foam barrier on top of your stomach to stop anything coming up. The only issue is that as soon as you eat or drink after taking it, the barrier breaks so you need to take it then not have anything else for a couple of hours at least to see the benefit. I do always make sure I take it before bed.

    -I've just started taking acidophilus (the one labelled with 1billion friendly bacteria) and DGL liquorice. These both seem to help and I got them from Holland and Barret.

    Its only a few things but hopefully some of the above might help you.

    • deangrozier1
      deangrozier1 Abracadabra0

      Posted

      I have tried anti acid tablets and every medication that I can. . the only thing I have tried is a wedge pillow.

      and as for the liquorice thing... I think I'd rather chew my stomach up... I can't do liquorice at all haha.

      but thank you for your view

    • Abracadabra0
      Abracadabra0 deangrozier1

      Posted

      Ha ha, no problem. I don't know whether you can get DGL liquorice in a capsule so you cant taste it (like they do with garlic and cod liver oil supplements?). Did you try Gaviscon advance liquid? I've tried literally every other type of Gaviscon liquid and tablet but this one works differently by forming a barrier at the top of the stomach rather than trying to lower the acid. The others did nothing for me at all but Gaviscon advance liquid helps a bit. You have to buy it over the pharmacy counter rather than on the shelf. If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

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