Self diagnosis - but what CAN I drink!?

Well, I drink mainly decaffeinated tea and water. I do like Rooibos Tea, which I drink with Manuka Honey, but not everybody likes it, I know. I haven't stopped eating dairy so do drink skimmed milk occasionally too. However, if you know that milk affects you, then perhaps not. I read somewhere that Almond Milk is very good for GERD, but haven't tried it yet. Yes, I love tomatoes, too and feel quite cross that I've had to stop eating them. Similarly with chocolate - but my waist line thanks me!

Best of luck.

I am interested to know whether you have the bad acid reflux reaction as soon as you eat a trigger foods. I

have avoided chocolate( and other designated trigger foods ) lately but just out of interest tried a couple of squares of choc, and had maybe slight feeling in reaction but nothing I don't get when I eat 'good' foods. Presumably the reaction is pretty immediate. Iam much worse at night acid coming back up all night even

though I stop eating 2 or 3 hrs before bed and I have propped the bed up a bit.

I drink tea once a day with lactose free milk and root ginger in hot water Not that lovely but I dont mind the

taste of ginger. I personally feel that the amount I eat my cause more problems than the type of food.

I just wondering why you are self diagnosing if you see your doctor you will get tablets that help. First i was put on omeprazole i found these didn't help me and been changed to lansoprazole they have calmed things down but i still get symptoms, a lot of mine as been effecting my throat and swallowing. I was supposed to go for a camera but didnt feel up to it at the time. latley my stomach as started to bloat after eat, so just being tested for coeliac disease.

I was told i can have fizzy drinks if i let them go flat first, although i havn't tried this because i'm trying to stay away from as much as i can ... you could try shaking lemonade so its flat.

decafe coffee it's not the same but its a hot drink

i was told by my doctor tomatoes are ok to have, so i have been drinking tomato juice but you say there bad for you so, i may try cutting that out.

i know you said you don't like herbal tea, me either but if you havn't tried peppermint tea, i would give that ago, its not as bad and i dont think im having a tea because it doesn't cut it as tea, i say im having a drink of peppermint lol

i also drink the odd cup of normal pg tips with semi skinned milk

p.s i noticed decafe pg tips tea bags, i'm going to try them next time i go shopping

As I understand it, peppermint is a no no for GERD and LPR, as is caffeine - hence my decaff tea.I agree with Paula, mrspinkrat, I do think you ought to go to your doctor so you can get properly diagnosed and treated. I had a camera into my throat by the ENT specialist and this confirmed my GP's original diagnosis of LPR. I'm on Lansoprazole and Gaviscon and both had made a big difference to me. Things have been slow to improve, but my doctor explained that first of all they have to get the reflux under control and then things have to heal, so it may all take months.

Rosiemags

Please could you say how long you have been on gaviscon etc. I was prescribed gaviscon xtra by my gp which I have been taking for just a week without much improvement, my nighttime acid reflux still pretty much

the same. He also gave me ranitidine which he said to take if the gaviscon didnt improve things after a few

days but have not tried that yet as I am worried about side effects. Sorry I am digressing from question about drinks it all seems very hit and miss to me, except that not drinking alcohol or very little. and no coffee etc

makes sense. But tomatoes I heard were a no no what works for one doesn't for another. Iagree that you

mrspinkrat should go to gp and see what he or she says.

Rosiemags

Please could you say how long you have been on gaviscon etc. I was prescribed gaviscon xtra by my gp which I have been taking for just a week without much improvement, my nighttime acid reflux still pretty much

the same. He also gave me ranitidine which he said to take if the gaviscon didnt improve things after a few

days but have not tried that yet as I am worried about side effects. Sorry I am digressing from question about drinks it all seems very hit and miss to me, except that not drinking alcohol or very little. and no coffee etc

makes sense. But tomatoes I heard were a no no what works for one doesn't for another. Iagree that you

mrspinkrat should go to gp and see what he or she says.

Hi Linda,

I've been on Gaviscon Advance since the beginning of December - the ENT consultant prescribed it. I've been taking 30mg daily of Lansoprazole since November, prescribed by my GP. So, I've been on the Lansoprazole for two months and the Gaviscon Advance for just over a month. The ENT consultant prescribed it for me to take just at bedtime, but I discussed with my GP about taking it during the day as well - I just take 5ml after lunch and dinner and 10ml at bedtime. It's only in the past week that I've begun to feel some improvement, so it all does take time as I said in my last post. I read somewhere that it's a cycle of burn, heal, burn, heal, until the reflux is controlled and the healing can properly begin. Are you on a PPI, like Lansoprazole? Perhaps you need to talk this over with your GP. If the nighttime reflux is bothering you, you can also buy a reflux wedge pillow that raises your head at night. I found it helps.

Hi, sorry about the peppermint it is all new to me only been like this a few months and it was other people

recommending it to me but i can't tell if it helped or not, as i have ibs and my stomach was bloated at the time when i tried it.

Hi all - thank you for your replies!

The reason I have self diagnosed is because I don't have classic symptoms

I have an extremely bitter/sour taste and throat clearing. Because I have several other health issues that have all appeared at once in the last 4 months, I think my GP is no longer taking me seriously

I've been in three times with the bitter taste issue (and it may sound like nothing, but it's all-consuming) and been given a mouthwash!! Grrrrr.....

Trial and error for the past couple of months and keeping a food diary had brought me here!

So, things I HAVE to avoid ie. foods that have noticeably aggravated the bitter taste, are:

Tea

Tomatoes

Pizza

Cheese

Milk

Brown bread

Orange juice

Fizzy drinks

I've been on the Gaviscon about 3 weeks. I still have good days and very bad days. Today I nearly gave it up but decided to keep going a little longer. My symptoms generally kick in shortly after eating (say 30 mins to an hour) BUT they last for hours and hours! It's not unusual for me to eat in the evening and still be suffering by tea time the following day - even WITH taking Gaviscon. Then, if course, I'll eat again - it's a vicious circle

I am now experimenting with a bland diet but an finding life without milk very hard I tried soy milk but eeeuuwww!!! Lol

It seems like we are all in for a long hard struggle. my symptoms where all connected to my throat, trouble breathing and swallowing , i was told i was having panic attacks and there was nothing in my throat but i knew different, it is only the last 2 days i have started to feel a bit better, i have just been on my new medication for a month, so i am hoping things improve day by day but baring in mind i'm not eating loads of foods and i also have ibs so can't have brown breads and some veg ect. Wish you the best of luck, hope it's something you an figure out in time

I'm a little late to the party but just saw your post. I had never had acid reflux until a few years ago and couldn't imagine why it suddenly started because hadn't changed my diet (I'm in my 70's). Of course, the doctor suggested the over-the-counter stuff and keeping my head elevated. I wasn't satisfied and started searching online and found a post that spinach had helped someone. Bing! That resonated. I had always eaten spinach several times a week - it's my favorite vegetable - but for some reason it had not been in my regular supermarket for several weeks. Went out that day and found some spinach. It worked! It worked! Even if I hadn't eaten spinach for a couple a days and found my throat burning in the middle of the night, I would get up and but some spinach in the microwave and eat it. In a few minutes I would go back to bed and sleep like a baby. I have not had carbonated drinks for many years, and drink mostly water, sometimes juice, occasionally alcohol. None of that bothers me. I boil my spinach in the microwave (8 or 9 minutes) with olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes garlic powder. I even add butter. Hope you like spinach and this remedy works for you - cause acid reflux is the pits.

YES: fresh coconut water, fresh carrot juice (with celery, fennel and greens sometimes), evamor water Ph 8.8, camomile. I have not tried but I imagine that fresh papaya, melon or watermelon juice would be good, as well as rooibos tea. I don't do well with milk or any milk supplement but I have not tried in a milk-shake with banana (smoothie made of coconut water and banana would be safer). Supposedly the naked juice protein shake is ok (not the one with chocolate) as well as the original vanilla protein shake by odwalla (but contains milk I think).

NO NO: tea, coffee, chocolate, any juice/soda sold at the store, sparkling water, ginger tea, lemonade, orange juice, tomato juice, ...

If spinach works for you, don't think you'll have trouble with any food or drink. I often drink pickle juice (vinegar) to stave of an ibs attack and also apple cider vinegar, which has a tendency to move upward. I drink, tea, coffee, chocolate, juice, eat lots of tomatoes, etc. -- whatever I choose. Spinach keep everything from flowing upward. NO ACID REFLUX. I read that there's a sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus that loosens and causes backup (acid reflux) but that some ingredient(s) in spinach keeps it tight. Don't know, don't care if that's the truth -- just know it WORKS for me. Eat some boiled spinach every day for a week and give us a full report. Good luck!

Hi, lemonade I love, but had to say goodbye to it. Too much acid. From what I've read and I'm a tea lover too, no caffiene. Limited wine. I would only suggest if you really want to have some in moderation have mylanta on hand for the onset of heartburn. I'm just learning as I have a double whammy of acid reflux and I'm lactose intolerance. I'm now researching what I CAN have.    No fun. Best wishes to you.