Heartburn

Pinkchick03

Does anyone know how to get rid of heartburn or why it happens?? Tried rennie and they're not working!
Thanks

Nuttzz

milk works for me

LegacyUser

Go to your GP, he will prescribe something like losec or zantac (not the same one you can buy across the counter).

Taking Rennie all the time is not good as the calcium can build up and give you kidney stones.

Sleepy

An Ex of mine suffered quite badly from it and from what I remember Gaviscon Liquid is very good for it. IIRC it's caused by excess stomach acid.

neacy69

I used to suffer from it the whole time and used to drink Gaviscon by the bottlefull (great stuff by the way).
I then realised that it was caused by as far as I can tell Yeast in Bread/Pints, ie, I ate bread/got drunk I got heartburn versus I didnt eat bread or didnt drink pints i didnt get heartburn

cajun_tiger

its when you have to much acidic foods in your diet, drink milk or anything that acts like a base, (i think thats the right word correct me if i'm wrong) i get it a fair amount. avoid crisps coke tomatoes and oranges

woosaysdan

milk is great for getting rid of it

I am MAN

I find a nice tall highball of urine is nice.

Zulu

I get it very bad quite frequently, I should really go to the doctor.
Gaviscon is your only man - tastes like crap, but it works instantly.

jd

if it is persistant, go to the doctor. Could be reflux problem, H pylori etc

Dibs

I go with a spoonful of Bicarbonate of soda mixed with a little milk and drink straight down then fill glass with milk and drink for taste !!!!! Helped during pregnancy !!!!

flikflak

neacy69 wrote:

I then realised that it was caused by as far as I can tell Yeast in Bread/Pints, ie, I ate bread/got drunk I got heartburn versus I didnt eat bread or didnt drink pints i didnt get heartburn

Yep have to agree with this - Bread always equals heartburn for me aswell. By taking large amounts of medicines/gaviscon type things it is curing the problem but how about cutting a few things out of your diet and see if you can prevent it happening. Also a lot of spicy foods can cause it too.

dudara

I agree with lots of posters here. I suffered badly from heartburn for years (about 6 years). I would suffer all day and wake up in the middle of the night with acid reflux in my mouth. I used to sleep propped up on pillow some night to ease the situation. I found that glasses of milk eased it, as did Rennies. For some reason, Gavison was next to useless for me.

When I visited the doctor, they would say stress. I managed to persuade one to get me tested for the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers (H. Pyrlori??), but they came back negative. The doctor would prescribe a months course of a proton pump inhibitor. Things would calm down for a while and then come right back.

Eventually, I found that cutting out all forms of yeast practically stopped the problem. Beer, bread, anything like that went out the window, as did 2 stone weight.

Pinkchick03

dudara wrote:

I agree with lots of posters here. I suffered badly from heartburn for years (about 6 years). I would suffer all day and wake up in the middle of the night with acid reflux in my mouth. I used to sleep propped up on pillow some night to ease the situation. I found that glasses of milk eased it, as did Rennies. For some reason, Gavison was next to useless for me.

When I visited the doctor, they would say stress. I managed to persuade one to get me tested for the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers (H. Pyrlori??), but they came back negative. The doctor would prescribe a months course of a proton pump inhibitor. Things would calm down for a while and then come right back.

Eventually, I found that cutting out all forms of yeast practically stopped the problem. Beer, bread, anything like that went out the window, as did 2 stone weight.

Oh my god! Congratulations losing 2 stone!!!!!!!!I wouldn't be able to give up bread. But I dont' drink beer so I don't think I'm too bad!!

I only recently got heartburn! Yesterday was the first time I ever got it! Have no idea why it just started yesterday! I have been eating more bread than i normally would actually, bread for my breakfast and lunch!!!

dudara

That's probably the cause Pinkchick. You can get it occasionally, and it's nothing to worry about, but if it persists, then that's a different story.

Take it easy on the bread, maybe instead switch to higher fibre type breads. Your body doesn't actually break down fibre, as far as I know, it just passes through , so it will be easier on your digestion.

Pinkchick03

dudara wrote:

That's probably the cause Pinkchick. You can get it occasionally, and it's nothing to worry about, but if it persists, then that's a different story.

Take it easy on the bread, maybe instead switch to higher fibre type breads. Your body doesn't actually break down fibre, as far as I know, it just passes through , so it will be easier on your digestion.

Cheers!

I know I should cut back on bread! but i do try and eat brown bread and hi - fibre bread. So don't just eat white bread!!

tk123

Pretty much the same as dudara!!I was on Protium for months which cost a bomb and wasn't helping that much. I even had to do a Barium meal scan which was terrible! In the end I started eating low fat food and cut out junk and it sorted the prob. Nowadays I know what foods to avoid like really greasy stuff/crisps/biscuits/really spicy stuff/sweet yoghurts and dairy products like yop... I find that dr pepper or coke will sort out my heatburn - i dont know why - maybe it's the acids in cola but it works? If that doesn't work I'll take a Zantac(the over the counter ones) and it'll sort it out. Also try not to lie down too soon after eating cos this can cause it too...if you are getting it all the time thou you should get it checked out!!

CathyMoran

They can test for Helico Pilori (normally found with stomach ulcers) very easily - just ask your GP for the test. if you do have one, they place you on very strong antibiotics and it takes several months to get better. I found Gaviscon to be the best. You know with time what makes you ill - I found that it was coffee, currys and chewing gum. Stress did not help either. The main thing to know is that it is managable.

seamus

dudara wrote:

I agree with lots of posters here. I suffered badly from heartburn for years (about 6 years). I would suffer all day and wake up in the middle of the night with acid reflux in my mouth. I used to sleep propped up on pillow some night to ease the situation. I found that glasses of milk eased it, as did Rennies. For some reason, Gavison was next to useless for me.

Very similar to myself. I used to wake up in the middle of the night, or stay awake while trying to sleep, with burning and sometimes acid in my mouth. I'd have to sit up in bed, or if it got realy severe, go downstairs and get a glass of water and watch tv until it went away. Some nights were really bad. After heavy weekends on the beer (particularly after I started drinking guinness), I could have 3-4 days of almost constant heartburn, except for after I ate.

Since my whole family got this, I didn't go to a doctor, just kept popping back the rennie.

Then I cut out all sugary food pretty much completely and the problem went away almost overnight. I drink vodka on the weekends (sacrificing my liver for gastric comfort ), and it's been at least 4 months since I've had anything like a serious attack. I have once or twice gotten mild heartburn after a heavy night on the vodka, but only an hour or two. Down 1.5 stone here too

It's funny, because many people had sworn that coffee, curry and fruit juice were doing it to me, but now I can have all three without problems. Tis great. I love coffee and curry (though not together).

So yeah, if it becomes a serious problem (i.e. an attack every couple of days), go see a doctor. Most people I've talked to have said that a change in diet has been enough to put a stop to it.

jd

CathyMoran wrote:

They can test for Helico Pilori (normally found with stomach ulcers) very easily - just ask your GP for the test.

They *may* decide to give you an endoscopy - I had one as well as the test for Helico Pilori

CathyMoran

jd wrote:

They *may* decide to give you an endoscopy - I had one as well as the test for Helico Pilori

I got that also - is not that bad once you ensure that they sedate you...I actually got the severe pain back today.

hacktavist

Did you know milk is actually slightly acidic.

FranknFurter

I used to have *such* bad heartburn I could barely sleep at night.
I couldnt take things such as rennie or any other antacid coz the tablets I take for photosensitive epilepsy are coated with somthing (enteric somthing or other) and the rennie etc. stopped them from working!

Then, for a completely different reason, I had a food allergy test thing done, said I was allergic to, of all things, tomatoes!....must say i was a bit of a skeptic..........
but.............
Since I cut out tomatoes, completely (even the sauce an the sauce on pizzas), no more heartburn, been a year now, not one bit, bear in mind i used to have terrible heartburn every second night!

B

jd

CathyMoran wrote:

I got that also - is not that bad once you ensure that they sedate you....

I went for it without it- it is a bit of shocjk to the system though

Iago

Buy a bottle of Maalox and take that. It's what junior doctors take before they go out drinking, probably the most effective acid treatment available without prescription.

I'm on Nexium for my hiatus hernia, causes the same problem, excess bile and acid, and I find that fantastic, but it's on prescription only and it's expensive around €80 a month.

You could be suffering from stress or a bad diet, anything carbonated or acidic like wine, fast food etc would cause problems. Funnilly enough I always found that bread helped me, seemed to soak it up or something. Also if you have put on weight that could also be causing problems in your digestive system leading to this acid.

TKK

I used to suffer a lot until one day I was so bad in work I went to the company nurse to see if she had anything I could take....she advised me to cut down on greasy food and since that I'm normally heartburn free....

I occasionally get a recurrence if I eat a lot of fried food over a couple of days or if I've been drinking the night before but rarely enough to be bothered about....