Those who have acid reflux - what do you take to tame it?

[Anonymous]

I'm in a flare right now; I used to take Zantac.
I can't get to my doctor til Monday but need relief now. Help? Prilosec?

[Anonymous]

Pepcid chewable OTC

[Anonymous]

I take up to 80mg Nexium (prescribed) and Gaviscon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take up to 80mg Nexium (prescribed) and Gaviscon.

When do you take the Gaviscon? I’m interested in it but my dr told me to take famotidine during flare ups, which hasn’t seemed to help me.

[Anonymous]

I take omeprazole OTC, twice a day (one pill morning and night), and add famotidine if its still bad. And I try really hard to not eat anything after 9pm.

[Anonymous]

OP get two bricks (or a 2x4, or books) and put them under the each bed leg at the head of the bed.

Now your bed is on a slight slant, not enough to notice (except maybe the first 5 min the first night).

And don't eat OR drink after 6pm. (Three hours before sleeping)

And don't eat all the foods that trigger it (spicy, tomatoes, etc)

BTW if you drink hot liquids, stop doing that; you're irritating it every day! Especially if something is too hot (e.g. the coffee or tea) for your mouth, don't swallow it. It's still burning all the way down, you just can't feel it.

After doing an endoscopy, my doctor had me on the purple pill for something like three months to get my esophageal sphincter to heal. It did; it's been about 8 years and I'm fine. But I did change my diet, because taking that long-term affects bone density.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP get two bricks (or a 2x4, or books) and put them under the each bed leg at the head of the bed.

Now your bed is on a slight slant, not enough to notice (except maybe the first 5 min the first night).

And don't eat OR drink after 6pm. (Three hours before sleeping)

And don't eat all the foods that trigger it (spicy, tomatoes, etc)

BTW if you drink hot liquids, stop doing that; you're irritating it every day! Especially if something is too hot (e.g. the coffee or tea) for your mouth, don't swallow it. It's still burning all the way down, you just can't feel it.

After doing an endoscopy, my doctor had me on the purple pill for something like three months to get my esophageal sphincter to heal. It did; it's been about 8 years and I'm fine. But I did change my diet, because taking that long-term affects bone density.

Can you share how you changed your diet? I’m on omeprazole and am concerned but my dr doesn’t have any diet or supplement advice for me.

[Anonymous]

^i mean I am concerned about the medication’s health affects like bone density. My diet is otherwise fine (have cut out acidic, fatty, sugary, and processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine).

[Anonymous]

Nexium.

[Anonymous]

American Gaviscon lacks the crucial ingredient that makes British Gaviscon so effective: sodium alginate. It’s a seaweed derivative that forms a “bubble” that physically blocks the acid from rising and it is MAGICAL.

You cannot eat or drink after taking it, though, or the barrier may be disrupted.

I stock up on it when in the UK and when I run out, I buy the large bottles of liquid Gaviscon Advance from a British pharmacy that sells on Amazon.com — the peppermint is bearable, but if they’re out, I will choke down the aniseed/licorice flavor.

Best of all, it not only works SO MUCH BETTER than any American med I’ve tried, it also does not contribute to cancer as PPIs do over extended use.

There is an American product now on Amazon that also contains sodium alginate (Reflux Gourmet) that I have used in a pinch when a British shipment was delayed. But I don’t think it’s quite as effective. British Gaviscon also comes in tablets and the flavor is better than the liquid but they’re like chalk and get stuck in your teeth. Still better than any US option though.

[Anonymous]

Have your main meal at midday rather than in the evening, if you can. This has made a huge difference for me. I also get reflux after eating raw vegetables and foods that cause gas, but don’t have a problem with coffee, wine, fatty foods or spices.

[Anonymous]

Love my Pepcid Complete. Also have a prescription for Omeprazole as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pepcid chewable OTC

Same here. I also avoid caffeine, spicy foods, and large meals in the evening (lunch is my main meal of the day).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take up to 80mg Nexium (prescribed) and Gaviscon.

When do you take the Gaviscon? I’m interested in it but my dr told me to take famotidine during flare ups, which hasn’t seemed to help me.

Whenever I need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:American Gaviscon lacks the crucial ingredient that makes British Gaviscon so effective: sodium alginate. It’s a seaweed derivative that forms a “bubble” that physically blocks the acid from rising and it is MAGICAL.

You cannot eat or drink after taking it, though, or the barrier may be disrupted.

I stock up on it when in the UK and when I run out, I buy the large bottles of liquid Gaviscon Advance from a British pharmacy that sells on Amazon.com — the peppermint is bearable, but if they’re out, I will choke down the aniseed/licorice flavor.

Best of all, it not only works SO MUCH BETTER than any American med I’ve tried, it also does not contribute to cancer as PPIs do over extended use.

There is an American product now on Amazon that also contains sodium alginate (Reflux Gourmet) that I have used in a pinch when a British shipment was delayed. But I don’t think it’s quite as effective. British Gaviscon also comes in tablets and the flavor is better than the liquid but they’re like chalk and get stuck in your teeth. Still better than any US option though.

Can you order it from Canada? They have Butterscotch flavor.