Acid reflux - what did you do to get rid of it once and for all

I dont now what time you eat your last meal but I eliminated the problem definitely by finishing my dinner maximum seven p.m.

I don't want to scare anyone, but persistent reflux can lead to oesophageal cancer. And there is a precancerous condition called Barret's oesophagus.
Do go and see your GP.

giulia

I dont now what time you eat your last meal but I eliminated the problem definitely by finishing my dinner maximum seven p.m.

I'm an "early bird" operator - so am guessing I'd have to bring that time forward to say 6pm in my case. Another reason to take on board the suggestion of changing my main meal of the day to lunchtime.

Back to my calculations of how much food a stomach needs to feel comfortably full...but not overdo it ...and I'm guessing at 2 cups worth at a lunch or dinner time and looking meaningfully again at those SouperCubes I'm in the process of stocking up with and writing down meal suggestions for myself.

I get the point re "see doctor" that several people have made - but I've personally found "Doctor was wrong - very wrong" in a couple of respects over my lifetime and I've had a couple of those "never" incidents myself (ie the ones that they should never do - though, thankfully they were only minor in the event) and that would possibly be 3 times if I took the statins they/darn nearly everyone else's doctors want to put so many of us on.....

but I've personally found "Doctor was wrong - very wrong" in a couple of respects over my lifetime.

Was he wrong in the surgery or wrong after a battery of tests at your local hospital'. The tests will not harm you and if there is a problem it wll be caught early. You are free to accept or reject the resul once they are available.
Better safe than sorry.

I suffered with acid reflux for some years and tried all the remedies. After taking Levothyroxine for an under active thyroid the reflux disappeared completely.
.

I think those few pounds overweight can make all the difference and I’ve only had heartburn since being 10stone when I think I should be 9.5 (can’t seem to lose that weight though). Definitely eating and then sitting down encourages it so yes, eating more at lunch time seems a good move…although I’m resisting it at the moment. Eating slowly, eating less and eating less meat, also helps me a lot. Stress can also upset things.

I am on a drug called nizatidine which is an H2 blocker. They are kinder on the system. Famotidine is also an H2 blocker. I have also been to an accredited dietician who has helped me a lot. Check your diet for acid/fat/spices. Coffee, red wine, chocolate, fizzy drinks tomatoes are triggers. I eat a lot of root veg which is great for my system. If I go out for dinner I ask for food with no sauce and am usually OK. Go and see your GP and try to find one who works with you. They can be very PPI happy. Whilst they may help initially, I understand that long term they can cause problems. I also keep a food diary and symptom diary to see if there are any patterns. It is a good idea to raise your bed or get one of those tilt pillows. There are several great groups on FB where people from all over the world come together to advise and for advice. Try Dr Aviv and Dr. Jamie Koufman for their books and FB support groups. Good luck!

CariadAgain

If you are carrying excess weight (like me) your portion sizes may be as much to blame as what you actually eat. I was becoming a gavisconoholic but reduced portions to half of what I would like to eat and I now only seem to need a glug of antacid medicine every few days.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/22/acid-reflux-drugs-do-not-cause-cancer/

Obviously, see your doctor, but keep a diary of everything you eat and drink in the course of the day, for at least a week.

And I mean everything, including pills, flavorings added to cooked food, ketchup or other sauces added.

This way you can judge, and your doctor too, if there is any relation between what you eat or drink and these bouts of reflux.

You may have become allergic to something you have eaten for years without any trouble.

I have Gaviscon on prescription so it is there if I need it. It is a stronger version than over the counter.
I take one Lanzoprosol daily, avoid white wine, cheese, cake in the evening and eat no later than 7.30 . My OH is really struggling but refuses to give up on alcohol so what can you do?

Following a long spell of indigestion, I saw the GP and had a gastroscopy which revealed 2 ulcers - one gastric, one duodenal. Took 40 mg omeprazole for a few weeks, then a lower dose of 20 mg as a preventative. Been taking these now for a couple of years, but I have been fine, and have found that a cough I have had for very many years has also now disappeared.

I agree that an appointment with the doctor should be the first step for CariadAgain.
I also have this problem, sometimes connected with eating spicy or fatty food in the evening. I prefer to eat my main meal at lunchtime if I can, and try not to eat the wrong things at night.
I come from a family with quite a few coeliacs and have been tested as gluten intolerant so I try not to eat "ordinary" bread or pasta if I can help it, there are many types of GF foods now that are really OK and they suit my gut much better.
Obviously these are not the roots of many other people's problems, though I think that the right diet can help a great deal.

I started with silent reflux at the beginning of covid, phone appointments only. Was put on lansoprazole later changed to omeprazole after reading lots of info about not being on this medication long term . I have weened myself off them. The first 2 weeks I thought I would have to go back on them( I'm still open minded to them) but I've watched volume and content of food and am adjusting to what is comfortable. I sleep on left side with two pillows and a V pillow. It makes a difference. I'll continue to be careful with food choices, pastry definately affects me as does fried foods, I eat little of those. I think it's trial and error. I would always refer to a GP if I start suffering again.

I’ve had acid reflux for years. A year ago my GP sent me for a gastroscopy and I’ve got Long Barrett’s Oesophagus. I am now on 20mg emeprozole twice a day, eat smaller meals.

I go the YMCA Active Wellness Suite 7 days a week and my tummy muscles and core muscles are tightening up which has helped.

Please make an appointment with your GP.

For me it was as simple as giving up lemon squash.

Cariad - I tried various things and antacids etc, doctor put me on Omeprazole (no! awful stuff bad for your bones...) smallish meal help, keep posture as upright as sensible, don't have too tight clothes. Then I read that the lining of the gut needs Glutamine - so tried a flat teaspoon of powder each morning - sorted - no nasty taste or other problems. If you read up and think it may be for you, powder is the cheapest way to take just a small amount (one tub lasts me about a year). I think my current tub is Lamberts.

Stillness

I think those few pounds overweight can make all the difference and I’ve only had heartburn since being 10stone when I think I should be 9.5 (can’t seem to lose that weight though). Definitely eating and then sitting down encourages it so yes, eating more at lunch time seems a good move…although I’m resisting it at the moment. Eating slowly, eating less and eating less meat, also helps me a lot. Stress can also upset things.

Reassuring to know. Prior to Lockdown I'd been on a diet and got back down from around 10stone 2lb to 9st 4lbs and so was pretty well on my way back to 8 stone 7lbs and my figure looked pretty reasonable per se - just "not quite" yet. I'd got my flat stomach back at that point - so was clearly well on the way. I need to be 9stones or less and I'll get my cheekbones back again.

I'm getting more and more convinced that the excess weight is at least part of it - though that is difficult to establish in a country where most people are overweight and some of them by a lot. Off to google "prevalence of heartburn in the 1970s" - as most of us had proper figures then...so that might help track it down. It would be easier to tell if everyone was slim - but that ain't so and so 1970s googling here I come.

I'm also wondering whether stress has been/is a contributory factor - (see another thread of mine re neighbours). 2020 onwards too was an enormous whack in the gut for me - and I guess that turn of phrase I just thought up says a lot. Lockdown and afterwards hit very hard emotionally.

That's two days in a row now where I've made my main meal at lunchtime. No heartburn yesterday for once - yay! So that could well be part of the picture. Am working on convincing myself that "If I'm not hungry anymore - then stop eating right now". I've checked and an amount of food that will comfortably fill a stomach without overdoing it seems to be 2-2.5 cups worth at a meal. (Just had the last of my cup/half-cup/etc freezer food storage dishes through the post today). So even half a cup of this and half a cup of that left = that is 0.5 of a meal worth - stick it in the freezer...rather than my stomach.

sandelf

Cariad - I tried various things and antacids etc, doctor put me on Omeprazole (no! awful stuff bad for your bones...) smallish meal help, keep posture as upright as sensible, don't have too tight clothes. Then I read that the lining of the gut needs Glutamine - so tried a flat teaspoon of powder each morning - sorted - no nasty taste or other problems. If you read up and think it may be for you, powder is the cheapest way to take just a small amount (one tub lasts me about a year). I think my current tub is Lamberts.

Oh I know about the firm Lamberts - ie well-regarded. Off to have a google at that one then...

GrandmaGrotBags

I used to do yoga classes for exercise and I do like a variety of forms of dance. I was never that good at yoga - I'm lost the second anyone says "Stand on one leg".

I'm currently checking out Tai Chi and thinking that might be a possibility for me. I did go to a class on it a bit back here but the teacher did have an "I'm in charge" mindset etc....too "authoritative" for someone from a modern university city obviously then (ie respect comes when it's been earned and not an automatic thing) - so that's me out and not going back to him.

But I've found there are a lot of YouTube videos up there - so there should be ones by a couple of suitable teachers I reckon.

Without having the test many people suffering with acid reflux don’t realise they are not producing enough acid.
Symptoms are very similar.

zoe.com/learn/low-stomach-acid-symptoms?srsltid=AfmBOoozrmwn3xBwZnP04q9mvA5BR2kx3m7odpDa_GG2baIAbzGw7rML

I have had my gall bladder removed and always had reflux until I saw a Consultant for my throat which was sore when eating caused by reflux….he recommended Gaviscon Advance after every meal. It worked wonders and it may help you.

I've had it for years. Just had an abdo scan (normal) and a endoscopy which showed mild oesophagitis. Told to take Omeprazole for 8 weeks and will be reviewed.
Have used Omep before with flare ups. Does work but should only really take if needed. It can be taken when needed and still work.

That's final meal of the day done then. Two pieces of salmon done with just a tiny bit of spray oil and some salad dressed with a squeeze of lemon (yep....I tried giving up citrus for some days and no difference whatsoever - so I've ruled that out). Followed by a drink of milk and kefir mixed.

Didn't have any potatoes in any shape or form with it - and I figure I'm not feeling a potato-sized gap in my stomach - so I think that's been enough food for the day.

One guilty conscience kicked into touch about having two bits of salmon - but I've been watching a Greek YouTube channel where she's dieting (and her food looks pretty nice too) and she puts twice as much of that sort of thing on her plate as I've been doing. So kicked self up backside that I was going to pay the cost of having that second bit too. I tell ya 70 years of being poor/economising doesn't half get ingrained into you as automatic "trying to economise" thereafter....hence why I have to give myself a kick that "If I want it = I'll have it" re food now I can have what I've decided on at last.

petra

Without having the test many people suffering with acid reflux don’t realise they are not producing enough acid.
Symptoms are very similar.

zoe.com/learn/low-stomach-acid-symptoms?srsltid=AfmBOoozrmwn3xBwZnP04q9mvA5BR2kx3m7odpDa_GG2baIAbzGw7rML

I've gathered it may be/and probably is a case of low stomach acid - rather than high.

I have the feeling it's generally not "taut" enough round my midriff and things "move upwards" when they shouldnt because of that and I've not worn the tight jeans I was used to for years - though I've still hung onto them just-in-case I can get that figure back again.

I'm veering in the direction of it being a combination of low stomach acid/overweight/stress. But the stress from neighbours should be over now (fingers crossed hard) as every single immediate neighbouring house has changed hands one or more times since I've been here (down to the ages of the previous occupants of the houses - ie all of them too old to keep them one way or another at some point).