Help needed with heartburn

[annettemarie]

OK, what can I possibly take to help with the heartburn? It's really, really, really, really bad. I am waking myself up vomiting stomach acid in my sleep and last night I actually aspirated it.

Papaya enzymes don't work.
Tums don't work.
Zantac doesn't work.

I think I've tried other stuff (heartburn tea, something else) but I am not thinking clearly right now because of the constant burning and the headache that goes along with it.

Also, is there anything I can drink? I don't drink milk, but I feel like if I could just coat my throat with something it would help. Even water just makes it worse.

Thanks and sorry for the grumpiness.

[StoriesInTheSoil]

Apple cider vinegar helps me

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by tinyactsofcharity

Apple cider vinegar helps me

You know, I have heard that but it just seems very counter-intuitive to me and the thought of swallowing that stuff makes me kind of nauseated. Does it really work? How much?

[nova22]

You could have your husband give you an esophagus massage. My DH massages right around the solar plexus and it provides temporary and light relief for that really nasty heartburn that is not helped at all with any over the counter treatment. He does that and then I roll as far on my stomach as I can get and it calms the burn long enough for me to fall asleep. I hope you can find a solution, heartburn is so nasty.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by nova22

You could have your husband give you an esophagus massage.

That sounds kind of dirty. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think I'm in the mood.

ETA: Oh wait, you added an explanation.

[StephandOwen]

I had to sleep mostly sitting in a recliner for the last few months of my pregnancy with ds. I never had any other complaints during my pregnancy with him (no morning sickness, nothing).... except killer heartburn. So I slept in a recliner for probably the last 3 months of my pregnancy. That recliner was comfy though.... LOL!

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

I had to sleep mostly sitting in a recliner for the last few months of my pregnancy with ds. I never had any other complaints during my pregnancy with him (no morning sickness, nothing).... except killer heartburn. So I slept in a recliner for probably the last 3 months of my pregnancy. That recliner was comfy though.... LOL!

A new recliner is on my want list. We have one but it is literally falling apart. I am getting a new one the kids aren't allowed to use, LOL!

[geekgolightly]

I am just going to throw this out there because it made such a huge change in my life, but eliminating grains (and I have recently allowed corn back in without issue) has eliminated my GERD. My GERD began with my first pregnancy almost 20 years ago and during pregnancy was horrific, but then returned to almost normal and then throughout the decades became worse ending with me sitting up with an incline pillow to sleep, taking the max dose of a proton pump inhibitor and still regurgitating in my mouth nightly.

I stopped eating grains completely unrelated to this issue and was surprised and very very happy that my GERD disappeared.

You might try it. It took about six weeks for me to notice that the GERD was gone. I tried a few times after that to eat wheat stuff (wheat thins, a piece of cake) and the GERD came back that night and kept hold for a few days before subsiding again.

You could join the primal thread over in the Traditional Foods forum here at mothering for support.

[lillymonster]

Probiotics? Natures Way Optima has some strains for stomach too. My chiro also did something like an massage, but it was in my stomach area for my duodenum, seemed to bring some relief

Enzymes other than papaya - enzymes with lower protease might help - papaya is very strong, and it made my stomach hurt worse
here is some info:
http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditiondigestive.htm#2

Sugar sets off heartburn for me, mostly only HFCS, but a lot of white sugar does it too. Milk might make it worse.

[maryeliz]

It's an awful feeling. I thought my reflux was my asthma acting up because I was coughing and wheezing so much. My midwife said it was fine to take over the counter Prevacid. I haven't gotten any yet so I can't say how well it works.

[~Demeter~]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

You know, I have heard that but it just seems very counter-intuitive to me and the thought of swallowing that stuff makes me kind of nauseated. Does it really work? How much?

It does work. You do less than a shot of it BEFORE you eat each meal and that should help balance the acid in your stomach. It does seem it would be counter-intuitive but really... it does work. Also, grains and dairy and sugar are the worst offenders when it comes to heartburn/acid reflux/etc.

[kalamos23]

The vinegar works by telling your body to not produce more acid basically. I had awful acid reflux with DD and tried it and it really did work.

[my kidlets and me]

Try raising the head of your bed a couple of inches (up on 2x4s or something similar). Having your head higher than your feet will help keep the acid IN your stomach.

[StoriesInTheSoil]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

You know, I have heard that but it just seems very counter-intuitive to me and the thought of swallowing that stuff makes me kind of nauseated. Does it really work? How much?

I know, right? But if you can choke down a big swig of it (say, a shot or a few tablespoons) the heartburn or reflux goes away really quickly. You can do it both preventatively and as needed (or only as needed) and it is a very fast remedy IME. In my first pregnancy, I had heartburn and ACV or a raw apple (more palatable but less effective overall) were the only things that helped. This time it isn't heartburn, it's yucky refluxy throw-y up-y food coming-out-of-stomach-and-up-throat feeling. The ACV (I use Bragg's) fixes it within about 2 minutes usually.

[HeatherB]

I've heard people say raw almonds work - perhaps even soaking them?

Do you eat other dairy? Would yogurt or ice cream help calm it? Chocolate milk (whole fat is better)?

Sounds like the ACV might be a really good one to try!

[annettemarie]

Mmmm... chocolate milk actually sounds kind of yummy.

I'm (hopefully) running to the store today, so I'll try the ACV. I'm actually wondering if part of it was some sort of tummy bug or something. I have two sick kidlets today who say their bellies ache.

[Jenne]

A word of caution on the ACV...I wouldn't take it as a shot as it can literally burn your mouth and throat. I take mine 1 tablespoon ACV in 4-8 oz of water in the morning and in the evening. I have heard that ACV works because it increases the acidity of your stomach and that heartburn and reflux are actually symptoms of not enough stomach acid. I have no idea if this is correct but it helped me reconcile adding more acid to what I already had going on. I hope you feel better soon!

Jenne

[kalamos23]

Ditto Jenne - also don't do milk or dairy, it will make it feel better for approx .002 seconds and then it will get worse as your body reacts to the alkalinity of the milk by producing more acid. That's why you have to keep chewing lots of tums, it does the same thing as dairy.

[EnchantedMamma]

Peppermint tea works for me. Helps with digestion, pregnancy gas, and heartburn.

[gradstudentmommy]

I feel for you. I had the worst heartburn with DD.

Zantac didn't work for me but one of the other OTCs I tried did. I can't remember now if it was Tagamet or Pepcid? But whatever it was, I took it regularly (not just when I felt heartburn) and it REALLY helped.

Thankfully, that's the one thing this pregnancy I haven't really suffered with.