Heartburn sucks « Back to Group Discussions

[micromama]

I never had this with my first pregnancy. But this time around, my esophagus literally feels like it's on fire. Any of you mamas have good natural tips/remedies for soothing it? It's awful, especially at night!

[Vegan Princess]

I feel ya! I didn't sleep last night between my heartburn and restless legs. I'm dying today! My heartburn was HORRID yesterday bc I was drinking unsweetened cranberry juice for a possible UTI. Bad bad idea. 

My heartburn was really bad for a week or so then went away until this. I had it bad last time too. My midwife gave me a list of things to try. Eating raw almonds or cashews can help, drinking a glass of milk, having some plain yogurt after meals. Slippery elm lozenges help a little, as do papaya enzymes. But when it's really bad, none of these things work for me. I have to take tums. I usually save the tums as a last resort - -but last night I had to take them 2 at a time to get any relief! 

Preventive measures are eating smaller meals and not drinking liquid with your meal. Also chewing your food really really well. Not lying down after eating. Sometimes I get heartburn just bending over. No spicy food. 

I hope some of these help you!

Cindy

[micromama]

Great tips, thanks! I will try them all if I need to. Last night was horrible for me too-- didn't fall asleep till well past midnight because of the burning feeling, and then up at 5. UGH. I need coffee but that would probably make it way worse.

[sillymom44]

I found that when I ran out of probiotics I experienced heartburn for the 1st time.  Once I started taking them again, the heartburn went away.  My only explanation was that the probiotics helped keep me "regular" and when I stopped taking them it caused irregularity.  When your intestines are full it causes upward pressure on your GI tract which can cause reflux.  This was the cure for me-- thought I would mention it in case it helps someone else.

I will say though, that, when I eat before bed I always have heartburn while I am falling asleep UNLESS I am on my left side.  I have to eat before bed though, or I wake up hungry at night.....  It's an annoying cycle...so left side it is.

[skinnyloveBC]

I had a miserable day and night yesterday dealing with the first really horrible bout of heartburn. I thought it was bad when it was just the burning (like I had taken a tequila shot), but yesterday, my esophagus and stomach organ were cramping non-stop after lunch. Thought it was food related, so I ate a more neutral dinner. It started again about 3 hours after dinner with intense burning. I took a few tums (they hadn't helped the rest of the day, but I was optimistic). I was woken up at least every hour by the cramping throughout the night. Extremely painful. First thing in the morning, I bought some Gaviscon (they didn't have Maalox) and drank that. It has slowly helped throughout the day, but I have to keep sipping some after eating anything. It's not a natural remedy, but I was desperate for relief.

Sorry for all the detail. I actually got all teary at Walgreens asking the pharmacist if this is "normal" because it felt like I was dying. Wanted to include all the details in case someone else is experiencing heartburn from hell for the first time like me. I hope it gets better for you and you find a good remedy!

P.S. I read last night on some website that tums can make the acid worse because of the calcium? This sounds strange to me, but it might be something to look into. I'm going to stick with the stuff that coats the esophagus now because it's all that has helped.

[micromama]

Oh man, skinnyloveBC, that sounds terrible! Sounds like using Gaviscon was absolutely the right thing if it brought you a little relief. I know what you mean about that burning feeling like a tequila shot. I even had that sensation this afternoon after a small snack of almonds and string cheese. This is very new to me; I didn't have this at all with my first pregnancy.

sillymom44, that's really interesting about the probiotics! I've been on a pretty hard core strain for a while now (the Therbiotic Complete Powder, which has something like 100+ CFUs) but maybe my body has adapted and I should try switching to something else to see if it helps? I am willing to try anything honestly.

[Vegan Princess]

I really think that a lot of this unfortunately has to do with the relaxin making things not close completely and also pressure from the uterus. I can get heartburn without eat, by eating something very bland and little or just by doing a yoga pose. It sucks. I'd say probiotics are worth a shot - but I'm guessing that your typical cures that prevent things from being "off" in your gut won't fix the anatomical issues. 

Skinnylove: That sounds awful!! My burning was so bad I wanted to cry, but I can't imagine having the cramping too! I hope you get relief!! The prospect of months of torture is not pretty!

Cindy

[bostonmummy]

One other thing you might try that a friend of mine swore by is fresh cabbage juice. It has something called vitamin U, which is really msm, and is supposed to work wonders. I personally can't drink it because the whole cabbage family wreaks havoc on my system further down the intestinal tract. But if you can handle it, it's worth having in your toolbox if you get desperate!

[sillymom44]

Micromamma-- My sister's naturopath told her that she should alternate single strains-- take bifidum for a period of time, then acidophilus, etc...  Who knows though...  I take Gr8-Dophilus from Now foods simply b/c that was recommended at our health food store.  I have felt, at times, that maybe I should switch to something else.  I also know that if I dont eat enough fruits and veggies, that the probiotics don't work. I also find it is hard to take them b/c I am supposed to take them on an empty stomach...and yet I need to eat small meals constantly....so it's hard to remember.

Overall, I do think that Vegan is right-- the relaxin is really messing with our upper and lower esophageal sphincters and causing them to be too relaxed...  But, if the heartburn is serisouly interfering with our lives, we do need to find a solution.

I think over the counter meds are neccesarry sometimes-- Gaviscon or whatever!!  Our mental health is eqaully important and we need to make sure we're feeling good and not getting down!!!

Also- I have known many mother's who have slept in recliners for the 3rd tri....  With my aching hips, I have thought about investing in one....  But then I think that my tailbone might start hurting!!  LOL

I feel like I was having the easiest pregnancy EVER and now all I do is complain!!  In addition, I find it hysterical that all I talk about is eating, sleeping, and pooping.  I feel like a newborn baby!  LOL

[gratefulmum]

My other two pregnancies my HB has sucked—especially in the last trimester. This time around I find that avoiding raw onions helps a ton. I don't know if it will continue to help as I get further along (28 weeks today) but for now it's made a difference. I also eat papaya enzymes with every meal for digestion aid and take additional if it starts to flair up. Definitely cut out the late night snacks, too!

[micromama]

I have found that my heartburn is much better since posting... I added the papaya enzymes so aye that is doing the trick? I have also been doing bigger lunches with small dinners and that could be a factor too.

[miss_sonja]

My midwife recommended papaya enzyme (which sometimes helps a little) and DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated licorice). The stuff in licorice that causes bad side effects like hypertension is removed. It's in tablet form. It also sorta works.

I've found heartburn is worse when I eat foods like bread, pasta etc. It's not bad or not there at all on a primal diet. Ice cream helps though;-). 

I had it really bad with DD#2, so much that I often had to sleep sitting upright in bed. I've had to do that a few times. At night, I'll take the stuff like Tums or Mylanta if I can't sleep--I know they cause kickback acid, but when it's a choice between sitting up suffering and sleep, I choose sleep.