OMG my heartburn is out of control! Help

[Chakra]

It is sooo bad! I'm really in pain and it burns all the way down. I have tums which I know are bad but they work for a little bit.

What else can I do?

[rach03]

I asked my OB about heartburn this week and she said that Tums didn't cut it for her...she said she used OTC Pepcid.

[JennP]

I find chewing mint gum, usually STRONG mint gum works best for me.

Jenn

[robertandenith]

I been taking Zantac it works like a charm...

[Cheshire]

I took Zantac at the end of my first pregnancy. After giving birth to my son I also found out I had also pushed myself a hiatal hernia (my esophogus sticks through my diaphragm a little bit and I have constant reflux).

I'm on prescription medication for the reflux plus I also have to take a Pepcid complete at night. I was really worried when I first got pregnant this time and tried to cut back but it was awful! I went in to see my gastroenterologist and she said it was okay if I stayed on my meds. I don't know how I would make it without them.

Call your doc or midwife and insist they give you more info besides Tums - sometimes it just won't cut it. Don't let the stomach acid burn up your esophogus - there are other things you can take that are "safe" (as safe as a drug can be when you're pregnant).

[megsy]

Mylanta Ultimate. Small swig straight from the bottle when it gets so bad I can't take it anymore.

[holothuroidea]

peppermint tea usually works for me, but my heartburn is never all that bad

[deliarose]

My mw said to take zantac 150, which is hard core otc stuff. You can only take it 2 times in a day, but it really has helped and I don't need it every day or all the time. I also take papaya enzymes.

[senmom]

Originally Posted by Chakra

It is sooo bad! I'm really in pain and it burns all the way down. I have tums which I know are bad but they work for a little bit.

What else can I do?

Why are Tums bad?

[~Megan~]

I take Pepcid AC

[becomingme]

I feel for you. Heartburn has been an issue for me throughout this pregnancy. I've gotten lots of wonderful suggestions from these boards, though.

Sometimes I've taken slippery elm lozenges (my web searches yielded some results suggesting it wasn't a good idea to take during pregnancy, and others that stated it was fine -- my midwife was fine with it, so I went ahead), and drinking bubbly water like mad (I've heard this makes it worse for some people, but it has the opposite effect for me...so much so that we finally bought a carbonating gizmo so that we could make our own since I was drinking sparkly water by the case). I also have been eating copious volumes of plain whole milk yogurt...again, this is one of those things that seems to make it worse for some women, but I've typically found it to be really soothing.

I've occasionally mixed in teas also (ginger & peppermint), and sometimes that's been helpful as well. I've woken up with some real doozies during the middle of the night in past month or so -- they made my earlier heartburn episodes pale in comparison -- but I've usually (but not always) been able to get enough relief from these to get back to sleep.

Whether you go with another OTC remedy, home remedies, or get a prescription, I really hope you're able to find some relief.

Take care,
nk

[amitymama]

I just recently got a prescription from my doctor for a heartburn medication that I take preventatively. It's called Omeprazole. I'm not sure what the US equivalent is but it works! Just 10mg a day and I've not suffered with heartburn since. It's a godsend!

[mommytomahmoud]

WHY R TUMS BAD?

i take tums about 2 times a day and 3 of them and they will work some times i have to wake up in the middle of the night to take 2 extra but that is if i forget to take them before i sleep lol

ohh and i never leave the house without my tums lol

[ryansma]

I drink a small glass of milk after eating and I got Papaya extract from Whole Foods and chew a few after every meal.

[Chakra]

I guess tums leave calcium deposits on your organs and placenta.

[Gwendolyn's babies]

tums contain aluminum.

That being said...I still have to use it now and again.


Try chewing gum,
Chomping on ice.

Icecream....for dinner. It's not so bad coming up.