Heartburn, Help Please!

[undercoverbrother]

So over the past 6-12 months I have an increase in the instances of heartburn. I have been trying to adjust me diet and track what I eat to figure out what causes it. So far I haven't had any luck isolating the cause/foods.


Has anyone else had this problem?

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

So over the past 6-12 months I have an increase in the instances of heartburn. I have been trying to adjust me diet and track what I eat to figure out what causes it. So far I haven't had any luck isolating the cause/foods.


Has anyone else had this problem?

I do if I put on any weight. If it's really bad there are a few 24hr antacids that work really well. The chewable rolaids though are like damn candy but work really well.

[Fuzz]

If the is recent and unexplained, you may want to get tested for an h pylori infection. The test is just blowing into a container at the lab.

[northcrunk]

Could also be caused by stress.

[calumniate]

I would suggest eating real sauerkraut (kissel kraut in the refrigerated isle at co-op, next to the cabbages). Also put a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in your water (community natural foods has Bragg's apple cider vinegar which has the real probiotic)

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/...orn-heartburn/

Good luck. I've been taking these two for allergies but apparently can help with heartburn as well

[Oling_Roachinen]

Any other lifestyle changes in the last 6-12 months? Completely anecdotal, but I have found that I have heartburn much more frequent when my job commitment doesn't allow for as much physical activity that I had been use to.

Other causes could be how much food and when you eat it (too close to bedtime etc.) stress and lack of sleep.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

I do if I put on any weight. If it's really bad there are a few 24hr antacids that work really well. The chewable rolaids though are like damn candy but work really well.

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Any other lifestyle changes in the last 6-12 months? Completely anecdotal, but I have found that I have heartburn much more frequent when my job commitment doesn't allow for as much physical activity that I had been use to.

Other causes could be how much food and when you eat it (too close to bedtime etc.) stress and lack of sleep.

I have actually been getting more active, rugby season has started and I have been lifting/running since March.

[DoubleF]

FWIW...

I've had recent heartburn due to weight gain and stress related reasons (Wedding). Bumping up pure water intake, reducing fried/spicy foods, reducing coffee and alcohol consumption along with a bit of pepto/rolaids/Tums helped slightly diet wise but overall I would say was ineffective. I also swapped to eating smaller meals with higher frequency as I noted some of the stomach discomfort was on occasion a hunger type of pain which seemed to help though. I prefer using a hot bean bag on my chest or stomach to taking anything. This was no where near the below heartburn and stomach pain.

Physical activity would add to it and it got so bad, apparently I had a cough that was being triggered by the heartburn per the doctor. He suggested anti acid and reduce coffee and alcohol which didn't seem super useful advice at the time.

I had bad stomach pain and heartburn due to stress about 8-10 months ago. I at first (along with doctor) were worried it was a stomach virus (which I had a few months prior), but Tecta over 1 week fixed it/made it manageable and the lab results came back negative for a stomach virus/issue. It's gone now and hasn't come back and I'm not sure what was the stress that put me over the top for this in the first place.


Don't know if anything I mentioned would help... but Good luck.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I have actually been getting more active, rugby season has started and I have been lifting/running since March.

Avoiding eating before exercising and drinking lots of water?

Unfortunately exercise also can cause heartburn, might just need to grab those tums or see if a doctor.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Avoiding eating before exercising and drinking lots of water?

Unfortunately exercise also can cause heartburn, might just need to grab those tums or see if a doctor.

Yeah I don't eat before working out, run in the morning and weights at lunch. Drink lots of water........

[codynw]

Basically this is going to be your new best friend.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by codynw

Basically this is going to be your new best friend.

Did you see the tags?


I am hoping to "cure" this so I don't get to eating these none stop.

[nik-]

I have no idea what's in this ####, or what it does to my body, but it's my go to. When I get heartburn it's always from eating too much or if I drink something mixed with coke the night before.

I could pretty much eat a garbage fire and as long as I don't eat too much of it it's ok.

[Derek Sutton]

Pepto Bismol
Tums
Chewing gum

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Did you see the tags?


I am hoping to "cure" this so I don't get to eating these none stop.

Heartburn more than 3x/week increases your risk for Barrett's Esophagus (Histological changes than can lead to cancer) so your best looking for a more chronic solution than Tums.

Heartburn is usually caused by normally acidic stomach contents reaching up into the Esophagus where the tissue is not protected by gastric lining. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) at the base of the Esophagus where it joins the stomach is tightly closed. Stress, certain foods and meds can lower the LES pressure allowing contents up into the Esophagus. Weight gain, pregnancy and overeating can increase the physical pressure fixing the acidic contents up through the LES.

Antacids such as Tums, Rolaids etc chemically raise the pH, but as with many homeostatic systems in the body, the proton pumps will simply increase acid secretion to get back to normal pH. Medications like Zantac and Pepcid actually decrease acid secretion and are better long term solutions. Prescription proton pump inhibitors are stronger and more effective also.

Surgery is an option for some anatomical cases (Hiatus Hernia) but I can't really speak much to that

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Pepto Bismol
Tums
Chewing gum

I don't know about undercoverbrother, but Pepto/Tums/Gaviscon have never worked for me.

[CaptainCrunch]

Do you smell burnt toast or rotten almonds?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't know about undercoverbrother, but Pepto/Tums/Gaviscon have never worked for me.

Tums and Rolaids are working, but I want to know the cause of the heartburn and avoid it going forward.


I might have to drop into my doctor to chat, but it seems like a big waste to see him about heartburn.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by codynw

Basically this is going to be your new best friend.

Gross. I hate the berry one and prefer the citrus one. That being said, I keep taking it, but the effectiveness seems poor. The only true thing that works for me is the hot bean bag for stomach or esophagus issues.

Now that I think about it... I recall my heartburn was at its worst when I was working out and calorie counting to reduce weight. It was worse than when I was averaging about 2 pound weight gain a month for about 3-4 months due to stress.

I don't eat before working out and I don't eat breakfast as it gives me awful stomach issues if I do.

I definitely would suggest smaller but more frequent meals with perhaps a more plain filler like rice, oatmeal or bread. Cold sports drinks and energy drinks make my stomach churn as well.

On a different note... any issues with Gluten or Lactose?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Gross. I hate the berry one and prefer the citrus one. That being said, I keep taking it, but the effectiveness seems poor. The only true thing that works for me is the hot bean bag for stomach or esophagus issues.

Now that I think about it... I recall my heartburn was at its worst when I was working out and calorie counting to reduce weight. It was worse than when I was averaging about 2 pound weight gain a month for about 3-4 months due to stress.

I don't eat before working out and I don't eat breakfast as it gives me awful stomach issues if I do.

I definitely would suggest smaller but more frequent meals with perhaps a more plain filler like rice, oatmeal or bread. Cold sports drinks and energy drinks make my stomach churn as well.

On a different note... any issues with Gluten or Lactose?

I might try the smaller meals eaten more often.

No Lactose issues, and no Gluten issues (although I ain't a believe in this whole Gluten allergy fad).