Heartburn and Reflux

[preggers]

Does anyone know of any tips to avoid bad heartburn and reflux when sleeping? I'm 35 weeks and eating tums regularly. I thought I heard milk helps, and propping up a bit, eating way before bed...anyone else hear about milk or other tips?

Patti

[Francie]

Try Papaya Enzymes you can get them from the health food store- Try to eat earlier in the evening and have something peppermint beofre bed- Herbal tea? That will help :)
Good Luck-
Francie

[LiLi]

You may also want to try this breathing technique that my massage therapist taught me when you have bad acid reflux....

*Lay on you left side
*Picture you spine as a closed umbrella
*When you breathe out picture the umbrella opening fully (and think of your lungs opening too)
*When you breath in picture the umbrella completely closing back to the center of your spine.

Do this for about 5 to 10 minutes.

I know it may sound wierd, but it really helps me and I've been getting heartburn from drinking water!

[eever3]

I have been having terrible heartburn and acid reflux as well, and I was sucking down Tums like there was no tomorrow - I even get heartburn from cereal and milk!! But I tried the liquid form of Mylanta (cherry flavor) and it has worked wonders!! I still have some of the burning in my throat every now and then, but I think that the liquid works quicker than the chewable Tums. Hope this helps!!

[npittard]

My doctor has okayed Zantac. You can only take it twice a day but it lasts for several hours so it covers most meals. I can even eat chili without reflux or heartburn!

[artist]

Here in Germany this is the advice I got. It seemed to be based mostly on prevention. They said to look at the foods, that I would find triggers... they said to try the following until I figured out which were the offenders:
Avoid milk. Yogurt and some other milk derivatives are OK.
Avoid tomatoes and acidic fruits (organges, etc)
Avoid desserts with lots of sugar
Avoid spicy foods.

They also said to eat smaller meals and to drink water throughout the day (the plain kind, not the one with bubbles). Sleep with a slightly higher pillow.

The thing I find that triggers my heartburn is spicy food together with an acidic drink. Or sleeping with my head too low.

Finally suggestions for reducing the effects of heartburn are mostly related to "binding the acid":
Eating plain bread
Eating 5 or 6 almonds, first chew until it forms a paste then swallow
A teaspoon or 2 of "healing soil" mixed in a glass of water

I've found that for me the most effective way to avoid heartburn is to eat smaller meals. When I do get it I use the healing soil and it seems to work very well.

I have a doctors prescription for heartburn medicine, but so far I have not had to use it.

[artistmomma]

I've read the back of several papaya enzyme bottles and they state that pregnant/breast feeding women shouldn't take them. Does anyone know if there's a reason for this? I've heard that they're good. Perhaps there is safe brand out there?

Also I've found that carbs in general give me acid reflux, not as much spicy foods or greasy foods. Weird. I still eat them but have tried to up my veggie/fruit and yogurt intake. It's helping.

[MelissaD]

I haven't heard any reason why pregnant/nursing women can't take the papaya extract, rather that it's just not effective for pregnancy heartburn, since it's more of a gas/nausea/indigestion remedy.

I've only rarely had any acid reflux/heartburn time feelings, but what helped me (and I learned about this from watching Food Detectives) is chewing gum. The saliva you make from chewing helps wash the acid back downwards, easing the symptoms.

[artistmomma]

Well, I've done more research on papaya enzymes and even found several brands that do not contain a warning for pregnant women. As long as you get a good brand that doesn't have anything else mixed with it (I suspect this was the problem I was having earlier), it appears safe (always talk to your doctor/midwife before taking anything like this yourself obviously).

I have tried taking one while I eat supper and it does seem to help me. I've had reflux since my fourth month, at each meal and even drinking water!

The best thing I've done is keep a food diary - see what food causes heart burn/reflux in your own body and what doesn't. For me tomatoes are high on the list for me while anything dairy is safe (including milk). This means not even eating pizza (the sauce), or pastas with tomato based sauces. Citrus fruits and pop are no-no's too... sad. I'm constantly worried if I eat something that it will cause more reflux. I'm really into natural remedies and hate turning to tums or zantac. Suppose I might end up doing that in the last couple of months because I'm only at the 6th month today!

Good luck to anyone else with this problem. Thanks for the gum tip!

[Ricky01]

Ya i too agree with you that milk and citrus food items are the one that controls the heartburn and reflux problems.

[artistmomma]

Ok, I'm back again. I've been taking the papaya enzymes now for every evening meal and any meal that would otherwise produce acid reflux and my symptoms have improved radically. Unless I consume something very acidic or fatty such as a class of coke with a hamburger, those little pills are working like magic.

That and keep hydrated!

[MelissaD]

Yay, glad the papaya is working for you!

[akichan]

I mentioned to my chiropractor that I've been having bad heartburn from early on this pregnancy, and he adjusted a specific area on my back, showed me how that vertebrae connected to the stomach, and voila! I think it will be added to our current routine, because it seems to have worked.

[audrea859]

I had been having heartburn/acid reflux really bad. It was so bad when I went to sleep, I would wake up vomiting in my mouth. It was terrible. My grandma gave me a home remedy and it works. One table spoon of apple cider vinegar, one tsp or less of sugar, and a table spoon of water and mix in a small cup/shot glass. You can drink the vinegar straight if it doesn't bother you. Drink anytime you have heartburn. I usually do this about 30 minutes before bed. I know this sounds gross but also pickle bologna works too. I actually crave it, lol... I can eat a half of one of the large pieces and it does the trick. Hope this helps..

[janet21]

Yay, glad the papaya is working for you!

Papaya also works for me not only in my reflux but also it makes my skin glow.

[jands]

The deep breathing makes sense in that normally we breath very shallowly (mostly due to tension and poor posture) but deep diaphragmatic breathing massages the digestive tract- I've also heard that it helps for constipation.

The body is a mysterious and wonderful thing, eh?

[Sunny Gault]

I have literally tried everything when it comes to trying to relieve this horrible heartburn! My good friend even suggested taking a spoonful of vinegar! She said she read that the acidic nature of the vinegar would somehow cancel out the heartburn. Well, that TOTALLY didn't work either. In fact, it hurt worse.

Finally, I talked to my midwife about getting a prescription for Zantac. Apparently, there have been more studies on Zantac and pregnancy as opposed to the other medications out there.

So, now I'm taking one Zantac pill, twice a day. If that doesn't work, I supplement with Mylanta (cherry-flavored)... and I'm finally getting some relief!

[jbird8282]

It's funny that some posters say to avoid milk...for me what worked was warm milk and honey. I take two tums, and then if nothing is better an hour later I take another tums and a mug of warm milk with a spoonful of honey. Neither alone seemed to do the trick but the combination of the tums and milk/honey seemed to do it.

Also, for me, oddly, lying down helps the heartburn. Especially if I lie on my back, which at 25 weeks I seem to still be able to do without getting dizzy or anything.

[jbird8282]

I'm doing the Hypnobabies home study course, and the deep relaxation technique in the first week of class has also helped. I bet it had something to do with the breathing, as another poster mentioned deep breathing.