living with GERD

Jinster81

Jinster81

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Hey all. A few weeks ago, I been diagnosed with GERD. GERD stands for Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Its when your stomach acid travels back to your eshophagus causing heart burn. Let me tell you, it sucks.
While there is no pain, there is a lot of discomfort. A week after the diagnosis, I felt a bit better. But a week
later, I'm not feeling so great. Seems like I need to live with this condition for life, that makes it most sucky.
Not to mention all the things I enjoyed that I have to cut back.

Poor lifestyle choices and stress brought this matter to me, don't let it happen to you.

But, for those of you who are already living with this disease, please share your coping stories.

Thanks all!!
 
Jinster81 said:
Hey all. A few weeks ago, I been diagnosed with GERD. GERD stands for Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Its when your stomach acid travels back to your eshophagus causing heart burn. Let me tell you, it sucks.
While there is no pain, there is a lot of discomfort. A week after the diagnosis, I felt a bit better. But a week
later, I'm not feeling so great. Seems like I need to live with this condition for life, that makes it most sucky.
Not to mention all the things I enjoyed that I have to cut back.

Poor lifestyle choices and stress brought this matter to me, don't let it happen to you.

But, for those of you who are already living with this disease, please share your coping stories.

Thanks all!!
Click to expand...

A friend of mine has this condition. He doesn't talk about it much but he is careful about what he eats and rarely consumes alcohol because of it. At one time he was on prescribed medication to partially inhibit the production of the stomach acid, but I'm not sure if he still takes it since it came with its own set of problems.

I would humbly suggest that if you haven't already it would be in your best interest to become as knowledgeable as possible about GERD. With these types of "manageable" diseases information is your best weapon it would seem. Knowing what works and what doesn't as it applies to you will make all the difference in the world as with other types of gastrointestinal or bowel diseases such as Crohns, IBS and those with ulcers.

You probably already stay away from spicy foods etc. but there are probably additional dietary choices which should be considered and will make a difference.

For those unfamiliar with GERD this informative video will be of interest.

[video=youtube;o8iShP84HP4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8iShP84HP4[/video]
 
A lot of people with GERD also have similar disorders such as Crohns, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( IBS ). To you Jinster81, I would attempt to take the original Coarse Metamucil powder in water before bed. Metamucil contains an ingredient known as Psyllium, which helps fight stomach acid, which you know very well what causes GERD ( as well as colon issues ). Metamucil also helps to keep your body regular in terms of bowel moments and doesn't allow for acid reflux build up trying to dissolve hard to digest food. Attempt it for a week, and see if it helps.
 
I have it.
I had to change my diet to cut out or reduce spicy foods, salt, dairy etc.
If you google acid reflux you can learn what to cut out and what to moderate.

I also take Nexium every day, Seems to help alot.
Talk to your doctor about it, he or she may prescribe it to you.
 
Eat smaller meals/snacks more frequently during the day, stay away from caffeine and alcohol, raise the head of your bed 6-8 inches, sleep on your left side, don't eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep, stay away from foods that give you indigestion and try to manage/lower your stress levels ie exercise and organization. Try some tums or other OTC antacids or see your doctor about other options.
 
I have had it for years now, and I find diet choices makes a huge difference, nexium can only delay the inevitable ulcer if your lifestyle doesn't change. You don't want to get there.

Since I quit smoking and drinking, and i started eating healthier, I haven't found the need to take nexium. Also remember that nexium takes about 4 to 6 weeks to be effective so even if you feel better DO NOT stop it. 4 to 6 weeks are more than enough for you to start eating your veggies and taking it easy on takeout eventually making it a habit and an effective life style change.

It seems difficult at first but after a while you will get used to it.
 
MadPoet said:
I have had it for years now, and I find diet choices makes a huge difference, nexium can only delay the inevitable ulcer if your lifestyle doesn't change. You don't want to get there.

Since I quit smoking and drinking, and i started eating healthier, I haven't found the need to take nexium. Also remember that nexium takes about 4 to 6 weeks to be effective so even if you feel better DO NOT stop it. 4 to 6 weeks are more than enough for you to start eating your veggies and taking it easy on takeout eventually making it a habit and an effective life style change.

It seems difficult at first but after a while you will get used to it.
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What's your diet like?
 
I cut way back on the fatty/greasy foods, the alcohol and spicy foods.
As a result, I haven't had to take nexium in awhile now...just once in a blue moon.


but when it was bad, the heartburn got pretty intense if I forgot to take my nexium.

also, avoid fruit that his high in acid, like oranges.
 
Jinster81 said:
Hey all. A few weeks ago, I been diagnosed with GERD. GERD stands for Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Click to expand...

Hey right back atcha and welcome to the club. I was diagnosed with GERD back in '94, thanks to complications from my career in the military. It's been a bugger to live with, but I've managed. Most of the coping tips and tricks have already been mentioned, but I'd just like to echo that cutting back on my coffee, alcohol and spicy foods intake, as well as the raising of the head of the bed by 6", has gone a long ways towards maintaining my sanity.
 
Tea doesn't seem to affect my gerd like coffee or alcohol does. Keep hydrated too.
 
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GERD? Sounds pretty minor. At least you weren't diagnosed with CJD. At least you can still be with your family & friends.
 
LiNK666 said:
What's your diet like?
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Try to have as much vegetables as possible. I tried this few times, for lunch go to a grocery store and buy a huge salad box, if you finish that you will be full. Home cooking also helps or a good breakfast and skip lunch then have dinner at home. Don't cook with a lot of oil or fat.

If I didn't have time to cook I go to rich tree in the eaton center and buy bami, it has rice vegetables and chicken and although it is Asian, the sauce doesn't bother me as much. I stayed away from fried Chinese food such as fried rice and fried noodles although I loved them dearly along with Indian food. Occasionally I will cheat and eat samosa or chilli chicken but once in a while doesn't hurt. If I did eat something and it started acting up, a glass of milk soothes it. I started drinking water like crazy after I quit smoking too. I didn't do anything on purpose but a series of trials and errors in finding what doesn't bother my stomach. And to me vegetables are the key, vegetables also help with the bowl movement. 7up or gingerale help but not always. pretty much normal stuff that I didn't have to go out of my way to do, it was a simple substitution of my diet selection. I can do better if I put my mind into it but as long as it doesn't bother me, then I am ok for now. I was prescribed nexium for a couple of month at first but I never acted on my diet thing first time around, then I went back and got another 2 months course to which i decided that I can't be on meds forever then I acted on my diet. I still have a repetition that I haven't used yet and hoping I don't have to use.

My only problem now is coffee and breakfast, I still like my bacon and ham and don't see myself giving up on them yet.
 
I was diagnosed with Inflamed Stomach 40 Years ago. The acid was burning my stomach, and everything else from there up to my tongue, right out of my body. Doctor put me on Tums at a rate of 4 tablets 4 times a day for 1 month. acid was gone. I eat spicy food all the time and used to drink approx. 15 cups of coffee a day. I cut out the coffee for other reasons. If acid satrts to bother me, which is very seldom, I just go back to the Tums for a couple of days and problem disappears.
 
Thanks all so much for all the advice and sympathy. Guess I'm not alone in the suffering department:rolleyes:.
 
KC_VTX said:
I was diagnosed with Inflamed Stomach 40 Years ago. The acid was burning my stomach, and everything else from there up to my tongue, right out of my body. Doctor put me on Tums at a rate of 4 tablets 4 times a day for 1 month. acid was gone. I eat spicy food all the time and used to drink approx. 15 cups of coffee a day. I cut out the coffee for other reasons. If acid satrts to bother me, which is very seldom, I just go back to the Tums for a couple of days and problem disappears.
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I'm a tums junkie too when things flare up - better than prescription drugs, IMO.

To the OP - things will settle down and you'll probably forget all about it. When things start to flare up, take a few tums. I find the sooner you catch it, the sooner you get it back under control. Don't sweat it.
 
promac said:
I'm a tums junkie too when things flare up - better than prescription drugs, IMO.

To the OP - things will settle down and you'll probably forget all about it. When things start to flare up, take a few tums. I find the sooner you catch it, the sooner you get it back under control. Don't sweat it.
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the problem with tums is that in neutralizing the stomach acid, it actually may encourage your body to produce more stomach acid, causing greater problems in the long term.

if it works for you in the long run, that's good. but if it doesn't, you may need to turn to a prescription medication such as nexium or prevacid.
 
Jinster81, please Gooogle "Nissen fundoplication".

I had this procedure done laparoscopically back in 2003, though not for GERD, but to treat a paraesophageal hiatus hernia and couldn't be happier with the results.

Good luck!
 
There's a bunch of different drugs that help. My wife has has gerd for a few years, and nexium, losec, omeprizol (questionable spelling on drug names, sorry) and other drugs have helped lots. An extra pillow, or raising the head-end of the bed up an inch helps at night to prevent stomach acids rising into the throat as well.
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