Scary acid reflux event

The very first time I experienced an attack both my partner and I thought I was having a heart attack - all the signs and symptoms were there!
I do have to be mindful what I eat and drink in the early evening as I have noticed this can have a effect on me.

Yes, small meals and not after 6pm is a must. Having said that, 3 times a week I don't eat an evening meal due to my work, so after not eating anything since around 12noon, I am very hungry when I get home, so have a milky Horlicks & crumpet with marmalade .

You need to sleep either flat on your back or stomach, if you lie on your side [which is my favoured position to sleep], up comes the acid. So I stay off my side till the wee hours and after that it is fine.

QuoteCariadAgain In lockdown I baked my own sourdough bread 2 at a time . Now I'm back to work I don't have the time. I ate Tesco's sourdough, but when I switched to Lidle's my stomach really settled, plus I really like it, so I'm sticking to that. I'd much rather cut out the foods that cause acide indigestion and have freedom from that and definitely no meds, that period on meds, has put me off for life!

CariadAgain

Anyone take digestive enzymes with a meal and/or Swedish bitters? - as both those things are on my "to try" list once I've worked my way through getting rid of higher priority ailments (yep...I've got a list I'm working my way down - as can't handle dealing with them all at once....)>

I’d rather discuss with my GP.

I have to eat before 6pm, any later and I get Acid Reflux and it’s horrid and it feels as though I’m choking.

I have experienced this situation twice.
My GERD is managed with 20mg Omeprazole daily, which usually works.
However both the events I mentioned above were after late night eating quite heavy meals.
The first time it happened, it burned so bad, I thought I would have to go to hospital...I was struggling to breathe!
The initial feeling was a sound of something 'popping' in my throat, followed by immense burning pain that affected my breathing. Sitting upright and determining not to panic, it slowly receded. Horrible experience.

Anyone take digestive enzymes with a meal and/or Swedish bitters? - as both those things are on my "to try" list once I've worked my way through getting rid of higher priority ailments (yep...I've got a list I'm working my way down - as can't handle dealing with them all at once....)>

I take one capsule of Lansoprazole daily, I can take two as and when required.
I've been taking them for a couple of years. My reflux is managed well now and I rarely have any problems.

Many years ago I had an incapacitating pain in my chest. The paramedics thought it was a heart attack and so did I, but it turned out to be acid reflux. I was given Gaviscon (bleugh!) and sent home. I've been on Omeprazole ever since, which works well as long as I avoid certain things and don't eat too much in one sitting. Oddly, weak milky tea is one thing guaranteed to set it off so I tend to stick to herbal tea (haven't noticed a problem with peppermint, but I tend to favour floral teas anyway, such as chamomile or jasmine).

Check the carbohydrates in Actimel.
Carbohydrates break down to sugars. Not something you want too much of with gut problems.

Cariadagain
Sourdough is not recommended for people suffering acid attracts. It’s the lactic acid that causes problems.

Yoginimeisje

I also have actimel every day [the yoghurt drink] which has billions of friendly bacteria in every small bottle.

I take Symprove when I know my gut isnt right.
It’s the only probiotic that gets to where it’s needed without anything being destroyed on the way down.
All other probiotics don’t do this. A lot of the good stuff is destroyed by acid.

My husband was suffering with heartburn / acid reflux for weeks. GP just increased his dose but nothing helped. A trip to A&E revealed he was having a heart attack and had to have two stents fitted . Heart attacks aren't always felt in chest or arms .

Yes Sarnia, my husband has the same problem. It comes on suddenly and he struggles to breathe, gasping strongly for air. It is very dramatic and frightening to watch and very distressing for him - the first time I saw it, I thought he was going to die. Also, the same as you; he will go to bed and wake up with a sudden, acute attack - but can go for months without one. He used to take Ranitidine (now taken off the market) and still occasionallly takes double action gaviscon - but nothing regularly. Keep us in the loop about what you do from here and hope you don’t get another attack - - it is very very scary.

You may well be right Yoginimeisje for at least some people. I've read the stuff about those items of food may be what's causing/exacerbating the issue. My sourdough bread comes from an artisan bakery - one day I'll get round to making my own (did the course/bought the goods over 10 years ago....whoops...). I won't be giving up tomatoes and spicy foods I'm afraid - though they may possibly not be helping.....but my favourite foods are Middle Eastern and I'm still making up for lost time after being brought up on a restricted English diet (even by 1950's/60's standards). Food is a pretty reliable pleasure #sighs.

In my case = I moved swiftly on - as I don't eat meat (by choice) and I generally eat healthily (little processed food gets into my kitchen) and I've cut right back on alcohol (I might have one glass of wine a week if I'm feeling particularly p*ssed-off with life) and that does help I'm sure to have restricted it like that. So I'm not going to restrict my diet because of my body on top of restricting it because of my personal choices iyswim.

Yep.....also a fan of making sure I get my "beneficial bacteria" at pretty regular intervals....

I took Famotidine, same side effects!! I also drink lemon & ginger tea after dinner and milk helps too. I raised my bed too, after 6mths my bed broke [wooden]. I have a metal frame one now, so may raise that up as it does help.

I also have actimel every day [the yoghurt drink] which has billions of friendly bacteria in every small bottle.

Sarina I suffered terribly from acid reflux, must have been 10yrs. I eventually took Lazsoprozac, which stopped it completely, straight away. However, the side effects were severe and frightening. I stopped the meds and tried altering my food and drink intake. To my great surprise it worked, I couldn't believe, after 10yrs of suffering I had cured myself.

No wine or tomatoes, which I loved, no pastry, no spicy foods. I swapped to: Sourdough bread from Lidle not Tesco, Lactus free milk. occasionally I will take a Rennie before bed if I've eaten too much or a little of the forbidden fruits, before this and before meds from Dr. I would take a whole big box of Rennies per week!

Changing diet is the way to go. Good luck.

BrandyGran

A professor of medicine told me that Omeprazole was never meant to be taken long term. C yr dr about your acid reflux. I had mentioned to friends that I was taking so many Rennies even after a drink of water. A week later I was in hospital getting stents for 3 totally blocked arteries! Only symptoms were discomfort around my jawline and bad acid reflux!! Do get checked.

Exactly. That’s why I raised the matter of not keeping on using bottles of Gaviscon which you think is relieving your heartburn or acid reflux when you may be having a heart attack.

Greciangirl

It’s obvious.
Take a higher dose of Omeprazole.

Were you prescribed a higher dose and refused it for some reason?

Hopefully because a Dr knew that continuous use of high dose Omeprazole kills your natural gut bacteria.
Acid is there to kill the bad stuff.
If you were unfortunate enough to develop salmonella you would be in trouble because you have got rid of the acid that kills it.

A professor of medicine told me that Omeprazole was never meant to be taken long term. C yr dr about your acid reflux. I had mentioned to friends that I was taking so many Rennies even after a drink of water. A week later I was in hospital getting stents for 3 totally blocked arteries! Only symptoms were discomfort around my jawline and bad acid reflux!! Do get checked.

I don’t take gaviscon anyway, it doesn’t touch my reflux, have been on a higher dose Omeprazole for many years. But even taking this I can get an episode if I eat stupidly or late in the evening. And that feeling of your airways filling up with acid and being unable to breathe strikes a cord with me. I am usually sick then have to sit propped up in bed for most of the night.
If you like a cup of peppermint tea would strongly advise you to stop, this relaxes the top of your stomach and so lets the acid come gushing up.

Sarnia
Dont let it go too long! I did and ended up with Barretts Oseophagus which can be pre cancerous. I was caught in good time and massive antibiotics caught it. I thought it was just heartburn getting worse and thought it a damn nuisance.
And, as previously mentioned watch Gaviscon

Try raising your bed on bricks or wooden blocks, adjustable beds are great if you can afford one( dunlopillo ) do a double or king but are expensive.
I take lanzoprazole for a few weeks, then stop-I have heard it doesn’t help your bones in the long term.

I have a drink of cold milk that helps me.