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Some time ago I got acid reflux.
I lived on coffee and toast for two weeks whilst waiting for a doctors appointment.

A while later I got it again.
Another trip to the doctors and a warning about spicy foods, cigarettes, booze and coffee and the potential that another bad bout could eventually cause an ulcer.


Now, with redundancy and relocation looming I find myself suffering again, and naturally worrying about getting an ulcer.
Worrying about something which is bought on by worrying.

This sucks.
Aside from the obvious "see a doctor" advice which I plan on doing as soon as I can, anyone have any tips for the control of acid reflux and/or the pain it brings?

I got some good tablets off the doc for mine, must go back and get some more as mine as come back too, it burns my vocal cords and I feel like i've got something stuck in my throat all the time

I have it too. No heartburn but it affects my throat and makes me hoarse. And sometimes I have to make demonic noises to clear it. Useful when I don't want certain persons to sit next to me on a bus.

I have no cure to suggest. However apple cider vinegar (with mother) seems to help a trifle to clear it temporarily. Just a spoonful. It tastes foul though.

Do you have to get doctor's appointments in the UK now? In my day you just walked into the waiting room and joined the queue. It would take ages but you would be seen to that day. The doctors used to post their surgery hours outside the door. There was no such thing as "appointments". Don't they do it that way anymore?

mark lewis wrote:Do you have to get doctor's appointments in the UK now? In my day you just walked into the waiting room and joined the queue. It would take ages but you would be seen to that day. The doctors used to post their surgery hours outside the door. There was no such thing as "appointments". Don't they do it that way anymore?

No such luck I'm afraid.
Phone up and ask for an appointment.
They'll ask you if you want to see your own doctor or a random doctor.
The random doctor is quicker but inexplicably in this day of computers, the doctor in the room NEXT to your doctor has no idea what you've ever had.
Ridiculous.

As a long term AR sufferer, I know posture is a major part of it. Carry a couple of Rennies for when out and drinking lovely yummy real ale (or whatever sets it off) and try not to worry because tensing the stomach muscles will encourage it.

The doc recommended Gaviscon when I last had AR.

Seemed to do the trick but not a pleasant thing to take although it does sound better than apple cider vinegar

As for Mr Lewis, he's been away from the UK for far too long and I'm sure that he'll soon be suggesting that the UK is far the worse for his absence

The thing is that it's difficult to put up a counter argument these days.

Tomo wrote:As a long term AR sufferer, I know posture is a major part of it. Carry a couple of Rennies for when out and drinking lovely yummy real ale (or whatever sets it off) and try not to worry because tensing the stomach muscles will encourage it.

If you've had it long term and still no ulcer I guess I can relax about that a bit at least!

EckoZero wrote:

Tomo wrote:As a long term AR sufferer, I know posture is a major part of it. Carry a couple of Rennies for when out and drinking lovely yummy real ale (or whatever sets it off) and try not to worry because tensing the stomach muscles will encourage it.

If you've had it long term and still no ulcer I guess I can relax about that a bit at least!

Farlsborough will be able to fill you in properly, but I think an ulcer these days usually means a test and a course of antibiotics.

I get this without fail at Christmas, what with all of those delicious rich foods (where's the lip-smacking smiley when you need him?).

PPIs are what you want - proton pump inhibitors. End with "-azole", eg. "lansoprazole", "omeprazole", "what-a-complete-and-utter-azole..."

By prescription mostly, though I think you can get omeprazole over the counter. They're great drugs - highly effective and very safe. If you're an intermittent GORD sufferer, starting to take these for a week or so whenever you feel you're "going that way" should make life much more pleasant. Worth taking one before hand if you know you're going for a few tins...

Ranitidine is another option, I personally don't find it as good.

omeprazole is very very good for this but i didnt think you could get ppis over the counter (but that mat be just a scotland thing)....i get this a lot too and swear by (if i dont have the tabs) a pint of milk and 2 or 3 slices of bread

I'm sure I read somewhere a while ago that, contrary to earlier thinking, stomach ulcers weren't caused by stress but by a virus of some kind. Enos does the trick for me but I wish we could get the flavoured stuff like they sell in Spain and other European places, very tasty and very effective!

Makes you burp a lot though....

The problem with milk is it has a fair amount of fat in it, which will stimulate more acid secretion... I think...

I don't remember the exact physiology, but I remember a guy in a lecture in first year (!) telling us to go steady with the milk when you've got reflux - it soothes it initially, but then makes it worse. Or something.

Edit: Just seen Fairie's post about Gaviscon - good stuff for relief... people's preferences are interesting: I far prefer a good gulp of gaviscon than a chalky tablet to chew!

These indigestion things are all very expensive though, for what they are

For those who dislike Gaviscon .... (nukky stuff) when preggers i had very bad AR and I swear by Rennie Soft chews .... that just taste like a slightly chalky spearmint sweet... !!

Much nicer and the only thing that worked for me...

F x

i found that drinking mint and nettle tea, rather than coffee, or tea helped.