How do I cure a problem with heartburn?

Question

Almost a year ago I started getting pretty bad stomach pain high up just under my rib cage. Soon after I also felt chest pain daily (like a woman in a stiletto standing on my chest). The pain interrupted my daily life. I saw a gastrointerologist and I was told it was just bad heartburn (after many expensive tests). I have been on prevacid, aciphex, and zantac. None of which made it completely go away. Then he suggested it was stress induced. I started seeing a psychiatrist and took xanax and a variety of other anti-anxiety medications. While the heartburn did not go away it was infrequent enough that I could have a normal life again but the side-effects were terrible. I finally stopped all of the meds but the chest and stomach pain (with some nausea) are back. At this point I am lost about what to do. I am not sure if it was anxiety causing the problem to begin with or not. Has anyone had a problem like this before? What should I do to get rid of heartburn?

Answer 1

Peppermint tea or peppermint cordial
I had to have them when I had Gallstones, this was advised by the hospital, as I had billiary colic
Try it they really work

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You really should look at your diet, what are you eating a lot of and after certain foods does the heartburn become worse?. If you eat too much spicy foods or foods with too much acid which are raw tomatos , raw onion or too much coffee and sour foods can cause heatburn as well a fizzy drinks, perhaps keep a list of the things your eating and drinking that way you will have a better idea you may find out that some foods and drinks don't agree with our body. good luck I hope this helps you out.

Answer 4

I have issues with acid reflux. Make sure you don't have an ulcer--all you need is a simple blood test to check for H. pylori, the bacteria that cause pretty much all ulcers.

Then, if that's ruled out, try this:

Elevate the head of your bed. Use blocks, heavy books, wood. Elevate it around 4-6 inches and see if that helps (it keeps acid down in your stomach to some extent.)

NO ALCOHOL!!!!! NONE!!!!! Just stop drinking if you do, and it should help any stomach condition. It's a major trigger for acid reflux and often aggravates stomach conditions.

Try to identify trigger foods. Mine are anything in the cucumber family (cucumbers, pickles, squash, and melons, and especially pumpkin. Which sucks.) Also, the nightshade family fruits (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Not potatoes, for some reason. But I'm allergic to raw tomatoes.) To some extent, chocolate and onions.

Try to figure out if any foods bother you more than others. Try an elimination/rotation diet like people use for food allergies and intolerances.

Avoid NSAIDS--main ones are aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. Certainly don't mix them with coffee or alcohol.

And don't bend over after you eat and DO NOT nap after you eat!

There are things you can do--don't lose hope! Just keep trying different things until you find what works.

It worked for me! Hope you find a solution!

Answer 5

Dont eat anything that has a lot of acid like coffee or a lot of tomatoes. Stay away from all processed foods. Drink peppermint tea with fennel leaves. Drink a herbal supplement called Iberogast. You can also drink aloe vera gel with peppermint added.

Answer 6

try raw ginger - buy a root, break off one third, peel it, dice it, drop it in water, soak for 6 hours, drink water. (wrap and refrigerate the rest) add more water and repeat once to get more ginger out.

next day, get another third out of the fridge and repeat.

i have read this sort of approach can provide semi-permanent cure for heartburn... when your symptoms start to come back, get another root. it may be more effective just to chew/suck on the ginger.

it should be safe; people eat ginger all the time.

if this happens to help, please e-mail me through here.

Answer 7

Dont over eat.
Dont lay down after eating. Wait an hour before laying down.
Stay away from fried foods.
Stay away from acidy foods. Including chocolate and pop.
Drink milk.
Take rolaids or tums.

Answer 8

See a pulmonologist/sleep doctor and get a sleep test. Sleep apnea can cause Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) which is probably what you have.

Also watch the carbonated beverages.

Answer 9

Sorry to hear about your ailments, but for heartburn, I've always used baking soda with warm water (stirred and disolved). But to me, it sounds like you have other problems. Please consult another doctor on this.

Answer 10

Raw apple cider vinegar. If you can't stand the taste, purchase vitamins related to digestive enzymes.