Any home remedy suggestions for heartburn?

Question

I am 29 weeks preg and am getting heartburn more frequently. IT SUCKS! Any home remedy suggestions? I know I can take "white antacids" but, hate to take any meds if I don't have to! Thanks :)

Answer 1

See if you can find any crystallized ginger in your local health food store or a more upscale grocery store. It is nothing more than slices of ginger root that have been cooked in a sugar base. It's very tasty and highly recommended for soothing stomach and digestion problems. I keep a glass canister of it in my kitchen all the time. While it may not completely eliminate your need for antacids, I bet it will drastically reduce it.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

DO NOT take baking soda and water while pregnant! You can't take that, Brioschi, Pepto-Bismol, or any of those sorts of cures.

Some people swear by the milk/vinegar cures, but they didn't work for me.

Neither did elevating my head, avoiding certain foods, eating frequent, small meals, or making sure I had nothing tight around my waist.

Rolaids and Tums never worked.

For a while, I took Mylanta and kept it in the fridge. The cold really took the edge off.

When Mylanta stopped working, I moved on to Zantac. Eventually my OB told me to take twice the over-the-counter maximum dose every day.

And then I got a prescription for Prevacid. And that finally and absolutely solved the problem. I never experienced heartburn again during my pregnancy, and I quit taking it the day my daughter was born.

Second pregnancy...same deal.

I understand not wanting to take meds if you don't have to. And I used to think, "What's the big deal about heartburn? It's not THAT bad..." but this was like having acid eat its way through my chest. I couldn't eat, or sleep, and I was always uncomfortable. After the OB ruled out a gall bladder problem, we just decided to be aggressive about treating the symptoms.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Chronic heartburn is usually from acid reflux - stomach acid is getting past the little valve and into your esophagus. You also should know some natural ways to treat your heartburn. Learn them here https://bitly.im/aMAza

The most immediate thing you can do is to stop drinking coffee and cola. Smoking is not good either, but that might be harder to stop. Don't over-eat. Don't lie down too soon after eating. Don't burp too much - this carries acid up with the burp.

heartburn the most common symptom of acid reflux disease (also known as gastroespohageal reflux disease, or GERD). Heartburn feels like a burning pain in the center of the chest. It is caused by acid from the stomach backing up into the esophagus. is a symptom of acid reflux disease (GERD) Also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Answer 5

Chocolate milk and ice cold water help me. Tums just make me nauseous.

In the beginning I had heartburn so bad I had to take Pepcid AC. My throat actually swelled up because of my acid reflux and heartburn. Pepcid works pretty good, and my doctor said it's safe to take during pregnancy. Good luck and congrats.

Answer 6

Contrary to popular opinion, milk is one of the worst things you can take for any peptic disorder. Milk contains a sugar called "lactose" which is very difficult for the stomach to break down, which forces it to create MORE of the very same acids you're trying to get rid of in order to process the stuff! Naturally, the same goes for cheese, ice cream, etc. Reduced lactose products may not help (BTW, skim milk is pretty much just water with milk whey in it, which, although it may not hurt or help, it is a waste of money, IMHO! Think of it like water with a piece of chalk added to it!)

As a long-time sufferer of heartburn, I have found relief with a very popular over-the-counter medication under the generic name "omeprazole".

If you don't like the idea of taking drugs, here are a few "natural" suggestions that might help:

1) Do not eat any later than 3 hours before bed time. Anything with caffeine (tea, coffee, chocolate) is also bad (even de-caffeinated products have "tannins" for which some people have a low tolerance). Needless to say, alcohol and cigarettes don't help your stomach (or any other part of your body) either! Soda isn't good, because the bubbles get "stuck" in your stomach and cause it to swell (not a lot, but enough to add discomfort until you belch).

2) Before going to bed, prop up your head with pillows (I need two pillows to make this effective).

3) When sitting, keep your back straight and your spine as erect as possible, which will keep pressure off the stomach (see? you shoulda listened to your mother when she told you to sit up straight!). ;)

Of course, you should always consult your physican/ob/gyn before taking ANY medications or any homemade remedies, no matter how innocuous they may seem!!! For one thing, mixing certain heartburn medications, over-the-counter or otherwise, may have adverse affects.

Good luck!

Answer 7

The best home remedy I have found, and you'll need to hold your nose, is a teaspoon of baking soda in about 4-6 ounces of water. Stir it up so all dissolves, then gulp it down. I usually get relief within about 5-10 minutes max.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

If you can, drink milk. That helped me a lot! Also sleeping in a semi-elevated position helps keep it from flaring up in the middle of the night. Hope that helps & congrats on the pregnancy! :)

Answer 10

Try a tsp. of apple cider vinegar before meals. I know it sounds odd, but it is documented to work and I know of a family member who it helped. Good luck.

http://www.vinegarbook.net/Heartburn.shtml