Any other GERD sufferers here?

[Hane]

I am in the throes of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, aka "agità," aka sour freaking stomach all the damn time. I'm taking meds (never on an empty stomach), eating dinner hours before bedtime, sleeping with my upper body elevated, eating bland dull foods, you name it.  No coffee, no tea, no alcohol, and I don't smoke. I'm slavishly following my doctor's advice. 

Any tips or tricks I don't know about?

[Satan'sFortress]

My 15-year old has been going through all kinds of stomach & digestive issues.  It has been almost 2 months now and he is miserable.  We have not been able to pinpoint a cause yet.

I really just didn't want your post to go unanswered because I know how difficult it must be for you.  Until someone else can give you really help, I offer genuine sympathy and support. 

 

[church_of_dog]

I’ve been diagnosed with GERD but then also told I don’t have reflux.  My symptoms only rarely included that actual sour or heartburny sensation of acid coming up.  I think the lesson there is that digestive stuff can take myriad of forms and be different for each person.  During my worst bout, my primary symptom was a “globus sensation” which meant I felt like there was a lump in my throat.  I kept looking in the mirror expecting to see a swollen tonsil or uvula.  Weirdest damn sensation!

I do most of the things you listed, other than raise the head of the bed.  I tend to like spicy food (and coffee) so I only avoid those during a bad spell, which fortunately are less frequent now.

On the other hand last year I had a mystery dry cough that lasted for months, freaked me out that it was lung cancer, all tests negative, only to disappear after a round of Prilosec...  And I’ve been told by a doctor that my heart palpitations are likely due to GERD as well.  Go figure! (plus menopause of course!)

Other than empathy, the only thing I can offer is, try this stuff instead of Tums or similar:  http://www.eaglepeakherbals.com/store/p213/Slippery_Elm_Ginger_Powder.html

It coats and soothes the esophagus and stomach lining but without actually suppressing the stomach’s production of acid — because when you artificially lower the acid level in your stomach, your stomach helpfully responds by making more!  Stomach needs to be acidic to break down food — it’s just keeping the acid where it’s supposed to be that is the problem.

Anyway that slippery elm/ginger powder can be helpful, I’ve found.

I also understand the whole system to be very vulnerable to stress, so if there’s anything you can do to lower your stress that may also help.  I’m a pretty low-stress person, so unless I’m repressing it so deeply I don’t even know it’s there, that part is puzzling to me.

Hope you feel better soon!

[molecule]

I have GERD. The generic Prilosec works well, except for when my pharmacy switches to a different manufacturer. Several weeks ago I woke up with heartburn so severe that I nearly had my husband take me to the emergency room.

Here are a few things that work for me:

• Milk or ice cream as my last food item of the day seems to help at night. 
• I am able to have most off-limits foods with no problems as long as I am careful. When I eat a meal with lots of tomato sauce, I make sure that the first and last few bites of the meal are something else (such as bread or green beans or something). I can have coffee if I use creamer. I can have a small amount of orange juice as long as it is low-acid orange juice. Basically, I try to have low-acid versions of the food and I make sure the tricky food has a partner to help counteract some of the acidity.
• Keep something around that will help you belch. I keep Alka Seltzer tablets handy. I have a friend who swears by ginger ale.
• I've also found that stress is a major trigger. I've been working to address stress in my life. 

[CTRLZero]

1 hour ago, church_of_dog said:

And I’ve been told by a doctor that my heart palpitations are likely due to GERD as well.

Scary!  Years ago, I'd have what I thought were heart palpitations and could actually hear a whooshing sound at night.  I was diagnosed with GERD and told to not eat after 5:00 pm.  I was working a high-stress job (I think you are right about stress), and before the diagnosis I'd come home from work, have dinner and snack.  By not eating in the evening (I could sip water), I dropped weight and that helped a great deal with the condition.  I also was able to discontinue the medication (forgot the name).  I've regained a little weight, but try not to eat anything (except popcorn!) a few hours before bed.  Retirement helped with the stress.