Heartburn for over 4 months?!
Question: thats right i've had heartburn for 4 months and about two of those i didn't even know it was heartburn. the doctor won't give me a straight answer but i think thats cos i'm overweight. is it at all possible that my body can't dispose of stomach acid? or is there some other problem.
Answers: thats right i've had heartburn for 4 months and about two of those i didn't even know it was heartburn. the doctor won't give me a straight answer but i think thats cos i'm overweight. is it at all possible that my body can't dispose of stomach acid? or is there some other problem.
I am not sure of your age or other risk factors, but in some people "heartburn" can be a heralding sign of other conditions, such as heart problems. You need a thorough History and Physical exam by a competent physician, preferably an Internal Medicine physician or Gastroenterologist (GI doctor).
Heartburn can be associated with being overweight. Physical conditions such as hiatal hernia and lower esophageal sphincter (a muscle at the bottom of your food pipe that keeps stomach contents from coming back up when the stomach contracts) dysfunction are fairly common.
There are also infectious causes for heartburn. A bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can infect the stomach lining and cause either irritation or ulcer. A simple blood test can measure whether H. pylori is present or not.
Emperic treatment with a stronger anti-acid medication can sometimes help, but given that this has gone on for 4 months, I would test you for H. pylori first, and as always recommend dietary changes such as reduction or elimination of onion, tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, tobacco products, alcohol, mint, excessively spicy foods, greasy foods, etc. If you are having vomit taste come up in your mouth, or a sour tasting liquid regurgitate up, especially at night, you can elevate the head of the bed using devices specifically for this purpose by about 12 inches. Avoid late night snacks and meals.
My best advice: be seen by a good Internal Medicine doctor or GI doctor.
your doctor is a tosser
Tums always do the trick! But then theres gal stones or whatever
get a second opinion, and try something like Prilosec. you take it everyday for 14 days and it helped my heartburn tremendously.
If your doctor didn't test you for Acid reflux, and other gastrointestinal problems he is not good!!! Get a new doctor!!!!!!!!!! Its probably Acid reflux or some other kind of minor gastro problem that can easily solved but just in case its something worse get a second oponion from a well recommended doctor.
Being over weight can contribute to heartburn, its not the only cause though. Look at what your eating and drinking. Personally, red sauces, chocolate, salt, and anything greasy make me have heartburn. Caffiene, carbination, and alcohol also give me heartburn. I find that by incorporating more dairy products into my diet helps my heart burn. You should find a different doctor fast. Having heart burn can be a sign of other more serious health problems. It might not be, but its always better to know.
Like.. constantly? or do you mean like every morning for 4 months? I would get a second opinion if it was me.
Could be an ulcer.
I have an ulcer and it feels like heartburn.
Prilosec works for me, but you can only go that route for so long before you have to see your doctor.
You should switch doctors and losing some weight will help tremendously. Even if it's only 10 lbs your 'heartburn' won't be as bad.
You didn't mention your age, but you might have acid reflux. Weight might be exacerbating it. For relief try OTC stuff like Tums Extra. (Rolaids makes some people queasy, although it does put out the fire.) Also, H2 receptor blockers like zantac help a lot, but ask the phamacist about interaction with any other med you might be taking.
Your doctor is a mystery. Why he or she can't give you a straight answer is beyond me. And don't worry about "disposing" of stomach acid. There's a valve at the bottom of your esophogus, and if it atrophies, then some stomach acid will splash up into the esophogus and burn. This is not good for your esophogus, so talk to a doctor or r.n. who gives you direct answers.
most people will get heartburn depending on what they eat but if you are overweight then I would be taken my hearburn somewhere else if only for a second opinion.
I used to suffer from the most awful heartburn and then over a year ago I gave up drinking fizzy carbonated drinks (because I'd heard they were bad for osteoporosis which I was diagnosed with) Since then I have not had indigestion once. It just disappeared. Try it, it might work for you.
Have a chat with the pharmacist and ask about ranitidine, a drug known as Zantac made by Glaxo. You may have a latent ulcer an it will reduce the amount of acid which causes the heartburn.
It is now a non-prescription drug.
Get well soon.
lay off acidic food alcohol and tobaco.........and give your cwack an internal examination with a big sharp stick
1. Change your Doctor NOW!!!!
2. Since you've already admitted being 'a little chubby', it might be a good idea to con sider reducing your weight a little.
3. Having found a better, more sympathetic Doctor, get him/her to carry out ALL necessary tests. It could be just heartburn, but equally it could be (amongst other things: (a) Angina, (b) Hiatus Hernia.
Go to see another doctor. It could be ulcers. You need medication.
I was treated the same, it became so bad I could not even drink water.
Then I luckily saw a young medic they had bought into the surgery, she sent me to have the camera down and I found out I had three open lesions. I take medication all the time now and am fine.