What to take??????????!!!!!!!!!?!
Question: What to take!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!?
I am taking Aciphex for heartburn, I have had scope down the throat to see if I had an ulcer or stomach problems!. Came back normal!. Still had heartburn and stomach problems so they removed gallbladder!. Alittle better!. Then heartburn came back continued Aciphex!. I started taking all natural multivitamin and an iron pill everyday feeling tired!. Then I just read your not suppose to take antacids if anemic!. Doesnt help your iron levels!. What do I take to feel better!? I dont want heartburn and I want my energy back!. Know of any natural home remedies for heartburn!? should i continue vitamins and iron pills!? help please!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I've been struggling with reflux for years (and also taking aciphex)!.
Vitamins tend to bother my stomach, so I try to take them with food!. The problem with aciphex and other acid blockers/reducers is that it inhibits the absorption of some vitamins into your body!. In fact, my Dr!. just informed me of a study of elderly people who were on acid reducers, and they linked acid reducers with osteoporosis since the acid reducers blocked calcium (along with other things)!. So, I also try to take my multivitamin as far from the aciphex as I can!.
If you are anemic try to get your iron in food b/c iron supplements often cause constipation, which brings me to my next point!.!.!.
You make want to look into is IBS, or other stomach problems that are causing/contributing to your reflux!. I have IBS with constipation and that makes reflux worse b/c everything in your system gets backed up!. SO, if you have a problem with constipation (either from a stomach problem, or the iron supplements) it is probably effecting your reflux, so try add Miralax and Fiber-sure (if it doesn't make you bloat too much) to your diet!. If you would like a more natural method, try to get more fiber in your foods and also consider taking psyllium fiber supplements!. I didn't like them b/c they made me too bloated and you also have to take a ton a day!.
You can also try an elimination diet to try to see if there is a particular food group that is bothering you!. There are many elimination diets but the simplest is to cut out all dairy, wheat, acidic fruits, mint, chocolate, caffeine, cold drinks (try room temp), anything carbonated, alcohol, processed foods, and any suspect foods!. At the end of the time of this elimination diet your stomach should be feeling a lot better and then you can try to slowly add back one food group at a time and see if any of them bother you!. Only eat a little bit of the new food group at a time and only add in one food group per 3 days, or longer if you need more time to decide if you have symptoms!.
Instead or in addition to the elimination diet, you may want to keep a detailed food log with the symptoms (or lack of symptoms) you have after each meal!. Then you can look back on it for clues, and also can bring it to your Dr!.
Something you should definitely do is sleep with the head of your bed elevated about 6 inches!. You can do this with bed risers (on the head of the bed only) or by sleeping with a wedge pillow, which is less comfortable and hard to stay on!. Propping yourself up with pillows, or doing anything where your abdomen is bent increases the likelihood of reflux, so try to keep yourself straight!. (Crunches are included in this, so if you're working out, do ab stabilization exercises, not crunches) Also important is to not eat at least 3 hours before you go to bed!.
I know this is a lot, but it is just basically a lot of trial and error!. Elevating the bed should be your first priority, then you can focus on fiber sure/miralax if you have constipation, and then try the elimination diet or keep the food diary!.
I hope this helps!. I still struggle with acid reflux but doing what I suggested has helped me immensely and I think I'm getting closer to the root of the problem!.
Good Luck :)Www@Answer-Health@Com
Vitamins tend to bother my stomach, so I try to take them with food!. The problem with aciphex and other acid blockers/reducers is that it inhibits the absorption of some vitamins into your body!. In fact, my Dr!. just informed me of a study of elderly people who were on acid reducers, and they linked acid reducers with osteoporosis since the acid reducers blocked calcium (along with other things)!. So, I also try to take my multivitamin as far from the aciphex as I can!.
If you are anemic try to get your iron in food b/c iron supplements often cause constipation, which brings me to my next point!.!.!.
You make want to look into is IBS, or other stomach problems that are causing/contributing to your reflux!. I have IBS with constipation and that makes reflux worse b/c everything in your system gets backed up!. SO, if you have a problem with constipation (either from a stomach problem, or the iron supplements) it is probably effecting your reflux, so try add Miralax and Fiber-sure (if it doesn't make you bloat too much) to your diet!. If you would like a more natural method, try to get more fiber in your foods and also consider taking psyllium fiber supplements!. I didn't like them b/c they made me too bloated and you also have to take a ton a day!.
You can also try an elimination diet to try to see if there is a particular food group that is bothering you!. There are many elimination diets but the simplest is to cut out all dairy, wheat, acidic fruits, mint, chocolate, caffeine, cold drinks (try room temp), anything carbonated, alcohol, processed foods, and any suspect foods!. At the end of the time of this elimination diet your stomach should be feeling a lot better and then you can try to slowly add back one food group at a time and see if any of them bother you!. Only eat a little bit of the new food group at a time and only add in one food group per 3 days, or longer if you need more time to decide if you have symptoms!.
Instead or in addition to the elimination diet, you may want to keep a detailed food log with the symptoms (or lack of symptoms) you have after each meal!. Then you can look back on it for clues, and also can bring it to your Dr!.
Something you should definitely do is sleep with the head of your bed elevated about 6 inches!. You can do this with bed risers (on the head of the bed only) or by sleeping with a wedge pillow, which is less comfortable and hard to stay on!. Propping yourself up with pillows, or doing anything where your abdomen is bent increases the likelihood of reflux, so try to keep yourself straight!. (Crunches are included in this, so if you're working out, do ab stabilization exercises, not crunches) Also important is to not eat at least 3 hours before you go to bed!.
I know this is a lot, but it is just basically a lot of trial and error!. Elevating the bed should be your first priority, then you can focus on fiber sure/miralax if you have constipation, and then try the elimination diet or keep the food diary!.
I hope this helps!. I still struggle with acid reflux but doing what I suggested has helped me immensely and I think I'm getting closer to the root of the problem!.
Good Luck :)Www@Answer-Health@Com
Drink vitamin D milk it coats your throat and stomach which reduces heartburn and when it flares up just take a few tums to take off the edge!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
First things first: Aciphex is not an antacid; it's a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor)!. PPI's stop/slow acid production, NOT neutralize acid already in the stomach (such as Malox or Xantac)!. So you should be fine to continue to take Aciphex if it's helping without risking your iron levels!.
As for your problems, I know EXACTLY where you're coming from!. The doctors can't find ANY reason whatsoever for my problems either, so they call it "unresolved GERD!." I too take Aciphex and don't have as many problems (although I do still have stomach pains from time to time)!.
Have you started looking at your diet!? A lot of my problems stemmed from eating stuff that was just all around BAD for me!.!.!.stuff heavy in salts, sugars, caffeine, oils, grease, were hard to digest and had a lot of acid in them!. As soon as I started modifying my diet, cutting out all the offending foods, I did better!. Now I have problems mainly when I overindulge or when I'm super stressed!.
Oh, and I started taking children's vitamins; they helped a LOT with the problems I was having!.!.!.I think because they were easier to digest and not so hard on the system!.
Try diet modification if you've not already and understand that this may just be something you'll have to learn to live with!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
As for your problems, I know EXACTLY where you're coming from!. The doctors can't find ANY reason whatsoever for my problems either, so they call it "unresolved GERD!." I too take Aciphex and don't have as many problems (although I do still have stomach pains from time to time)!.
Have you started looking at your diet!? A lot of my problems stemmed from eating stuff that was just all around BAD for me!.!.!.stuff heavy in salts, sugars, caffeine, oils, grease, were hard to digest and had a lot of acid in them!. As soon as I started modifying my diet, cutting out all the offending foods, I did better!. Now I have problems mainly when I overindulge or when I'm super stressed!.
Oh, and I started taking children's vitamins; they helped a LOT with the problems I was having!.!.!.I think because they were easier to digest and not so hard on the system!.
Try diet modification if you've not already and understand that this may just be something you'll have to learn to live with!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com