Heartburn help

I am almost 17 weeks and the last few days my heartburn has gotten awful. I heard something about papyra extract that might help. Besides tums, do any of you have a great remedy or secret?

 

OTC Zantac 180 mg followed by 2 Gaviscon (cherry flavored if you can find it - the original flavor tastes like vomit!) and a large glass of water...

Zantac is safe for pregnancy (especially since you're out of your first trimester)...it was the only thing that kept the reflux at bay enough so I could eat...

 

Papya extract worked really well for me until the very end of my pregnancy. I had it in capsule form & took it like a tums whenever needed. Double check with your care provider before taking though. My midwife also suggested chewing about 10 almonds to a pasty consistency, then swallowing. I didn't try it myself though as I don't like almonds. Other things to try: don't drink with your meals, try to drink 30 minutes before or one hour after eating, watch for food triggers (ie tomatoes) and try to avoid them, try to always lie down at an incline. Hope that helps! Heartburn sucks.

 

A calcium/magnesium supplement took away my heartburn. With my twins it was bad enough to take Maalox as perscribed as well as Tums until I started the supplement.

 

I had it constantly with both my pregnancies and honestly had to just suffer through a lot of it. With my twins I took a prescription strength antacid, I think Prevacid, and then Tums on top of that. With my second I took OTC meds, I think Zantac, a double dose twice a day and then Tums on demand. It helped but didn't cure the problem completely.

 

I read a tip today on Facebook that said to take 1Tbs of vinegar. Is this a wives tale? Anybody every try it?

I always drink a ton of milk when I have heartburn. Unfortunately, that's all I know to try.

 

I heard the same thing, only apple cider vinegar. Friend said it works for him. DS still needs meds to control his.. was thinking about this. Only no idea how to get him to drink it.
Interested if anyone else has tried it.

 

I was on prescription nexium and still having issues so I was following it up with liquid gaviscon ... It'd help momentarily but it'd come back, my MIL told me to make instant mashed potatoes with nothingin it ( no salt, butter, etc) ... I did that and it worked perfectly! ! Something about the flakes soaking up the stomach acid. Marshall made me a huge bowl ever couple of days so i could heat it up when needed. Not the best tasting stuff but it works!

 

I had prescription prevacid with my daughter, and nexium with my twins. It definitely helped, I couldn't even eat/drink without it.

 

Heartburn can actually be caused by dehydration. When the stomach doesn't have enough water, it waits to digest some food until after enough of the acid is taken care of. If you don't have enough water the stomach contents can back up instead of moving forward into the intestines. Thus heartburn.

 

I had it really bad because I am on bedrest so my food digests very slowly. The Dr prescribed Prilosec and it has been great ever since. It took about a week for the medicine to kick in, so I took Tums in the meantime, but I haven't needed the tums ever since. I wish I had done Prilosec with my other kids!

 

I did a prescription nexium and zantac mixture that kinda worked. I lost my voice the last month or so of preg from the acid reflux damaging the vocal chords. I wish I had heard of the mashed potatoes thing! I would have tried that. I was on this stuff that is usually given for people with ulcers, its like a prescription chalky drink...can't remember the name of it, but it temporarily would relieve any of the reflux...

 

I have heightened chronic acid reflux too. Comes on so fast and furious, I've tossed my cookies more in this second trimester than in 1st. Love some of the suggestions that have been made. I'm going to try almonds next.
I take pantoprazole daily (prescription thing similar to Prevacid I think) and still have to keep tums at bed, in car, in purse, anywhere I go. My toddler thinks they are treats. I find milk helps a little. Chocolate alas is a real trigger, sob sob. Eeeeeeeasy on the marinara, no pepperoni or spicy foods, no eating till you are full, try to stop early and see if you're ok in 20 minutes, and better to eat early 3-4 hours before bed and easy on the pre-bed snack. I have milk with chocolate ovaltine and that has been ok. And I keep a powerbar or banana by my bedside in case I wake up hungry. It beats waking up choking on acid.