I am 19 weeks today and for the past few weeks, I've been having the worst heartburn/indigestion! It starts in the afternoon (usually around 4pm) and continues into the night. It's awful. It makes me not want to eat or drink anything (which of course, isn't good for the babies) and it is putting me in the worst mood. My OB suggested taking Zantac, which I've been taking, but it isn't doing much good. Does anyone have any remedies? Suggestions? The other very strange symptom I'm getting (and this is going to sound so strange) is pulsating in my left ear! Usually when I exert myself, going up stairs, I've done a little yard work, getting in and out of the bath, etc., I start hearing/feeling my heartrate or pulsating in my left ear! It's terribly obnoxious and just started happening about a week ago. I see my perinatologist on Tuesday, but I just thought I'd ask. These are only 2 of the many 'issues' I'm having w/this pregnancy. I've been pregnant before w/a singleton and it was a breeze (and enjoyable) compared to this one! I'm already ready for these babies to come and I know the worst is yet to come. Thanks, Heather
Heather, :hug99: sorry about the heartburn. That wasn't any fun. I don't have any remedies, as everything I tried or was told to try, failed. I just had to live with it while I was pregnant. I hope your doctor can suggest something that works! As for the ear thing, I had that too! Someone told me {and I'm sorry if I'm wrong} that it was happening because when you're pregnant your heart is pumping over time because more blood is needed {something along those lines} and that when you do more {like climb stairs or walk long distances} your heart works harder and therefore you hear it. :blink: I hope I remember that correctly. I remember asking my OB about it too, it was freaky hearing it in my ear.
Its all normal - sorry. I'd combine pepcid or zantac with tums. that was the only thing that helped in th end.
I just posted about having really bad reflux and someone suggested using Prilosec OTC. Ask you OB of course, but it has worked wonders for my heartburn which was so severe even drinking water would set it off.
I had the pulsating in my ear, but it was my right ear. Same as you...on exertion and once in a while when i was trying to sleep. I asked my peri and he told me it is completely normal. Increased blood volume and peripheral vasodilation (blood vessels getting larger to accomodate for that increased blood volume) causes this. As for the heartburn thing, i have been taking tums, but now i am on iron pills because i am slightly anemic. My hearburn went from a 2 to a 10. the iron pills kill me. My peri said don't take too many antacids since iron needs an acidic enviroment for better absorbtion. It made me look at my heartburn as helping keep my blood levels up. Very annoying, though. You may not even be taking extra iron, but i hope this helps. So I only chew Tums a couple of times a day now instead of all day long! I have a friend who took Protonix during her entire pregnancy per MD orders.
I had the ear thing too, actually it hasn't gone away even after almost 2 years. My doctor has never seemed concerned about it, though, so I just put up with it and now I don't really notice it unless I think about it.
I've been eating tums a lot and am going to ask my dr for something more cause I can't eat as much now and sleeping is even harder on top of my insomnia! I also have been having my heartbeat really hard too esp when I'm standing and can hear it in my ears. It scares me cause sometimes my veins will start hurting, another thing to talk to my dr about.
QUOTE(tinalb @ Jun 23 2008, 01:06 AM) [snapback]840545[/snapback] I had the ear thing too, actually it hasn't gone away even after almost 2 years. My doctor has never seemed concerned about it, though, so I just put up with it and now I don't really notice it unless I think about it. DITTO!!!!
I had the pulsing in ear you are describing. I made an emergency visit to my Peri for it cuz I was soo scared. I thought I was having a heart attack because it soon became the blood rushing (pulsing) to ears you are describing AND my heart palpitating. He did a bunch of tests on me but assured me even before doing so that this was totally normal in a multiple gestation pregnancy. It is due to the increase in blood volume so you can quite literally HEAR the blood rushing to your head. Disgusting. I used to lay in bed and just HATE that sound. Anyway, just wanted to share that I had that too.
I find if I get hungry I get heartburn and it is hard to stop it once it starts, so try to eat a little bit all the time, even just some crackers or a cheese stick. My heartburn help is a little strange because they are things I have been told cause heartburn. The first is ice cold Pepsi or Coke- I know the caffine is there, but just a few little sips seems to help me, makes me burp and gives me a little relief and allows me to eat a snack. The other thing is plain lowfat vanilla ice cream (I like Eddy's slow churned best), I have a little before bed and it seems to help until about 4 am then I have a couple of tums and make it til 6ish for breakfast. Quite the routine but trial and error has helped me come up with this and most of the time it works. I never knew heatburn could be so debilitating until this pregnancy!!! As for the pulse thing, I had it early on and doc told me the same as others have said. I don't notice it anymore (34 weeks)and I don't remember when it went away. Good luck and I hope you feel better.
High calcium foods, like ice cream, cottage cheese, etc., have been really helping me, especially at night. I take slippery elm lozenges (they coat the stomach and esophagus) and Rolaids, alternating. I try not to take more than 2-3 Rolaids/day.
Thanks, everyone for the input. I did see my perinatologitst yesterday and he said the pulsating was the same as you all said . . . the extra blood flow. He did say for heartburn to buy Prilosec OTC. He said to take 1/night before bed and it would take a couple of days to kick in, but once it does, the heartburn will be gone. We'll see. It's not cheap. The 2 week box of pills was on sale for $20! But it's worth it. Thanks again for the responses. Heather
Well I talked to my Dr yesterday as well. Taking zantec now for indegestion. As for the high pulse and the fact that my veins are hurting, he explained that you almost double your blood supply to over 4 liters!! All that extra blood makes your heart work a little harder and also stretches out your veins (why mine hurt!). He also said that when you hear your heart and feel it pounding you tend to have anxiety and worry about it which makes it worse. Sometimes this would happen a couple times a day. A few tips he gave me: if my pulse was OVER 120 he said to take a deep breath and hold it for 25 or 30 seconds. That brings it down. And don't worry about not getting enough oxygen, your babies take first dibs anyways. Another tip was to breath into a paper bag for a minute or so. The carbon dioxide you breath out and inhale a tiny amount of will slow you down as well without any fetal harm. There is a medication that you can take if its bad enough, but he said it makes you feel even more fatigued and tired, I'll pass! Hope that helps anyone!
