I cannot take this anymore - acid reflux/heartburn

Please help...

I have had such an easy pregnany up until now - no real morning sickness, nothing too uncomfortable. I figured it was too good to last too long... I am having the most unbearable heartburn/acid reflux. I have never had this before. I eat a piece of toast and not half an hour later it is halfway up my throat. I have tried eating very very very small amounts of food and even half a banana does it.

I cannot sleep - I barely ate anything last night and almost choked on the "acid" while I was TRYING to sleep. Even when sitting up it still snakes its way back up. It BURNS.

Does anyone have ANY suggestions? I was just in the hospital with a stomach bug on Tuesday and refuse to have my ob/gyn paged again over the weekend because I am too much of a wimp to handle acid reflux. I will say I am usually very tough and this is almost too much. I am scared to eat anything.

Please help - I am miserable.

22wks b/g twins.

Amy

 

Please help...

I have had such an easy pregnany up until now - no real morning sickness, nothing too uncomfortable. I figured it was too good to last too long... I am having the most unbearable heartburn/acid reflux. I have never had this before. I eat a piece of toast and not half an hour later it is halfway up my throat. I have tried eating very very very small amounts of food and even half a banana does it.

I cannot sleep - I barely ate anything last night and almost choked on the "acid" while I was TRYING to sleep. Even when sitting up it still snakes its way back up. It BURNS.

Does anyone have ANY suggestions? I was just in the hospital with a stomach bug on Tuesday and refuse to have my ob/gyn paged again over the weekend because I am too much of a wimp to handle acid reflux. I will say I am usually very tough and this is almost too much. I am scared to eat anything.

Please help - I am miserable.

22wks b/g twins.

Amy

 

I had the most terrible heartburn for months. I tried tums, maalox, etc. - nothing helped. My doctor recommended Prilosec and it has been a lifesaver! I highly recommend it!

 

I had a break from heartburn but sometimes it feels like I am breathing fire. I have been taking Tums again for about a week.

 

I would tell the doctor. I had it with my twin pregnancy too. I was put on Prevocid. Wow, what a difference. I did not realize I felt so bad until I started taking this and felt so much better. Good luck.

Rose

 

I'm right there with you... I live on Tums and milk, but even those don't do too much to stop the burning. I hate the thought of adding more medication to my already long list of stuff I take, and I figure I only have 10 days to go, but it burns!! I might give in and call the doctor to ask about some of the medications the previous posts have listed.
You have a while to go, so I would definately call your doctor for help. Good luck.
Helen

 

I had it really bad also...started off taking Tums, but moved on to Maalox, it seems to work a little better.

 

Okay first off I found Bananas to be the worst thing in the world to eat for heartburn... and I double checked with a few friends and they agree. I had bad heartburn both times (does your mouth fill with saliva because there is so much acid?) I was on Prevacid my first pregnancy and I just began the most wonderful thing two weeks ago a prescription of Protonix. Like my doc says it is way more dangerous and lifelong damaging to your esophagous to NOT take something.... so dont just try to suffer through with tums... which for me were like candy and never helped and ounce. PS I also have a high pain tolerancy and couldnt stand it... so you are not a wimp. Hang in there and ask your doc or nurse if they can get you a prescription this weekend.

 

my dr recommended Zantac and it has been a lifesaver. He said that prilosec was a tough one because you have to take it every day to get the effects and it may take a few days before it started working...the Zantac takes about 30 minutes so if it is really bad I will take 2 tums with it but then it kicks in and lasts all day/night. you can take them as often as every 12 hours.

 

it started for me already - i cant believe it! tums and zantac here...

 

I take several chewable Maalox a day. I sleep in the recliner almost every night because I end up dealing with the acid if I try to lay down in the bed! Hugs!

 

Here too! I've been taking Tums, and sleeping propped up on three pillows (practically sitting up). That helps some.

 

tums did nothing for me, really. i started enjoying the taste of the smoothie-type ones though...lol. ultimate strength mylanta works well. my dr. said to take the real stuff though - zantac, tagament, pepcid, or prilosec. for heartburn (where you really feel like you are having a heart attack, it is so painful), i've taken tagament and drank lots of water. for reflux (where you feel the burning and acid coming up), i believe any of the above would work. mylanta is not bad for instant (somewhat) relief of either heartburn or reflux. i've had acid relux and heartburn before becoming pg. i have a wedge-type pillow that props up my head at night, and it had helped. these are just my opinions/descriptions of heartburn vs. reflux. good luck!

 

So many people suggested the papaya enzyme and I thought there was no way something like that would help when the pepcid/Tums combo couldn't touch my acid reflux. But I swear to you that papaya enzyme REALLY WORKED! I started being able to sleep lying down again! You can find it at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Henrys, Wild Oats type places. Try it!

 

I have been going through the exact same thing and my doctor said to take the liquid antacids. He also said it wouldn't hurt to take something like a tagament or pepcid as long as it doesn't have asprin in it.

 

I have gotten bad heartburn in the 3rd trimester of my last pregnancies. It is already starting with me this round. I can only imagine it is going to be horrible. I have already started with Tums. I am going to have to get the Prilosec or something similiar before it is over.

Sleeping sitting up is the only way I ever got sleep. I still had the reflux, but if I laid down I could actually fill it pouring out of my stomach. AWFUL!

 

Over the counter meds are fine, but if you can get a prescription with a low copay, I'd suggest Prevacid. I paid LOTS of money for Tums/Rolaids and a pillow wedge and none of them were all that effective. The monthly Prevacid prescription only cost me $10 and it was MIRACULOUS. I started to get nausea around 30 weeks because the heartburn was so bad. It's NOT worth the pain and suffering, so let the doc know.

 

So sorry you're suffering - you are NOT a wimp. As a previous poster said, you can do real damage to your esophagus by suffering, so you should get help.

My doc recommended that i start w/tum, then move to mylanta and only go to prilosec or prevacid as necessary (but i've got some other medical issues); if i were you i would definitely call doc and get a recco.

Also - make sure you sit up for at least half an hour after you eat, and i found that raising my bed about six inches (on bricks at the head of the bed) really helps. I also found that there is a difference if i lean back on a couch or chair, or try to keep myself actually upright (not easy with the big belly): but it seems to decrease teh burning and pain SOMEwhat.

Good luck!