Thursday, September 8, 2011

A Burnin' Deep In My Heart


For the last few weeks I have had the most horrible acid reflux/heart burn.  I have had heart burn before, that was part of the reason I had that pleasant endoscopy last year.  But I have not had heart burn like this before.  This is HEART BURN!  It takes my breath away and would make me cry (if only I could make tears!)  It should really be called "knife in my chest" but that isn't as catchy as heart burn.  I am even taking this horrible medicine three to four times a day.  Here is how the medicine has to be taken since I can't swallow the pills:  One half hour before a meal OR 2 hours after a meal I crush up two pills and put them in water.  I drink the water/pill concoction as fast as I can (because it tastes like chalk.)  Doesn't that sound appetizing?

I don't know what is going on because I am taking the medicine but still getting the acid reflux.  I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and will ask the doctor what is going on.  Keep your fingers crossed this doesn't mean another endoscopy!

If you have acid reflux, here are some helpful suggestions to keep from having it reoccur.

- There are certain foods to avoid:
  • Chocolate
  • Peppermint
  • Caffeinated beverages
  • Alcohol
  • Fatty foods
  • Greasy or fried foods
  • Citrus fruits and juices
  • Tomatoes and tomato-based products
  • Chili peppers
  • Black pepper
- Avoid large meals, stick to smaller meals.  Don't eat to quickly.
- Avoid high-fat foods.
- Avoid spicy foods.
- Stay away from alcohol.
- After you eat, don't smoke.
- After you eat, chew some gum.  Chewing gum stimulates saliva production that neutralizes stomach acid.
- After meals, drink water.  A cup of lukewarm water or herbal tea can flush out stomach acid.

Now you ask, what can I eat?  There is a list of items that are less likely to cause heart burn.  They are call safe foods.  Tonight I stuck to the list and ate a baked potato.  So far, so good.

If you are having heart burn/acid reflux issues and need more information, I found this great site that has recipes of all sorts, even vegetarian recipes!  Check it out if you suffer from "knife in my chest" disease!  I am off to make myself some tea, just not peppermint tea!
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5 comments:

  1. Deb aka AbcsOfraSeptember 9, 2011 at 6:44 AM

    For me it was methotrexate that was causing my horrible, horrible acid reflux issues. Once I stopped that medication, my acid reflux subsided...alot. I tried everything until my med regime was getting to be sooo ridiculous that I started to trust my own instincts better then the medicines I was prescribed at the time. And all the tests showed nothing. Just my two cents. i sure hope you find your answer because I remember that time in my life as being one of the worst. (((HUGS)))

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  2. HughSeptember 9, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    Very timely post -- I had some horrible knife-in-my-chest heartburn this week when visiting family in Colorado thanks to a pizza buffet and a beer, my body was NOT happy with me.

    P.S. Love the graphic!

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  3. AdrienneSeptember 10, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    Thanks for your kind word Deb. I have a story about Methotrexate that I will share in a future blog that doesn't include heartburn. Thanks for your post!

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  4. adrienneSeptember 10, 2011 at 8:13 AM

    Thanks Hugh! The list of what to eat and what not to eat is helping me this weekend!

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    I have celiac disease, and one of the pleasantly surprising results of going gluten free was the disappearance of heartburn after 20 years of suffering! Just one possible thing to look at, in a world of possibilities! Good luck finding a resolution.

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