Heartburn Medications

Q.How do I cure a problem with heartburn? Almost a year ago I started getting pretty bad stomach pain high up just under my rib cage. Soon after I also felt chest pain daily (like a woman in a stiletto standing on my chest). The pain interrupted my daily life. I saw a gastrointerologist and I was told it was just bad heartburn (after many expensive tests). I have been on prevacid, aciphex, and zantac. None of which made it completely go away. Then he suggested it was stress induced. I started seeing a psychiatrist and took xanax and a variety of other anti-anxiety medications. While the heartburn did not go away it was infrequent enough that I could have a normal life again but the side-effects were terrible. I finally stopped all of the meds but the chest and stomach pain (with some nausea) are back. At this point I am lost about what to do. I am not sure if it was anxiety causing the problem to begin with or not. Has anyone had a problem like this before? What should I do to get rid of heartburn?

A.You really should look at your diet, what are you eating a lot of and after certain foods does the heartburn become worse?. If you eat too much spicy foods or foods with too much acid which are raw tomatos , raw onion or too much coffee and sour foods can cause heatburn as well a fizzy drinks, perhaps keep a list of the things your eating and drinking that way you will have a better idea you may find out that some foods and drinks don't agree with our body. I have issues with acid reflux. Make sure you don't have an ulcer--all you need is a simple blood test to check for H. pylori, the bacteria that cause pretty much all ulcers. Then, if that's ruled out, try this: Elevate the head of your bed. Use blocks, heavy books, wood. Elevate it around 4-6 inches and see if that helps (it keeps acid down in your stomach to some extent.) NO ALCOHOL!!!!! NONE!!!!! Just stop drinking if you do, and it should help any stomach condition. It's a major trigger for acid reflux and often aggravates stomach conditions. Try to identify trigger foods. Mine are anything in the cucumber family (cucumbers, pickles, squash, and melons, and especially pumpkin. Which sucks.) Also, the nightshade family fruits (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Not potatoes, for some reason. But I'm allergic to raw tomatoes.) To some extent, chocolate and onions. Try to figure out if any foods bother you more than others. Try an elimination/rotation diet like people use for food allergies and intolerances. Avoid NSAIDS--main ones are aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. Certainly don't mix them with coffee or alcohol. And don't bend over after you eat and DO NOT nap after you eat! There are things you can do--don't lose hope! Just keep trying different things until you find what works.

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