Relief From Heartburn

Q.A couple months ago I was diagnosed with GERD. It's killing me. They prescribed me pepcid. Which I am taking twice a day. Plus I have taken every form of zantac and tums. I have even changed my diet to eliminating anything that creates heartburn. I got a sample menu online so I know everything has been eliminate. Nothing is helping. If I lay down, I can use a heating pad, which works as long as I'm laying down using it. Once I get up I'm still in pain. Also burping has been helping. But I have to gulp down water so I can burp, because I don't have the need to do so. I called the doctor, but can't get in for another 2 weeks. And the nurse won't answer any of my questions. I really need some help, as this is making it really hard for me to eat, drink, sleep or even breathe. So can anyone in the group help me please?.

A.In the week or so that I have been answering questions here, I have responded to a number of GERD related inquiries. After reading this, please click on my name to the left and then on that page, scroll back through my previous answers to the obvious GERD questions for additional information. There are several points you should know about in the escalating response you should mount against GERD symptoms. First of all, I agree with the recommendation above that you should wait after eating, before lying down. However, I would recommend a time frame significantly longer, 2 or 3 hours, before you do, since the stomach is a storage organ and meters your food out over an extended period. What you're going for is an EMPTY STOMACH to reduce reflux in the supine position, and while you're at it, prop up your torso when you sleep so that the run is downhill into your stomach. This won't stop reflux, but it will help put it back in your stomach faster once it occurs. cid reducing medications that used to be by prescription only are now being supplied as "over the counter". Zantac was the first, and the OTC version was half strength. The prescribed dose is 150 mg twice daily and the OTC pill is 75 mg. Pepcid is the same way, except that a full strength OTC dose of 20 mg is now available too. These medications are called H2 blockers, and although they effectively diminish the production of acid in the stomach, the effectiveness is often gone before the next dose is due. I have had numerous critical patients who I have actually been able to measure gastric pH and then customize acid control dosing accordingly. Package directed doses have never been sufficient or frequent enough in that setting. I do not recommend that you start eating these pills randomly, but know that under a doctor's supervision, you can have escalating doses of medication that may improve effect. Also the "proton pump inhibitor" or PPI class of medication is known to be more effective.

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