Asarver's Journal, 23 Sep 20

I had heartburn but lost 35 lbs and it went away. I also did 14 day Omeprazole (20 mg) as prescribe by my doctor to let things heal up and haven't had recurrance in 8-9 months. Finally, no food 4 hours before bed. Water only. That helps too 

I did the exact same thing as SK. I TOOK OMEPRAZOLE OTC for a couple weeks, that helped. But my weight loss and change in eating habits completely solved the problem. Life changer not having heart burn every single day and night. i used to wake up every night with that burning in my throat. I'd wander into the kitchen to chug some cold milk, then chew on an antacid as i tried to fall back asleep. diet and wight loss solved it for me! 

Don't lie down for at least 20 minutes after eating. Sitting/standing = Gravity pulls the food down, lying down makes food just go back & forth. 

This is a holistic approach, but my husband swears by it. Take a swig of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. It will burn at first and then the heartburn goes away. It has to be Bragg's ....not red wine or white or rice vinegar. Afterwards, he should rinse his mouth to protect his teeth. 

I have it on an off. My 1st "episode" lasted a month. So bad that going for a run would bring up some acid.. Lost 10 lbs, but only because I was unable to eat anything except lipton soup packets. As far as food/ drink: 1. NO ALCOHOL... for at least a week, preferably two. ETOH is rough on the stomach lining and you want it to heal. 3. Avoid acidic food- citrus, tomatoes etc. 4. Avoid spicy (as in hot) foods. 5. There will have to be some experimentation as to what may provoke it. For me, a bagel would leave me in pain for hours. I can't explain that at all. 6. Avoid all NSAIDs (motrin, aleve, ibuprofen) especially on an empty stomach- NSAIDs all irritate the gastric lining and can break it down, causing severe pain and bleeding (I've done this too) I also recommend omeprazole/prilosec for 2 weeks daily in the am before eating. Mylanta as needed for flare ups. I can't recommend specifics foods/recopies as I think this is different for everyone. There will be a lot of trial and error. JustBananas also has a good point about not laying down after eating. You want to wait until your stomach is empty before laying down otherwise the acid from digestion will come up into esophagus and cause burning... this includes slouching on the couch. He may want to try sleeping slightly propped up on a few pillows to prevent reflux. Good luck.  

Have him watch this: https://www.drberg.com/blog/a-simple-fix-for-gerd-and-acid-reflux 

I’ve had it for over 25 years. Weight change does not affect it for me. I have gerd when I weigh 95 lbs and when I weigh 150 🙄 I’m on meds daily and have upper endoscopies every now and then to keep an eye on damage/ulcers. So here’s a few things to keep in mind: 1) no acidic foods that includes coffee, sodas, lemon water ect (I know, but if he can go without for a little while to see if it helps🤷🏻‍♀️) also tomato’s are highly acidic too This includes ALL citrus fruit and juice. No OJ for me that’s instant heartburn 😔 2) spicy foods are a big problem for many people, as well as chocolate 3) high fat and fried foods 4) garlic, onions 5) Alcohol 6) mint So, you just end up not eating fast food pretty much at all, no ice cream, no greasy stuff, you don’t drink, and... hopefully that helps!!👍🏼 

I have two things I have used to help with heartburn. One is pickle juice. I drink a shot and it really helps. It contains probiotics and is actually good for many health issues. The other thing is papaya. The fresh fruit or the chewable supplement. I like the convenience of the tablets because I can have them anywhere. Papaya contains enzymes that help with digestion. Heartburn sucks! Hope you find something that works for him. 

I too suffer from chronic heartburn. I have tried almost every over the counter and prescribed medication out there but nothing seemed to helped until I made drastic changes on my diet I cut salt, grease, dairy, caffeine and red meat. Now I am basically living on vegetables and white meat it has been a very hard two weeks because I am getting used to this new life style but it is worth it I have not experienced any pain or acid reflux since at all and I am dropping about 6 lb a week. Good luck 🍀👍🏼 

Look on Life Extension website for an explanation of how & why to use an orange peel extract called d-limonene for heartburn. You take a pill every other day for 20 days and have relief for about 6 months. It is inexpensive and safe, unlike the usual prescribed and OTC heartburn pills. My husband did this once and has not had any more heartburn for years. I had the same experience with it. Neither of us changed the food we ate. You can buy it many different places. 

Yogurt works for me 

anti-inflammatory diet and no acidic foods. plain as possible. maybe even eliminate diary.  

try looking up Dr Gregers' how not to die cookbook' ..... 

Sk.17 he's not overweight, and had tried prilosec twice in the last year with no luck. Thanks for your help! 

Thanks everyone for the help. My husband is not overweight, and has already tried the over the counter stuff more than once. He knows all the stuff about not eating before bed, sitting up straight after eating, etc. 😄 Another issue is he can't afford to lose weight, which he does so easily if he doesn't eat enough. I was hoping for some recipes that won't be bland but won't irritate his heartburn. Sounds like white meat and veggies, based on what florecita does for their diet. I just need to make sure there's enough of it and that it tastes good, so he doesn't lose weight.  

My advice is elevate the head of the bed and stay away from fried and spicy food.  

Try Google—recipe suggestions for heartburn and Gerd sufferers. 

Good advice Erq! I have a mild one (15%) of those as well.  

I have been trying to conquer that recently as well. I have cut down the symptoms somewhat by cutting out coffee (the caffeine hurts so bear in mind that there is caffeine in tea and I think in Coke or some other soft drinks) and by making sure I eat my last meal as early as possible. He should cut out alcohol too. If you can manage to make the main meal at midday that would help but I find that it is difficult to fit into my schedule. You can buy a wedge at a medical supply store to elevate his head if there is no way to elevate the whole bed. I know you were actually looking for recipes but it is the ingredients you have to eliminate. 

Not sure if it will help your hubs, but I started with a shot of pickle juice every night because supposedly the vinegar helps heartburn. I had it real bad while pregnant with both of my kids, and it worked well. After birth and BFing, I have used Apple Cider Vinegar and it works like a charm.