Reflux keeping me awake -_-

Hey! So yeah, I'm awake way later than I should be - it's almost 1am. GERD flare up is keeping me awake. I can't lie down comfortably because when I do, I get acid regurgitation. I already know why, I ate/drank like crap today. Silly me...

What all do the rest of you do to ease reflux? I'm currently in bed but with my upper back and head propped up on a couple of pillows, which helps keep acid down. I already chewed a few Tums which normally knocks it right out, but I guess I overdid junk today because it didn't help this time. I'm also sipping on water. Any other ideas that can quickly relieve reflux?

This stuff is unfortunately pretty hit or miss for me. I can go days or even weeks with almost no heartburn/reflux at all, regardless of what I eat or drink. Other times, I'll experience at least mild reflux regardless of what I eat, how much I eat, etc. Right now I'm in somewhere between, as it's not very frequent but it's been at least once a day for several days now.

Now that I think about it, I do have an OTC PPI that I never started yet. I think it's Prilosec OTC? I should probably give that a try. It's a standard 14-day course, I believe. I did quite well for a long time, but I know I started slipping up on my eating habits again. Eating and drinking more junk. Eating too soon before bed. And so on. I really need to pull myself back from that again before it gets too bad.

I'm open to any other tips you all may have to reduce reflux.

TruthHurts said:

If you get desperate enough you could always try a little baking soda and water it taste terrible but works great. I remember my grandpa use to keep a cup of it by his bedside at night.

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Do you know what the usual mixture is? Is it just a glass of water with a spoon of baking soda stirred in, or what? I've heard of it before, but I've never tried it.

Cuchculan said:

I do take a PPI daily. I know with you the reflux is not there all the time. When it was like that with me I might be told to take a PPI for 7 days. Until things clear up. But with yourself it could be gone by tomorrow. Case of getting through the night. So not sure if you have anything you could use tonight. To maybe help you get some sleep. Then see how you are once you wake up. Is it still there or is it gone. Then decide on the next steps from there. if you do need a PPI until it clears up.

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Indeed. I was actually taking Pantoprazole (Protonix) daily for a couple of years. Doctor "highly recommended stopping it" because of "*insert supposedly scary studies*" (re: Alzheimer's), and unfortunately I went along with the idea. Haha. Sometimes I regret it, because that stuff worked wonders for me.

I got up a few minutes ago, and I let out a rather big burp. I haven't felt the burning sensation or regurgitation since then. I wonder why? Maybe the gas was actually trapped and that was pushing some acid further up? I don't know. But so far so good.

TruthHurts said:

I'd try a spoonful in about 3 or 4 ounces of water drink it down fast chase it with fresh water if needed. I never really measure it out I just do a quick pour.

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Thanks! Pretty sure we have baking soda in the house. I may give it a try next time instead of taking Tums. Who knows, maybe the baking soda will be even better.

Cuchculan said:

I remember hearing about this method. But my own reflux was so bad I could never try the method out. Let us know if it works. Might work for what you have right now. Difference been my reflux used to make me throw up. hence I could never try such methods.

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Ouch! That's awful. My dad had really bad reflux for many years, mostly untreated, unfortunately. It eventually got to a point where almost nothing really worked for it, even prescriptions. I don't know if a doctor ever suggested surgery, but if they did, he never had it done. Mine is nowhere near that bad, it just flares up like this occasionally.

TenLettersRap said:

ACV (apple cider vinegar) some people cant handle shots straight up, but i would rather that then to have the kind of reflux i had... i actually spat up acid once on the ground.... i dont mess with drugs that decrease acid..because thats most likely the cause to begin with, is a lack of HCI

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ACV is one I've considered, but I'm not sure I could stomach it. Haha. My brother quit smoking quite some time ago, and he started having terrible reflux when he quit. He was doing ACV shots nightly (think he still does) and he said it's awful, but like you, it's better than the reflux he had.

Kari85 said:

I’ve done ACV but I dilute it a bit. I just do a tablespoon of ACV and like half a glass of water. The thing that helped me the most though was not eating after 7pm.

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Thanks, Kari. Not eating after 7pm would be extremely difficult for me, if not impossible. I love food way too much! I've had two caffeinated drinks today, but I plan to drink only water for the rest of the day, or at least the majority of the day. The main thing I probably need to do is avoid trigger foods/drinks after a certain time in the afternoon.

TruthHurts said:

If you mix the organic unfiltered ACV with a few ounces of 100 percent apple juice "or whichever juice you prefer" and fill the rest of the cup up with water it's actually pretty good and has great health benefits it even helps to cleanse the liver.

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Good to know, thanks!

I did finally get some sleep last night. I stayed propped up for a long while, as well as having that big burp, and all seemed fine. Been doing okay today as well.