GERD: What are your symptoms and what helps?

Have had GERD with nausea for 4 years. Nothing seems to help. Please let me know if you find that magic pill. Thank you and good luck.

Mike

Have you cut out all acidic foods? Have you cut out alcohol, all soda, acidic coffee, citrus juice and tomato products? No fatty fried foods.

@johnbluffside, Good discussion starter. Here are a few related discussions about GERD:
- Severe Acid Reflux - Chronic GERD: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/severe-acid-reflux-chronic-gerd/
- GERD: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gerd-1/
- Atypical GERD symptoms: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/atypical-gerd-symptoms/

In addition to @riflemanz64 and @mikejjb123, I'd also like to bring fellow GERD members like @jamierb @gabrielm @fourof5zs @tracyfurtiscaudle @hamsy @pjbcorsi1955 @jenblalock @ginabeana @nexus @ken82 to share their tips.

John, you listed a number of things that you tried. Did any of them help somewhat?

Colleen, thank you so much for including me. I have struggled for nearly 4 years now. Still searching for answers.

Thanks Colleen. I find that my symptoms are cyclical. Always taking famotidine. Adding dexalant when burning in throat gets particularly bad. I’ve stopped all the herbal supplements - didn’t seem to make a difference one way or the other. I eat to keep things under control - no alcohol, citrus, tomato sauce, spicy foods, etc. helps get things under control. I can then add a few things on occasion and follow up with Gaviscon without ill effect. I didn’t want to hear this when my symptoms all began, but it takes a long time to figure out what works for you. All the tests I underwent came back “good” - so it was up to me to work through. Lots of good suggestions on this site. Try not to get discouraged.

Is there any evidence that albuterol and/or Trelegy can contribute to GERD?

Mayo Clinic did a lab test on me, and determined I am a rapid metabolizer of PPI's, which didn't work. I was put on rabeprazole (Aciphex), which helps. but I still can get heartburn -- sometimes no rhyme or reason. I was told to get Gaviscon Extra (from the UK) or Reflux Gourmet, which is the same thing they say, but without artificial sweeteners. Neither Gaviscon or Reflux Gourmet helps. I was told if that doesn't help then take a Pepcid AC. Again, when I tried it once, it didn't help. When I get heartburn, I just have to lay off eating for a day or two until it subsides. I still keep the head of the bed raised & lay on two pillows. I had many GI tests at Mayo, which also showed I have heartburn a lot.

I was diagnosed two years ago with Barrett's Esophagus. I followed the recommendations in THE ACID WATCHER DIET by Dr. Jonathan Aviv, many of which are suggested above. The following year, I had another endoscopy which showed no sign of Barrett's. The diet, plus the elevated mattress, can work wonders if you strictly adhere to it.

About 12 years ago, after receiving no real help from my PCP or my gastroenterologist, I spent two months eating only plain rice and plain potatoes. Then I started adding foods one at a time. To make a long and painful story short, the most important thing I found was that fat in beef and chicken bothered me terribly. I then started looking at the nutrition labels of everything I ate. I was shocked at how many foods had a ton of fat in them.

For a few years I could eat lean beef and chicken, and then couldn't eat the beef any more. I could eat lean chicken, but after a couple years, that had to go too.

I never ate fried foods. My mother didn't make them when I was growing up, and I just never liked them. So if you've eliminated citrus and tomato, etc, and still having problems, try checking the nutrition label of your beef and chicken, get the lowest fat content you can find, and just roast it. If you put it on a rack or crumpled up aluminum foil, any fat it does have will run off.

You can't escape all the fat. After a few years, I had to eliminate beef, then a couple more years and the chicken had to go. I ate fish, but now certain fish bothers me, and that had to go.

Try going without beef for a couple weeks, and just have plain roasted chicken tenderloins with low, low fat, and see if that helps.

Best wishes to all.
Cookie

Me too. So tired of stomach pain. I have lost 28 pounds. Waiting months to get an appt at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Don’t understand why it is taking so long just to get an appointment????!!!