Best products from r/GERD

Wow, you were diagnosed the same age I am now. Dude, pls don't freak out. The risk of getting Barrett's with GERD is like 1 out of 10, and then the risk of getting esophageal with Barrett's esophagus is like 1 out of 200. (source: https://www.asge.org/home/for-patients/patient-information/understanding-gerd-barrett-39-s)

I mean, it's completely normal to freak out over this, but that just means that you should do whatever test necessary that would give you the peace of mind and closure you deserve. Obviously within reason and means, but if I had to chose one, I would definitely get the upper endoscopy done. Getting a biopsy done will be more useful to you than a ph test, at least currently. When you get your stress down and eat a bland diet for a couple of weeks, any excess acid production should cease.

In terms of immediate relief, I agree with /u/rdizzy1223. Alka-Seltzer, Pepto-Bismol, Tums, Pepcid AC, Zantac, Prevacid 24HR, and Prilosec are some popular options. If you don't mind spending your money on bottled water or beverages, I treat myself to Essentia once and a while, even if it probably doesn't do anything. I drink coconut water almost daily, especially if I haven't been eating a lot of salt. Almond milk helps me. I chew ginger gum and fennel gum after I eat to help digestion, and I noticed that the fennel gum I chew gives me almost instant relief.

https://smile.amazon.com/Simply-Gum-Assorted-Chewing-Cinnamon/dp/B07HB7DMJG/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1541659783&sr=8-3&keywords=simply%2Bgum%2Bfennel%2Blicorice&th=1

Also, meditate! It's not as hard as it sounds lol. When you're able to focus on your breath and change the relationship you have with your thoughts, it'll help you take your mind off the pain depending on how tolerable your pain is. Plus it's just generally good for anxiety and depression. Anything that you can do to distract yourself is gonna be worth it until your next appointment.

Take good care of yourself, and godspeed my friend!

Hi! It’ll get better once you get on a medication that works for you i promise. The same thing happened to me and I’m 21. I lost 10 pounds, couldn’t eat or sleep and I was having intense chest pain.

To help with sleep I would highly recommend an elevated pillow. I got this one on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FINTS4M?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

As for eating, I found that cold stuff helped me so I’d drink smoothies frequently. It’s different for everyone but definitely stay away from highly acidic foods.

The medicine I’m on is Omeprazole. I started on 80mg per day (40mg in morning and then at night). After 3 days I felt some relief and was able to eat again. It only improved from there!! I also drink probiotics every morning and I feel like they’ve made a difference.

I hope this helps! If you have more questions then feel free to send me a message!

I'm following the diet in the book Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure (by Koufman et al). It's a phased diet, with an "induction" phase that is super cautious followed by a more flexible maintenance phase. This is because if you have damage to your esophageal sphincters (and other tissues) from reflux, they won't function as well at blocking reflux, and the downward spiral will continue. In addition to suppressing acid production in your stomach it's important to cut acid intake from your food, because any source of acid can activate pepsin, an enzyme that is deposited on your tissues during reflux.

Dr. Koufman's 2011 journal paper, with a summary of the diet, is available here: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000348941112000501

I found this stuff after my diagnosis of LPR. I don't have heartburn or esophagitis but I have had a series of awful sinus infections for months and I think LPR is the major underlying cause, as my allergies are minor. There is some background on LPR and GERD in the Dropping Acid book, but I'd also recommend her book The Chronic Cough Enigma for a more thorough look at how reflux and airway disorders are connected.

I've really tried to limit snacking but the snacks I feel pretty good about are bananas, celery, and rice cakes. Rice cakes come in a lot of flavors. I really love food and cooking and it has been pretty depressing cutting back on all that, but if I can manage this issue (and ideally, not depend on meds for it long-term) then it will be well worth it.

It all depends! I'm not super skinny (size 6-8 in jeans) but they are still pretty snug. The leggings I bought are actually very tight in the legs and right under my boobs (where the waist band hits), but they tummy area itself is loose but not baggy. I would say you might want to go try some on in the store first but I can go ahead and link you the leggings I bought. The XS fit me great and I am 5'1 and have super skinny ankles so I always have trouble finding pairs that fit right. The only issue is that they are a tad see-through if stretched A BUNCH.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019TFZ5VA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hey bud - I hate to state the trite obvious but if you’re having those thoughts you may want to see a counselor. They won’t fix your GERD/LPR but coping with it is a life long process that they can help with. You CAN get it under control, but it takes work and its kind of a moving target (your body changes).

You still have options to fix this:

1. Get a second opinion by a different doctor and tell them how significantly this is affecting your quality of life
   
2. don’t eat 3 hours before bed
   
3. give up all caffeine, soda, fried foods immediately (even if it seems like you can tolerate them)
   
4. get a wedge that goes UNDER your mattress to put your body on a slant, keeping stomach contents down when you sleep (something like this helps me)
   
5. lose weight if overweight
   
6. schedule a therapy session, seriously, life is worth living, and this is treatable, you just have to find the right balance and hang in there and properly cope with it. I see a therapist and one of the things we frequently talk about is how GERD and medical issues affect me. Therapists are great and everyone needs one in this complicated world.
   
   Hang in there and good luck!

I was told by my doctor 2-3 times daily. I eat a lot of fiber and that helps, but there's something with the PPIs that messes with the consistency of my stools. I take this supplement and it helps too.

Premium Psyllium Husk Capsules - 725mg of Psyllium Husk per Capsule - Powerful Psyllium Husk Fiber Supplement Helps Support Digestion, Intestinal Health & Regularity - 240 Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMQRQ3E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ioXgDbATVR902

Wow that list is pretty much the same as mine when I finally went to see my local natural medicine doctor. He suggested Oil of Oregano with Peppermint. I had always been told to avoid peppermint but he assured me that this was a SIBO issue. So I took those every day for about 3 months and I've seen a 70-80% improvement. You will notice that your burps are a bit minty and that's kind of weird but honestly this was the only thing that worked for me. If you do try it make sure you get "enteric coated" and take with plenty of water. Here's a link to the product I used. https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Factors-Peppermint-Gastrointestinal-Softgels/dp/B000RGDVDA

Liquid pills. D3. This one, specifically: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037LOLKY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...and yes, still feeling great. Haven't had any GERD related incidents in quite some time. Good luck to you.

hey! I haven’t started it yet but drinking ice watermelon and cucumber juice thingy is part of it. Waiting for the book to come in tomorrow!

https://www.amazon.com/Acid-Watcher-Diet-Prevention-Healing/dp/1101905581/ref=nodl_

I’m on mobile rn but there’s an online book and a book available on Amazon.

A cookbook is coming out around October and I promise I’m not shilling lmao I’m just hoping this diet works to heal me. But it helps to heal the symptoms from silent reflux/ lpr.

Agreed, also cut out the following foods:

• acidic
  
• spicy
  
• highly processed
  
• has lots of sugar
  
• caffience
  
• alcohol
  
• fatty
  
  ​
  
  In addition..
  
  
• Get a pillow like this for sleeping on and don't eat anything for 2-3 hours before sleep.
  
• This book helped me to undesrstand GERD and has some great GERD friendly foods

I'm late to this, but it sounds as though you are having a lot of anxiety issues which obviously contribute negatively to GERD symptoms. I thought of it when you talked about visualizing the tube going your throat, etc. That's hard core anxiety. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about this and see if there is some chill out meds you could take. I am never one to jump right to meds, but suffering from GERD and the sucky diet is very stressful. Unless you think you can learn meditation while also managing GERD, which I hear is the best route.

Also, to learn better about what to eat I highly recommend reading "Dropping Acid" by Jamie Koufman. I never get any help from my doctors about the right foods or loosing weight, and it wasn't until I read this book--which I learned about here on Reddit--that I feel like I had any kind of control over my situation.

Good Luck!
https://www.amazon.com/Dropping-Acid-Reflux-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0982708319

EDIT: As for coffee, try Folger's Simply Smooth, a special blend made just for people with nasty stomach's like ours.

https://www.amazon.com/Folgers-Simply-Smooth-Coffee-Ounce/dp/B009I36KBS

Ok, when I first started dealing with GERD a few months ago, not only did I go to a GI doctor, I also started seeing a therapist. She helped me talk through all of my worries about eating and being sick, process them in a healthy way, and taught me coping mechanisms. I highly suggest that if this is making you anxious (and I don't blame you), seek out a therapist. My therapist was an amazing support system when I was truly struggling.

I've been on pantoprazole for about 2.5 months, eating a strict GERD diet (specifically the Acid Watchers Diet-- great book, I highly recommend), not eating 3 hours before bed, and sleeping on an incline. I'm feeling much better now. Only current symptom is burping (annoying, not painful or anything), and some occasional heartburn but that is becoming rarer and rarer. I believe if I stick to this plan, and continue to let my esophagus heal (I also have esophagitis), I will be able to eat trigger foods in the future. My doctor wants me to wait though until I am essentially symptom-free for several months before taking me off meds and letting me experiment with my diet.

That's another thing, getting a GI doc you trust and can explain your illness in an understandable way is really important for combatting anxiety. My first doc only increased my anxiety because he really didn't know what he was doing and was deeply unhelpful. My current doc has set up a good plan for healing and it is making me optimistic instead of nervous and disheartened.

But let me tell you, I suffered for 5 months to get to this point, where I'm so much happier and nearly symptom-free. This place is completely possible to get to. And I know so many people on this sub have GERD but now are totally symptom free and can eat trigger foods in moderation. We will both get there! I know how isolating this can feel but know that we're all with you!

Edit: wow I also have costocondritis and that shit sucks too! I'm sorry you're going through this

You can buy Gaviscon Advance (UK version) at Amazon from various sellers, both the liquid and tablet form. It seems to vary in price quite a bit over time--if you wait you can often get a pretty reasonable price. A couple of items I've ordered in the past:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QEPFKS

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012YJMALG

Also it is possible to order ingredients and make your own Gaviscon Advance very, very easily at a very low cost. Some instructions:

https://blog.fauquierent.net/2016/11/make-your-own-gaviscon-advance-for.html

https://www.scribd.com/document/371534788/Gaviscon-Advance-Homemade

Here are the raw ingredients I ordered from Amazon to do that:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01953G9VG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064GZPU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064GZPPO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

No, those are not correct. That's the American version, which are better than any other American antacid, but not as good as the UK stuff. Here's a link:

​

https://www.amazon.com/Gaviscon-Advance-Chewable-Tablets-Peppermint/dp/B012YJMALG/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=gaviscon+advanced&qid=1556906317&s=amazon-devices&sr=8-5

​

Other people are recommending the Gaviscon Advance Aniseed liquid, which is great stuff but way too much $$ for me since I use a lot

Can I get the gaviscon that is sell in amazon US? I am not even living in the US but have famility there wich help me with the sends. Hard for me to get it from the UK.

I understand what you say, it makes sense, I will give it a try too.

I found these tables on amazon US. Would them work?:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D4MZ2W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

It's usually cheaper than a pillow, and from those I've talked to more comfortable for sleeping

You can pick up a set of these at a local retail store for like $8
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Adjustable-Risers-Furniture-Heights/dp/B00MH74S16

What you need is a a full-sized wedge pillow. they're more expensive, but at least they wouldn't cause you backaches.

An alternative would be to get bed risers (example: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Adjustable-Risers-Furniture-Heights/dp/B00MH74S16). Just put these under the two front legs of the bed and you're ready to go. It's also generally cheaper.

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Avana-Mattress-Elevator-Incline-Support/dp/B077KHHG7K/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=gerd+bed+risers&qid=1570295024&sr=8-6