Have you found ways to help with acid reflux?

[Rescue5]

Background... I have Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) with lung involvement and bronchiectasis, the SSc has also damaged my oesophagus. My worst daily irritation is now acid reflux, I’m not in pain but might describe it as quite unpleasant!

I’m describing a few things here that help me, and might be helpful to others with same/similar issues.

I find the reflux aggravates my lungs/chest.

The chest/heartburn side of things doesn’t bother me so much, more concern for me is acid saliva and mucus (sorry so graphic!) coming up from my stomach into my throat and mouth causing coughing.

The worse times for me are early morning, presume after lying down overnight and also later in the day, early evening onwards, often with extensive coughing up saliva/mucus.

Tooth brushing especially aggravates it. I have started using Kingfisher toothpaste and prefer it to Sensodyne. Nonetheless I still dread tooth brushing.

During the day exercise often aggravates the reflux and results in more coughing up saliva/mucus.

I am taking Esomeprazole for the acid reflux and Mycophenolate for the SSc.

Following research on foods, in general I avoid spicy, fried and citrus foods.

I have tried Gaviscon both the tablets and liquid and they don’t really help me!

I find plain dry biscuits helpful, if I feel acid coming on I’ll nibble a cream cracker, the rationale I think here is the dry crumbs mix with the stomach acid and becomes a sort of paste in the stomach and helps stop the acid coming up the oesophagus.

Also popcorn, the plain sort, it’s quite dry and seems to absorb the acid.

Hoola-Hoops - the ones in packets, are quite dry and again absorb the acid!

Soft liquorice, I buy the Panda bars, I cut them up into small pieces to suck and it brings about some relief. Though I am wary of having too much, I have read that too much liquorice might not be good!

I used to drink red wine, the alcohol’s not so good and I have lost the taste for it now anyway. I drink very little now, I might have an occasional cream sherry. Though I'm not saying it helps!

Hope these ideas might be helpful to others. Feel free to chip in with your own favourite ideas to relieve acid reflex.

Kind regards

[George369]

Hi Rescue5,I have Ssc diffuse with GERD, and facing same issues as you describe, with acid saliva coming up and burning my throat, coughing etc., this is a daily problem especially troubling in the evenings, often causing vomiting.

I was taking 40mg PPI daily for two years, but then when i was told by my doctor that long term use of PPIs most probably caused me to have a gallstone, also caused 40% osteoporosis in my left hip, so i decided to stop PPI's and now rely mainly on Antacids and Probiotics.

But when the burning in my throat becomes unbearable i take a PPI (omeprazol 20mg) and this stops the pain for two or three days, with the PPI i can feel a soothing in my stomach and that my esophagus is healing.

I am surprised that Gaviscon does not work for you, in any case i have read in other posts on this platform a lot of good & helful advice about how to deal with acid reflux, like lifting the bed up, avoid sleeping on the right side, avoid acid foods & citric juices, etc. I usually avoid eating in the afternoon and try to eat small light meals early preferably before noon to give my stomach the chance to digest, i can eat only boiled fruits and boiled vegetables, also avoiding gluten seems to help and also taking probiotics helps, plus a daily walk about 20 min in the afternoon seems to help digestion, also using chewing gum helps, also i try to keep away from stressfull situations cause then i can feel my stomach gets filled with acids.

I really have not found yet any other better solution, and am also still searching, I am keenly aware that if acid reflux is left untreated then scarring of the esophagus will worsen, and possibly leading to cancer.

Unfortunately my rheumatologists just don't seem to care much, they see this as a secondary problem, as they do with all side effects, and when i complained they told me to consult a surgeon and possibly have some surgery done, but this is an extreme measure, so i decided just to wait and sit it out.

Lets hope for the best.

[Rescue5 in reply to George369]

George369

Thank you for your detailed response. It's good to hear about your situation and how you manage some of your symptoms.

It seems you've been living with it longer than me and have worked out some of your own preferences to help you.

I think we all work through different ways of dealing with our reflux symptoms it's often a combination of medication plus avoidance of certain foods, having one's own daily timetable with eating for example.

I'm sure other folks in the group will also gain from your message response here.

Wishing you well George.

Kind regards.