Acid Reflux

ShariAllison · June 2016

I have severe acid reflux at night! What is safe to take during pregnancy? I have tried natural remedies like red apples and almonds, and TUMS, sleeping on an incline... nothing is cutting it.

DiFazette · June 2016

Milk. Sounds so easy... Calcium is the active ingredient in Tums but it doesn't have all the additives/flavors/colorings. I find it works best when I drink a small glass or two per day, not only when I have reflux.

swhiddon33 · June 2016

I've suffered from reflux for years and boy while pregnant it sure is fun! NOT. The natural remedies never worked for me either.

In fact milk made it worse but I've heard it does provide relief for some!

Have you tried to make a point not to eat within the 2-3 hours before you go to bed? TIME is what helps me the most. I'm actually hanging out as I type this, waiting for a happier esophagus before I go lay down. You could ask your doc about Maalox/Mylanta too. I was told it's on the same level as Tums for pregnancy and have found liquid options often cut the symptoms faster. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding trigger foods helps too. For actual indigestion chest pain (and not the burn burps), a warm compress to my chest can be helpful. I've slept with incline wedges (not just extra pillows) and found relief, but don't be afraid of a comfy recliner chair slumber either. Sometimes the incline just has to be massive to combat the burn. Lastly, the more I burp, the better I feel. I've literally had my DH help lightly pat my back to get them all out. Now that's love.

Good luck!!!

bobbyflies2020 · June 2016

You can take Zantac but try to start with a lower dose. For example try the following:

Stop all caffeine
Stop all fried or high fat food
Stop all citrus and chocolate

If that doesn't help, try the following:

Take 1 Zantac 75 or 150 on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Take same dose before bedtime. Follow diet rules above. You will notice it improve in 1-2 days and hopefully stay away, but if its really bad repeat the meds for 2-3 days then wean yourself off.

I have GERD and have become 90% symptom free and zantac free by following the above regimen. The trick is when I have a flare up I take zantac for 2-3 days. Only had to do it once this pregnancy. For me the culprit is caffeine. For my husband it is bread and drinking too much water.

Good luck and keep me posted. Bad reflux needs to be treated or you will be so uncomfortable. Best of luck

uromys · June 2016

I suffered with both my girls and could not find a remedy that worked well for me. I got indigestion from everything! Even a morning glass of water. Pepcid and Rolaids worked better for me then Tums or Zantac, but nothing took the burn away. Except child birth. It's like they come out and the indigestions gone. All above suggestion have been great and I hope you find relief! I can sympathize with your discomfort.

KatBH · June 2016

Definitely try the dietary changes first, and milk is a good temporary solution, but if not go for Zantac. I've been on Prevacid for chronic reflux since I was 18 and it works like a dream. Unfortunately it isn't cleared for use while pregnant, so I switched over to Zantac 75 at my doctors recommendation, 3 times a day.

Annie and Frank · June 2016

chew gum - activates saliva which helps neutralize the stomach acid

beff12 · June 2016

Another vote for Zantac. I take it when I'm not pregnant too. I had stopped for a while but I've been having pretty painful heartburn/acid reflux this week and it really does help.

JulieSmiles · June 2016

You can take Zantac. If that still isn't enough, talk to your doctor. I had to take Prevacid during my last pregnancy. Hope it gets better!

kmcofield20 · June 2016

A glass of milk every night was the only thing that helped me last pregnancy!

brittnic86 · June 2016

I was super panicked about this before getting pregnant. I've had HORRIBLE, I mean, life interrupting acid reflux for 9 years. For 7 years I've been on Omemprozole (prilosec). My PPC doctor told me it's not okay to continue to take it during pregnancy. But when I went to see my OB, she gave me this wtf look, and said it's totally fine, take two a day if I need to (which I have). So maybe ask your doctor. I would not be a fun person to be around without it! No matter what I did prior to getting on this medication, I had horrible acid reflux. I'd go through a giant bottle of tums a week, and still get no relief. I could drink water, and get acid reflux. So ask your doctor! Don't believe the internet, or any doctor who isn't a pregnancy expert.

ErikandAfton · June 2016

The Tums and milk doesn't work for me. My doctor recommended Maylox or Mylanta which was really difficult for me to stomach. I'd end up puking which just made the whole situation worse. She told me if the Mylanta didn't work to try Gelusil (you can get it at CVS). It's tablets. So far it seems to be the only thing that works for me.

Also I do these few things:
I don't eat within 2 hours of bed.
I don't lay down after I eat for at least 30 minutes.
I avoid my trigger foods. For me it's anything too acidic or anything fried. Even if I eat it at lunch it affects me that day and the next day as well.

swhiddon33 · June 2016

@brittnic86 we sound similar. I was on Nexium for about 5 years before TTC and stopped so that I could, on doctor's advice. Those first couple of months were TORTURE but here I am 7+ months later, pregnant, and maintaining. I'm waiting for the day that it all hits the fan but until then, counting my lucky stars.

I second that advice about chewing gum! It also helps me. I also remembered that walking around helps my body to digest the food faster, so give that a shot @ShariAllison! Just don't let yourself get anxious about it. That only worsens the reflux, in my experience.

screamingguppy · June 2016

My obgyn put me on Zantac this week. I would check with your doctor first before you take it, but one thing to keep in mind (from my doctor's instructions) is you can't take Zantac and tums within 3 hours of each other or they counteract each other.

Good luck! Hope it gets better.

ShariAllison · June 2016

Thanks ladies! I got zantac as my break in case of emergency... been eating raw almonds before bed and it helps!

karabearrr · June 2016

Tums work for me, but only for an hour or so. Someone suggested somewhere else hot water with lemon, and that seemed to work wonders with me.

mysteryship · June 2016

Avoiding trigger foods has been the best remedy for me - mine are chocolate, tomatoes, coffee. Licorice tablets (DGL) helped me a ton too, but they're not recommended in pregnancy.

kmh1416 · June 2016

Chewable papaya enzymes! They work better than tums and you can find them at any health food store. I've also heard tums can cause your placenta to calcify/stop working as well later on in pregnancy. My midwife says to stay away from them but some doctors say they are okay, so who knows?

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