Severe Heart Burn

Hi Friends,

I am experiencing severe heartburn (usually around 2:00AM) that woke me up for the last few months. I had been taking Deglycyrrhizinated licorice root extract in chewable tablet form to overcome the heart burn and it seems to relax me but not curing the cause.

I searched on the net and saw apple cider vinegar as one of the possible cures. I am taking apple cider vinegar (one table spoon with warm water) but I am not sure as my urine is so acidic after that.

I don't want these so called acid reflux prescribed tablets. My heart condition came fine two years ago and I do not eat spicy food.

I take my dinner around 6:30pm and goes to bed at 9:00pm so it cannot be possibly be a digestive problem. Just note that there is no heartburn after eating food and throughout the day (it bothers me at night only).

Any ideas before I make appointment with the doctor.

CF,

You may have already tried this, but keeping a diary of your meals can sometimes tip you off to certain foods that are causing problems. I found some good tips at this site. There are also some links to related articles at the bottom of that page.
http://heartburn.about.com/od/preventingheartburn/a/preventniteburn.htm

10 Steps to Lessening Nighttime Heartburn

By Sharon Gillson, About.com Guide

Updated April 18, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Filed In:

   1. Prevention / Treatment
   2. > Prevention

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Nearly eight in ten heartburn sufferers experience symptoms at night. If staying up all night isn't the option you are prepared to take for handling your nighttime heartburn, the following suggestions should help you.

1. Eat your big meal at lunch instead of at dinnertime.
This way your stomach won't still be working on that big meal when you go to bed. It is also beneficial to eat 4 or 5 smaller meals instead of 3 larger ones. This will also reduce the gastric pressure.

2. Eat at least two to three hours before lying down.
If you take naps, try sleeping in a chair. Lying down with a full stomach can cause stomach contents to press harder against the LES, increasing the chances of refluxed food.

3. Avoid foods that are known to lead to heartburn.
These include foods that can trigger your heartburn, either by increasing acid production and gastric pressure or by loosening the lower sphincter muscle. Also, avoid foods that can irritate the lining of the esophagus, such as spicy foods, coffee, citrus fruit and juices. Especially if you eat any of these foods at dinnertime will increase your chances of having nighttime heartburn. If you aren't sure what foods trigger your heartburn symptoms, try keeping a heartburn record for a week. You can also check out a chart for foods with little risk of causing heartburn.

4. Eliminate late-night snacking.
Have your last snack no later than two hours before bedtime.

5. Sleep with your head and shoulder on an incline.
Lying down flat presses the stomach's contents against the LES. With the head higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure, and keeps stomach contents where they belong--in the stomach. You can elevate your head in a couple of ways. You can place bricks, blocks or anything that's sturdy securely under the legs at the head of your bed. You can also use a wedge-shaped pillow to elevate your head.

6. Sleep on your left side.
Studies have shown that this position aids digestion and helps with the removal of stomach acid. Sleeping on the right side has been shown to worsen heartburn.

7. Make sure your bed clothes are loose-fitting.
Clothing that fits tightly around the abdomen will squeeze the stomach, forcing food up against the LES, and cause food to reflux into the esophagus. Clothing that can cause problems include tight-fitting belts and slenderizing undergarments.

8. Stop smoking.
Nicotine can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, which can lead to stomach contents entering the esophagus, with heartburn as a result. Smoking also stimulates the production of stomach acid. Find out the other reasons it's good to stop smoking if you suffer from heartburn.

9. Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid. Alcohol also relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), allowing stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus. If you still want to consume alcohol, find out how and when to consume alcohol when you suffer from heartburn.

10. Take an antacid when heartburn hits.
Antacids will work very quickly on heartburn you may be experiencing before you go to bed. It can also be used for those heartburn episodes that wake you up during the night if the heartburn comes back. Unfortunately, this is very possible. An H2 blocker will work for a longer period of time, usually up to 12 hours, but they take an hour or so to begin working, and you are able to go back to sleep. Another option is to combine the two. The antacid will provide the quick relief you need, and will likely last until the H2 blocker begins to work.

If you continue to experience frequent heartburn symptoms at night, see your health care provider. He or she will be able to diagnose whether you are suffering from just occasional heartburn, or something more serious, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, an ulcer, or a hiatal hernia. You will be able to discuss with your health care provider different treatment options, including medications such as proton pump inhibitors.

Hello C_F,

With acid reflux at night, I would wake up coughing and a sore/burning throat too.

Using 2 pillows for a few weeks helped me a lot. Maybe it does keep the acid down and prevent heartburn. You might be facing this problem only at night - maybe because you are lying down only then? Do u nap during the day, and do you face this problem that time too?

Also try eating a cookie or a tiny bit of bland food every 2-4 hours and see if it helps even a little bit.

When my tummy is empty I get the burning/pain/etc (in my chest/tummy - centre and left side) . Then I nibble on food every few hours and the pain vanishes.

Oh i sleep on my left side too, when in discomfort, not sure why, but I do. :-)

Hope this helps, maybe a doctor may also have other things to check for? Do take care.

:-)

Thanks Andy and Preety,

These are some useful tips to work on.

Regards.

Salam
u may add Yougat in ur food also drink few sips of cold milk insted of using any medicine, check the level of ur head while sleeping (i mean Pillow)... it may help u to get rid of it....

not at all sure if this may be so....but someone close to me suffers from heartburn and after a thorough check at the hospital they were found to have digestive problems with the pancreus....made alot of difference with medication. 

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice. I am seeing the doctor soon to see if there is some underlying medical problem. However, the pillow trick seems to be working fine and the intensity of heart burn is much less.

Thanks.