Fast relief for acid reflux

[BlueHarry]

I get bad acid reflux every time I'm on my period. I always used to take ranitidine (zantac) until it was recalled. That always worked very well for me. I had the last nexium I have in yesterday and it doesn't seem to have done anything, I'm in a lot of pain from it and I'm wondering if anyone has any good home remedies that might help as it's Sunday, nowhere is open and I don't even have any gaviscon. Please help!

Also interested in suggestions of things I can buy in the chemist tomorrow that might be similar to ranitidine as I find very little relief from nexium.

Where do you live? If you are in West Yorkshire I have spare ranitidine. However gaviscon can be bought in Tesco extra etc....

Do you have any soda water? Baking soda to dilute? Definitely sleep on your left side tonight.

Thank you for the offer Tom but I'm too far away. That's very kind of you though, I'm really touched.

I think we have some baking soda. Do I just mix it with water?

I don't have soda water, we have sparkling water if that's any good? I've just taken some cocodomal and it's helping but I know it will be back.

This from a reflux page
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a natural antacid. If you dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda into 8 ounces of water and drink it, it can neutralize stomach acid and temporarily alleviate heartburn caused by acid reflux. ... When you add baking soda to water, it releases carbon dioxide, causing it to fizz.

I know it was recalled but I got some ranitidine in Savers today. Might be coming back.. so worth checking. I was going to suggest Nexium but maybe the chemist might know of something better/stronger.

Thank you. I work near a savers so I will have a look in there tomorrow. Will be over the moon if I manage to get some ranitidine. In the mean time I'll use baking soda thanks so much.

Omeprazole.

Omezprazole! I'd been trying to remember the name of that. Thank you winter! I remember the last time I tried to buy it, I was advised to get nexium instead and have continued on with nexium ever since for some reason - I don't know why as I have never found it very effective. I hope I can still get omezprazole OTC.

I always have milk when mine is bad. I've been struggling without Ranitidine and have been having Rennies but they're not as good.

Water. It dilutes the acid so the more the better. Avoid milk, it helps short term but increases acid production in the longer term.

Omeprazole and similar are ppi and they have long term use side effects that you need to look at before you consider them.

I’ve actually had major surgery for reflux due to such bad suffering. I used to find eating a white diet helped day to day but unusually I could eat tomato based meals and chilli with no issues.

Try Ziverel which you can get from Amazon.

Thanks for all the info red. I will read about the side effects but honestly the pain can be so bad, as I am sure you know, it's hard to care about what the side effects could be when you just want to get relief. I've heard that too about milk making things worse in the long run so you might want to avoid it in future hartof.

Thanks hobby I will look up that ziverel, I've never heard of that one before.

Omeprazole is the better drug really. I had to stop taking it because of a side effect I was having on it. I mentioned to my doctor that it wasn’t as good. He told me that that the pathway would be to use omeprazole first because it is More effective.

Although having just read some of the possible side effects of omezprazole I'm feeling somewhat terrified!

Dont forget that omeprazole/nexium and other PPI's need to be taken for a few days to be of any benefit because they reduce the acid production in the 1st place. They arent an instant fix like gaviscon can be.
Have you ever been tested for H pylori? I used to have reflux on and off for years. Some GPs send off a stool sample, others can test using a breath test. Treatment was a week of 2 antibiotics and another PPI, but I've been clear since and never had reflux again!

I have lanzoprozole still but I only take it when I’m really bad, I’ve had surgery to stop acid and food coming back up as I regurgitated stomach contents constantly through the day but I still over produce acid. I woke up at 3 the other morning with the worst acid tummy and sipped water for an hour until it settled. Eating something dry can help too, I like nature valley bars as they’re like sand 😂

It really is a miserable condition that non sufferers really don’t understand.

My husband used to take omeprazole daily. Someone suggested trying almond milk when he had an acid flare up, and it has been so effective for him he has given up the medication.

Its cheap enough to be worth a try.

I tried every medication for my son's acid reflux but the thing that worked best was a teaspoon of really good quality Manuka honey 4 times a day. It was astonishing - I would really recommend trying it

Thanks I'll definitely try out the almond milk and the manuka honey. I've never been tested for h pylori, I only really suffer with it right before and then while on my period, it isn't something I get the rest of the time, so I wouldn't have thought it would be that? But I don't know. Tbh I really dislike my GP and I try and avoid seeing her as much as I can so I'm hesitant to ask about this.

Dont forget that omeprazole/nexium and other PPI's need to be taken for a few days to be of any benefit because they reduce the acid production in the 1st place

Yes sorry should have mentioned in my op, when I said I took the last of a pack of nexium, I have been taking it for a few days now. It just really doesn't seem to do very much for me. I remember finding omeprazole much better.

It really is a miserable condition that non sufferers really don’t understand.

Yep! It was about 7 years or so ago when I first started to get it. The first time I got it, I didn't know what it was, and also had no idea that ibuprofen was bad for the stomach so what did I take to try and help the pain!