Anyone awake with severe heartburn and what else might help?

[Bemyclementine]

Suffered with this occasionally for about a year. First episide was truly awful as I had no idea what was happening. Was on the verge of calling an ambulance when it eased.

Was awake a few nights ago with it, took 2 x rennie. Awake about 90 minutes.

Woke tonight 11.30ish (not long been asleep) took 2 rennie, fell back to sleep after an hour.

Woke again 1.30. 2 more but just doesnt seem to be easing. Cant sleep, cant settle at all. Feeling hot and a bitnausea.

Found gaviscon tablets, would you takrle 2 also? Also found Ranitidone but 7yrs out if date so guess thats a no

Please help any suggestions, this is awful.

If it is heartburn (as opposed to anything more serious) then i’d suggest a painkiller on top of the antacids to get some sleep tonight, sleep with head raised and get yourself some Nexium in the morning. Take one tablet a day for a couple of weeks to settle it down and see doc if no improvement.Nexium reduces production of acid and allows oesophagus to heal. Antacids just neutralise the acid after it’s already done its damage.

Losing weight will help if you are overweight.

I'd take the Gaviscon, drink a lot of water and sit up for an hour or so, to let it settle.

I used to get heartburn really badly, especially if I ate carbs / sugar with high fat foods, but Mounjaro has thankfully cured it, though it has the opposite effect for most people. (I also eat very few carbs or fats now, which probably helps.)

@ScaredOfFlying I think it is but will see the GP as this is just awful, I had no idea it could be so bad.

@Plot30B have taken the gaviscon, and had 4 pillows propped up. Really hope thus settles it

Painkillers
pillows to prop you up
anti acids or failing that I eat bread and drink a load of tea

I also have stopped eating nightshade vegetables - peppers and tomatoes mainly - particularly at night.

Thanks. I have taken paracetamol. I just cant get comfortable. Keep thinking its easing but it back.

I have burped and let out an abundance of wind, hoping that helps somehow

Gallstones? Abdominal ultrasound can detect them. If it is, then stay upright so gravity can help the gallstone pass through the bile duct. Buscopan can help. Avoid codeine.

If it is just heartburn then try drinking some milk. It can be soothing. Go to your GP to get something prescribed for the heartburn. Keep a food diary so you can identify any patterns or foods where it’s worse and what might be causing it.

I am. Not to be indelicate, but try going to the loo and make sure you are constipated.
If you’re nauseous, dizzy, sweaty or you aren’t sure it’s heartburn call 111.

It could be a gall bladder issue rather than heartburn. If Gaviscon and sitting upright aren't helping after an hour or so then this is what I'd suspect. Is there any way you can get to A & E?

Have you got any spinach? If so eat a few handfuls like crisps. As it’s alkaline.

Google yoga poses for heartburn as there are some such as cobra that can help movement… good luck it’s horrible in the middle of the night

when I had it while pregnant I had to sleep sitting up. Not comfortable, but more comfortable than heartburn.

Throw the ranitidine away, it's out of date and infact sales of it are now banned as it is deemed to potentially contain a carcinogen!

Avoid hot and very cold drinks they make it worse.

Sivas now like gallstones tbh. What did you eat for divert and what time? I spent years thinking it was heartburn and it was actually baby stones forming and blocking my duct. It eased off when they got bigger and then I lost weight rapidly and they expanded quickly. Best thing I ever did was get that gb removed. The relief!!

I have a hiatus hernia and it’s so annoying. Things that have helped me:

• sleeping on my left / more inclined if bad
• liquid gaviscon has a mild coating effect so can help slightly more than rennies (I do eat a lot of rennies)
• not eating past 7pm (or 3 hours before bed)
• PPI to reduce stomach acid are amazing but I don’t like using them long term so will use for a few weeks to give everything a chance to reduce inflammation.

i would say it time to go to the gp and try a PPI, if these don’t help you need to push for further tests

@GreenGodiva i had chicken thigh (cooked in one of those flavour bags in the oven) sweet potato and tenderstem brocolli. At sbout 6.30

Thank you all, i did get to sleep eventually but have woken up with the same issue, not quite so bad.

I sympathise. I had this once a year ago. I didn’t know what it was and was in so much pain and couldn’t breathe I had an ambulance. They even thought I was having a heart attack.

You can buy Omeprazole in the pharmacy without a prescription. I find it really helps, though obviously you shouldn't take it for longer than a few days without consulting your GP.

As others have said, it could be gallstones.

A bit random but coconut water helps mine!

If it is just heartburn a high strength magnesium supplement could help.

i had horrific heartburn when pregnant.

i get it now as I am overweight.

Drinking bicarbonate of soda diluted in water was the only thing that worked for me. It makes you burp a lot, but also actually works! 1teaspoon into a cup of water.

Did you eat the skin? Gb issues are often triggered by fat and oil as your body needs bile to digest it. But stones block the duct, the gb squeezes harder and that’s what causes the pain. You don’t feel contractions as such, not like you think you would. But for me it was a gnawing pain that was just under my sternum and slightly to the right/under my right boob. Often felt it in my back or like mega heat burn. Burps can also be an indicator as the food starts to ferment if it can’t be digested. Also diarrhoea. A good 7-1 magnesium supplement can help gb function, as can drinking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 200ml water 20 minutes before a meal.

If it’s heartburn, I sometimes get like this too. I take Nexium and drink tonic water which helps but it can take a while to wear off. Watching what I eat and drink and leaving a gap of 2/3 hours between this and going to bed also helps.

@GreenGodiva no they were skinless boneless thighs. I cooked the veg, roasted, in olive oil sprayed on.

I suffer from heartburn quite a bit. I've found a couple of Nexium does the trick generally. Failing that a glug of apple cider vinegar generally helps (I've also had normal vinegar if no apple cider stuff in the cupboard!) Relaxing propped up after, with a cup of tea eases things too. Have your gallbladder checked out, first time I had an attack I honestly thought I was having a heart attack!, ended up in hospital and gallstones were diagnosed.