HELLISH heartburn and only 18weeks :(

[badguider]

First pregnancy and I've got the worst heartburn ever and I'm only 18 weeks. Everything I've read indicates this is more of a late pregnancy issue and can only get worse... is that true?

Because I haven't really been able to eat anything today, or drink a hot drink. And I've started to realise that my first trimester nausea just sort of morphed into this heartburn via a few weeks of burping and feeling like I needed to burp.

Got a MW appt (my delayed 16wk appt) tomorrow so will ask there but basically I'm just really scared. I don't even really have a bump yet and already I can't eat for heartburn, what's it goign to be like when the baby grows!!!???

Spring - you can buy ranitidine in Tesco and sainsburys for £1 a packet. I've never had a problem doing so. Maybe try 75mg twice a day for a few days to see if it helps? If it does but not completely, the full dose is 150mg twice a day (300mg all together).

No GP will prescribe anything in pregnancy without first warning you that trials cannot be performed on pregnant women and that therefore nothing can be guaranteed safe. However, my own research reassured me that ranitidine has been used for many years by pregnant women with no apparent harm.

My GP asked me to wait till I got till 12 weeks to start taking it.

I would definitely recommend speaking to your GP about getting a prescription just in case there is something in your personal medical history that would counter-indicate. More importantly, even at £1 a packet it get expensive! Far better to get the 150mg tablets on prescription FREE!

Are you using liquids gaviscon or the tablets? Liquid is much more effective. Your GP can also prescribe liquid Gaviscon Advance, which is prohibitively expensive. Non of the supermarket own brand versions come close IMO.

Ta - am waiting on GP appt now!