Heartburn

[Vixx3n]

I'm currently taking Omeprazole but still suffering with horrendous heartburn during the night. The acid is that bad I feel like my throat is on fire and it's painful. Liquid Gaviscon isn't helping at all, does anyone have any other suggestions? A very tired and fed up Mum to be!

I had it throughout all three of my pregnancies. Not much really worked for long I'm afraid, though I virtually lived on Gaviscon. Some people swear by drinking milk. For me it helped only briefly, as it does turn very acidic once in the stomach.

Sleeping in a sitting position was better than lying down, if I recall correctly.

My friend had Ranitidine and she said it was the best thing ever as gaviscon didn't help and also made her feel sick but you would need it prescribed by a doctor, I to suffer badly with heartburn but gaviscon seems to help me also I searched this as my dad suffers badly and he swears by apples --- Apples are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It's thought that these alkalizing minerals may help relieve symptoms of acid reflux. ... Some say that eating an apple after a meal or before bedtime may help neutralize this acid by creating an alkaline environment in the stomach.

Thanks! I find milk helps temporarily but like you said it aggravates the acid in the long run due to the fat content.

The Omeprazole is prescribed by my GP but I might ask for Rantadine as an alternative. I'll definitely give the apples a whirl too, I'm willing to try most things at this stage.

I have avoided spicy foods recently but it was my birthday yesterday and we went out for a curry which I believe is the reason I'm suffering so badly now. At 39 + 1 I'm so ready for this baby to make an appearance!

Ranitidine is good. I was given it when about to have a caesarean section, and it did work.

Milk actually makes it worse if you drink too much of it... Something I havnt tried but apparently cooled boiled water is suppose to help straight away so worth a try

You’ll unfortunately struggle to get ranitidine .. most manufacturers have pulled it off the shelves due to concerns of cancer causing chemicals found in the drug. Have a quick google of ‘ranitidine recall uk’. Since October, more & more manufacturers have withdrawn selling it. I was on it and found it really helpful but my GP swapped me to omeprazole & advised me not to take anymore until they could be sure it was safe.

Are you just taking one 20mg omeprazole? As you can take a higher dose? My doc recommended 20mg in the morning but if needed 20mg in the evening too.. I generally don’t find I need it but sometimes, I can feel it creeping in after tea and I know it’ll be bad overnight if I don’t take the extra tablet!

There’s also the option of 40mg in one dose.. probs worth a chat to your GP to see how you play with your dose!

I currently take 20mg so it's good to know there's an option to take an increased dosage. I'll give my GP a call on Monday and see what they recommend- thanks for the advice