How bad does heartburn have to be before GP will prescribe something?

[suiledonn]

I am almost 29 weeks and my heartburn is awful. I hardly slept last night and was miserable all day today. My appetite is gone and it has me in a really bad mood. I am taking Gaviscon advance tablets and drinking peppermint tea but it's not helping.

I have read on here that they will prescribe zantac but you can buy it over the counter. I doubt they would prescribe anything stronger?

You can take omeprazole when you are pregnant, it's a type of antacid that reduces the amount of acid you make. Medication like this are prescription only though so pop and see your GP. He won't mind.

I was prescribed something as well as Gaviscon but when I looked it up it sounded a bit offputting and I didn't take it. I hated Gaviscon and found that ice and (to my surprise as I thought it would make me sick) milk were the most useful things in the last two or three months of my first pregnancy.

i have prescriptions for Zantac and Gaviscon.

even with these, i wake up several times a night with acid burning my throat.

Suiledonn, I went to my GP a few weeks ago with heartburn, the worst it has been in any of my 3 pregnancies and he prescribed me maalox. It is pretty good stuff, best taken regularly to keep on top of the symptoms rather than just taking it when it is bad.

I was told to avoid milk at all costs as although it helps immediately and in the short term, it actually increases the production of stomach acid after about 30 minutes.

Hi suiledon, I took maalox in my pregnancy with DS and it was good; much better ime than Gaviscon.

Unfortunately my new GP will only prescribe Gaviscon so I am still suffering in spite of eating them like sweeties. I can't take the liquid, the act of pouring it onto a spoon makes me gag.

Apparently mint magnums can help

My GP and consultant would not prescribe omeprazole and I had to come off it as soon as I fell pregnant.
Went on to liquid gaviscon, was going through a 500ml bottle every other day so intake of sodium was way too much.
GP rx ranitidine 75mg twice a day last preg, but this time I have 150mg ranitidine once day and its fab.

I have hiatus hernia so always have h burn but its worse in pregnancy.

Ask gp for ranitidine and get it on prescription, its very expensive buying it over the counter.

i was about 25 weeks ang gp told me i shouldn't have heartburn that early in the pregnancy - had he ever been pregnant? One genuinely suspects not! he did prescribe peptac though - a cheaper version of gaviscon - I found gaviscon didn't work, but peptac was really good!

thank crunchie both our GPs are fathers - and one's a grandfather - who are sympathetic to pregnancy woes.

I felt like lackadaisycal about liquid Gaviscon, really disgusting, tablets were easier to take but didn't seem to make a lot of difference.

Interesting warning about milk though.

I was recently prescribed Ranitidine (the same as Zantac) at 150mg twice a day. I'm 25 weeks. Gaviscon just wasn't doing it for me - I was glugging it from the bottle in desperation. The Ranitidine seems to be helping as it isn't as acute.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am going to try and get a GP appointment for tomorrow. I know some people think heartburn is a fact of life during pregnancy but once it starts to affect your eating and sleeping then it should be treated more seriously.

ksma - A nurse told me that about the lemon in water before but I never tried it. I can't handle citrus at the best of times so didn't believe it could work. I'm going to give it a try later though when I get some lemons.

LackaDAISYcal - you can buy maalox over the counter. so if you dont mind actually paying for it you don't need a Rx. (drank gallons of the stuff last time!)

It's annying when at 25 weeks the GP said it's too early! I started having heartburn at about 6 weeks, after no history of it at all previously....and has continued for the whole pregnancy so do make sure they take you seriously as it leaves you exhausted and you tend to loose your apetite neither of which is very good for the baby.

I haven't tried it myself, but my sister swears by charcoal tablets for controlling acid. Apparently the charcoal absorbs the excess acid! Only problem is the tablets are quite big, and I have aproblem swallowing tabs at the best of times, couldn't even get pregnacare down. THat's the only reason I haven't tried it though as I feel like Icould die of heartburn sometimes. Oh for the tablets Holland & Barrett sell them.

You could try eating 5 or 6 small meals a day and not drinking fluids with your meals.

I've been prescribed Omeprazole at 31 weeks for very severe acid reflux. The Dr told me that it is as safe in pregnancy as some prenatal vitamins.

He didn't suggest the tablets until I developed a really nasty cough and chest infection that wouldn't clear. I was coughing continually and so hard that I couldn't keep any food down. He thought it was caused by acid reflux and acid getting where it shouldn't and causing burning/damage. The tablets have helped but not stopped the heartburn completely, I still need gaviscon sometimes.

Suiledonn, that is why I went to see my GP, I had literally stopped eating and was spending more than 4 hours awake each night. To be honest, my appetite still isn't up to much, but I am managing 2 out of 3 meals and a few snacks if I do get peckish. It's a shame really as I eat less than my 7 year old and think overall I have lost weight from various places of my body, but baby is growing well enough. I keep reminding myself I am doing this all for him and it will be over soon enough (although 9 more weeks still sounds like forever away when you aren't feeling great)

I can't praise Ranitidine enough - saved my sanity!Your GP should take it seriously - as I think there is someone who posts on here whose heartburn turned quite serious - sort of like an ulcer

It's definatley worth giving it a shot - my GP wouldn't prescibe it and then in desperation saw another GP who said there was absolutely no reason not to prescribe it and it was stupid to suffer!

Just one thing - as a "regular" severe heartburn sufferer peppermint tea is good for IBS, not heartburn. It relaxes the sphincter and therefore can actually make heartburn worse.

Also the rinitidine that the doctor prescribes is much stronger than the OTC. Omeprazole is also much better than rinitidine as it is in slow release capsules.

Suiledonn, hope you're feeling better today. If you are having heartburn that doesn't give you the actual burning sensation in your throat and isn't responding to heartburn remedies, it could possibly be a symptom of liver damage associated with pre-eclampsia and you should get yourself to a doctor immediately for bp and urine check. Much more likely to be heartburn, but thought it was worth mentioning.

Let us know how you get on

another vote for maalox - i got mine on script from gp when i asked for gaviscon and he said this is better and it is. tastes shit but works. i take it about 3 times a day!

Thanks for the advice everyone. I didn't get to the doctor yet as my car is in the garage. Baby has moved and that has helped a bit. Also stopped the peppermint tea thanks to Brettgirls advice and think that might have helped a bit too. Still going to go to the doctor though.