Share your tips for dealing with heartburn with Gaviscon

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Whether you suffered as a student, during pregnancy, or in your general day-to-day life, dealing with heartburn can really get you down. Finding new ways and different remedies to cope with heartburn can be really important in helping you deal with it - and it’s also great to know that you’re not alone. With this in mind, we want to hear your tips for dealing with heartburn.

Here’s what Gaviscon have to say:
“Around 80% of all pregnant women suffer from heartburn by the third trimester, therefore finding ways to deal with it is important during pregnancy. Gaviscon Advance range is indicated for use during pregnancy, in addition it isn’t absorbed into your bloodstream to work. Gaviscon advance works by forming a protective barrier on top of the stomach contents which helps prevent the acid rising into your food pipe.
Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine in pregnancy.
Gaviscon Advance Tablets and Oral Suspensions. For heartburn and indigestion. Always read the label. RB-M-00995”

Do you have any top tips for dealing with heartburn? What’s the most helpful piece of advice you’ve had to help you deal with it? Did you get it at a particular stage of your life? Maybe you’ve had to cut something out that really helped you deal with heartburn?

Share your experiences and the ways you deal with heartburn on the thread below and 1 MNer will be in with a chance to win a £300 voucher (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Do you have any top tips for dealing with heartburn?

Drink milk, avoid fatty food, bend down with your knees and not your back.

What’s the most helpful piece of advice you’ve had to help you deal with it?

Take a look at your diet and eat smaller meals, with snacks inbetween

Did you get it at a particular stage of your life?

I get it now and again, and with DS1 it was pretty unbearable, I did not want to take any medicine, but my HV said Gaviscon Advance was fine as it is not absorbed into the bloodstream, which I felt reassured about, It really helped the massive discomfort of the burning feeling.

Maybe you’ve had to cut something out that really helped you deal with heartburn?

I cut down on fried foods (which I did not have a lot of)

Heartburn was the only 'bad' side affect of my 2 pregnancies, it was so bad at night, I found having a beanbag instead of a pillow was useful, and taking over the counter antacids worked - after speaking to my local pharmacist helped - the best advice is take the antacid, but don't drink or eat for 30 minutes whilst they are working, or there's no point.

I drink milk and banana smoothies in the morning which seem to help too - no 'acidy' berries for me

Eat early, bland food, gentle walks/stay upright after meals and lots of gaviscon. If that doesn't work - ranitidine! (sorry gaviscon!)

I find liquorish supplements work to lessen my symptoms, my Dr prescribed Gaviscon towards the last trimester, after assuring me it would not affect my baby, they symptoms were alleviated - bliss.

My tips would be sleep on your side if you can, avoid spicy foods, and bend with your knees not your back.

Eating fresh pineapple really helps my heartburn, as well as slowly sipping water.

Silicol gel, brilliant stuff. I had awful awful heartburn for two months, tried everything and this is the only thing that helped.

Not panicking, and, to be honest, just slowly sipping iced water.

nibbling on dry crackers

I only had heartburn in pregnancy and it was awful- the result of spending an afternoon in the pub with friends and drinking nothing but orange juice. What helped was water, sitting upright and gaviscon.

Once I worked out my triggers, it helped. Raw garlic and spicy food are the worst for me. I already don't drink alcohol and caffeine which are other common triggers. I avoid eating before bed and now sleep with two pillows. Always have the little tub of Gaviscon tablets in my handbag for when I need them. When I was pregnant, I had little bottles - one in the handbag, one beside the bed and one in my desk drawer at work!

I first had heartburn when pregnant with DD and kept a bottle by the bed to drink from during the night! Since DD was born I have heard heartburn quite few times and for me, I have found that eating ate and rich or spicy foods definitely seem to bring it on. So, I try to avoid foods that exacerbate it but if eating late is unavoidable I sip water afterwards and have a swig of Gaviscon before bed.

Avoid fatty, acidic and spicy foods.
Sleep propped upright.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Lose excess weight.
Drink milk.
Try a low FODMAP diet.
Don't eat straight before going to bed.
Gaviscon and in worse cases Omeprazole are good. I relied on these in 3rd trimester of my first pregnancy.

I have always suffered heartburn and reflux and have found a cold drink of milk helps.

For heartburn caused by food, I have a glass of cool water and then take Gaviscon - don't eat or drink after taking it. For heartburn caused by stress (usually at my desk at work), I find that sitting up straight, leaning back and taking slow deep breaths relieves the burning sensation.

I've had bad heartburn all through my pregnancy. I've found not eating about 3 hours before bedtime/lying down helped. Tomato anything, Chinese takeaway and beef really aggravated it as well so I tried my best to avoid those. I also found vanilla yoghurt to be a lifesaver! And to be honest I never left the house without Gaviscon. I'd have a bottle at work, at home and in my bag- just in case!

Coffee always made it worse for me. So work out what some of your trigger foods are and avoid them!

Only suffered heartburn during my pregnancy I found drinking a cold glass of milk helped

I suffered with heartburn whilst pregnant and also wherever I put weight on. I find that as soon as I have a healthy balanced diet with minimal fat then the heartburn goes almost instantly.
Whilst I was pregnant, I just made sure that I didn't eat late at night and also that I had small portions

Avoid spicy or fatty foods,

I get heartburn a lot. I've self managed by not eating after 8pm, sitting up straight for a while before going to bed and drinking only water before bedtime.

I've been taking prescribed products for silent reflux since May and have ended up with an iron deficiency. Apparently the products can inhibit the absorption of iron.

My top tip is avoid eating late and avoid spicy foods.

Drink water only for a couple of hours before bed.
Avoid spicy food. (Not that I do )

I find that sitting up or standing ( not lying down) really helps with heartburn for me

A scoop of ice cream gets rid of my heartburn, milk does nothing for me

See the GP to confirm there's nothing untoward going on. I have two relatives with oesophagus issues, both suffered from heartburn for years but thought it was just one of those things.

Do everything possible to avoid getting heartburn in the first place: keep a food diary to see if there are any triggers. Sleep with an extra pillow and don't eat too near bedtime.