Wellness

[ROMARY]

I have found (for myself) that eating smaller meals all day long seems to reduce acid buildup (in my tummy).  Underline 'my'.  White bread, crackers, etc. before bedtime seems to 'soak up' any extra acid.  Just my experience.  Whenever I awaken with an acidic stomach, it's usually because I hadn't eaten 'soak up' foods such as white bread, crackers, etc.  I sometimes have to get up and eat a mayonaisse sandwich.  Smooth and soothing. I know, sounds very strange, but it seems to work for me.  I think, in my case, my tummy needs food to 'soak up' the extra acid.   Could be that someone else out there is similar to me and my experience with myself.  Please consult your doctors.    .......... EDITED:  p.s.:   Whenever needed, I take 1/4 to 1/2 of a tablet of this 'acid reducer':  Cimetidine 200.   Available in drug store/generic brands. It's comparable to Tagamet HB 200.   Can take it before, during or after a meal.  .......... What's interesting is that, years later, my cat's vet. prescribed a teeny-tiny amount of a tablet to be ground up and inserted into my elderly cat's food for her non-frequent/occasional acidic tummy problems.  She said it's an excellent occasional acid reducer in very teeny-tiny small amounts (for cats), when necessary.  Please consult your veterinarians first, of course. 

[Little Way]

I had esophagitis and duodenal ulcers. I have a hiatal hernia.  So I had to take a lot of Nexium, back when it was not OTC.  Nexium is not harmless and so I decided to wean myself off and figure out a way to get rid of my problems.  Here is what worked for me:

2 VSL #3s am and pm.  VSL #3 is a strong probiotic.  You need to order it online and refrigerate it.  Eventually I cut back to two a day, then one a day.  I will take an extra one now and then when my stomach feels off.  I cannot recommend VSL #3 highly enough - it is the best probiotic out there.

Zinlori - a zinc supplement from Metagenics.. It built back up the lining of my stomach.

DGL - another supplement.  Look it up.  It tastes bad, but works and it's legit.

Not eating after 6.  Avoiding trigger foods and drink.  I don't drink any alcohol. Don't laugh, but I felt the Aeropilates machine helped with the hiatal hernia.  These hernias move around and can actually slip back into position.

No NSAIDs.  Motrin, Aleve etc. are no nos for stomach issues.

I set up a schedule for myself to slowly go from Nexium to Pepcid and then I weaned myself off of Pepcid.

Good luck.  

[piperbay]

Try a shotglass or two of Aloe Vera juice. Geoge's is a good brand. The aloe is healing for the stomach lining.

[NickNack]

If the 30 mg. isn't working as well as it used to, I don't see how quitting it and using probiotics instead would help at all.  GERD can be very serious and you need to take medication for it.  I tried for years adjusting my diet and not eating past 7:00 and various other things.  Nothing worked.  My PCP woudn't prescribe anything for me, and I was completely miserable.  I tried elevating the top of my bed and several other things.

Finally I went to a gastroenterologist, and he put me on Prevacid which I've been on every since.  He told me it was ridiculous that my PCP wouldn't prescribe it for me.  I am now seeing someone who does prescribe it for me.