Acid Reflux and gaining weight....

I'm trying very hard to follow the "rules" of gaining weight...but it's so hard to do with my acid reflux 24/7. I've tried all kinds of meds, done all kinds of tests and am being followed by docs but still no relief. Does anyone here suffer from acid reflux/heartburn...what do you do? I lost 10 pds due to this disease and I want to gain it back so bad.....I''m 5'6 and 104 pds....HELPPPPPP with some suggestions cause this is bringing me down....btw the doc knows all this and he is trying his best but it just won't go away!!

Safe Foods for Control of Acid Reflux
Food To Moderate to Control Acid Reflux
Food To Avoid to Control Acid Reflux

Still aim for 2500 calories plus. And run these charts by your GP before you cut anything out.

I sympathise with you as I have suffered with this for a few years now and have been through tough times.  I too am trying to gain. I kept a food diary for a while and followed all the advice on foods etc but still suffer. I do believe now from experience and what the doc tells me that stress and anxiety are factors as much as food is. You need to relax and not worry about it.  Although certain foods can make symptoms worse such as acidic fruit juices and heavy fats, you need to keep eating little but often! This helps avoid a large acid build up. When the reflux is bad eat foods that are easy to digest and chew thoroughly! I found 'stodgy' foods like bread and rice helped to soak up some of the acid and was less difficult to digest like harder grainy foods are. I know it's difficult but don't stop eating - remember small and often. Finally, I'm not sure this can be cured but for me it comes and goes. Good luck with what you do.

Have you tried putting something under the front (where your pillow is) posts of your bed.  Maybe books or blocks? to raise that whole part or your bed,   My doctor told me to elivate my self when I was sleeping and I couldn't stand the extra pillows so I did this and found it to be very helpful.  I am not sure where my acid reflux came from, but it was one of the things that was making my asthma worse.  I take it from your post that maybe your's is from a different place and my answer is not really what you are looking for but just thought I would put this out there. Good luck.

i too suffer from reflux.  unfortunately it hasn't had any affect on my weight either way!  i'd like to lose some!   have pretty severe reflux and take prevacid 2x a day, cut out ALL caffeine (even chocolate), ALL sodas, and all tea and coffee - even decaf.  so mine is a little more under control now.  i do still try to avoid spicy foods and tomato based foods, onions, and garlic.  now, for the gain part... when i was in high school, i was very thin.  i wanted to look more "healthy" so i tried to gain some weight.  one thing i did that really worked, was each day i had a milkshake and i ate bananas (a lot of them!)  if dairy doesn't upset you, then try to eat a lot of cheese, pudding, etc.  that and the bananas and milkshakes will help put some weight on, but be consistent with it. 

I'm a long time acid reflux sufferer, so I feel your pain (literally)! As I'm sure your docs have told you, chronic acid reflux can lead to some pretty serious health problems (like a hightened chance of esophageal cancer), so if the meds they give you aren't working, you AND your doc need to take it seriously.

Born2b's advice is good, cut out all caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, garlic, onions, and anything with peppermint (they're major culprits), but I'd watch dairy as well. It's an old wives' tale that milk "coats" your stomach and helps. It does not, it will only aggravate it if it's in full swing. If your current doc continues to give you random meds without anything helping, I'd seek a second opinion or a referral (if your insurance makes you get one) to a specialist. Good luck.

I'm in the same boat.  Dealing with my acid reflux and losing weight that I really can't afford to lose.

I agree with above though...stay away from dairy.  Also, I wouldn't drink or consume anything minty.  I'm almost sure that my suddenly chewing lot of minty gum is what brought on my last bout of AR.  (I've only had one before).

Unfortunately for me, I cannot consume a lot of food.  Whenever I have a episode, I start taking my Prevacid which then brings on bowel and other stomach issues and my stomach doesn't empty properly leaving me feeling extremely full just after a small meal.  Then there are days of constipation.  It sucks, let me tell you. 

I'm just hoping that I heal sooner rather than later.  I posted on another page about some home remedy cures that I've been reading about.  Organic Apple cider vinegar with the mother in it.  Anyone tried this?

I think the apple cider vinegar thing is for when you don't produce enough stomach acid. It would kill me to have this with my overproduction of acid!

I've been struggling with acid reflux for 6+ years now.  After years of trying meds, etc that never worked, I went to a nutritionist who liked to use alternative therapies.  I'd tried all the drugs that were over the counter, and a few prescribed ones, but nothing helped.  She suggested peppermint capsules (pills filled with peppermint oil) and something called zinlori.  The only problem I had with these is you burp up a lot of peppermint, but it's not so bad.  The real life saver was the zinlori.  It was miraculous!  I rarely have a problem with acid reflux any more.  

Another thing i tried was "digestive yoga".  Just google it to find some poses.  It really helped move things along, so to speak, and made my stomach much less painful.  

Original Post by boneca22:

I'm trying very hard to follow the "rules" of gaining weight...but it's so hard to do with my acid reflux 24/7. I've tried all kinds of meds, done all kinds of tests and am being followed by docs but still no relief. Does anyone here suffer from acid reflux/heartburn...what do you do? I lost 10 pds due to this disease and I want to gain it back so bad.....I''m 5'6 and 104 pds....HELPPPPPP with some suggestions cause this is bringing me down....btw the doc knows all this and he is trying his best but it just won't go away!!

What kind of diet did you drs put you on? Surely, they gave you a list with the good and bad foods for people w. relux, right? Diet and medication..sometimes even an over the counter antiacid like pepto help most people suffering from reflux. Only a very small percentage of people actually need surgery. But, if you have done all of the above and it is affecting your health ....surgery might be your only option.

Everything I have read indicates that 90% of people with Acid Reflux actually aren't producing enough acid.  There is a doctor who wrote a book (I can't remember his name), but he thinks that when your body senses it doesn't have enough acid, the spinchter (not sure on sp) muscle opens to allow more acid to come in thereby causing the reflux.

Currently, I'm taking Prevacid 30 Mg in the morning and Amitisa twice per day.  The Amitisa is for IBS with constipation.  I really believe that the Prevadic is causing me the constipation which is really bad.

Anyhow, I went to the health food store, and they man that helped me was very knowledgeable and said that yes, the "not producing enough acid was absolutely true".  He suggested I start taking one to two Digest Gold (an enzyme) and 3 to 4 Betaine Hydrocloride CAPSULES (don't get the tablets...they don't dissolve fast enough).  I take these right before my meals and I'm telling you, I'm really starting to feel better.  I'm considering stopping the prescription meds so that hopefully the constipation will go away.

I have lost 8 pounds since this round of Acid Reflux came on (I'm 5-10 and 134 pounds now).  I am finding that we this new stuff, I'm able to expand my diet a little more.  I am still staying away from coffee, chococate and my favorite, red wine.  Also, no greasy or unhealthy foods.

I'm adding a lot of avocado to my foods for the calories.  Still trying to think of other ways to get my calories in, but it seems to be getting better.

Hi!!

I know what you are talking about, my very best friend was constantly suffering from this awful disease but finally found relief by using apple cider vinegar (organic).

It really helped her!

do net-search on YAHOO for (apple cider vinegar cures) and you will be amaized! 

Original Post by acidrefluxvictim:

Everything I have read indicates that 90% of people with Acid Reflux actually aren't producing enough acid.  There is a doctor who wrote a book (I can't remember his name), but he thinks that when your body senses it doesn't have enough acid, the spinchter (not sure on sp) muscle opens to allow more acid to come in thereby causing the reflux.

Currently, I'm taking Prevacid 30 Mg in the morning and Amitisa twice per day.  The Amitisa is for IBS with constipation.  I really believe that the Prevadic is causing me the constipation which is really bad.

Anyhow, I went to the health food store, and they man that helped me was very knowledgeable and said that yes, the "not producing enough acid was absolutely true".  He suggested I start taking one to two Digest Gold (an enzyme) and 3 to 4 Betaine Hydrocloride CAPSULES (don't get the tablets...they don't dissolve fast enough).  I take these right before my meals and I'm telling you, I'm really starting to feel better.  I'm considering stopping the prescription meds so that hopefully the constipation will go away.

I have lost 8 pounds since this round of Acid Reflux came on (I'm 5-10 and 134 pounds now).  I am finding that we this new stuff, I'm able to expand my diet a little more.  I am still staying away from coffee, chococate and my favorite, red wine.  Also, no greasy or unhealthy foods.

I'm adding a lot of avocado to my foods for the calories.  Still trying to think of other ways to get my calories in, but it seems to be getting better.

 

 

 Hi, glad you are feeling better, though this thing tends to be intermittent. With regards to the lack of acid, why is it that docs prescribe pump proton inhibitors to suppress acid production? I am always confused by this. I have read about acid decreasing with age etc, but after antacids, the next step is to prescribe acid blockers isn't it?. Maybe somebody here can enlighten me.

hi!

ive had acid reflux about 13 yrs now but it never affected my weight, i just stay clear of the foods i know irritate me-spicy foods, tomato sauce, chocolate, mint, alcohol, greasy foods, orange juice+citrus.

i too take amatiza-24mcg

and aciphex for GERD, i think 40mg

i dont buy the not enough acid thing, i have lesions on my esophogous-where is that from then?

I was just wondering if anyone here has had any success with probiotics, and if so, what type of foods/supplements do you use?

I started that probiotics (50 million per capsule) about one week ago.  Can't tell if it's made a difference or not because I also started taking some natural vegetable laxatives because of the terrible constipation.

I had replied earlier that I was taking Betaine Hydrocloride but after doing a little research over the week, discovered that taking too much of it could burn the lining of the stomach.  Of course, I got scared and immediately stopped taking them, so now, I'm only taking my prevacid and Amitisa that the doctor prescribed.  I feel like I'm desperate for relief but doing myself more harm than good because I keep bouncing from one treatment to another.  I go to my Gastroentrologist tomorrow and will talk to him about what to do but I also started seeing a Natureopath last week.  We are waiting on Salivia, stool and blood samples to come back before she suggests any change in meds.  Also, going to see a nutritionist on Friday because my weight keeps dropping (5-10, 133 pounds now).   Oey Vey.....what to do...what to do.

I wish there was an easy solution to all of this.

Oh, I meant to give a sample of my diet (which isn't much).  If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.

B:  1/4 cup oatmeal with 1 Tbsp Flaxmeal and tspn brown suger with small amount of nonfat milk.  One slice of whole wheat toast with butter.

Snack:  an apple, a few walnts

Lunch:  a baked sweet potato with a little butter (for calories mostly) and lightly salted.

Snack:  Maybe a few nuts if I'm not too full from my potato (If I'm digesting it okay, I'll eat the nuts.

Dinner:  Small portion chicken, a piece of bread and some veges.  Sometimes, a little bit of brown rice.

5 bottles of water throughout the day.

I'm feeling totally lethargic...I'm sure it's because of my diet. 

Does anyone have any tips on what you eat to maintain your weight but still avoiding foods that overfill you and cause reflux?

I did give you a few ideas for foods to try and include. Consciously make an effort to have more in your meals and snacks.

What about Candida yeast infections?  I was reading that Natureopathics often think this is the cause of GERD. 

Anyone had any experience with this?

Acidreflux- as Lala said, you can make more of your snacks, and prob should include grains in there rather than just an apple. If you eat small or the same amount at each meal, you will digest more easily. And since we produce acid only to digest foods, don't eat within a few hours before bed to avoid acid trouble through the night. This is when I get most discomfort, through the night and after a bedtime snack.