I am going nuts, please help me find something else to eat (acid reflux related)!

[citymama]

Advance apologies for TMI!

For the last 2 months, I've had really bad acid reflux related to pregnancy. Even with Pepcid AC, pretty much anything in the fruit and vegetable group (and almost everything else) gives me awful reflux and makes me barf. I'm vegetarian. I'm hungry every hour on the hour, so we're talking 7 meals a day of the same darn things, 7 days a week. Here are the things I've found *don't* make me sick.

bread and cheese (probably eat this like 3 times a day)
unflavored yogurt (with maple syrup or plain)
oatmeal or dry cereal
rice and beans or peas
miso soup
noodles and tofu (maybe with a few carrots thrown in)
crackers
as a special treat, I eat preggie pops!
drink: only water, lots of it. sometimes soy/rice milk blend.

(I crave fresh juice, popsicles, fruit, but it makes me sick 10 minutes later)

I am losing my mind on this carbo + bland protein diet. None of this has any spice because that makes me sick too. My mouth feels weird. I don't enjoy eating but am hungry all the time. I'm also aware that I am not eating a balanced or healthy diet right now. Last night I ate some lentil soup with veggies and promptly threw it all up.

What else can I eat? If you had bad reflux, what did you eat? I am going a little crazy here! Thanks for *any* ideas.

[BabyMine]

I had severe reflux with TT that I called my OB/GYN. She prescribed Protonix. Wow did that help. I know how painful it can be :hug:.

[JenaW]

I second the PP recommendation. I started with TUMS in my 1st pregnancy. With each successive pregnancy, the symptoms started earlier and got worse. I progressed to Zantac, and ended up on Nexium, which is a similar proton pump inhibitor like Protonix. With the Nexium, I could go back to eating pretty much anything - including my major trigger foods like tomato based items (salsa, spaghetti sauce), and chocolate! Good luck!

ETA I also found that I did better if I did not drink WITH my meals. If I had lots of water, it made my reflux much worse. But if I staggered eating and drinking, it seemed to help my sx quite a bit. Milk was a big help before bedtime (or other times I knew I would be laying down), as was simply avoiding food AT ALL for a few hours before bedtime.

[citymama]

I progressed to Zantac, and ended up on Nexium, which is a similar proton pump inhibitor like Protonix. With the Nexium, I could go back to eating pretty much anything - including my major trigger foods like tomato based items (salsa, spaghetti sauce), and chocolate! Good luck!


REALLY? I can't even imagine this. My OB practice is very drug-averse (I am usually, but so desperate now). They recommended TUMS (hah, did nothing for me), then Pepcid (helps some). The nurse took me aside and said "try Zantac", which I guess I should do next. But this other stuff sounds fabulous. If the Zantac doesn't work, I'm demanding the harder meds.

Does this reflux go away at some point, or just hang around all throughout?

[AnnieW625]

I've only had mild indegestion issues, but when I have them they most likely last at least 8 hrs. . Tums for the most part has worked for me and lots of water through out the day, but there have been a few days where I have yearned for alka seltzer (contains aspirin though!:(). What about peanut butter and saltines? Fish crackers might also work. I also really like Cliff's Z Bars.

[srhs]

Lots of sympathy here! I remember calling my m/w and saying, "Listen, I just had a banana and water...and it is tearing me up!"
Did you try Zantac already? (I didn't do Pepcid so I'm not sure where that falls in the range of OTC to Rx.)
How do you feel about nuts? They are more filling at least. I had a lot of True North snacks.

[srhs]

REALLY? I can't even imagine this. My OB practice is very drug-averse (I am usually, but so desperate now). They recommended TUMS (hah, did nothing for me), then Pepcid (helps some). The nurse took me aside and said "try Zantac", which I guess I should do next. But this other stuff sounds fabulous. If the Zantac doesn't work, I'm demanding the harder meds.

Does this reflux go away at some point, or just hang around all throughout?
Ok, so my m/w suggested (after I'd tried their recommended Tums and Papaya) 150mg dose Zantac. I bought the 75mg and would try to get by with 1 and then just take the 2nd if needed. Honestly, for me, it got worse throughout both pregnancies, but maybe yours will be better! (fingers crossed) Well, the heartburn got worse, but heartburn itself is easier than heartburn+nausea, IMO, so that should get better.

[JenaW]

REALLY? I can't even imagine this. My OB practice is very drug-averse (I am usually, but so desperate now). They recommended TUMS (hah, did nothing for me), then Pepcid (helps some). The nurse took me aside and said "try Zantac", which I guess I should do next. But this other stuff sounds fabulous. If the Zantac doesn't work, I'm demanding the harder meds.

Does this reflux go away at some point, or just hang around all throughout?

I always waited until I was out of the 1st tri to start meds. I already have to take heparin and aspirin from the get go, as well as progesterone shots starting in the 2nd tri. So while I am hesitant to add MORE meds, for me it was a lifestyle issue. I was absolutely MISERABLE without them. Many of the PPIs including protoniz and nexium are category B and therefore considered safe in pregnancy. In my first pregnancy, TUMS got me to 36 weeks, and then I started Zantac. In the 2nd, I used TUMS through 28 week, then started zantac. I delivered at 25 in the 3rd. By the 4th and 5th, I needed something stronger than TUMS by 14 weeks, and I think I was on Nexium by 20 weeks. For me, the symptom severity was directly related to how far along I was and how BIG I was. The symptoms usually diminished significantly after delivery, and completely resolved once I lost most of my pregnancy weight. If you give the TUMS a try and explain to your OB how miserable you are, I would HOPE they would be willing to try something stronger. However, I doubt they would jump right to a PPI. Definitely try the zantac first (although you should probably at least discuss it with your OB). The OTC dose is 75mg, but the Rx dose is 150mg so you have room to go up. I found that I needed to take it AT LEAST once a day, every day even if I did not have symptoms, then I would take the second if I needed it later in the day. My zantac rx was written for 150mg twice daily.

[o_mom]

I used Pepcid, but I think Zantac was on the 'OK' list. In the first trimester when I was with the RE, the nurse there recommended Gaviscon instead of/along with Tums. That helped some, so you might try that if you really don't want to go to Zantac.

[Toba]

My OB was usually anti-drug during pregnancy too, but let my perinatologist (not in the same practice) overrule. I already had acid reflux going into pregnancy, and it just got worse during the pregnancy. Nothing worked for me but prescription proton pump inhibitors.

FWIW, I have tried virtually all the script ones out there because my mail in pharmacy tries to supersede my doctor's scripts to whatever is cheapest for them (which I think should be illegal, but that's another rant). They routinely try to push Nexium, which they apparently have some kind of deal with and it doesn't do a thing for either DH or me. The only ones that work (for me) are Aciphex and Prevacid (both are scripts, Aciphex is newer, Prevacid has been out for quite a while).

Hope you get some relief soon. Acid reflux is not fun, especially when pregnant. :( I would keep harping on your OB that the OTC stuff is just not working. My perinatologist said there was no problem taking script PPIs during pregnancy.

[boogiemom]

I have had awful acid reflux for years. I was on Nexium for years. I know it makes it worse if you drink lots of fluids. I would find myself drinking water to soothe my burning throat and that just gives the acid a way to make it farther up. Eating chocolate is a definite no...that one's a toughie! I am off of all of my meds for acid reflux now. I started taking 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar each night before bed as mine was always worse at night. I did this for several weeks and then found I didn't need it as often. Now I need to do it about once a week or so. I eat plenty of chocolate, lots of mexican food, pasta with red sauce.....no problems. YAY!

Hope this helps! I know how miserable it can be and hope you find relief soon.

[citymama]

I've never had reflux in my life till this pregnancy. And I'm hardly even showing now, so if this is going to get worse...argh. Thanks for all the help!

BTW, I have tried nuts and in very small amounts they seem to be OK. At one point I was eating handfuls of almonds as a snack and that led to awful reflux. I'm like the PP who said bananas and water gave her reflux - bananas are killer for me right now!

[Toba]

Bananas bother my reflux too. I always just thought I was weird ... bananas seem like a rather benign kind of food. Must be something in it though, obviously.

[Tammy]

I feel for ya. I have acid reflux on a normal basis and that's bad enough. Throw in some extra prenancy weight and baby shifting around- then it's really bad. I have bad enough issues with it, that I was about 4-5 months along and was choking really bad because of it. My doctor put me back on Prevacid (prescription). Normally I can control it through my diet but there was nothing I could do to help while pregnant and I couldn't keep choking (seriously, like couldn't breathe at all and gasping) so meds worked for me. The night I had DD- no more acid reflux at all.
I had a pretty bland diet but it sounds like you do too so I'm not sure I could be much help there. Good luck- hope you get some good info.

[citymama]

Thank you ladies. I'm starting Zantac tomorrow. If it isn't helping by next week, they offered to put me on prescription stuff. I am guessing I won't find new things to eat, but one week isn't that long to suffer through the bread and crackers diet some more.

[JenaW]

zofran is for nausea/vomiting. Did you mean that or Zantac? If you are on zofran, that should definitely help with morning sickness leading to vomiting, but if your vomiting is solely related to reflux, I am not sure how much it will help with that. Regardless, I hope you get some relief soon.