Indigestion..?

i suffer from real bad indigestion and heart burn..is there anythin i can simply do 2 make it better..i tend 2 get it every meal..?

You sound like me. I have a hiatius hernia - it's where the little 'door' at the top of your stomach becomes eroded, often caused by years of smoking or drinking (I quit the smoking 2 years ago!). It means that when your stomach is full, acid escapes out of the stomach and seeps into your oesophegus, causing heartburn.

Start off with the odd rennie but if it persists go to see your GP. I now take Lanzoprezole tablets which sort me out completely. It's a very common aliment so don't worry too much.

Good luck.

Try eating your food slowly.

I get bad indigestion from alcopops myself. I usually find three "rennies" tablets in one go do the trick.

Or milk could work too...

You can try over the counter med like Pepcid (Famotidine) or Zantac (ranitidine) to see if this helps. If no help, try a Proton Pump Inhibitor (Prilosec) which is also over the counter now.

If you do not get relief from any of these, you really need to go see a doctor as they need to find a source of your problem. Additionally, if you notice any bleeding in your stool, go to an urgent care right away as this is serious.

Good luck and I hope that you find relief.

I too suffer from indigestion for many years.

I have tried loads of prescription and non prescription medication.

Gaviscon liquid works best for me.

Recently have been told 2 try peppermint oil 4m health shops, but haven't yet.

Hope you get relief soon.

There is a very good argument for at least low level investigation. Assuming you are below 53 years, the risk of sinister causes for your symptoms are small, and endoscopy would not be routinely carried out unless their were other suspicious symptoms.

You have not given enough detail to guess what the problem is. There are 2 main causes, ulcer disease and GORD = gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

85% of ulcer disease is caused by a stomach infection with the organism Helicobacter Pylorii. This can be tested for with either a blood test or a breath test. If the is positive it is in fact good news because it is curable with ' Triple Therapy'.

Relflux of acid up the oesphagus is manageable with PPIs = protien pump inhibitors, which drastically reduce acid, but not curable, though lifestyle measures such as weight loss may also help.

See your GP a five minute histery will usually distiguish between the 2, however it is usually easy and useful to do the ulcer bug test anyway.

I agree with Mike C and give him a thumbs up!

Try eating smaller and more frequent meals.
Always remember to wait atleast 2hrs after eating before going to bed.
Raise the head of your bed approx. 30 degrees so that you aren't laying flat when you go to bed. . . laying flat makes an easier escape route for heart burn and acid reflux.
Watch eating things that encourage this problem. . cucumbers,bell peppers,onions,spicy foods etc.
A friend of mine has the same problem and uses Prilosec and swears by it.


Good Luck

go for a walk after your meal.