Kitchen Garden Forum

Do any of you suffer from acid reflux? Commonly known as heartburn, this can be a really debilitating condition. In most cases, as in mine, it is the result of a hiatus hernia, which means the muscle that controls the movement of food into the stomach doesn't close 100% allowing acid to escape upwards. To get round it, you have to take anti-acid tablets, such as Nexium, which, more or less, takes away the worst of the condition. However, of late, I have been really suffering with reflux, despite a daily dose of Nexium. The doctor asked me if I was bending over a lot and when I said I was, since my digging then requires me to bend over and remove unwanted roots, he said voila! Excessive bending over forces acid out of the stomach and into the throat etc. He said the worst case of reflux he had ever had was with a piano tuner, who basically spent his entire career bending over to get at the insides of the piano!
I just wondered whether any of you others have had the same problem?

Well Barry, be careful we will get all of us TOGS presenting their ailments........but I too have a hiatus hernia, have mostly cured it by avoiding certain things and losing a stone from around the middle. I avoid excessive red wine, food that is only lightly spiced, and exercise.

If the diet goes wrong, the weight goes up or the stress increases, the acid rolls back up, you can take ant-acids, losec etc for a few months, adjust the lifestyle then try and do without the meds.

Extra Strong Mints are great short term fixes also rennies and milk. Good luck Barry and would like to see what others think.

Compo a man of many ailments

!!!!

Yup.

Only when I was pregnant. I polished off gallons of Gaviscon with both of the babies. I can sympathise.

My mum has a hiatus hernia and is on medication. Cucumber starts her off, but not the ones I grow. Maybe the ones I do have different acid levels. She finds that keeping the weight down and her daily walks helps matters. No spicy foods etc.

BARRY
I have the same problem, try GAVILAST tablets these worked that well I went to my doctor who now prescribes me the generic type, take one a day eat what I want never mind bending over I could stand on my head doing the weeding and will not get a problem.

rennies- i had the worst heartburn when pg with lily
dh had a hernia- he was operated on within months-he got it from excessive lifting of pcs! altho his belly button popped when lifting lily!

I've had acid for years but having my gall bladder removed seems to have cured a lot of the problem as I've had 3 weeks clear I found a problem bending over at the allotment if I'd eaten anything within the past couple of hours, otherwise not so bad. A bottle of Gaviscon or Peptac is usually close at hand though, nothing else seems to work and I could eat a packet of Rennies with no discernable difference.

I'm lucky enough not to suffer from this, i think it could be where i'm costantly eating, the acid doesn't have a chance to get back up.

Now wheres that big creamy chocolate cake gone.

There is a pill which actually reduces the production of acid in the stomach. It's expensive but my husband has had to take it for several years now (problem caused by constantly bending over before he retired as dry stone waller). This, and sleeping with the top of the bed propped up on two bricks, has stopped the problem which was becoming life threatening - having reflux during deep sleep and choking. But he still has to be very careful with his diet, particularly avoiding any fat.
So, good luck!

ow I just have to post my woes on here, i'm recovering from an epigastric hernia repair, that was made a lot worse by digging, but now its no digging at all for the next 4 weeks, right now i cant even bend over to pick up the hose.

Mandy

Dear Mandy, i hope you have a speedy recovery, take it easy now.

mandy i hope youre happy and healthy soon

I do suffer from acid reflux a lot!! It is made worse with bending down for weeding etc. I have invested in one of those posh kneeler thingies that can turn into a little stool or you can kneel on them, just to encourage me to not bed from the waist so much. I had some marvellous stuff from the dr,but I can't remember what it was called (not v. helpful). It stopped it completely, but it came back once I stopped taking it - it was a 6 week course. Now I chew bisodol tablets.

Hi Barry,
Until I had my Gaul Bladder removed about five years ago I use to suffer quite badly and for that reason I used to eat a very small breakfast and then nothing at all during the day. Not very good for anybody really but I managed without taking any tablets.
Now since the GB removed it is amazing what I can eat. Prior to that more than a small mouthful of Stilton or Shropshire Blue and I would really suffer even without bending down. Now I can eat them with no trouble at all.
I do hope that Chantals recent op proves to be the same.
JB.

JB, I find that very interesting.
Guess what I'm having removed shortly?