burning in throat woke me up from a dead sleep!!!

[crambone]

i was sleeping last night and all of a sudden i felt like acid in the back of my throat,,it woke me right up,and i was like swallowing for a few second and clearing my throat!,,,it was realy messed up,,,this has happened a few times in the past,but it happened again last night,,,sound like gerd?
i had some heart burn last night before bed,ate a few tums and went to bed,,,then that happened.
could this also be the reason that once in awhile i get a pain dead center right below my ribs,that extends into my back?
it only lasts a few seconds and goes away,,,feels kinda like a cramp in my diaphram or something!??
also comes on sometimes if i have ate too much,,,or have a realy empty stomach.

[selmaS]

Hi....Yes it does sound like gerd.The one way u can lessen this from happening beside also taking meds...watch what u eat and how long b4 bed.....raise the head of the bed about 6"......a cynder block should help under the base of ur headboard.

tums may help some people, but OTC meds is u r medicating urself......please see ur dr ....a gastro dr and get the right meds to help...only ur dr can tell ur the proper dosage for ur symptoms.

Pay attention to ur bowel movements.....and ur diet.
But do see ur dr.

"selma"

[crambone]

what should i look for as far as bowel movements?
and what should i be doing for my diet in general?

[selmaS]

Here is a link to a "poop" chart...it will better explain and show u what to "look for as far as ur bowel movements go.

http://vacationconstipation.com/?p=13

Safe Foods for the Acid Reflux Diet

Food Group Foods With Little Potential to Cause Heartburn
Fruit • Apple, fresh
• Apple, dried
• Apple juice
• Banana

Vegetables • Baked potato
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Peas

Meat • Ground beef, extra-lean
• Steak, London Broil
• Chicken breast, skinless
• Egg whites
• Egg substitute
• Fish, no added fat

Dairy • Cheese, feta or goat
• Cream cheese, fat-free
• Sour cream, fat-free
• Soy cheese, low-fat

Grains • Bread, mult-grain or white
• Cereal, bran or oatmeal
• Corn bread
• Graham crakers
• Pretzels
• Rice, brown or white
• Rice cakes
Beverages • Mineral water
Fats / Oils • Salad dressing, low-fat

Sweets / Desserts • Cookie, fat-free
• Jelly beans
• Red licorice
• Potato chips, baked

[RJ233]

Acid Reflux can be very serious.You should go to your dr right away so he can check you and get you on meds. My mother had acid reflux (I do also).My mother did not take the medication for it and she got cancer of the esophogus.They can not help that type of cancer. The acid eats into the esophogus. It will also eat the enamel off of your teeth. Propping your head above the level of your stomach helps the acid from flowing back up the throat. Never eat to soon before bed time and like the list stay away from acidic foods. I have had it for years and take medication that is ordered by the dr. Usually the muscle that closes the esophogus from the stomach does not close properly so the acid flows back up. My dr told me to stay away from tum and rolaids in the beginning because it acts like a sponge and holds the acid in one area that can cause ulcers. Over the counter meds do nothing for me. When you have acid coming back over a period of time you tend to get used to it and will start sleeping through it.That is why it is important to go to the dr. I thought I was having a heart attack one time.

[crambone]

thnx for the info,,,i dont realy notice it but once in awhile,but it is always when im sleeping,it wakes me up from a dead sleep.
what other symptoms can this condition cause,,you say you felt like you were having a heart attach,,does it cause chest pain?,.,,back pain?,,,please tell me how it effects you.
i have read up on it,but everyone if different id like tomknow,thanks,,mike

[RJ233]

During the day, my throat would burn, and sometime it would bring a taste like vomit in the back of my throat.My chest would hurt. When you over eat or eat something acidic like spagetti with the acidic tomatos, really spicey foods affect it too. I slept through a lot of it during the night. One morning I got up and my tongue and all my teeth were black from the acid. It never woke me up. You can belch and have a vomit taste. One night I went to bed and my chest was hurting.It kept hurting and got really bad. I really thought I was having a heart attack. I went to the dr the next day and she checked me out with the heart machine and it checked out ok.She said she believed it was stomach acid like indigestion.Told me to take Malox. I told her I drank it out of the bottle, those spoons full did nothing and neither did drinking it.I went to an Ear,Nose,Throat dr and he diagnosed Acid Reflux. I take Prilosec now and it works great.I was told that Rolaids and Tums work like a sponge and will absorb the acid and hold it in one spot which will cause ulcers. The other over the counter stuff you buy (the different pills), he said were such low dose you would have to take the whole pack at a time to get near the dosage to help. I have taken several of the different prescription acid reflux meds and I have found the Prilosec to be the best. You can now buy it over the counter in prescription strength, even the generic form.It is more expensive than going through the prescription and getting the generic form. I take (2) 20 mg each night mostly, but some times it gets so bad I take 4 before I can stop it.Coffee,smoking are suppose to be contributors to acid. It can also be stress induced. It is dangerous because the acid will eat into the food pipe which can also affect the back of the throat and rot your teeth. Acid Reflux can be caused by what you eat or aggrevated by it.Some people just produce too much acid. If you have ever vomited, you know how your throat will burn afterwards, that is stomach acid. People that make themselves vomit all the time, have rotted teeth. The acid does that. I have lost most all of my back teeth because of going so long not knowing what was wrong and being properly treated.My dr told me if I needed more than 40 mg of Prilosec I could take it and it was safe.The things like Pepto Bismo coats the stomach to protect it from acid from certain foods etc, but it does not stop the production of it. Acid Reflux also is connected to the muscle that connects the esophogus to the stomach.It is suppose to close to keep the stomach contents from backing up the throat when you lay down. If it does not close the way it should, the contents will flow right back up the throat to your mouth. That is why they say raise the head of your bed. I tried that. Every morning I had slide to the bottom of the bed. It did not work for me. The pills control it so I don't have a problem with it anymore. Since you can sleep through it because you get used to it over time, it is good to take the Prilosec every night. I take it during the day too if I have a problem. I have been taking meds for it for more than 20 yrs. You can hurt from the chest through the back, just hurt in the chest, burn in the throat, have a sour taste in the back of your throat, belch and have a sour taste or vomit taste, you can feel like vomit is coming up.You can drink soft drinks and get the heart burn. The caffine in the ones like Mountain Dew is a killer.I have to take 4 pills if I drink one because of the high caffine. Hope this helps you out. You can always get the generic for Prilosec, comes in 20mg capsules and try taking 2 to see if it helps. I took more when I started and it finally got it under control, so mostly I just have to take 2. Whenever I have problems I take it, besides the regular night time dose. They do have a surgery that is offered for that, if you are a candidate. If you have any other questions that I can help you with you are welcome to contact me on my profile if you like.RJ

[RJ233]

I forgot to tell you, yes an empty stomach will do it also. You produce too much acid and it will flow up the throat when you lay down. I have not had trouble with fatty foods, only high caffine and acidic. RJ

[Nisar79]

Hi i m also facing same problem but along with what happend to me last night i cant breath everything stop for a moment i thought i m going to die i feel some acid choke my throat and i cant breath and i m still having some pain in stomach because i tried hard to get my breath
it is also same problem mention above or it is different

[selmaS]

It does sound like u have an acid issue...u should see a dr and get a dx.In the meantime u may want to try and follow a diet that avoids foods that add acid to ur system, and raise the head of ur bed.

Keep a journal with what u eat, ur meds, ur activities and how u feel...u may find u have a trigger that u were not aware of...and when u avoid ur triggers u should feel better.

See ur dr and get meds.....

Good luck
"selma"

[Bamajoe]

I have the chest pain too. I get it throuh to the back like you were talking about. I also get out to the arms sometimes. I have had my heart checked and it appears fine. I would tell you to have that checked first. My adoptive brother had reflux for years. He did all the right things to control it. He thought it was acting up on him one day...however, it was his heart....He never made it to the dr. So get it checked MAKE SURE OF WHAT IT IS do not assume anything

[LeftCoastChick]

I get reflux induced asthma attacks - terrifying - so I bought a wedge pillow to sleep with, most of the time it works. I can usually wake up before it goes to my windpipe these days though, I never ever forget where my inhaler is, it's been a lifesaver.

[LeftCoastChick]

I would have to say that eating really rough veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans have made it worse for me. Potatoes depending on how they are cooked, pretty much only mashed or baked, I haven't been able to eat any sort of potato chip in ages.