Yikes, you've got a lot going on! If you haven't kept in touch with your doctor or with a Gastroenterologist, these problems are a good reason to get back with them ask them what else they can do for you or if you may require testing to figure out why your symptoms are so severe.
Acid reflux isn't just a painful, inconvenient way to live. The erosion of the esophagus from the constant splashes of acid can cause real medical emergencies such as ulcers, severe esophageal bleeding, and cell changes in the throat from the constant inflammation (called Barrett's Esophagus) that can lead to the earliest stages of cancer.
I can give you some tips that you can use right away until you see your doctor again. You probably already know on some level that most foods that are greasy, spicy, sugary, caffeinated, concentrated, acidic, or oily can be big triggers for a reflux attack, and you're right. On a really bad day, even a glass of WATER can burn. So, that eliminates a lot of junk and convenience food as main meals. Lean meats, fresh fruits & vegetables, lean dairy products, and decaffeinated beverages are a better route to take to give your stomach the best foundation possible.
NEXT, go to any store with a pharmacy (Walmart works) and get a box of Omeprazole (generic for Prilosec) and THEN get a bottle of Magnesium supplements (about 400mg a tablet). If you can handle TUMS, you can get those too as backup. On an empty stomach, an hour before your first meal of the day, take 1 Omeprazole tablet and 1 Magnesium tablet. The magnesium is an essential element that helps heal the esophagus, and when combined with Omeprazole, you just made the ingredients of Nexium ( a super-expensive GERD medication) at home! If 1 of each tablet doesn't feel like it's enough, take 2 of each but never go higher than that and make sure your doctor knows what you're taking and how much just so everyone's on the same page.
*An important misunderstanding of Acid Reflux is that people tend to use food to calm the symptoms of an attack, only to find that they have to eat almost constantly because the pain keeps coming back. The problem with "food cures" is that the stomach produces even more acid to break down what is being eaten ON TOP of the acid that is already there, which is like trying to put out a fire with lighter fluid.
If you feel an attack coming on, keep antacids like liquid Maalox or TUMS handy and use them as directed as often as you need to, but DO NOT EAT until your symptoms have really cooled off. (A word about Pepto Bismol: Gastroenterologists don't care for this as a use for GERD because PB has trace amounts of ASPIRIN in it which can eat away at the stomach after a while) So starve an attack, feed the good times with basic, healthy foods.
Belching? Keep carbonated drinks to a 1-a-day minimum.
This is a LOT of info, but it's all good stuff that we learned the hard way so that you could get a quicker start! Hope your symptoms improve!
Hi...the above poster gave u a lot of good info, but talk to ur parents and dr b4 u start ne meds OTC or other wise.
Do eat healthy and pay close attention to the elimination process as it can affect u with the bloating and Gerd.....most r not fully aware how often and much u should eliminate on a daily basis and how this alone can affect ur overall health.
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=236
The above link is to the Health Pages here on MedHelp and can give ideas on foods to avoid and how to modify ur lifestyle to help calm teh reflux symptoms b4 u get to see a Dr.
Good Luck
"selma"