Should my GERD be better by now?

[kellyyouse]

I've been taking 30mg Prevacid a day since mid-February, but I'm still experiencing GERD symptoms, like heartburn, reflux when I bend over, some nausea, and belching to name a few.

Should the medication have improved my condition by now?  Is it time to see a specialist?  Or, am I being impatient?

Kelly

[otto_b]

Hi.

I agree with ,

you should be looking at additional/complementary measures, not just take the Prevacid and continue your lifestyle as before.

I was put on Prevacid too, but only after making some adjustments to my diet, exercising more, losing some weight, and taking up a few more of the usual recommendations on heartburn relief. My doctor actually insisted on this before considering putting me on Prevacid - he is a regular MD but always prefers "natural remedies" over medications.

To cut a long story short, the things he made me do before putting me on Prevacid already made me feel better, and the Prevacid "cleared up the rest", so I recommend this course of action from experience really.

To find out about some possible "preliminary measures", I suggest you check out

http://heartburn.about.com
http://www.acidreflex.biz
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/6175/1/Natural-Remedies-for-Acid-Reflux.html

Best wishes,
Otto

[Kalio1]

The lower esophageal muscle can be weakened by factors other than food. The following recommendations may be helpful in reducing symptoms:

Stop using tobacco in all forms. Nicotine weakens the lower esophageal muscle.
Avoid chewing gum and hard candy. They increase the amount of swallowed air which, in turn, leads to belching and reflux.
Do not lie down immediately after eating. Avoid late evening snacks.
Avoid tight clothing and bending over after eating.
Eat small, frequent portions of food and snack if needed.
Lose weight if overweight. Obesity leads to increased reflux.
Elevate the head of the bed six to eight inches to prevent reflux when sleeping. Extra pillows, by themselves, are not very helpful.

The following foods aggravate acid reflux, and should be avoided:
fatty or fried foods
peppermint and spearmint
whole milk
oils
chocolate
creamed foods or soups
most fast foods
The following foods irritate an inflamed lower esophagus and may need to be limited or avoided:
citrus fruits and juices (grapefruit, orange, pineapple, tomato)
coffee (regular and decaffeinated)
caffeinated soft drinks
tea
other caffeinated beverages
Spicy or acidic foods may not be tolerated by some individuals.


Food Groups
Group Recommend/Avoid
Milk or milk products
Recommend:skim, 1% or 2% low-fat milk; low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Avoid: whole milk (4%), chocolate milk

Vegetables
all other vegetables
fried or creamy style vegetables*, tomatoes

Fruits
apples, berries, melons, bananas, peaches, pears
citrus*: such as oranges, grapefruit, pineapple

Breads & grains
all those made with low-fat content
any prepared with whole milk or high-fat

Meat, meat substitutes
low-fat meat, chicken, fish, turkey
cold cuts, sausage, bacon, fatty meat, chicken fat/skin

Fat, oils
none or small amounts
all animal or vegetable oils

Sweets & desserts
all itmes made with no or low fat (less than or equal to 3 g fat/serving)
chocolate, desserts made with oils and/or fats

Beverages
decaffeinated, non-mint herbal tea; juices (except citrus); water
alcohol, coffee (regular or decaffeinated), carbonated beverages, tea, mint tea

Soups
fat-free or low-fat based
chicken, beef, milk, or cream-based soups

*Individually determined

[Kalio1]

sorry about that, I got your name wrong. The above post was for you.

[bip]

I have gerd and nothing helps me I tried everything.  Your not unpatient it's just frustating.