Coughing Caused by ... Acid Reflux!

[TromboneAl]

Interesting that cutting back on coffee and wine and almond milk has helped, Al.

Further testing of daily coffee and wine has made me pretty sure that they aren't the culprits. My current hypothesis is that cream is the villain.

Wouldn't it be a lot simpler to do what you did in middle school and simply swallow some air?

Yes. I've now gotten the hang of that. It comes under the heading of Fun and Informative Things You Can do With Your GI Tract, and gets you in touch with your inner body.

When you do it, you feel the air bubble riding the (slower than I expected) peristaltic wave down to your stomach, and you hear and feel the lower esophageal sphincter open.

 

[Hermit]

I ordered "Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure" and "The Acid Reflux Escape Plan: Two Weeks to Heartburn Relief" yesterday. I'll see if their suggestions for ingredients that help tame the acid reflux will work for me. The nurse at the hospital suggested I change medication (omeprazole) to another beta blocker. I will talk to my doctor about that one, but I want to try the change in diet first.

The way too large Mexican lunch including lots of chips and salsa didn't help, but it sure was tasty!

 

[ponyboy]

Those acid blocking pills basically kill you...according to new studies. Some scary stuff. But...if you dont take them and have acid reflux cancer will kill you.

Most acid reflux can be minimized by eating healthy...avoiding carbs (yes I know carbs are awesome.) Either you start eating/drinking healthy or you pop a pill and cross your fingers.

I was on omeprazole for a while...although my reflux wasnt that bad. Im not convinced I had real acid reflux. The only times I need those pills is when I vacation and eat like a savage.

 

[TrophyWife]

Acid reflux can be low stomach acid. I take iodine and this helped a lot. No more acid reflux at bedtime even if I have alcohol.

Also, for me, coughing after eating out usually means they cooked something in soybean oil, it creates a lot of mucous. And it's cheap.

 

[Focus]

Everyone is different. For me, the trick for keeping stomach acidity at bay always comes down to having enough vegetables (with every meal) and fruit (separately). And avoiding my triggers -- which include, surprisingly, mint.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

312 pounds, i eat every day like im going to the electric chair. I take 2 omeprazole 40 mg and a ranitidine 150mg(like a zantac) every day. i sleep with 2 pillows. sometimes im still in agony. i went to another gastro guy and he said too much of these and i might have problems down the line. i politely told him at 312 pounds my line is already short, he said no reason for u to have discomfort, he rewrote the prescriptions.

 

[Bamaman]

My wife's GERD gets worse when she gains 5-10 lbs.--like when we were on vacation this month. That hietal hernia is tough to deal with.

Nexium and Pepto Bismol are required to minimize mid night frantic when she has acid reflux. Over the years, acid refux has been responsible for 2 bouts of pneumonia, and her lungs are weak.

Certain foods eaten at supper, including ice cream, are paid for mid night. She has found an adjustable bed and sleeping with the head/shoulders elevated is very helpful.

 

[Hermit]

I ordered "Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure" and "The Acid Reflux Escape Plan: Two Weeks to Heartburn Relief" yesterday. I'll see if their suggestions for ingredients that help tame the acid reflux will work for me. The nurse at the hospital suggested I change medication (omeprazole) to another beta blocker. I will talk to my doctor about that one, but I want to try the change in diet first.

The way too large Mexican lunch including lots of chips and salsa didn't help, but it sure was tasty!

I got my books yesterday. I am going to try to stay away from bad food and to stop eating three hours before bed time. Trouble is I like a diet Pepsi with lunch. I guess it will be water for a while for me. Had oatmeal and a banana for breakfast and rice and carrots for lunch. There is a good chance I will even loose some weight! I haven't decided on the two week no acid startup though.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I got my books yesterday. I am going to try to stay away from bad food and to stop eating three hours before bed time. Trouble is I like a diet Pepsi with lunch. I guess it will be water for a while for me. Had oatmeal and a banana for breakfast and rice and carrots for lunch. There is a good chance I will even loose some weight! I haven't decided on the two week no acid startup though.

i doubt if i will change my bad habits, but would you kindly post an update after a few weeks of following this? i for 1 would appreciate your results, for full disclosure i had a terrible night last night, i need to do something. thank you in advance

 

[W2R]

Trouble is I like a diet Pepsi with lunch. I guess it will be water for a while for me.

I think that is a smart move.

You may find you don't want that diet Pepsi so much with lunch any more, after you have been drinking water instead for several months.

 

[W2R]

i sleep with 2 pillows. sometimes im still in agony.

Maybe more pillows would help? I have no idea, but 2 doesn't sound like very many.

 

[Hermit]

i doubt if i will change my bad habits, but would you kindly post an update after a few weeks of following this? i for 1 would appreciate your results, for full disclosure i had a terrible night last night, i need to do something. thank you in advance

The "Dropping Acid..." book had these suggestions for sleeping and having been struggling with GERD for 10 years or so, I think they will help: Pillows really don't do it. You need a wedge that will elevate your chest as well as your head. Stop eating 3 hours before bed time. Don't even think about soda or beer in the three hours before bed. To these, in my case, I would have to add other alcohol especially red wine.

You might want to get the book. There is a lot of information on GERD and its causes and things that work for some people. This is in addition to the list of low acid foods and the recipes. I'll report back when I have some results. I haven't decided when I will start a solid reflux diet. I will need to do some shopping first. (I also have a lot of soda and beer that I may want to get rid of. )

 

[swguy]

I'll throw in that Pepcid twice a day has been very helpful for me. It's not a PPI so you avoid the downside of those.

 

[Likes_to_Lurk]

In January/ February 2016 I started to get a bad taste in my mouth in the morning, hoarseness, a few instances of swallowing difficulty and occasional heartburn.

I first went to my PCP in March 2016 and he agreed it could be GERD and suggested an OTC PPI for a month. The meds helped with the bad taste and the heartburn, but nothing else. I experimented with stopping and starting the PPI. I also eliminated tomato, citrus, onion, mint, etc. I cut back to 1 cup of coffee per day. Nothing really helped with the hoarseness.

I went to an ENT last July and he confirmed the GERD diagnosis and had me continue with OTC PPI. I continued to read and experiment with a pillow wedge, no late evening snacks, etc. No real help. The ENT referred me to a gastroenterologist.

I bought Dr. Koufman's "Dropping Acid" book. I highly recommend it. She bases her advice on scientific evidence and clinical experience. She strongly recommends not drinking any type of soda - EVER. Her dietary advice is low fat, no fried foods, elimination of some high acid foods (at least initially) and avoidance of highly processed foods.

When I continued to have issues, I saw a gastroenterologist. He did an endoscopy and found I had gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) but no Barrett's. I was put on a prescription PPI in November and stayed on it until early April. Getting off PPI's can cause a rebound effect. I can attest to the fact that it is no fun! I also had an esophogram which showed a bit of reflux and a small hiatial hernia. There isn't much more the GI doc can do for me as most of my symptoms are in the throat/esophagus.

Since I continue to have symptoms and the bad taste has returned, I have decided to see another ENT. I read Dr. Aviv's "Acid Watcher" book. His book has similar advice as Koufman's. Although he seems to emphasize fiber a bit more. I just made an appointment with Dr. Aviv for later this month. ( I checked on Dr. Koufman and she does not take insurance!! ) . I am hoping to get some more answers. In the meantime, I'll continue to experiment with diet and lifestyle.

To those who are suffering with GERD/LPR, my research has lead me to conclude that reflux can seriously damage the esophagus, mouth, etc. The PPI's taken long term can cause osteoporosis and other issues. This is not something to take lightly.

 

[Focus]

By the way, although I mentioned the important buffering effect of vegetables, that doesn't apply to V8, which is an instant reflux trigger for me. (Same with tomato soup.)