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Jerry Bruette
02-03-2017, 12:12 PM
Has anyone here had to raise their bed or mattress because of GERD/acid reflux?

Which is better raising the bed frame or using an under the mattress wedge?

I'm a little concerned with racking the bed frame with 6" risers.

Shawn Pixley
02-03-2017, 12:35 PM
I have GERD for 6-7 years. I take OTC Omeprazole 2x daily. With that, I haven't had to incline mattress. I do use two pillows.

I only have problems with concentrated tannins.

Jim Koepke
02-03-2017, 1:42 PM
For recent surgery my doctors wanted me to elevate my head and not sleep on my side.

A local medical supply company had bed wedges just for this purpose. No need to put blocks under the bed or to bend the mattress.

jtk

Bill Jobe
02-03-2017, 1:44 PM
Please get scoped. Acid reflux can kill.
I lived with it for more than 30 years, eating 2 or 3 rolls of rolaids each day.
One day I was hurting bad and a coworker gave me a prescription pill. It worked so good I went to my doctor right away and asked for a script for the same med. She did, but told me that if I did not get scoped she would not give me any more. That saved my life. I got scoped and was diagnosed with Baretts esophagus, a precursor to cancer. At that time (12 or so years ago) cancer in the esophagus was pretty much a death sentence. I had regular scopes from then on. One day my GI Dr. Told me there was a brand new procedure called a "halo" and that I was a perfect candidate for one. The procedure had only been available for a couple of years and that he had only been doing them for about a year....the only doctor I'm the area who was. It took 3 halos to eliminate the Baretts, but it's now gone.
Heartburn kills!!!! If you haven't already, get scoped.

Mel Fulks
02-03-2017, 2:35 PM
I took the omeprazole for years. I was a real glutton but not overweight by much. Taste buds are changing so much that I now eat less and just don't like some things that were favorites; don't like good steak anymore. Drink less ,too.
So I stopped taking the medicine. But will soon get "second opinion" from my doctor.

Jerry Bruette
02-03-2017, 5:35 PM
Please get scoped. Acid reflux can kill.
I lived with it for more than 30 years, eating 2 or 3 rolls of rolaids each day.
One day I was hurting bad and a coworker gave me a prescription pill. It worked so good I went to my doctor right away and asked for a script for the same med. She did, but told me that if I did not get scoped she would not give me any more. That saved my life. I got scoped and was diagnosed with Baretts esophagus, a precursor to cancer. At that time (12 or so years ago) cancer in the esophagus was pretty much a death sentence. I had regular scopes from then on. One day my GI Dr. Told me there was a brand new procedure called a "halo" and that I was a perfect candidate for one. The procedure had only been available for a couple of years and that he had only been doing them for about a year....the only doctor I'm the area who was. It took 3 halos to eliminate the Baretts, but it's now gone.
Heartburn kills!!!! If you haven't already, get scoped.

Had LOML to the doctor this morning to get scoped, she's had the procedure before, this time the doctor took a biopsy for Baretts.

We're aware it's the precursor to cancer and I seem to be more scared of it than she is.

Bill Jobe
02-04-2017, 2:15 AM
Had LOML to the doctor this morning to get scoped, she's had the procedure before, this time the doctor took a biopsy for Baretts.

We're aware it's the precursor to cancer and I seem to be more scared of it than she is.

My GI Doctor told me my Beretts is totally gone.
I was very fortunate to have the doctor I do. My wife and I used to go to the same clinic, but the one who performed the halos left that clinic and opened his own in a hospital. I chose to follow him while my wife chose to remain with the same clinic. Had I not followed the doctor who did my halos I very likely would not still be alive. My Beretts was in an advanced stage and spread quite far up my esophagus.
For those not familiar with the condition, it is a bit strange. The constant acid entering the esophagus triggers the immune system to form stomach lining in the esophagus to protect it from the acid. Then another "department" of the immune system comes along, sees stomach lining where it should not be, so it attacks it. So there is a battle going on 24/7 between the 2 "departments" of your immune system. So you have a perfect condition for cancer to take advantage of.
If you have chronic heartburn get scoped. Heartburn is a killer.

Rick Moyer
02-04-2017, 9:11 AM
Jerry how are you dealing with it now? Are you already taking meds? I take one OTC Nexium each morning and my acid reflux is well controlled. If I skip it a few days the Gerd comes back.

To answer your question: I used to have the bed frame raised about 4" but I really didn't like that as you have mentioned. Also didn't seem to help that much. I would think a mattress wedge would work better, but the Nexium was my best solution. I'll assume you already know about what not to eat/when.

Ole Anderson
02-04-2017, 9:35 AM
Please get scoped. Acid reflux can kill.
I lived with it for more than 30 years, eating 2 or 3 rolls of rolaids each day.
One day I was hurting bad and a coworker gave me a prescription pill. It worked so good I went to my doctor right away and asked for a script for the same med. She did, but told me that if I did not get scoped she would not give me any more. That saved my life. I got scoped and was diagnosed with Baretts esophagus, a precursor to cancer. At that time (12 or so years ago) cancer in the esophagus was pretty much a death sentence. I had regular scopes from then on. One day my GI Dr. Told me there was a brand new procedure called a "halo" and that I was a perfect candidate for one. The procedure had only been available for a couple of years and that he had only been doing them for about a year....the only doctor I'm the area who was. It took 3 halos to eliminate the Baretts, but it's now gone.
Heartburn kills!!!! If you haven't already, get scoped.

Same here, Barrett's Esophagus. Common symptom is difficulty swallowing due to inflammation. Getting scoped is easy, they put you out for 10 minutes. Barrett's comes from long term reflux, where the stomach lining starts to move up the esophagus. Also probably the cause of my asthma, as the reflux gets aspirated into the lungs as you sleep. First ID's mine about 10 years ago, now I get scoped every 3 years. So far, so good. Omeprazole once per day, watch what you eat and drink 3 hours before bed. Started on Nexium, it was a miracle drug, the reflux stopped as soon as I started taking an acid pump inhibitor. Amazing. If I miss just one pill, I can tell.

I see that doc again this summer to get the other end scoped (ten year interval if no issues). I will have to ask about the Halo procedure.

When I built a new bed I made the head about 4 inches higher than the foot.

353172353173

Dave Cav
02-04-2017, 7:36 PM
I was having a problem with reflux a few years ago and eventually went on omeprazole, which took care of the problem (put the head of the bed up about 4", too). However, the more I read about PPIs, the more nervous I got, despite what my GP told me, so I eventually weaned myself off it. I also discovered that my taking ibuprofen every day after going to the gym seems to have been causing the problem. Now I rarely have reflux, probably once or twice a month, and one Nexium as needed takes care of it. I also got scoped, and was clear.

Rich Engelhardt
02-05-2017, 5:56 AM
I have or had or whatever some sort of issue the heart doctor told me I have or had.
He wrote a prescription for some pills that did me more harm than good.

I ran across a homeopathic cure for "heartburn" - take a teaspoon of vinegar, and decided to give it a try.

My late mother in law made a meat loaf that would turn my digestive system into a volcano & double me over, so, next time she served it I ate a bunch of dill pickles with the meal.
It worked like a champ.

Anything with vinegar in it will do the trick. My favorite is hot peppers :D. The look on people's faces when I eat hot peppers out of a jar and tell them it's to prevent heartburn is priceless.