Sue's got a lot of experience with this..there was a recent post with some discussion about GERD too.

Follow dietary recommendations. I have been on Prilosec for a while now. It seems to help. When I do have a problem, I use Mylanta. Also found that eating watermelon makes me burp. Also, sounds strange, but eating an apple helps get rid of the heartburn.

I take omeprazole generic for one of the main ones it helps I take am and pm But I also have hiatal hernia and it makes me miserable burping belching 24/7 everytime I eat or drink anything and sometimes just from air I swallow. I take rolaid and tums way too many. Sorry I am no help.

I find milk of manesium creates a huge problem itself,have to limit it a lot. I wonder if that is different with the Priosec.

Hi Shirley, Prilosec is a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), as is Nexium, and several other drugs in that class. I had to start aggressively treating my GERD a few years ago because the acid was getting into my lungs and causing granulomas to form. Now that I've been vigilant for a few years, my granulomas have disappeared, according to my most recent chest CT.

Milk of Magnesia is probably the last thing I would try. There are several other OTC drugs that might help, but make sure you read labels. Tums will not help chronic acid reflux, either.

I ended up going to a gastroenterologist, who performed several tests on me, including an Upper Endoscopy. She wanted to see if I had any erosions on my esophagus, or Barret's Esophagus, or other problems. She also looked at my stomach and duodenum while she was in there.

I follow the GERD diet, which eliminates all caffeine including coffee, tea and chocolate, colas and other soft drinks, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, onions, mint, fried and fatty foods, and anything else that bothers me. This is a hard diet to get used to, but if you make the effort, it's worth it.

I also raise the head of my bed. Wal-Mart has sets of "Bed Risers" in the laundry supply section ($8.97 for a set of 4), and you could use two of them under the feet of your bed. You want to raise it 4-6". I ended up buying an adjustable bed, since I knew that would be handy for my COPD. too. You could also try a wedge pillow.

Of course, smoking makes GERD worse, but that's not so much of a problem for some of us, thank goodness.

I also take meds. Since mine has affected my lungs in the past, I take a large dose. I take one 40mg Nexium before breakfast, and another one before dinner. (Usually the dose is one/day). I also take Carafate an night to help protect my stomach.

You can learn a lot about GERD in the group that's here on DS. Also, this website has LOTS of info, including food lists, and recipes, etc: www.heartburn.about.com.

I hope that this info will help you get started on finding some relief! Sorry it's so long! :)

Hugs, Sue

i knew sue woulod have all the answers@!!!

my doc said some ;pills too. can't think of the brand...but they work.

good luck!

Zantac is an OTC med for GERD that might be helpful. It's a different kind of drug than the PPIs.

BTW, Ellen mentioned apples, and I can agree with that wholeheartedly. For some reason, when all else fails, eat an apple! I've even been known to take a bag of apples along on a trip. It's can be very difficult to order in restaurants, and sometimes, even with my best efforts, I'll eat something that bothers me. An apple will really help take care of it.

Hugs, Sue