Anyone else have this happen? You are sleeping only to be rudely awakened from inhaling stomach acid and gasping for air? It scares the hell out of me when it happens. My lungs lock up and I'm making all kinds of noises like a dog trying to hack up a bone. When I finally get a breath to go in it sounds like it's the first one from returning from the grave. I ate some peanuts last night and it had the bonus of that nice treat (along with another one 12 hours later, I'll spare you) about 4AM. Just thought I'd share, I got nothing else going on in my life right now. :)

I get it once in a while too Steve. Thank god for Pepsid A/C, works for me!

Ive never inhaled stomach acid, but occasionally i get acid reflux late at night especially if i drink soda or eat sugary things. I usually 'burp' it up and its very nasty. BUT if i sleep on my left side it doesnt happen, the right side for some reason allows this to happen. I have a minor hiatal hernia which affects the stomach valve entrance and sometimes it doesnt close all the way to lock the stuff down. I hear a good chiropractor can actually fix that kind of stuff.
the peanuts definately made it sound more disgusting!

Hapenning more and more often too me.
I am awakened at least once every other week it seems.
And yes like you I make awful sounds until I get that first gahgahgasp of breath, then it burns like heck and worse as you try to hack it back out of your lungs (sorry bout the graphic depiction).

I'll spare you the gory details, but two weeks ago I had an upper endoscopy done. I had a damaged esophogus from all the stomache acid, that'd been coming up the pipe. Finnaly, had to have them strech it back out so I could eat again. Gave me a prescription for Prilosec, told me that you don't even need to have symptoms of acid, to get Erosive Esophogitis. Try hacking up your dinner a few times, after you can't get it down. People at the table LOVE IT.

Try hacking up your dinner a few times, after you can't get it down. People at the table LOVE IT.

You make it sound like fun. :D

There are so many things for this, I have an acid gut problem (I'm only 31) and take the mint flavored maalox, that really does the trick, for you really serious cases have your MD perscribe you some nexium, I heard it works wonders.

I dont "gack stuff up" in the middle of the night but I have bad indigestion, it is all caused by the same thing though. Alcohol and nicotene both cause stomach acid, BTW, in case you frequent either of those. :(

GO AND SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!! This nothing to mess around with. It may be minor but unless you have it checked, you won't know. Acid refux is nothing to mess with!

GO AND SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!! This nothing to mess around with. It may be minor but unless you hane it checked, tou won't know. Acid refux is nothing to mess with!


Best advice anyone could give you about your MEDICAL condition!



Rocky

It's finally been proven that "Heartburn" is caused by a bacterial infection!!

I want to say that a couple of Aussie Dr's recently got an award for proving it!!! AND I think I saved the link to their study at work...

BUT there is so much money to be made selling "Heartburn" remedies that you don't hear of what you really need to take to get rid of the real cause!!

AND it has also been proven that fresh cabbage juice will cure this problem too b/c it contains a natural ingrediant in it that kills the bacteria!!

Check this stuff out real close and see what I am talking about!!

pdq67

This is nothing to mess around with! See your doctor now!!! I went to the hospital with severe chest pains in Feb. of this year. I thought this is it. I have had acid reflux since all the meds I was on following back surgury in 1998. Turned out the chest pains were actually severe pain was damage to my esophagus caused by acid reflux. The doctor put me on a med for this and so far has helped heal the damage along with a changed diet plan. My sister had stomach problems from the time she was in high school. years ago she was having the same problem you described. She just treated it with over the counter stuff until she started having trouble swallowing. She just started eating soft foods until they became hard to swallow. She then ignored pleas from my brother-in-law to see the doctor until liquids were coming back up. Three months later she deid from esophageal cancer that developed due to the massive damage caused by acid reflux! Again, SEE A DOCTOR NOW!!!

I too take Prolosec. It works so good I don't mind paying the $11 for 14 day supply. My doctor is the one who recommended it. It can be prescribed as well. Go see your doctor!

I've had this happen and it is scary. When I lose weight, the first thing I notice is that heartburn goes away. If I start to gain, it comes back.

I started having the symptoms of what I thought was a heart attack a few years ago at work. Chest tightening, short breath, but also had a sore jaw similar to a bad tooth ache. Turned out to be acid reflux. Noticed shortly thereafter I was waking up with acid taste all hours of the night. Started with prescribed Prilosec until it became available over the counter and Blue Cross wouldn't cover the original prescribed version.

I try to take one tablet a day and NEVER leave home for a few days without some. I can get an acid attack for no apparent reason any time night or day and I can feel it coming on very quickly. I take a tablet and within a few minutes it subsides.

I wholeheartly agree it's nothing to fool with when it normally can easily be controlled. Definately recommend seeing your doctor to make sure that's what it is.

Read me again!!

B/c I'm talking about curing it, NOT treating it!!

Same way with my bad sinusses!

I've found out that a 1000 mg of asprin twice a day along with V-C does more to get rid of my sinus problem than anything else I've tried!!

I just watch my stomach and back off when it get's to burning such that I can't eat dill pickles!!

pdq67

On a lighter side guys, top if off with some good old Marvel Mystery Oil!!!!

I went to the hospital with severe chest pains in Feb. of this year.

I had similar pain. I was sure it was angina from clogged arteries. Had a cardiologist check me out. Nothing is clogged. It turned out to be gallstones. Had my gallbladder removed. No more chest pains except for heartburn. I take Tums and if it gets severe, Pepcid AC. Nexium or Aciphex.

Aaron,

MMO!!

That's not all that silly b/c back when was a kid, I helped my Dad worm about eight or nine little-bitty German Shorthair bird-dog pups by giving them a tablespoon of turpentine and me chasing it using a doll baby bottle full of milk to get them to swallow the nasty tasting stuff.

Wormed the h-ll outta them!! You talk about a bunch of beautiful little pups!!!

pdq67

thats because you live so close to limerick,,just swallow and go back to sleep ;) Dave

I've been goging thru this for years. As several folks said, see the Doctor, let him decide if its minor. I've been thru Zantac, prilosec and now Nexium. You will need to change your lifestyle and eating habits if you really want to avoid future problems. One easy thing to do until you see the Dr is to raise the head of your bed 3-6 inches, that alone will cut down on the number of occurences.

I have acid reflux that my doctor attributes to weight gain. She prescribed prilosec due to minor irritation (burns) in the throat. She said to take two a day but I find that one does the trick just fine. I forgot to take it once and that night I thought I puked hells kitchen. I won't forget again. I could stand to lose the 30 extra pounds too.

I cant wait to get old....

I cant wait to get old....


dont gotta be old, im 23 and i just started getting it

I started getting it once I went to second shift. I guess I eat too late. I could stand to drop 30-40 pounds too. I'll ask my doc about the Prilosec. :thumbsup:

They found out whats causing this!!

It only happens to chevy guys when they dream they bought a ford and the stomac cant take it.:D

Some of the medical literature on the subject offers a few simple changes that can help immediately. If you prop your upper body up while you sleep, so you are on an incline. Also the standard of taking a tums or some antiacid pill before going to sleep. Those are easy things to try and fix the problem. The more serious options for entirely fixing problem require going to the doctor. There is a chance your reflux could be caused by bacteria and would go away immediately after taking a course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Not all doctors will go straight for the antibiotic route to treat reflux but if you ask about it you will be more likely to get them. There is also another drug class called prokinetics that increase the movement of stomach and intestines which are indicated for treatment of reflux. There are the proton-pump inhibitors like prilosec which has already been talked about as a good option. Losing a 20lbs or so can also have a big effect in reducing reflux.

The problem with letting the acid continue to burn your throat is that some people go on to develop erosions on their esophagus. That condition can be treated with other drugs but it can also lead to esophageal cancer or the need for part of the esophagus to be removed. So simple reflux can go on to cause other problems, it doesn't always but there is the possibility. Its a good reason to go have it checked out.

By the time that you get to the age of many of us on this site, you sometimes do a pretty good imitation of a pot bellied pig. If you sleep on your stomach, as I do, you are lucky if all you squeeze out is a little acid. Lost 25 pounds and no more problem. Might be coincidence though.

Losing weight usually helps the problem a lot. Something else that worked for me is to eat two or three cups of yogurt every day. Since I lost twenty five pounds and started eating yogurt, (Blue Bunny Lite 85 is delicious), I NEVER have any sort of stomach problem.

i can attest to the fact (in my case anyway)...it has nothing to do with age or weight, i'm thinking the actual correlation to weight is that youre eating like a pig, i had it when i was 160 lbs...and 260 lbs....when i was 18 and 38.
what the hell would lead some one to believe they had clogged arteries?....i cant imagine feeling something particulary askew and thinking... "hmmm, i think my arteries must be cloggin' up, i better go see my heart guy "

popbirch,

Thanks for backing me up about it being caused by a bacteria!!

pdq67