Hi, I’m a 19-year old female and I get heartburn quite frequently. This has been happening quite some time now and I never have had a drastic change in my diet or anything like that. It gets really bad to where it keeps me up at night, sitting up usually helps with the pain and makes it less severe. And no, I don’t eat right before bedtime.
There’s been a couple of times that when I’m eating, when I swallow, it literally HURTS. Right in my chest area/breastbone. And I never had this happen to me before but, these past couple of months, when I’m done eating, I hiccup. And I only hiccup ONCE, and its a big hiccup and it kind of hurts my chest.
My grandma says I’m too young to have acid reflux disease and that usually middle aged people get it or elderly people, and she suggested I might have an ulcer.
Any ideas? Help? D:

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If you are suffering from frequent and unrelenting heartburn, you probably would do just about anything for some relief. There are prescription medications that might help, but some people want to find a more natural way to help with the problem. There are some who believe that a variety of lifestyle changes can be made, and that you can take licorice for acid reflux and feel some relief. Licorice root has been used for a long time for many different things with great success. There are some things you should know about it before you begin.

Acid reflux is the result of stomach acid moving up into the esophagus. It can go as high as the mouth, and throat, and can cause problems with sinuses and the respiratory system. The acid can do a lot of damage to these tissues, and you might even experience tooth decay. It is often associated with a burning sensation that can be very hard to manage at times. For some people, the pain is unbearable, and medications are a must in order to stop the pain.

If you have reflux, you can try a few lifestyle modifications. If you are overweight, you may find relief in losing the extra pounds. This extra bulk can be part of the reason that the valve at the top of your stomach meant to contain the acid within is failing.

You might also want to try licorice root to see if it does anything to help you. This is something that is otherwise referred to as DGL (De-Glycyrrhizinated Licorice). There have been some studies that suggest this is just as effective as some medications, and in some cases it worked better. You should discuss this with your doctor before you begin however, because there can be problems.

Even though you might think of licorice roots as a natural remedy, it can still harm you if you are in poor health. Licorice has been known to raise blood pressure if you take the wrong kind. Always have medical help when you try something like this.

There are many people who have said they have found great relief in using licorice for acid reflux. Usual dosages are once a day or if you have a bad case of reflux, you might have to take it twice a day. You may find that using this natural remedy along with a well thought-out meal plan, changes in lifestyle, and a new way of sleeping will help keep your symptoms to a minimum.

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By Kathryn Whittaker. Sign up for a free newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/2yow72 that has proven methods for tackling Acid Reflux, Heartburn and GERD head-on and discover more about acid reflux. In the newsletter you’ll also find more about the different kinds of acid reflux help and what to do if you have severe heartburn.

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Most people will experience occasional heartburn but millions experience a more serious condition often referred to as GERD, an acronym for gastro esophageal reflux disease. What is GERD and is it the same as Acid Reflux? The answer is “yes”. Typically GERD and Acid Reflux refer to the same problem where liquid contents in the stomach regurgitate (or refluxes upward into the esophagus).

The most common symptom of GERD is a burning sensation that radiates up from the stomach and into the chest and throat. Other symptoms may include cramps, difficulty or pain when swallowing. A patient may experience pain behind or below the breastbone. They may have vomiting at night and liquid may be inhaled into the lungs. Excess saliva, bad breath, sore throat, hoarseness, coughing (sometimes excessively), shortness of breath or any combination of these symptoms may occur. Acid in the mouth can also cause erosion of tooth enamel on the surface of teeth.

One study revealed that nearly three-quarters of patients with frequent GERD problems experience their worst symptoms at night. To fully understand GERD one must realize that the main problem stems from eating too much in the evening. To solve the problem, diet can be adjusted to substitute a lighter meal at dinner and a small snack later, as opposed to one large meal in the evening. Typically one should not eat two to three hours before bedtime and it’s best not to lie down immediately after eating.

Additional factors that may contribute to GERD include smoking, being overweight, pregnant, use of certain medications and eating foods that aggravate the condition but that varies with each individual. Certain types of foods are bad for GERD. It’s best to avoid high-fat meals and to eat foods high in complex carbohydrates instead. One should also avoid clothing that fits too tight across the midsection of the body.

How are symptoms of GERD diagnosed? A physician can take a complete medical history and review symptoms. A visit with a specialist may be recommended to evaluate symptoms in greater depth and likely order test. To determine a GERD diagnosis one test includes x-rays after the patient drinks a solution of barium. In addition an Esophagoscopy may be ordered. An Esophagoscopy is a test where a flexible tube is inserted so the Gastroenterologist can have a better view of the esophagus. If a problem is detected the physician will determine the best form of treatment for symptoms of Acid Reflux.

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ZEGERID’s effectiveness in controlling nocturnal gastric acidity when dosed at bedtime is intriguing and worthy of further study,” said Donald Castell, MD,

“The goal of PPI use in the evening is to reduce nocturnal gastric acidity, which reduces the possibility of acid reflux in patients with GERD,” Dr. Castell added.

Dr. Castell is professor of medicine and director, Esophageal Disorders Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, and is past president of the American Gastroenterological Association.

In this study, 36 patients with nighttime symptoms of GERD participated in an open-label, randomized crossover trial. The patients received repeated evening doses of either ZEGERID or Protonix for one week, followed by twice-daily dosing for one day. After a washout period, patients were treated with the alternative drug, following the same schedule.

During once-daily dosing, ZEGERID was administered at bedtime; however, reflecting current practice for evening dosing of delayed-release PPIs, Protonix was administered before dinner. During twice-daily dosing, both drugs were administered before breakfast and at bedtime. The protocol allowed 18 patients to return for additional once-daily dosing of ZEGERID 40 mg on six consecutive days, with 24-hour pH monitoring beginning at the last dose. Gastric acidity was calculated separately over an 8-hour nighttime interval and over 24 hours.

Measurements included median gastric pH, percentage of time gastric pH was greater than 4 and percentage of patients with nocturnal acid breakthrough (NAB), defined as the occurrence of continuous gastric pH of less than 4 for more than one hour during the night while receiving PPI therapy. The amount of time that pH is greater than 4 is a parameter frequently used to evaluate the clinical effects of treatment with PPIs in patients with acid-related diseases.

Data from 32 patients were available for analysis. After repeated once-daily dosing, ZEGERID 40 mg produced significantly better nocturnal gastric acid control than Protonix 40 mg: median gastric pH was 4.7 vs. 2.0; the time with gastric pH greater than 4 was 55 percent vs. 27 percent; and patients with NAB totaled 53 percent vs. 78 percent (P less than or equal to 0.005 for all comparisons). After twice-daily dosing of ZEGERID 40 mg and Protonix 40 mg, respectively: median gastric pH was 6.5 vs. 1.5; the time with gastric pH greater than 4 was 92 percent vs. 37 percent; and patients with NAB totaled 12 percent vs. 71 percent (P less than or equal to 0.002 for all comparisons).

Once-daily bedtime dosing of ZEGERID 40 mg also achieved better nocturnal gastric acid control than twice-daily dosing of Protonix 40 mg: median gastric pH was 4.7 vs. 1.7 (P less than 0.001); the time with gastric pH greater than 4 was 55 percent vs. 34 percent (P less than 0.001); and patients with NAB totaled 53 percent vs. 75 percent (P = 0.035). In addition, ZEGERID 40 mg dosed once-daily achieved similar 24-hour pH control as Protonix 40 mg dosed twice-daily.

Important Safety Information

ZEGERID Powder for Oral Suspension 40 mg is indicated for reduction of risk of upper GI bleeding in critically ill patients and short-term treatment (four to eight weeks) of active benign gastric ulcers. ZEGERID Powder for Oral Suspension 20 mg is indicated for short-term treatment of active duodenal ulcers, for heartburn and other symptoms associated with GERD, for short-term treatment (four to eight weeks) of erosive esophagitis diagnosed by endoscopy, and for maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis (controlled studies do not extend beyond 12 months). ZEGERID is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to any components of the formulation.

The most frequently reported adverse events with ZEGERID are headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Symptomatic response to therapy does not preclude the presence of gastric malignancy. Atrophic gastritis has been noted occasionally in gastric corpus biopsies from patients treated long term with omeprazole. In critically ill patients treated with ZEGERID, adverse events generally reflected the serious, underlying medical condition of the patients, and were similar for patients treated with ZEGERID and with the comparator (acid-controlling) drug.

ZEGERID contains 460 mg sodium per dose in the form of sodium bicarbonate (1680 mg/20 mEq), which should be considered for patients on a sodium-restricted diet. Sodium bicarbonate is contraindicated in patients with metabolic alkalosis and hypocalcemia.