Brief Answer: stress increases the perception of the reflux Detailed Answer: HI, thanks for using healthcare magic The symptoms that you have described (abdominal pain, acid or bitter taste in the mouth) can definitely be related to gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). The other symptoms of GERD are bloating, excess saliva in the mouth, cough, nausea, burning discomfort in the chest and upper abdomen. It is usually worse in the afternoon/ evenings or in the early morning hours. GERD can be severe in some persons. IN terms of the connection with stress, it is thought that stress does not increase acid production but it increases the persons awareness or sensitivity to the acid present. The main treatment would be : (1) stress reduction if possible (2) reduce the size of meals. Using smaller meals would reduce acid production (3)reduce or eliminate the use of acid/spicy/citrus/fatty/fried foods because these worsen reflux. Reduction of mint, onions, tomatoes, chocolate also helps (4)weight loss of there is any excess weight (5)avoid tight clothing (6)wait at least 2 hours after eating before reclining There is also medication available that can help. There are different classes of drugs , zantac and pepcid belong to one family of drugs. The other types of drugs may work better in the long term. Examples are prilosec, prevacid, nexium In some persons there is a bacteria present in the stomach that is worsening the reflux. This bacteria is called H pylori. If the above treatment is not effective, your doctor may consider a blood test to check for this. IF present a combination of 3 medication is used for 10 days to 2 weeks. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions

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