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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can Acid Reflux Be Treated?

I am 54 and have had Raynauds for a couple of years. Since February of this year I have had a lot of acid reflux issues. I take meds for thyroid and a fair amount (2-4 a day) of Advil for either back or headache paine. Headaches are caused mostly from allergies, for which I m being treated and receiving shots. The ENT prescribed the Omeprozol (sp?) Are the Raynauds and reflux connected?
Wed, 18 Oct 2017
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Hello,
I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with severe reflux. This can certainly be troubling.
Reflux pain happens when the acidic juices of the stomach regurgitate up into the esophagus, which is not equipped to handle acidity very well.
There are many treatment options available. There are short-acting medications like antacids (TUMS, calcium carbonate, etc.) that can give you immediate relief, but their effect does not last for very long.
There are longer acting medications that you generally take once or twice a day. These fall into 2 general classes: 1. H2 blockers (such as ranitidine) 2. Proton Pump Inhibitors (such as omeprazole)
There are several modifications in lifestyle that you can make to reduce your symptoms as well, these include:
- no food within 4 hours of going to bed
- do not lie down after eating
- weight loss if you are overweight
- elevation of the head of your bed: this can be done with a wedge pillow or elevators under the head of the bed. Wide bricks can be used for this purpose.
- avoid tobacco and alcohol
- avoid soda and carbonated beverages
- reduce your intake of any foods that you feel may trigger your symptoms, common triggers include caffeine, chocolate, mint, spicy foods, fatty foods

For severe reflux, sometimes surgical treatment is warranted, but this is rarely needed.

Raynaud's and reflux can occur together in a specific disorder called Scleroderma, which is an autoimmune disorder. It is not a common disease but you should certainly be tested for it given that you have two features of this disorder. It may just be coincidental however that you happen to have Raynaud's and reflux (both of which are common).

I hope this helps and feel better soon!
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How Can Acid Reflux Be Treated?

Hello, I m sorry to hear that you re struggling with severe reflux. This can certainly be troubling. Reflux pain happens when the acidic juices of the stomach regurgitate up into the esophagus, which is not equipped to handle acidity very well. There are many treatment options available. There are short-acting medications like antacids (TUMS, calcium carbonate, etc.) that can give you immediate relief, but their effect does not last for very long. There are longer acting medications that you generally take once or twice a day. These fall into 2 general classes: 1. H2 blockers (such as ranitidine) 2. Proton Pump Inhibitors (such as omeprazole) There are several modifications in lifestyle that you can make to reduce your symptoms as well, these include: - no food within 4 hours of going to bed - do not lie down after eating - weight loss if you are overweight - elevation of the head of your bed: this can be done with a wedge pillow or elevators under the head of the bed. Wide bricks can be used for this purpose. - avoid tobacco and alcohol - avoid soda and carbonated beverages - reduce your intake of any foods that you feel may trigger your symptoms, common triggers include caffeine, chocolate, mint, spicy foods, fatty foods For severe reflux, sometimes surgical treatment is warranted, but this is rarely needed. Raynaud s and reflux can occur together in a specific disorder called Scleroderma, which is an autoimmune disorder. It is not a common disease but you should certainly be tested for it given that you have two features of this disorder. It may just be coincidental however that you happen to have Raynaud s and reflux (both of which are common). I hope this helps and feel better soon!