Do you think if I lost weight I wouldn't have to take pills for my indigestion?

Every time I lose 10 pounds around my mid-section, my acid reflex feels like it's cut in half. Could this be true or am I linking two things together that are unrelated? Does anyone have any experience with this? I'd love to be free of prescriptions.

Thu. Sep 7, 11:55am

the link describes a recent study done to determine the effects of weight on acid reflux.

Link

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:09 PM

re the article, correlation is not causation

For me the cause and effect seem to have worked the other way. The irritation caused by the acid reflux makes me feel hungry all the time, even when I know I can't possibly be hungry. I don't know why the pain feels like hunger, but it does, and I could feel after-dinner full and gnawingly hungry at the same time. When I take a PPI it relieves the sensation of hunger, and it's much easier to lose weight.

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:27 PM

what's a ppi?

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:32 PM

cut out wheat and you may be able to stop taking pills. Worked for me...

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:40 PM

I couldn't say wether or not you could totally be free of prescription medication, but I do know that excess weight puts pressure your stomach and helps force the acid up. Also, certain foods can really aggravate acid production and cause episodes. I suggest looking at the Mayo Clinic's web page for a list of foods it is recommended that people suffering from acid reflux avoid.

My mother has suffered from this for years, has had to have surgery for it, developed Barret's Esophagus as a result (a pre-cancerous condition which requires her to have her throat scoped every other year) and now suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome as a result of the surgery. Throughout the whole ordeal she refuses to change her diet or exercise even though it is well known that both can have a signifigant effect on the severity of the condition (both acid reflux and IBS).

I try not to resent this but I can't help it to a certain extent. She is my mother and I love her dearly. I remember how strong she seemed when I was younger and I want her to be there for me and my siblings and her grandchildren. She no longer travels much because she can't count on bathrooms being there when the 'moment' strikes so I only get to see her when I can make it to the midwest so this means no vacations anywhere else which I also resent a bit. She has lost incredible amounts of muscle and rarely leaves the house. However things are looking up - she has recently started a new medication which seems to really be helping the symptoms, so I am encouraging her to get out more and get in better shape and visit friends and relatives nearby. The problem is that she is completely at the mercy of her medication and it is expensive!

I don't want to try to be one of those who brings out the sob stories to make my point, but my mother is a classic example of what happens when acid reflux lasts too long - even with prescriptions hers got worse and worse until there were no more medications strong enough to control it. Having watched her for years I am doing everything in my power to avoid this! I am keeping my weight healthy and eating a healthy diet. This has been a great challenge because I certainly didn't learn either set of good habits from my parents and I had years of bad habits to un-learn. However visiting her is great motivation - I just wish it didn't make me cry :-( But I will be healthy for the same reasons I would like her to be healthier - I want to live a long active life for myself and my loved ones.

I wish you all the best for yourself and for the ones you love. It would be terrific news if you were able to check back in at some future date and let us know that you no longer need medication - whether it's attainable or not it's a great goal!

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:40 PM

i cut out wheat and almost all of my reflux problems have disappeared.

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 12:47 PM

12:27 here

PPI -- proton pump inhibitor. The general kind of drug prescribed for reflux.

BTW, I should maybe add the disclaimer that I've never been more than slightly overweight by the BMI classification. I've never been obese. BUT reflux does run in my family, possibly because of morphological factors as mentioned in the article. I can certainly see how someone like myself could BECOME obese if they didn't realize their feelings of hunger were a "false alarm."

To go off on a tangent for just a moment, the popular Intuitive Eating approach would never work for people like me!

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 1:22 PM

aahhh, there it is! the almost always mentioned intuitive eating...

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 1:27 PM

I am not a doctor but if you have a hiatal hernia and are severely overwieght, I don't think you have to take medication. also you must know Don't lay down after you eat. Don't over eat1 good Luck

Thursday, September 07, 2006, 1:40 PM

This has never been an issue for me personally, except for when I was pregnant. I do know several people that have received huge amounts of improvement in their acid reflux with dietary changes (wheat and dairy elimination primarily) and acupuncture.

On a side note, I can relate with the above poster whose mother has damaged her health with this issue. My mother in law has similar issues and refuses to try basic dietary changes to help herself. Instead, she's on several medications, one of which had a side effect of tremors, causing a significant amount of stress in us all that she might be developing Parkinsons. Medications have side effects. Work the things that don't first. The drug companies will always be there for you later if diet and exercise don't work out. ;)

Saturday, September 09, 2006, 2:40 PM

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