Spybee007

Hi all,

I have been 35 days without a drink. I feel pretty good a lot of the issues I had like leg cramps, leg numbness, and just overall feeling like death has gone away. I figured my GERD/Reflux would subside by now, but it's still the same as when I was drinking. I'm a 37 male and only started getting bad reflux 3 years ago. I binge drank every 3 days on average for a good 15-18 years. I also was a heavy smoker and quit that as well. I do chew tobacco though and I know I need to quit. I am adjusting my diet, not eating 2 hours before bed as well as trying a wedge pillow. I take Zantac (which helps as long as I don't miss my dose) prescribed by my doctor.

Did anyone have terrible GERD/Reflux that went away and how long did it take? I'm looking for some hope here. Thanks!

Atlast9999

Misssy2

Get some over the counter omprezole...I swear it will help....

My GI prescribed it to me then I had an Endoscopy to see if anything was wrong...I had "Gastritis" from drinking alcohol.....

Even if it is not Gastritis...it is over the counter and then you can follow up with your GI but you 100% will feel better....it really helps all kinds of stomach issues.

entropy1964

I have fortunately never had GERD. I have heard that eating a very clean, alkaline diet can help. Maybe try an elimination diet to see if you have any allergies to dairy or certain forms of wheat. Take a look at probiotic and prebiotic foods and try to incorporate them in your diet to balance your gut bacteria. Stay away from sugar. And yeah, the chewing isn't doing you any favors either! No sodas, caffeine, chocolate.

After you balance things out you can probably start to add back in some treats.

Finallytime

I used smokeless tobacco for 20 years, and I had increasing issues with acid reflux toward the end. Once I quit about 5 years ago, my acid reflux went away. Of course, it could be something completely different in your case, but maybe worth considering. Is it an option for you to quit tobacco?

Dee74

I never chewed tobacco but I'm guessing that might be an irritant? Also avoid carbonated drinks for a while if you can or excessively spicy stuff - things like that irritated my throat for a while

Zantac was good - Zantac, diet and time.

I hope things get better soon

D

Spybee007

Spybee007

ToughLife19

Any update? I too am in a similar situation. I made it 30 days and was still having some stomach issues. Ended up saying F it and binge drank one night so ive had to start over.

Funny things I also chewed and it seemed to make things worse so I quit.

ToughLife19

Also how,l long is it generally accepted to take PPI's? I took some OTC my first 2 weeks and per the directions stopped taking it after 14 days of treatment. I then went back to having stomach issues. Do some people take it longer than 14 days?

Dee74

Hi ToughLife

normally the deal with OTC things is 'if symptoms persists see your doctor' - it might be worth doing just that to find out whats causing the trouble?

D

D122y

I have reflux sometimes. Mostly when I gain weight. Anything around 230 and it starts up. I want to weigh about 190, but I don't have the discipline to eat and exercise correctly to get there.

I hover around 225.

My gir flared up when I went on a 16 hour fast diet. It took about 3 or 4 months then boom. Worst reflux of my life.

I thought I was having a stroke.

It took several months to heal the damage done to my stomach.

I don't plan to ever do the fast diet again.

Thanks.

sugarbear1

I had stomach issues when drinking and I even named my stomach "Igor."

Igor was a mess when I got sober. I don't know when he calmed down (some time in the first 2 years of sobriety), but I am able to eat spicy food today. That is something I couldn't do when drinking due to my GERD. Today, Igor is happy and doing well. No issues!

You spent 3 years perfecting your GERD pain, it won't go away in just 35 days.....give time time and heal.