I've had GERD for several years now and so does my husband. In fact we both have Barrett's esophagus, too. I've taken an active interest in the foods that cause problems with this condition and thought I'd pass along some of them to you...
I think we've all heard the obvious ones, like alcohol, citrus foods and juices, fried, fatty, greasy foods, spicy foods, chocolates and coffee, tomato products and peppermint. There are some others that I wasn't aware of (in some cases) and thought I'd add them here, in case you've never come across these either...
Whole milk, chocolate milk, sodas, mint tea...or how about sweet rolls and doughnuts? Pies, cookies, cakes, ice cream?
Gravies, heavy cream, meat drippings and butter? Potato Chips, pasta with cream sauces, cream soups, cream style veggies?
I guess when I look them over now, it makes sense that these could aggravate the symptoms of GERD as well! 
I hope this helps someone - Hugs, Teri 
http://healthology.healingwell.com/webcast_transcript.asp?f=heartburn&c=gi_myths
http://healthology.healingwell.com/webcast_transcript.asp?f=heartburn&c=gi_myths"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"I Hope You Dance".............LeeAnn Womack
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Thanks for sharing that info Teri, as I have experienced problems on one occasion or another w/all of the foods you mentioned. I also had problems w/shrimp & crabmeat, broccoli & collards.
What is left to eat? This is why i'm having a problem w/weight, can't eat any good fatty foods. LOL
By the way, I bought Boost and really like it. I am also drinking Ensure. I am eating more these days, I think it may have something to do w/me now taking the Prolisec 40mg @ d, or the Zoloft; not having any reflux problems. I have gained three pounds as of yesterday. Hip hip Hooray! I am still going to see the Nutrition Spec on the 8th of this mo.
Thanks again,
Vanessa
What is left to eat? This is why i'm having a problem w/weight, can't eat any good fatty foods. LOL
By the way, I bought Boost and really like it. I am also drinking Ensure. I am eating more these days, I think it may have something to do w/me now taking the Prolisec 40mg @ d, or the Zoloft; not having any reflux problems. I have gained three pounds as of yesterday. Hip hip Hooray! I am still going to see the Nutrition Spec on the 8th of this mo.
Thanks again,
Vanessa
I've been aware of most of these, partly from experience or from doctor recommendations, and when I eat them I know the price (I can't resist an already open bag of chips- also, tomato seems to be omnipresent)
How about sugar?
Fruit (not citrus) drinks (with sugar)?
If sugar is bad would splenda work?
How about sugar?
Fruit (not citrus) drinks (with sugar)?
If sugar is bad would splenda work?
I use Splenda all the time, as I'm diabetic as well, and find that I love the taste! It doesn't seem to be bothering me?
Vanessa, talking about appetite - or lack of?...Zoloft can cause a lack of appetite. I know, cuz I'm on that as well.
Wishing you both all the best, Hugs, Teri
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"I Hope You Dance".............LeeAnn Womack
Please allow HealingWell to continue helping others by donating:
Hi, everyone!! The doc just told me the other day that he believes I have a hiatal hernia causing gastric reflux... went to ER with massive chest pain and had a "GI Cocktail"..stopped the chest pain cold but man was it nasty.
My question is not so much what you shouldn't eat... but what CAN I eat? LOL
Seems like the lists take out just about anything.
Anyone have a list of what are good foods to eat with this condition?
Thanks
Sarah
My question is not so much what you shouldn't eat... but what CAN I eat? LOL
Seems like the lists take out just about anything.
Anyone have a list of what are good foods to eat with this condition?
Thanks
Sarah
Hi Sarah!
The same site that I used above, also gives a list of foods that seem to be okay!
Good Luck and I hope this helps! Hugs, Teri
http://www.jefferson.edu/gi/patient_info/nutrition5.cfm
"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas
"I Hope You Dance".............LeeAnn Womack
Please allow HealingWell to continue helping others by donating:
Hello,
I am not allowed to promote my new book or mention my web site, but I think it's alright to mention that I have found and documented evidence that excess that it it the consumption of excess carbohydrates is the root cause of GERD and by reducing your carbohydrate consumption you can completely eliminate acid reflux. This is the only dietary approach that I am aware of, that really works and it only takes a couple of days. Has anyone tried this and, if so, have you had any luck?
Have you noticed that many of the trigger foods you mention contain carbohydrates. coffee (most add sugar), alcohol (often with sweet mixers or carbs in beer, wine or the alcohol itself is not a trigger). fried food is often breaded, milk (lactose), etc.
The answer is under our noses. Give a try to significantly lowering your carbs. It really works. Just try it for two days. I would be interested in your experience with this approach.
Thanks,
Dr. Norm
Thanks Dr. Norm, I will try your approach, let you know what happens.
Vanessa
Vanessa
Hi Dr. Norm and Vanessa. I have been trying really hard to give up carbs but it is not easy. Can`t believe how many things have flour or something in them. I will keep at it. BTY did you say wine is ok, Dr. Norm. I will be so glad if it is!!! Vanessa
Vanessa,
Oh ya. If it wasn't I would never be here writing about this approach because I would never have tried it. Just be sure to drink dry wine. Dry red is about 3 grams per glass. Dry white about 2 grams per glass. I typically consume approximately 50 - 60 grams of carbs per day and remain completely heartburn free. I also cheat and my book tells you how to get away with it. I am also thankful for splenda and ice cream made with splenda. Having allowable sweets helps a lot. I have a serious sweet tooth.
Take Care,
Dr. Norm
Oh ya. If it wasn't I would never be here writing about this approach because I would never have tried it. Just be sure to drink dry wine. Dry red is about 3 grams per glass. Dry white about 2 grams per glass. I typically consume approximately 50 - 60 grams of carbs per day and remain completely heartburn free. I also cheat and my book tells you how to get away with it. I am also thankful for splenda and ice cream made with splenda. Having allowable sweets helps a lot. I have a serious sweet tooth.
Take Care,
Dr. Norm
Hello Doc!! I`m so happy about that. Must admit I don`t think wine affects my GERD. Eating late at night is bad for me, but I always feel so hungry in the evening. Without carbs to snack on it`s so hard. Funnily enough I started to diet a few months ago. (lost 20 pounds), thats when my meds stopped working, and I had to increase my dose. Why do you think that is? Don`t really have much of a sweet tooth these days so sugar is not in my diet. The only carbs I have is a little bread and potato. Thanks for the info. Vanessa
I really enjoyed a nice glass of wine yrs ago or champayne on occasion, but realized that red wine would cause heartburn and champayne would potentially send me to the ER. White wine was a little more tolerable. Oh, it seemed like heinekin beer helped my heartburn symptoms(pyschologically ??), oh well, I don't drink anymore while taking Zoloft.
Vanessa
Vanessa
Vanessa,
I understand that many foods appear to trigger reflux. I do believe, based on a years worth of research, that the true cause is consuming too many net carbs. Because the effect is generally not immediate, we often time think its some particular thing we ate, or in your case, drank. Give a try to significantly reducing overall net carb levels then try that glass of wine. You can e-mail me for more details if you like.
As for your evening hunger, it likely relates to the insulin effect. When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes up followed by a spike in insulin, which causes your blood sugar to drop (the sugar is taken into your cells and converted to fat) to a low level triggering hunger. The nice thing about switching to proteins and healthy fats in place of all those carbs is that your glucose and insulin level become more even / balenced. The hunger is kept in check.
Good luck,
Dr. Norm
I understand that many foods appear to trigger reflux. I do believe, based on a years worth of research, that the true cause is consuming too many net carbs. Because the effect is generally not immediate, we often time think its some particular thing we ate, or in your case, drank. Give a try to significantly reducing overall net carb levels then try that glass of wine. You can e-mail me for more details if you like.
As for your evening hunger, it likely relates to the insulin effect. When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes up followed by a spike in insulin, which causes your blood sugar to drop (the sugar is taken into your cells and converted to fat) to a low level triggering hunger. The nice thing about switching to proteins and healthy fats in place of all those carbs is that your glucose and insulin level become more even / balenced. The hunger is kept in check.
Good luck,
Dr. Norm
Dr. Norm,
My 13-yr-old daughter was diagnosed with reflux yesterday. I read your comment on reducing carbs above. My daughter also has celiac disease so does not eat a large amount of carbs. She does not eat bread products often (almost never) but does eat potatoes and rice fairly often. As her choices of food are already so limited, the list of foods included above definitely reduces the foods she can eat. Any suggestions?
I was very surprised to learn awhile back that potatoes have a high glycemic index than some candy bars! That means that it can really cause your pancreas to pump out a bunch of insulin. But I would never say to cut out potatoes altogether. That's like saying you should ever eat an orange or carrots, just because they have alot of sugar.
The strange thing about me is that I can go for awhile and eat all the bad stuff and it doesn't bother me. My worst times are when I'm just pain eating too many carbs. I seem to be able to get away with some of the worst offenders, if I haven't been overeating.
For me, the worst reflux causing thing was being on female hormones. That was the worst! I had to be on aciphex for about the same length of time as I was on HRT. As soon as I came off HRT.......my reflux calmed down alot.
I think there are alot of variables among us, as to what seems to trigger it.
The strange thing about me is that I can go for awhile and eat all the bad stuff and it doesn't bother me. My worst times are when I'm just pain eating too many carbs. I seem to be able to get away with some of the worst offenders, if I haven't been overeating.
For me, the worst reflux causing thing was being on female hormones. That was the worst! I had to be on aciphex for about the same length of time as I was on HRT. As soon as I came off HRT.......my reflux calmed down alot.
I think there are alot of variables among us, as to what seems to trigger it.
Cathy, I am also on HRT, and you`ve made me wonder if there is a link. I have been on and off it for the last 8 years. Recently I have been on it for about 8 months and I think that is about the time my meds stopped working and I had to increase my dose. Also I, like some of you have been trying to stop the carbs. How hard is that?? Last night I just had to have a piece of toast!!!! Can`t say I choked on acid any more than normal last night though. Well, I`ll keep trying to be good!!! Vanessa
Good morning,
Interesting posts on possible connection with HRT. I wonder if that one of the reasons pregnant women have a higher frequency of heartburn - due to hormonal changes? The other cause may be external pressure on the stomach from growing fetus, but I have heard of women who get heartburn very early in pregnancy. Just a thought.
Keep up your efforts on carb reduction. The answer is there. Cathy, the next time you feel like toast, try a low carb wrap with turkey and cheese or with a little peanut butter. There is also low carb jam.
Dr. Norm
Interesting posts on possible connection with HRT. I wonder if that one of the reasons pregnant women have a higher frequency of heartburn - due to hormonal changes? The other cause may be external pressure on the stomach from growing fetus, but I have heard of women who get heartburn very early in pregnancy. Just a thought.
Keep up your efforts on carb reduction. The answer is there. Cathy, the next time you feel like toast, try a low carb wrap with turkey and cheese or with a little peanut butter. There is also low carb jam.
Dr. Norm
Hi Vanessa,
I've talked to alot of women on a menopause forum, and it sounds like alot of them begin having GI problems during perimenopause. So maybe HRT in combination with that makes things worse. What's interesting about the aciphex I was on, it would take care of a whole lot more symptoms than my reflux. It would help with nausea, bloating, diarrhea, etc. I always found that curious. Then again, I guess too much acid can do a number on our entire tracts, and when that acid gets suppressed, lots of things do better.
I never thought I could get off the aciphex, but I did. But.......whenever you might try to get off it, just know that rebound reflux can happen for a week or 2. For me, it would get bad for about 4-7 days, then go away. I guess it's all those acid glands waking up.
I know what you mean about having to have some carb. Sometimes, I think some of us are slow to break down our fat into glucose, and our bodies crave the path of least resistence........which is eating carbs!
Dr. Norm.......I discovered a few years ago, that I can avoid alot of hypoglycemic-type feelings and fatigue and general yukky-feelings of eating all carbs, by adding protein and fat to it. It's amazing. Then I understood why I felt so bad, all those years when I was eating those Nutrigrain bars. I would always feel bad after those, and it's because they were all carb.....even though they were supposedly "healthy".
Isn't it funny how ignorant we were just a few years ago, about some of the evils of so many carbs??
I've talked to alot of women on a menopause forum, and it sounds like alot of them begin having GI problems during perimenopause. So maybe HRT in combination with that makes things worse. What's interesting about the aciphex I was on, it would take care of a whole lot more symptoms than my reflux. It would help with nausea, bloating, diarrhea, etc. I always found that curious. Then again, I guess too much acid can do a number on our entire tracts, and when that acid gets suppressed, lots of things do better.
I never thought I could get off the aciphex, but I did. But.......whenever you might try to get off it, just know that rebound reflux can happen for a week or 2. For me, it would get bad for about 4-7 days, then go away. I guess it's all those acid glands waking up.
I know what you mean about having to have some carb. Sometimes, I think some of us are slow to break down our fat into glucose, and our bodies crave the path of least resistence........which is eating carbs!
Dr. Norm.......I discovered a few years ago, that I can avoid alot of hypoglycemic-type feelings and fatigue and general yukky-feelings of eating all carbs, by adding protein and fat to it. It's amazing. Then I understood why I felt so bad, all those years when I was eating those Nutrigrain bars. I would always feel bad after those, and it's because they were all carb.....even though they were supposedly "healthy".
Isn't it funny how ignorant we were just a few years ago, about some of the evils of so many carbs??
Cathy,
Concerning your comment "some of us slow to break down our fat into glucose", a couple points. I agree that our body needs to "change over" to use fats as main energy source. That is why many of us have less energy for the first few days to a week after starting low carb. But then your metabolic machinery gets the idea (up reglulates lipases, etc to derive energy from fat. By the way, fats are broken down to fatty acids which are used directly as fuel and not converted to glucose. Protiens on the other hand can also be used for energy and, in this case, are converted to glucose via a process called gluconeogenisis. Yes, proteins also make good fuel. Fats are the best though, with more stored energy than carbs or protein.
Good luck, time for work.
Dr. Norm
Concerning your comment "some of us slow to break down our fat into glucose", a couple points. I agree that our body needs to "change over" to use fats as main energy source. That is why many of us have less energy for the first few days to a week after starting low carb. But then your metabolic machinery gets the idea (up reglulates lipases, etc to derive energy from fat. By the way, fats are broken down to fatty acids which are used directly as fuel and not converted to glucose. Protiens on the other hand can also be used for energy and, in this case, are converted to glucose via a process called gluconeogenisis. Yes, proteins also make good fuel. Fats are the best though, with more stored energy than carbs or protein.
Good luck, time for work.
Dr. Norm
Thanks for that clarification Dr. Norm. The hard part for me is feeling like I'm starving until that machinery gets going!! But I know you're right. When I'm in an over-eating phase, I can easily get symptoms of hypoglycemia if I don't eat often. But......once I quit eating so much (and eat less carbs), I can go much longer without eating, and without feeling hypoglycemic. I think the problem with our over-eating culture is that we don't give our own fantastic bodies the chance to do what they're supposed to! We just use the "turn it all into fat" parts of the system.