Anyone ever had heartburn so bad it feels like you're having a heart attack? I get it all the time especially at night so I take nitroglycerin to knock out the pain and slow down the pounding in my chest . It works,  but there is a cheap solution to get it at least under control ..Zinc carnosine capsules. 
What happens with chronic heartburn is the mucus lining of the esophagus gets worn down leaving raw spots. Acid reflux brings stomach acid up and BOOM! It's like pouring acid directly on an open abrasion except it's inside your esophagus.
Zinc carnosine helps to reestablish the protective lining lessening the pain.. 
So I do this ridiculous dance of trying to avoid eating at night especially, nitro and zinc carnosine.
In the past few months I've been through about 200 nitro tablets. It's miserable if you've never been through it..
Zinc Carnosine is available without a prescription and it's not too expensive. If you start getting really bad heartburn it's worth trying.. Nitro requires a prescription, but it will knock out the pain usually within a minute or so, but it usually comes back throughout the day or night..

I'm only 30, but I've experienced severe heartburn off and on ever since I turned 25. I take Prilosec every morning now as recommended by the doc. Works great. And I can tell fairly quick if I forgot to take it.

I am pretty lucky with my health considering how I eat and live.  The only daily medication I have to take is for acid reflux.  But If I don't take it I am in severe pain.  And like grampahol said it can damage your throat.  It caused me to lose my voice at one time just like laryngitis.

The quickest and easiest way to treat stomach acid is with a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water.  It reacts with the acid creating carbon dioxide gas that you belch out.  Better than eating a handful of Tums or Rolaids.  Works just like the soda and vinegar volcano kids make for science projects.  

But if it is a regular problem you should get on medication. I take over-the-counter omeprazole (generic Prilosec) and it works great.

Used to get it really bad. Not since I got on Prilosec.

I take OTC generic Nexium to keep my reflux under control. Something which helps and is natural is ginger root. Take it daily with food. If you don't take it with food, it can actually give you heartburn! Need to take 1-4 grams for it to help.

I take prescription strength Nexium. OTC  FDgard is pretty good stuff as well for food induced heartburn. I've never heard of using nitro for heartburn, I thought that was just for the heart. I know it'll lower your bp substantially when u take itm

I was blessed with a cast iron stomach. I've had some of the hottest pepper sauces on Earth. I have a wax sealed bottle that's supposed to close to 12,000,000 Scoville Units, if you guys know what that is. I'm gonna break it open one day and put some on a cracker.

Thankfully I don't have these problems you guys have had.

(12-30-2021, 11:19 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: I was blessed with a cast iron stomach.  I've had some of the hottest pepper sauces on Earth.  I have a wax sealed bottle that's supposed to close to 12,000,000 Scoville Units, if you guys know what that is.  I'm gonna break it open one day and put some on a cracker.  

Thankfully I don't have these problems you guys have had.

I was that way too when I was young and thin. Lol

(12-30-2021, 11:19 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: I was blessed with a cast iron stomach.  I've had some of the hottest pepper sauces on Earth.  I have a wax sealed bottle that's supposed to close to 12,000,000 Scoville Units, if you guys know what that is.  I'm gonna break it open one day and put some on a cracker.  

Thankfully I don't have these problems you guys have had.

It is not always hot spicey stuff that triggers stomach acid.  For example if I drink coffee with something sugary sweet it will turn to acid in my stomach.  Or a whiskey sour.  And, of course, acidic stuff like grapefruit juice.

(12-31-2021, 01:05 AM)fredtoast Wrote: It is not always hot spicey stuff that triggers stomach acid.  For example if I drink coffee with something sugary sweet it will turn to acid in my stomach.  Or a whiskey sour.  And, of course, acidic stuff like grapefruit juice.

I'm good with acidic too.  Cast iron baby!

I read somewhere that taking certain medications for heartburn will increase your odds of dying by quite a bit, namely the proton pump inhibitors such as Ompazol  and others.. I stopped taking them. The OTC stuff hasn't helped me at all other than the Zinc carnosine. I do use baking soda and water quite often, but after awhile if you take it too often it'll neutralize too much stomach acid and interfere with normal digestion and makes me feel kind of blah all over. We evolved to produce stomach acid, not to make it go away with medications.. Without it food would just rot in our gut and we'd die..   The bad news is we're all going to die anyway so why bother? 

(12-31-2021, 02:24 AM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: I'm good with acidic too.  Cast iron baby!

I have bad news for you, you'll get old and the same rules don't apply..Cast iron rusts and as Neil Young said, Rust Never Sleeps. Or as I've always said, Get old or die! There are simply no other options available at this time (or any other time). 

(12-31-2021, 07:29 PM)grampahol Wrote: I read somewhere that taking certain medications for heartburn will increase your odds of dying by quite a bit, namely the proton pump inhibitors such as Ompazol  and others.. I stopped taking them. The OTC stuff hasn't helped me at all other than the Zinc carnosine. I do use baking soda and water quite often, but after awhile if you take it too often it'll neutralize too much stomach acid and interfere with normal digestion and makes me feel kind of blah all over. We evolved to produce stomach acid, not to make it go away with medications.. Without it food would just rot in our gut and we'd die..   The bad news is we're all going to die anyway so why bother? 

The stomach acid is necessary, but it needs to stay in the stomach. When a person has recurring heartburn, which often turns to GERD, the acid can lead to all kinds of things that can kill you. Throat strictures, which in inhibit swallowing food can cause choking and food catching in the throat (painful as hell) and can actually lead to throat cancer. It's not something to take lightly.

(01-01-2022, 12:47 PM)Sled21 Wrote: The stomach acid is necessary, but it needs to stay in the stomach. When a person has recurring heartburn, which often turns to GERD, the acid can lead to all kinds of things that can kill you. Throat strictures, which in inhibit swallowing food can cause choking and food catching in the throat (painful as hell) and can actually lead to throat cancer. It's not something to take lightly.

I definitely don't take it lightly since it hurts like hell, but given the odds of dying from not enough stomach acid or too much? Tough call, eh? I'm hanging with the zinc cornosine and occasional baking soda and water until it no longer works..Then I MIGHT take medications that MIGHT kill me prematurely.. Half a dozen of one, six of the other..

There are some serious problems with ranitidine (Zantac). I think it might actually be off the market now. But There are plenty of other medications that will help. I take omeprazole (generic Prilosec).

(01-01-2022, 01:08 PM)grampahol Wrote: I definitely don't take it lightly since it hurts like hell, but given the odds of dying from not enough stomach acid or too much? Tough call, eh? I'm hanging with the zinc cornosine and occasional baking soda and water until it no longer works..Then I MIGHT take medications that MIGHT kill me prematurely.. Half a dozen of one, six of the other..

Very true. Seems like everything will kill you these days. 

Strangely I've been getting pretty bad heartburn the last few days as well.

i have been there gone to the hospital and everything...

Have to take a pill to help manage it. (had stopped taking it for maybe a year then had the incident i thought i was having a heart attack)

Basically they say the muscle that stops acid from coming back up from the stomach is not working right.

Things that are suppose to help. according to my doctor

Dont eat late.
No Caffinee
No Nicotinee
No Chocolate
No Tomato Based Products.
No Mint
No Booze.


If you can give all that up or some of it might help... It was like my entire diet when they first told me lol

(12-30-2021, 02:14 AM)grampahol Wrote: Anyone ever had heartburn so bad it feels like you're having a heart attack? I get it all the time especially at night so I take nitroglycerin to knock out the pain and slow down the pounding in my chest . It works,  but there is a cheap solution to get it at least under control ..Zinc carnosine capsules. 
What happens with chronic heartburn is the mucus lining of the esophagus gets worn down leaving raw spots. Acid reflux brings stomach acid up and BOOM! It's like pouring acid directly on an open abrasion except it's inside your esophagus.
Zinc carnosine helps to reestablish the protective lining lessening the pain.. 
So I do this ridiculous dance of trying to avoid eating at night especially, nitro and zinc carnosine.
In the past few months I've been through about 200 nitro tablets. It's miserable if you've never been through it..
Zinc Carnosine is available without a prescription and it's not too expensive. If you start getting really bad heartburn it's worth trying.. Nitro requires a prescription, but it will knock out the pain usually within a minute or so, but it usually comes back throughout the day or night..

Please see a gastroenterologist. You’re likely getting a vasovagal response; this is where the irritation in the stomach stimulates the vagus nerve which controls heart rate.

I used to get this condition. After an upper GI we figured it all out. Now I control what I eat — no gluten, no dairy — and I’m doing great.