Prozac and heartburn?

[AmZ]

Hi,

Trying to work out what is causing me heartburn which I have been getting every lunchtime in the last week. I take all 60mg of Prozac at 8.30am. I've also recently stopped eating the hospital food for breakfast so I have a whole wheat cracker and a rice cracker with halva spread in the morning. It's seems to be more connected (as its been more recent) to my change in breakfast, but crackers can do that?!

Thx.

 

[Retired]

According to my understanding of SSRI's, heartburn is not a side effect usually reported, so you may want to report this to your doctors to investigate someother cause. Anxiety might be a cause or someother medication or food you happen to be eating

However,

a whole wheat cracker and a rice cracker with halva spread

sounds yummy!

 

[AmZ]

Hi Steve

Thanks. I'll ask my psychiatrist when she is in next on Thursday if it continues. I've been taking Tums and 2 or 3 of those takes it off completely and very quickly but obviously I don't want to needing to do that all the time.

Heartburn feels very unhealthy!!

But oh yes, the halva spread on the crackers are good. And all natural spread so no added sugar or E numbers. I have one natural flavoured and the other with a hint of vanilla. Real tasty. I have all natural date spread also.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Daniel E.]

some extremely generic info from WebMD:

Heartburn is a daily occurrence for about 10% of Americans and up to 50% of pregnant women. It's an occasional nuisance for 30% of the population.

The basic cause of heartburn is an underactive lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that doesn't tighten as it should. Two excesses often contribute to this problem: too much food in the stomach (overeating) or too much pressure on the stomach (frequently from obesity or pregnancy). Certain foods commonly relax the LES, including tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, caffeinated products, and peppermint. Dishes high in fats and oils (animal or vegetable) often lead to heartburn, as do certain medications. Stress increases acid production and can cause heartburn. And smoking, which relaxes the LES and stimulates stomach acid, is a major contributor.

Heartburn Causes & What It Is

 

[AmZ]

some extremely generic info from WebMD:

Thanks Daniel,

Well, certainly not pregnant and not eating those foods or have caffeine or anything like that. I can only put it down to increased anxiety/stress or put it down to some change in medication, even though nothing has been changed for a few weeks now so I don't think it's that.

Highly unpleasant and is a mystery!

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Also, for some people eating a small amount of food can generate stomach acidity that can cause "heartburn" or acid reflux regardless of what is actually eaten. You may want to consider eating something a little more substantial for breakfast and cut down on the amount of food you eat later in the day if you're worrying about total consumption.

 

[AmZ]

Thanks.

I do wish that breakfast was more wholesome here. It's salad, bread and cottage/white cheeses. Mediterranean way of eating that I never got used to! Salad for breakfast!?

Lunch is the biggest meal here. 3 course hot meal. Then at 6.30pm they have another big hot meal with pasta, eggs, salad, falafel, etc. That's the meal I stopped eating from which I lost several kilos in the process. But now I've been having the crackers also in the evening, I've put on a couple of kilos in the last few weeks.

I might have to start thinking about bringing in some other food from outside like porridge oats for breakfast or something and using the kitchen to prepare that.

Then there is food at 8pm also (!), bread, spreads, yoghurts.

Too much food, too much time, too much really in general!

I'll work all of this out somehow. Dieting and heartburn are on my list of things to sort out.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW:

Scientists found that aerobic exercises with the highest “agitation of the body,” like vigorous running, consistently induced acid reflux, even in people who did not have chronic heartburn. Less agitating exercise — pedaling on a stationary bike, for example — caused fewer problems. Another factor is body position. Bench presses, leg curls or any other exercise that involves lying flat sharply raise the risk of acid reflux.

The Claim - Exercise Can Worsen Chronic Heartburn - NYTimes.com

 

[AmZ]

OI.. I don't know what's best any more lol. Exercise, don't exercise, eat whole wheat food, don't eat whole wheat food, eat carbs, don't eat carbs. Now it's darn 9pm and I have heartburn! First day I've had it all since lunch time. 2 more Tums and I'm all Tummed out!!!!!!!!

 

[Daniel E.]

Also, if you are lying in bed when not sleeping, that may be a huge factor. Some people even sleep in a recliner at night to help with heartburn flareups.

 

[AmZ]

I have to say. I don't want to be a hypochondriac, but I'm worried that it's a hiatus hernia or something. Just funny how it came about all of a sudden and has been constant for the last several days.

 

[Daniel E.]

Which brings again to mind that anxiety/stress may be factor.

Regarding sleep:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sleep on the left side, or with your upper body raised. Relief is often found by raising the head of the bed, raising the upper body with pillows, or sleeping sitting up.^[20] The upper body must be raised, not just the head; pillows that only raise the head do little for heartburn and put strain on the neck. Sleeping on the left side also keeps gravity working for you, keeping your stomach below your esophagus