Lifestyle Changes Helped Me Stop Taking Heartburn Medication - Article Health

I have always struggled with digestion issues, but it was during my sophomore year of college that I started to experience serious heartburn. I would frequently have a burning feeling in my chest, or I would throw up after eating certain foods.

I ignored it at first, thinking it was just a little indigestion from something I ate. Eventually I saw a gastroenterologist and began self-medicating with over-the-counter drugs such as Tums—except I would need to take at least five tablets at once to make the burning dissipate. (The directions say to take only two to four at a time.)

One day, I had a pain so sharp in my upper stomach that I couldn't get off the bathroom floor. I finally realized my problem was serious. My parents immediately took me to the hospital, where my gastroenterologist decided I should have an endoscopy to check for damage to my stomach and esophagus.

During the procedure, a tiny camera attached to a thin, lighted tube was threaded down through my esophagus so my doctor could see what was going on. He diagnosed me with a hiatal hernia: This meant that part of my stomach was bulging up through my diaphragm and into my chest. This is not that uncommon, but it is not typically found in 19-year-old-girls—part of the reason I was not diagnosed sooner. I was shocked and terrified that heartburn had harmed my body at such a young age.

When my doctor saw the hernia, he immediately prescribed Nexium, a proton pump inhibitor that stops the stomach from producing too much acid. I asked if there were dietary changes I could make to alleviate my symptoms, but he told me to keep eating the foods I normally ate and the medication should work just fine.

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