What Medications Can I Take For Heartburn During Pregnancy
Its important to be extremely careful about the medications you take when pregnant.
For heartburn relief, over-the-counter antacids are all considered safe medications to use during pregnancy.
As always, consult with your provider about any medications youre taking even if theyre considered safe.
If you experience any unusual symptoms while taking an over-the-counter medication, call your doctor immediately.
Heartburn Acid Reflux And Gerd During Pregnancy
Its called heartburn, although that burning feeling in your chest has nothing to do with the heart. Uncomfortable and frustrating, it bothers many women, particularly during pregnancy.
The first question you may have is how to make it stop. You may also wonder if treatments are safe for your baby. Learn what causes heartburn during pregnancy and what you can do about it.
How To Avoid Heartburn During Pregnancy
Heartburn or indigestion may not be new for you. You may have had it during your first trimester and then it went away. But now, it’s back. And you’re likely wondering why.
Many pregnant women have heartburn at some point. The hormone progesterone relaxes the ring-like sphincter at the base of your esophagus. This normally closes off entry to the stomach. When it doesnt close, food mixed with digestive enzymes can back up into your esophagus. The result: irritation and a burning sensation in your chest. And in the third trimester, you can also feel full because your growing uterus is putting pressure on your stomach.
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Antacids You Shouldnt Take
You should always read the labels and ask your doctor before using OTC medicines, herbs, or home remedies while youre pregnant. Even though it may seem like something should be safe, it isnt always. Some conventional treatments for heartburn that you shouldnt use during pregnancy are:
- Alka-Seltzer
- Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Products containing aspirin
Medications For Heartburn During Pregnancy
Are there any safe medications one can take for heartburn during pregnancy? Yes, over-the-counter medications such as Tums. According to studies, tums are safe, and they offer relief for heartburn during pregnancy. Additionally, they have calcium components which are essential in the body. At average, pregnant women need 1200mg of calcium daily. Other medications can help manage heartburn while pregnant besides tums they include Rolaids and Maalox.
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Avoid Acid Foods / Liquids
Acid foods and liquids also make heartburn worse. Some of the most popular ones that people incorporate in everyday diet are: tomatoes, chocolate, spicy foods , citrus fruits, coffee or carbonated drinks.
I am Italian and dont even get me started on how much I missed my tomatoes! And, as a general rule, I found that avoiding any kind of takeaway always helped.
How To Prevent And Treat Heartburn When Youre Pregnant
Are you feeling that burning sensation in your chest, mama? Are you struggling to eat and sleep comfortably? It could be heartburn!
And youre not alone!
About half of all pregnant women experience heartburn also known as acid reflux.
As a mom to twins, I had terrible heartburn. My twins took a lot of space in my uterus and as they grew my daughter inched her way up towards my chest .
Heartburn can be a very early sign of pregnancy and sadly, its a symptom that could stay with you for your whole pregnancy.
So if youre suffering, take a look at these 14 life-saving ways to relieve heartburn during pregnancy.
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Medications To Treat Gerd During Pregnancy
Beyond the dietary and lifestyle measures listed above, safe antacids are the next step in treating GERD during pregnancy. The first-line medications that are safe to use during pregnancy include:
Dr. Ross explains that these medications help coat the esophagus, minimizing the burning sensation. They also help neutralize stomach acid. These medications should be taken 30 minutes before each meal and before bedtime for optimal results, or they can simply be taken on an as-needed basis.
If you find that you are taking large and frequent doses of the above medications to treat your GERD symptoms, you may need an acid reducing medication, such as the following treatments are also safe during pregnancy:
- Tagamet
- Zantac *Though ranitidine was previously recalled, Zantac is back on the market with the same active ingredient as Pepcid.
These are considered second-line medications. Antacids work more quickly and are less expensive. Many women with mild symptoms wont need to try Pepcid or Tagamet.
According to Dr. Garza, it is best to avoid sodium bicarbonate or aspirin containing antacids during pregnancy. For severe reflux cases requiring care beyond the safer medications listed above, it is best to talk with your healthcare professional. He or she may prescribe proton pump inhibitors if the medications above dont work. These popular medications, like Prilosec and Nexium , are also generally considered to be safe during pregnancy.
Heartburn Is Caused Due To Following Reasons:
1> Eating Habits:
- Eating before going to bed
- Drinking lots of alcohols, citrus juices, caffeinated beverages and carbonated beverages.
- Eating large amount of food at a time.
- Eating onions, chocolates, peppermint, high-fat foods, citrus fruits, garlic, spicy food, tomatoes and tomato based foods.
2> Medical Reasons:
- Use of certain special medicines like aspirin or some anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Gastro esophageal reflux disease
- Wearing tight clothes and belts.
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Heartburn During Pregnancy Remedies
Preventing heartburn is the best way to deal with it! Here are some helpful tips for avoiding heartburn:
- Eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals
- Wait an hour after eating to lie down
- Avoid spicy, greasy, and fatty foods
If you are experiencing heartburn, there are a few natural ways to relieve the symptoms:
- Eat yogurt or drink a glass of milk
- Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk
Over-the-counter antacids may prove helpful in relieving your heartburn, but do not take antacids without speaking to your healthcare provider. Some antacids contain high levels of sodium, which can cause fluid buildup in body tissues. Some also contain aluminum, which is not considered safe for pregnancy.
If your heartburn is severe, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication for you.
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Heartburn And Indigestion In Pregnancy
Heartburn causes a burning feeling in the chest or throat. Its uncomfortable, but is not usually harmful to pregnant women or their babies.
8 out of 10 pregnant women experience heartburn. You’re most likely to get heartburn in the third trimester of your pregnancy.
The symptoms of heartburn include:
- a burning feeling in your chest or throat
- acid coming up into your mouth
- feeling sick
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Listen To What Your Body Is Telling You
What you can eat during pregnancy is largely dependent on how certain foods make you feel. In your first trimester, you likely had aversions and foods that induced nausea just by looking at them. Now, certain foods may trigger heartburn. Fat, caffeine, chocolate, and citrus fruits are all common foods that cause heartburn during pregnancy. Know your triggers and stay away from them.
Does Water Help With Acid Reflux During Pregnancy
Water can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to affecting GERD symptoms in pregnancy. Dr. Johnson notes that some women find that drinking water after a meal helps. It is thought that it may reduce the level of acidity in the stomach. However, Dr. Ross suggests saving the water for non-meal times, as drinking large amounts while eating may fill up the stomach and increase the risk of acid reflux and heartburn.
Because stomach volume is reduced due to the growing uterus, consuming too much water can provoke GERD symptoms. Any extra water you drink can overwhelm the lower esophageal sphincter, causing uncomfortable symptoms. In other words, drink water in moderation, preferably after or between meals, to avoid provoking symptoms.
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How To Prevent Heartburn In Pregnancy
For most women, heartburn starts in pregnancy. And, there are plenty of ways on how you can avoid or prevent experiencing heartburn when pregnant. Importantly, you should focus more on how and what you eat. Consider practicing these few tips
- Eat smaller amounts of meals throughout the day
- Stay hydrated always – avoid drinking lots of water at the same time.
- Avoid eating a few hours before sleeping
- Always stay/sit upright after eating – lying down usually exerts pressure on the stomach forcing the stomach contents back up
- Use a pillow when sleeping
- Avoid eating cold foods
While heartburn shouldn’t get you worried a lot if you experience sudden heartburn or the heartburn persists, or severe symptoms, then it can be as a result of a serious problem, and therefore you should seek immediate health care attention.
Otherwise, if you are confident that there is no underlying problem causing your heartburn, now you know what to drink for heartburn during pregnancy. In most cases, the heartburn is said to disappear after childbirth.
How Soon Can You Get Heartburn When Pregnant
The symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion can come on at any time, but they are most common from 27 weeks of pregnancy onwards.
Many report it during the first trimester. This is because the muscles in your esophagus are pushing food into your stomach at a much slower rate than before, and so your stomach takes longer to empty. While this allows the fetus more time to absorb the foods nutrients, it also commonly causes heartburn.
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Does Water Help With Heartburn
Drinking water during the later stages of digestion can reduce acidity and GERD symptoms. Often, there are pockets of high acidity, between a pH or 1 and 2, just below the esophagus. By drinking tap or filtered water a little while after a meal, you can dilute the acid there, which can result in less heartburn.
Dont Lie Down Straight After Eating
Giving your body time to digest the food while being up-right might also help with heartburn. I remember I used to miss so much being able to watch TV lying down on the couch after dinner. But sitting up instead of lying down really helps keeping that dinner down, with no burning throat.
I dont think theres a set rule of how long you should wait. It really depends on how much or what youve eaten. Or on how your baby is behaving tonight in your belly You will know when you are ready to lie down again. And if you are really tired and want to go to bed, try the following tip #5.
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Medicines For Indigestion And Heartburn
Medicines for indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy include:
- antacids to neutralise the acid in your stomach
- alginates to relieve indigestion caused by acid reflux by stopping the acid in your stomach coming back up your gullet
You may only need to take antacids and alginates when you start getting symptoms. However, your GP may recommend taking them before symptoms come on for example, before a meal or before bed.
If you’re taking iron supplements as well as antacids, do not take them at the same time. Antacids can stop iron from being absorbed by your body.
If antacids and alginates do not improve your symptoms, your GP may prescribe a medicine to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. 2 that are widely used in pregnancy and not known to be harmful to an unborn baby are:
- ranitidine a tablet you take twice a day
- omeprazole a tablet you take once a day
Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is so popular right now for treating common ailments, cleaning around the home, even for pets!
And, mama, it might also help relieve your heartburn during pregnancy.
Mama Natural recommends starting with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water. Sip throughout the day.
Apple cider vinegar might just be your new GBB!!
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Symptoms Of Heartburn :
There are common and uncommon symptoms of heartburn. First let us talk about the common symptoms of heartburn:-
- Burping
- Uncomfortable, unease that gets worse after eating, lying down or bending over.
- Acrid taste at the back of your throat.
- A pressure or pain just behind the breastbone. If you are having a crushing chest pain then may be something serious is there which need to be accessed by doctor immediately.
- Burning feeling in your chest that can travel up to neck or throat.
Now let us talk about some of the uncommon symptoms of heartburn:-
- Continuous hiccups.
- Painful swallowing if you feel you have problem in swallowing your food or water then it might be a symptom of heartburn, you should discuss them with your doctor immediately.
- Consistent pain in your neck and shoulder area. If you feel something like this is happening with you then you should immediately discuss all these symptoms with your doctor.
Now comes to pregnant woman there are not many symptoms to discuss but I will tell you some to recognize heartburn:-
- Unease, uncomfortable sensations, a flamethrower near chest or gut.
- Burning sensation from mouth to stomach to bowl.
So far we have discussed its symptoms now let us talk about its causes.
Wear Loose Fitting Clothes
Have you been putting off buying maternity clothes?
Are you still squeezing yourself into your pre-pregnancy clothes?
Mama, it might be time to think again!
This dietician says avoiding those tight fitting clothes can help relieve heartburn.
So if youre looking for some comfortable tops, check out these fun maternity shirts.
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Was It Something I Ate
You expected the swollen ankles, the morning sickness, and the burgeoning breasts. But this burning indigestion? Whered that come from?
As the name implies, heartburn feels like a fiery churning that starts behind your breastbone and travels up your esophagus, a tube connecting your throat to your stomach. These acids can even make it all the way up your throat.
In addition to feeling a burning sensation which can last several minutes to several hours you may also:
- feel bloated
- have a sour taste in your mouth
- have a sore throat
- cough frequently
While the burrito you ate for dinner probably didnt help matters , the burning feeling you have has more to do with hormones than jalapenos.
45 percent of moms-to-be experience heartburn. And if you had heartburn before pregnancy, youre even more likely to have it during.
Heartburn can fire up, so to speak, at any point in pregnancy, but its most common during the second and third trimesters. Experts arent exactly sure what causes the smoldering, but they suspect its a three-pronged problem.
Can Heartburn Be An Early Sign Of Pregnancy
Another early pregnancy symptom of pregnancy may be a change in your digestion, like heartburn. If you start feeling heartburn or a burning sensation in your chest after eating lunch at your favorite deli, it might not be that they changed up their recipe. It could be heartburn that is pregnancy -related.
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If Youre Taking Prescription Medicines
Speak to your GP if youre taking medicine for another condition, such as antidepressants, and you think it may be making your indigestion worse. They may be able to prescribe an alternative medicine.
Never stop taking a prescribed medicine unless youre advised to do so by your GP or another qualified healthcare professional whos responsible for your care.
Prevention Of Heartburn During Pregnancy
Some tips that may help you cut down on heartburn during your pregnancy include:
- Eat several small meals each day instead of three large ones.
- Eat slowly.
- Avoid fried, spicy, or rich foods or any foods that seem to cause relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and increase the risk of heartburn.
- Donât smoke tobacco or drink alcohol, which can make heartburn symptoms worse.
- Drink less while eating. Drinking large amounts while eating may increase the risk of acid reflux and heartburn.
- Don’t lie down directly after eating.
- Keep the head of your bed higher than the foot of your bed. Or place pillows under your shoulders to help prevent stomach acids from rising into your esophagus.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing. Tight-fitting clothes can increase the pressure on your stomach and abdomen.
- Try to avoid constipation.
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Indigestion And Heartburn In Pregnancy
3-minute read
Many women experience indigestion and heartburn while they are pregnant, which can be painful or uncomfortable. There are ways to help avoid or treat indigestion and heartburn, especially if it is mild. Sometimes the feeling of heartburn can be confused with a more serious condition called pre-eclampsia.
Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, is a feeling of pain or discomfort in the stomach . This mostly occurs after eating or drinking but can happen some time after.
If you have indigestion in the early stage of your pregnancy, this may be caused by changes in your hormone levels. In the second or third trimester, indigestion becomes more common and may be caused by your baby pushing up against your stomach. As many as 8 in 10 women may have indigestion during their pregnancy.
Symptoms of indigestion may include:
- heartburn
- feeling heavy, bloated or full
- feeling sick
- vomiting
Heartburn is a burning pain in the throat or chest, behind the breastbone, caused by stomach acid coming up the oesophagus and irritating the lining.
In pregnant women, indigestion and heartburn can be caused by:
- eating a big meal
- drinking fruit juice or caffeinated beverages
- doing physical activity soon after eating
- bending over
- feeling anxious
Its a good idea to take note of the particular foods, drinks or activities that give you indigestion while you are pregnant.
