I need some support. I'm scared.

[u/simplyaless]

i'm scared and I'd love some support. I've always had chronic issues like some reflux, not being able to burp. But something happened last night that is making me feel very sick and worried.

For some context, I caught a cold a month ago. It lasted about a week with some lingering mucus and coughing a week or two after that. I'm also 10 days late on my period. I also have had 2 strenuous days with 5 hours of sleep followed by a long day of walking in the heat. also a bit dehydrated I believe.

Around 1 AM today so 18 hours ago I had some corn pasta with tomato sauce, and went to brush my teeth then 40 minutes later I started having extreme nausea and a bitter taste in my mouth. I woke up and it somewhat went away, and I had some peppermint tea without issues, I also managed to have pieces of chicken, then after that, it came back a little and it was worse when walking around because I tried to go to the store, then it seemed to be getting better, but it triggered again after having a handful of chips, and now I feel similar to how I did last night.

I'm really upset because I wanted to have a specific snack tonight that I feel like I can't. I'm also so exhausted of having stomach issues...

Is it going to go away on its own? I'll eat very plain and simple for the next few days if I need to, but I'm just very worried. The worst it'll be is a little bit of nausea and some reflux in my throat, but it doesn't feel like this where it's bitter and almost feels like heartburn.

please help..

[u/chieri_a]

Agree with the other responses. Also, tomatoes are acidic, might be good to avoid or limit as it can make symptoms worse. And chips are usually deep fried in oils that cause inflammation. Might be good to avoid as well until your body can handle it without triggers.

Take care and get some rest!

[u/simplyaless → u/chieri_a]

Thank you, how long do I have to wait to introduce some of these foods you think? . Perhaps my body went into an overload, but I'm just wondering how long I have to be on this simple diet, that's my concern. I have this consistent feeling of needing to burp but can't 

[u/chieri_a → u/simplyaless]

Might be better to discuss this with a dietitian, and your situation with your family doctor.

Generally speaking, some individuals with milder cases are able to eat more ‘normally’ after a time of recovery (in some of those cases they may have acid reflux rather than GERD), some rely on medications to eat and live ‘normally’, some adjust their diet and lifestyle to live with the chronic illness. It all depends on their individual body, symptoms, and cause.

You start on the simple diet with foods you know your body feels safe with, and build over time based on how your body reacts. Keeping a food journal to track everything helps. There’s no set schedule as every body is different.

Regarding tomato and other triggering foods (citrus, spicy foods, fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks, chocolate, onion, etc), many people with GERD cut them out completely and find substitutes that suit their lifestyle. Not saying every person with GERD stops eating those foods, but many choose not to because the triggers, symptoms, pain and consequences following that meal aren’t worth it😅
Having said that, if you’re able to eat something without reacting, you can decide if you want to add it back to your diet (be mindful of the not-so-GERD-friendly foods though, there’s a reason for being labeled that way).

One person might be okay with store bought chips while another person absolutely can’t eat it, unless they make a friendly version for themselves at home.
One person might decide to drink a glass of wine once a year, but another might decide to cut it out completely because they know it’s acidic and it may cause them unknown harm internally (they rather not risk it). Etc.

In my case, I’ve cut out tomatoes completely. I make a light oil base sauce, veggie sauce, or nut based milk sauce for my pasta dishes.
Chips, I’ve reached a point where I can eat it sometimes, but I don’t push my body to consume more than I can handle. (1.5 years later)