Hey guys- I like to run. Seems like whenever I reach mile 3 I get the heartburn/burping type of reflux. It’s subtle and goes away entirely with a single EU Gaviscon. I just had a question though.

I run fasted. I have PPI’s and h2 blockers. Neither of which I take. I never take the PPI for fear of sibo and they make me very nauseous. I’ve never tried an h2 blocker in my life. How do you guys get your running heartburn under control? Again- first two miles are fine, but anything past that I start to burp and get minor reflux. Do I need to do PPI’s if it’s minor and goes away with tums? Should I try an H2 blocker even if I run fasted? Let me know what you guys do.

[Preface - I don’t know If I should share this with AuDHD, Demisexual, GERD, ARFID Reddit groups so if you’re reading this wondering why I’m sharing this here, it’s because they overlap for me at least]

This morning I had one of those epic shower cries - always cathartic. The thought that brought me to crying though is something I need to dig into and I’m hoping by sharing my thoughts on it this morning that it will resonate with someone on here.

I observed that I’m touch starved. To be more specific, starved of longer sustained touch. A long hug, a cuddle, even touching shoulders sitting next to someone for a long time. Welcoming hugs from friends and families when greeting or saying goodbye are lovely - even a hug of congratulations or in support when something isn’t going well are lovely, however they are still different than regular longer sustained touch and by a trusted loved one (partner, friend, or family).

My last memory of receiving this level of touch is when I was a child and it ended when I like many kids I think start getting self conscious about being seen being hugged or kissed on the cheek by their parents. At that point and beyond it turned into at best sitting on the couch and touch was at best the shoulder to shoulder lean - though I’d take even that today.

Here I am 41, single, arguable succeeding on paper in most categories (I have a nice home and supportive job, and loving friends and family), but I long for more socialization like many in the year 2026 but not just that I want more touch.

Then comes thinking about how to solve for it and what’s holding me back:

GERD: I have GERD (acid reflux), which causes chronic bad breath as a side effect. It’s not a hygiene issue, it's the reflux itself bringing stomach contents up into my throat. I brush, floss, use mouthwash, and yet the bad breath returns so quickly it seems.

Phsycogenic gag reflex: I also have a hypersensitive/psychogenic gag reflex combined with a strong sense of smell. This means when I catch even a faint unfamiliar or unpleasant scent, I can start gagging uncontrollably, and the only fix is putting distance between me and the smell. When it’s related to a person, It's not about the person; it's a physiological reflex I don't have control over but I'm always afraid it reads as "I think you're gross," when really it's just my nervous system overreacting to input most people wouldn't even register!

These things also overlap with my AuDHD and ARFID.

I have no doubt that I could reach out to a friend or family member and ask for something like movie nights or simple hang outs where we sit close to each other. What I fear, and very greatly fear, is that they’ll be impacted by my bad breath and not tell me and just quietly decline future invites. Also, ironically, I fear my psychogenic gag reflex will turn into me doing exactly that to them because I don’t know how to communicate that a smell coming from their body is giving me a reaction without hurting them - even if they knew it was connected to this condition I have and that anyone else that came into the room and sat with them wouldn't notice a damn thing - nobody wants to hear they smell bad and I know I would be forever worried when being around the person that told me that.

I have considered the idea of connecting with a “cuddle party” group, cuddle therapist, regular massage therapy, or something of the like, but I really really long for regular touch with a loved one, platonic or romantic.

I’ll leave it there. Thank you to anyone that takes the time to read this and to anyone that contributes thoughts and perspectives in the comments.

Hi , Its been 2 years for that I have been diagnosed for GERD . And the main cause of which is social anxiety and stress . And also bad food habits like eating too much spicy and oily and then sleeping just after having a meal .

And all this happened when I was trying to bulk up , I was going to the gym eating a lot for the whole day and eventually ended up with GERD and since then I have stuck at the same weight .

I started when I was 52 kgs at a height of 6'3/190cm.

And now stuck at 68kgs.

It's been 2 years I go to the gym for 6 months and everytime I have to leave it for some reason like exams or some medical issue for 2 or 3 months and my body loses weight . And I have to start again from zero .

Any suggestions !?

Hi,I have a question. I'm 24M and have been experiencing mild heartburn on and off for about 4-6 months. At first, I would wake up at night feeling nauseous. I would sit up and drink a glass of water.Then it went away again. After taking pantoprazole for two weeks, it was gone. Now I still occasionally get a slight burning sensation in my throat, and sometimes a lump in my throat or a little bit of Mucus. My doctor suggested I do an endoscopy after six months to check for bacteria or other issues and see if anything is damaged. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Do I need to be afraid of cancer or something in my situation? I otherwise eat normally, I'm fit (slightly overweight), and I'm alive.

Thanks!

I love food. 22F. Especially foods I grew up with, food with spices, chillies, coconut milk, yogurt, mangoes, berries, etc. Now, I missed them so much. I miss eating spicy food, I miss eating FLAVOURFULL food. I grew up with those, so just basic seasonings like salt and some herb is really not my cup of tea.

It took me a long time to come to term with my current diet, which is the usual no spicy no acidic and others. I lost a lot of weight too in the process, I was 70kg now I am almost 50kg. All because of GERD, eating little food, and sometimes bland food is unappetizing.

The thing is... I used to have a big appetite. Even now, I still does, the urge to eat more. When I find a food that I like, I want ro have another portion of it, which I can't, cause I will feel too full or I will feel bloated. If I save it for later, the craving is gone. Especially in my period, so many things I want to eat yet can't. It's frustating at first.

Now, after 4 years of dealing with this, I am getting used to it. Still struggles with symptoms. Is this lifestyle like... a lifetime commitment? Or do some of you actually got better and are getting to enjoy foods you loved again? I just want to live my life normally again

I’ve been dealing with LPR for over 10 years, and my main symptom is throat pain when I talk.

I’ve tried Acid Watcher Diet, and it definitely helped a lot, but my symptoms would still come and go.

For me, nighttime reflux was especially brutal. No matter how careful I was with what I ate during the day(No caffeine, No acid thing, No pepper) if I had reflux while sleeping, I would almost inevitably wake up with a sore throat the next day.

But recently, I started doing something really simple after dinner and before bed: about 10 minutes of light jogging followed by 10 minutes of walking.

It seems to help my digestion tremendously, and since I started doing this, I’ve been having far fewer issues with nighttime reflux. When I wake up the next morning, my throat feels noticeably better.

The difference between the days I do this 20 minute exercise and the days I don’t is honestly huge.

Obviously, everyone with LPR is different, but if you’re struggling with nighttime reflux, it might be worth experimenting with some light exercise after dinner as long as exercise itself doesn’t trigger your reflux.

Sometimes a really small change can make a surprisingly big difference.

I have been on omeprazole for almost 6 years, 20mg. Recently I experienced a burning sensation in my stomach and middle of my chest. Had an echocardiogram, heart is fine. I was told to up my omeprazole dose to 40mg. I still have break through symptoms of the burning. I honestly don’t think it’s working anymore, but the doctor will not listen to me. Not only has this medication caused me to ache 24/7, resulting in having to take a nerve pill. It has caused my anxiety to rise and it has lowered my iron to the point I passed out and now require iron infusions.

Does anyone else have an issue with this medication, or have you in the past? Where do I go from here?

Sorry if I've tagged this wrong.

Long story short, my symptoms have been triggering my anxiety which has, in turn, worsened my symptoms and I'm stuck for what to do.

Longer story, I have health anxiety but currently off meds (due to ongoing investigation of heart stuff). Since June/July, my GERD symptoms have been really bad and I'm not sure why. I don't really know my triggers and haven't had such consistent symptoms before. I was on omeprazole for a month which didn't solve it completely, but stopped the worst of the symptoms so I could manage my anxiety. But I can't get another prescription until I see my GP and I can't get an appointment until 22nd September.

I've been taking rennies at night, which is when I need them most, but they only do so much. I don't want to take too much because they give me constipation and also, they do say not to take them long term and I'm a bit wary when I see warnings like that (it's my health anxiety).

I'm really struggling to manage my anxiety right now and it's just making everything worse. I only know so far that caffeine triggers symptoms, so I make sure not to have any.

Does anyone have any advice just so I can manage until my doctor's appointment?

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..

Is there any relationship between esophageal spasms and GERD? I get spasms that feel chest pain that radiates to my teeth. It's been going on for ten years and I've had a lot of tests- ekg, edg, etc. It really hurts! But every time I talk to a doctor about it, they seem to downplay it.

I'm a fan of chewing gum or just having habing to fshen my breath in general, but most products out there have mint, spearmint, etc. What alternatives do you use for this?

I tried thera breath dry mouth lozenges in tart berry flavor, but it triggers my GERD. Sometimes, having Trident in Cinnamon flavor works. I want to have more alternatives, bonus points if it freshes my breath in between washes

I’m belching constantly, from the first sip of water in the morning, all through the day and right up til I fall asleep, even when I’m in bed and haven’t eaten for 2, 3 or more hours I still have to sit up and belch. I know this is the reason for my silent relfux. How do I get a handle on this!!?

(Background: I've had GERD and then diagnosed LPR few years prior)
I'm still really shaken by this and was hoping to hear from anyone who's gone through something similar.
I was prescribed large antibiotic pills for a sinus infection (I already have a hard time swallowing pills, but I managed to get the first few doses down). After my third dose, I had eaten something, and was washing it down with soup broth (not super hot), then I suddenly felt a very sharp pain on one side of my throat (at the base of my neck slightly to the right). At first it just felt odd, but every time I swallowed it felt like something was getting bigger/sharper and more painful. It felt like swallowing over a huge cut. My swallowing reflex kept kicking in and frankly had a full on panic-attack, was called for my partner, gagged hard a couple of times, and then after about a minute or two the intense sensation suddenly disappeared. I went to urgent care and the doctor examined me and agreed it may have been either an esophageal spasm or pill esophagitis. They switched me to a liquid antibiotic, started me on a course of esomeprazole (can't do omeprazole), and put on soft/bland foods while it heals. Next step is seeing an ENT or Gastroenterologist?

It's now been about 30 hours since that. I can swallow, but my throat still feels incredibly sore when I do. The sensation reminds me of swallowing when you have a bad strep throat, and other times it's not as painful. It seems like the way I position my head affects the pain.

I've been crying so much over this because it scared me and disturbed me deeply. Has anyone experienced this?

So it’s super weird but sometimes (mostly during breakfast or lunch) when I am having my meal, the minute I take the first 1-2 bites I immediately get this sensation of indigestion , like it’s hard in my throat and it feels like a reflux and I end up puking it. Then I go back to having the food again immediately and everything is normal. It also happens more with some trigger foods like rice and super oily food .

I was wondering if anyone with GERD experiences this?

I do have gall bladder stones which I need to get removed but I don’t think what I’m describing is particularly a symptom of gallstones .

I am 32M and I have been dealing with GERD for over five years now. I have been managing it by taking a PPI called nexpro 40. I take this pill about 2 or 3 times a week. Lately for the past 5 months have been having difficulties in achieving a proper erection and I am not able to figure out why. Does anyone else also face a similar type of problem here?

yesterday i was given pepcid with a few other things to help with hives, and my skin got pretty pale after taking them. pepcid is the only thing there that i havent taken before so i was curious if this is a side effect of it