[JellyBean32882]

I've been binge eating for months and I've been waking up in the middle of the night to burning in my throat and feeling like I'm gonna throw up.. just recently it got worse and now it feels like I have a sore throat. I know I shouldn't eat junkfood but most of all drinking caffeinated soda and eating spicy foods.. It's gonna be really hard to not eat spaghetti, food with ketchup, and McDonalds.. and especially to quit drinking diet soda because that is ALL I usually drink.

Anyone else have this Acid Reflux/Gerd issue? It really does suck, and I have no medical insurance so certainly can't go to the doctor to get checked out.

[losermom]

I have had problems with Acid Reflux in the past. I found that if I don't eat late at night, specifically after 6pm, I don't have it very often. Also, I avoid citrus juice, like OJ, colas (at night) and tomato juices, because that just makes the problem worse. Also, just losing weight makes the problem ease as well. FWIW, I have not had much trouble with ketchup or spaghetti. And I love Mexican and Italian foods. Best of luck!

[Palestrina]

I know how it is, binge eating somehow sedates me enough to not want to face the physical ramifications of my actions. The fact that so many don't have health insurance should be enough to deter us from abusing our bodies but we are helpless to our addiction.

My advice is to take one step at a time. Give up soda first. Just get rid of it. Drink seltzer instead - it will taste really yucky at first but you'll get used to it. Just give up the stuff and you will feel like a new person. I've given it up and I know how hard it is but you must do this for your health! Once you've conquered that then tackle something else like not eating after 7pm. This process of changing one thing at a time takes years and it's frustrating but it is really worth it in the end. You owe this to yourself. If YOU don't take care of your body then who will do it for you?

[pooh]

I have had that problem. Sometimes it reappears when I have a week of bad eating and little exercise. It was one of my eye openers that I need to get healthy. At its worse, it didn't matter what I ate, healthy food and junk food, my stomach did not like it in there. Some days I thought I was having a heart attack. I'd be shaking, sweating and just have a really uncomfortable sensation in my chest. I altered my eating but that did not help me as much as exercise has. I find that as long as I exercise I can eat acidy and spicy food which is good because I looooove spicy food.

[harrismm]

Elevate your bed on bricks,Extra pillows do not work.This should help some.

[MissKoo]

Been around the block with this one.

I have had terrible GERD for years. It is exacerbated by my asthma (I know that doesn't sound like it makes sense but it's true!)

My doc told me that losing weight will help a lot. But there were other things he said I had to do:
1. Stop ALL soda drinking (that was very challenging).
2. No eating 3 hours before bedtime.
3. No fruit juices except apple & white grape.
4. Very little tomato-based sauces.
5. Very little coffee/black tea. Decaf green tea/herbal tea okay.
Also, as was mentioned, raising the head of your bed can be quite helpful. Just make sure to raise the bed, not your heads with pillows (I made that mistake).

I know how hard it is! But those suggestions helped me a lot and they certainly can't hurt! This is just my opinion, tho. If you can't afford to go to the doc maybe talk to a pharmacist about the over-the-counter GERD meds. He/she may have some good info for you.

Good luck & hope you get to feeling better!

[lostbutstilltrying]

I have this problem too, and at my weight (300+), it has gotten to the point, where I wake up choking on acidy food vomit - literally unable to get air for a scary long time and then my throat burns for sometimes hours after that - I have to sit up to sleep right now until about 3am, even cutting out food after 8pm or so

- don't let it get to the point I am at if you can help it, its **** and one of the scariest things that has happened to me -take control of it now if you can