Off and on for the past 11 months, I get reflux and dull cramping pain near my sternum occasionally but not ALL the time and can not figure out what's really causing it. Some days the dull ache will be there for hours, or gone for a few days. I've had a barium swallow, ultrasound on my gallbladder, etc. and heart tests and the results were all normal.
Honestly, I know I should but I am too lazy to keep a food diary but noticed something interesting this week and wonder if it makes sense or if it's just a coincidence. I love smoothies and in the past year I started making them a lot. So this week I made a smoothie on Monday and had the cramping all afternoon. I felt great for 3 days until yesterday afternoon when I had another smoothie! It was the first time in 4 days I had yogurt (I buy the big lowfat plain or vanilla yogurt).
In the past 5 years or so I have been slightly lactose intolerant - scratchy throat and some bloating and gas when I drink milk - but nothing too bad. I don't get the cramping if I have a bowl of cereal with skim. Is yogurt much worse?
Is it really possible that my delicious, healthy smoothies have been causing me this pain all along? Thanks so much for any insight you can provide!
Wow, it sounds like it! Start a food journal and rate how you feel after every meal, what it was, etc. Try staying away from all dairy for two weeks and see how you feel.
I am yet to figure out what my trigger is. I woke up this morning, felt a little sick, ate a ham sandwhich on brown for breakfast. Felt quite good. Got about my day. Had a little pasta with cheese and bacon for lunch. Didn't over eat like I normally do and felt ok. Then I went to hospital to get my bloods and for seemingly no apparent reason my pain started to flare up! Grr, so annoying!
I hope you figure out what it is. Come to think of it, when I drink an innocent smoothie I do get very acidy.
Thank you everyone for your tips. I have been feeling so good lately - I've had some dairy, but no yogurt. I will try my best to keep a food diary as I know that is best. I always thought if I just stayed away from the big things - caffeine, tomatoes, etc. - that I would be fine and here the smoothies may be the culprit. I suppose I should try one and see what happens to verify my idea! Thanks again.
It doesn't have to be a dairy allergy. Anything food that is highly basic can cause rebound acid (acid levels higher than prior to the item's consumption).
Off and on for the past 11 months, I get reflux and dull cramping pain near my sternum occasionally but not ALL the time and can not figure out what's really causing it. Some days the dull ache will be there for hours, or gone for a few days. I've had a barium swallow, ultrasound on my gallbladder, etc. and heart tests and the results were all normal.
Honestly, I know I should but I am too lazy to keep a food diary but noticed something interesting this week and wonder if it makes sense or if it's just a coincidence. I love smoothies and in the past year I started making them a lot. So this week I made a smoothie on Monday and had the cramping all afternoon. I felt great for 3 days until yesterday afternoon when I had another smoothie! It was the first time in 4 days I had yogurt (I buy the big lowfat plain or vanilla yogurt).
In the past 5 years or so I have been slightly lactose intolerant - scratchy throat and some bloating and gas when I drink milk - but nothing too bad. I don't get the cramping if I have a bowl of cereal with skim. Is yogurt much worse?
Is it really possible that my delicious, healthy smoothies have been causing me this pain all along? Thanks so much for any insight you can provide!
Just my two cents but how fast did you drink the smoothie, what did you put in it besides yogurt and did you lay down within 4 hours of drinking it??
GERD is very easily managed if you're will to do what it takes. Find your triggers, eat/drink very slowly and don't lay down within 4 hours of eating or dinking....and no bending over either. See a doctor for more pointers. I had it years ago and now and then I still get reflux but it's usually because I've eaten something too late and gone to bed too soon. For me, it was ice cream the other night. I had a small dish of ice cream and laid down...sometime in the night it came back up...so gross. Seriously, though, if you follow some simple steps you won't have to deal with it.
Take care,
Sharon
