I dealt with my fair share of heartburn during both my pregnancies and I wish I had been hip to this chewing gum remedy. In 2005, researchers found that the saliva stimulated by chewing seemed to neutralize the digestive stomach acid that had leaked into the esophagus. Not only did it neutralize the acid, it seemed to help force fluids back into the stomach where they belong. Chewing gum, sugarless of course, for 30 minutes did the trick and can provide relief for up to 3 hours.
If you do suffer from heartburn on a regular basis, I would seriously think of trying this "folk" remedy since recent studies reveal that long term use of acid blockers, including Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac, may increase the risk of mental decline in later life.
Chewing gum on the other hand will keep you young! In spirit at least.
Christine Bec
Suss
Topshop
OMG!!! Is Prilosec an H2 blocker?
that study is scary. I recently ran out of Prilosec (which I take as thought it were an antacid, but only 1 every 3-5 days) and bought some zantac cause it was cheaper...WELL...I have to take 2 zantac a day, and they don't completely relieve my heartburn..which i gues is actually acid reflux, but...I will go on a liquid diet as opposed to reducing my mental facilities.
1and, the gum thing doesn't work for me. Although it sometimes reduces the amount of discomfort I have...that is only true when i have heart burn from specific foods. For whatever reason, whole wheat products give me heartburn and nothing makes it go away but medicine...
2Hi cravinsugar
I could go on and on about my otherwise healthy mother's experience with long-term use of Reglan and Prilosec for her heartburn. It ended with her having Parkinson's like tremors, depression, uncontrollable tongue thrusting, and paranoia - resulting in 2 months in a mental facility. No Joke!!!
I was the one who picked up on it - once I started researching her medicines. Everyone was thrown off looking for new mdeicines that might have triggered it. The docs never gave the heartburn meds a thought since she had taken it for years - they assumed that she tolerated them well.
I told her to get off them both, and she was back to her old self in just three days! I confronted her doc with all this and his response surprised us. He did not refute it at all, just stated "My mistake... you'll never be charged for a visit to this office for as long as you live."
Crazy, huh!
3Hi suzanne...I am starting to feel real upset over my situation....
4I just recently (within the past 6 months) started having heartburn/indigestion, only about once a week, but I thought I was having a heart attack the first time! I never knew how incredibly painful it is, for some reason I don't think just chewing gum is going to do anything, a lot of the over the counter stuff doesn't even work for me. I can't even figure out what types of food causes my heartburn...
5What types of over-the-counter meds help you guys out?
Beth, I swear by Prilosec. It works faster than zantqac does on me, and it's effects last days instaed of hours...although after reading suzanne's comment....
6I get really bad heart burn and am on protonix for it (perk of having my father in law as a doctor--lots of free samples...since my regular doctor told me to start taking it)....but when i forget the pill when I travel, I have to get tums or something. The gum trick does not work for me. It may lessen it, but its still pretty bad. I really need to figure out what foods trigger it for me, but its hard because sometimes my heart burn flares up at different times during the week.
7I have to say that chewing gum does NOT help with my heart burn... it usually just makes my stomach hurt more. Tums smoothies are a lifesaver for heartburn and acid reflux. Not only do they taste like candy, but they don't leave the nasty chalky balm in your mouth that regular Tums leave.
8alkamints work okay too...and, i know this is going to sound weird, but I like the chalky taste, esp of alkamints haha. mmm.
9water!!! lots and lots of water. I suffer from heartburn/acid reflux several times a week. I sit up straight..drink tons of water and it usually goes away. I do not beleive in prilosec or zantac...tums is a safer way to go if you ask me. but drink water!!!!!!
10Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.