Heartburn And Reflux Remedy

Q: I have suffered from acute indigestion since I had children - nearly 40 years ago. I have a few comments about this - but I am no chemist or pharmacist so you'll have to just take them as comfort from someone who has constantly "been there and done that": All medication like Zantac, Gaviscon, Mylanta are effective only up to a point. You have to work out what it is that disagrees with you. In my case it is cooked cheese, pickles, hot pastry dishes - and in fact often just a meal eaten in haste. In my case, ometimes alcohol will add to the problem; sometimes it makes no difference. In fact one glass of red wine with a meal seems to aid my digestion rather than aggravate it. Any alcohol with bubbles (champagne, etc.) always gives me heartburn, whereas mineral water with gas (Perrier water, eg) does not, and in fact sometimes helps my digestion. I have found the most effective heartburn remedy for me is Titralac-SIL. It is sold over the counter at pharmacies and has nothing in it that requries a doctor's prescription. The SIL component deals with the gas. There are times when I KNOW my stress levels are high and the heartburn

and very painful indigestion is at its worst. What can one do about this? Avoid the stress I suppose ... but often it is difficult to trace the origin of the stress. Does anyone have any comment about this?

A:Yes, it is sad, the things we love the most cause us the most pain.....My indegestion problems don't sound as debilitating as yours. One perscription Zantac a day and I don't have to worry about it. As long as I work out regularly and try not to overeact I'm OK. And with me, red wine is a big culprit. I have to limit my red wine intake. But, as I've got a couple pounds to lose after the holidays, it's a good incentive to avoid it right now anyway.