Heartburn Diet

Q: The other night (like an idiot) I drank alot of Captain Morgan and Diet Coke with lime. I woke up in the middle of the night with heartburn and a feeling like something was stuck in my throat. After I woke up that morning it went away. That night I had Lasagna with meatballs and sauce, and it came back. Now its the next day and I still have the burning and stuck food sensation. I've been eating tums which helps a little, but anything I swallow irritates it right away. I'm 45 and I don't drink like that. I feel like I did some damage or am I just getting old! Any suggestions??

A:A lot of people who never suffered from gastric problems start to as they get older. Forget about drinking. It was obviously what triggered the problem in the first place. If you're not a big drinker, that shouldn't be a big problem for you. Switch to a bland diet for a few days (no coffee, spicy or acidic foods, etc.), and work yourself back into your regular diet if the symptoms subside. If you continue to have GI upsets, see a doctor. There

are plenty of treatments. #1 keep a roll of tums or rolaids near by. It's only for temporary and immediate relief. #2 if it's prolonged, then go buy yourself a box of zantac from your local pharmacy. You'll only need 1 per day for a couple of days and should last you up to a month. #3 if zantac (or equivalent) doesn't help, go see doc and s/he'll prescribe a good medication in the case the problem is progressive. This may not be the likely case though if heartburn is new to you. #4 Some heart conditions exhibit the same symptoms as heartburn. Not to frighten you, but again, your doc should help you on this. #5 try not eating so much foods that generate acid buildup in your stomach.