clayelliott Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Hey guys - My wife and I just finished day 5 and we are doing pretty well. We've had most of the typical symptoms of week one... tired, cranky, etc but I am posting about one unexpected side effect I have had: increased reflux I have had GERD since I was 18. I had a surgery for it in my early 20s and got off Omeprazole for 10 years but went back on it around age 30. So I've been taking Omeprazole for about 10 years straight now and I typically don't have too many flare-ups as long as I take my pill each morning 30 minutes prior to eating anything. But ever since I started the Whole30 I have had reflux symptoms pretty bad every night. I still follow my same routine taking the Omep in the morning well before breakfast but it doesn't seem to be enough to fight off the heartburn now. I wake up with a sore/tight chest which I am most certain is the reflux. Any ideas? I was hoping the GERD would get better and not worse! Also - I was unable to find a 100% compliant version of Omeprazole so I'm just taking it through the 30 days (doctors orders). My pills have propylene glycol and sodium starch glycolate which I don't think are compliant. See attachment for the label ingredients. So my question is: How likely are these ingredients to throw off my Whole30? Are they likely to make any difference in such a small amount? Thanks a lot for the help! This forum is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 If you need the omeprazole, you need the omeprazole, end of story. Drs orders trump Whole30 rules, and if NOT taking it would make you worse, then it makes sense to continue. With regard to the reflux, can you give us more info on what you've been eating for the past 3-4 days? And what about liquids too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayelliott Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 Ok. I'll try to post a log here very soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayelliott Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Here's my food & beverage intake from last week (most everything is from the W30 book 7-day meal plan but I may have left off one or two items). I had pretty bad heartburn in the evenings (especially after bedtime) most of the week. Definitely bad the night of 2/13 and 2/16: 2/13 M1 Spinach Frittata (p206 one serving), half an orange, two slices avocado, black coffee M2 still full but snacked on Cashews in the afternoon M3 Perfect Ground Beef (p152 0.5 lbs), jarred tomato sauce on roasted spaghetti squash 2/14 M1 Leftover ground beef (p152 0.5 lbs) on roasted spaghetti squash topped with a fried egg, black coffee M2 still full, iced black tea M3 Canned Chicken Salad mixed w apples, almonds and raisins over mixed greens drizzled w EVOO Valentines Date movie snack: Cashews and Almonds w La Croix natural flavored sparkling water 2/15 M1 Leftover Spinach Frittata (p206 one serving), whole pear, one slice avocado, black coffee M2 Leftover ground beef (p152 0.5 lbs), jarred tomato sauce on roasted spaghetti squash Iced black tea, La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M3 Perfect Oven-Baked Salmon (p160 5 oz) w Broccoli, Mushrooms & Yellow Squash w red pepper sauce (p264) 2/16 M1 One banana & half pear w Almond Butter, irish black tea M2 not hungry, La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M3 Slow Cooker Beef Brisket (p214 0.5 lbs) w butternut squash, carrots and sweet potato "Make it a Meal" variation 2/17 M1 One Banana and Almond Butter, irish black tea M2 Leftover Perfect Oven-Baked Salmon (p160 8 oz) w Broccoli, Mushrooms & Yellow Squash w red pepper sauce (p264) La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M3 Wild Mushroom Ragout (RealPlans recipe) over leftover spaghetti squash (small plate) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna 1126 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Ok... I am not a moderator or expert - just a fellow heart burn sufferer. I am on day 25 of my first ever whole30. Before Whole30 I "controlled" my HB with tums - lots and lots and lots of tums. I did have a course of antibiotics years ago when they diagnosed pylori bacteria (sp?) thought to be a problem at that time, but have never taken a regular medication like you must. So I know my situation is different from yours but wanted to share some thoughts with you. Since starting the Whole 30 I have not had HB at all - except one slight episode early on. What struck me about your food log was your comments re: skipping M2 cause you were not hungry? And then you also mentioned snacking on nuts? So here's what happened for me - For the first two weeks on the Whole 30 I was never hungry (especially at M2) but forced myself to stick to three meals with 4-5 hours between. I also never snacked (Which is a real departure for me). Anyway - I am wondering if my constantly "full" stomach was not the secret to my HB disappearing. I think the acid production seemed steadier and there was always the right amount of digestion going on - instead of my usual habit of waiting so long and then surprising my stomach with a full meal? Also - I know from days before the Whole 30 that Nuts were a real trigger for my HB. I am wondering if Maybe sticking to three smaller meals - hungry or not would help you. So- once again - all of this is anecdotal from a person with no expertise - but maybe it will help. I'll look forward to hearing what a moderator may have to say. What I can say - is hang in there and good luck. HB is no fun! I hope you get it under control soon. I bet you'll get help here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Yep, I'm completely with @Lorna 1126 here - what jumped out at me was the nuts & nut butters, the meal skipping, and the coffee. And for all the same reasons - nuts & coffee are common triggers, and an empty stomach will cause the stomach to keep pumping what available acid there is which often results in a back flow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayelliott Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 OK. Yeah, I've been trying to do three full meals. But going forward I'll make sure I get them in to test this. I just never feel very hungry anymore lol! But I see your point... And I also know that the program is very clear about eating the 3 meals... I think I'm going to try a bit smaller meals so I'm hungrier in 4-5 hours. I think that may be part of my problem. I've been eating pretty hefty servings when I do eat. Just because I can and I don't want to be hungry for carbs!!! It's also a lot of work cooking all this stuff (first world problem, I know) Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll try to report back here in week or two or update you sooner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TryingOver Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 It also looks like you're eating some high-acidity foods (especially the tomato sauce with dinner 2/13). I know for me eating large meals before bed and/or eating high acidity food (tomato sauce, salsa, citrus, etc) right before bed can be a big issue. If you're skipping M2 and eating a larger M3 that could contribute to increased reflux since your largest meal of the day is closer to when you are lying down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayelliott Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 I think you're right. I started eating smaller meals and three per day. The symptoms have improved. I still have a slight feeling of reflux some days but I think that's just because of the high fat intake. I may dial that back a bit too... I have been making sure to eat earlier in the evening and I think that has helped as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayelliott Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 So I had a little heartburn last night. Here's what I ate yesterday: M1 Banana w almond butter (I've had days w almond butter and no problems) La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M2 Perfect Oven-Baked Salmon (p160 5 oz) w Broccoli, Mushrooms & Yellow Squash w red pepper sauce (p264) La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M3 Mustard crusted salmon (dijon mustard, mustard powder, almond flour & salmon) and boiled green beans Not exactly sure what set it off but I suspect the red pepper sauce? Or maybe it is the almond products :/ I hope not. I love them. And prior to the W30 I ate all kinds of nuts without much problem. I have always loved peanut butter... Is there more detailed info somewhere for people doing the W30 with chronic GERD? For the people who see improved symptoms how long did it take to start noticing it going away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtFossil Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 55 minutes ago, clayelliott said: So I had a little heartburn last night. Here's what I ate yesterday: M1 Banana w almond butter (I've had days w almond butter and no problems) La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M2 Perfect Oven-Baked Salmon (p160 5 oz) w Broccoli, Mushrooms & Yellow Squash w red pepper sauce (p264) La Croix natural flavored sparkling water M3 Mustard crusted salmon (dijon mustard, mustard powder, almond flour & salmon) and boiled green beans Not exactly sure what set it off but I suspect the red pepper sauce? Or maybe it is the almond products :/ I hope not. I love them. And prior to the W30 I ate all kinds of nuts without much problem. I have always loved peanut butter... Is there more detailed info somewhere for people doing the W30 with chronic GERD? For the people who see improved symptoms how long did it take to start noticing it going away? I'll jump in as a esophagitis-from-GERD sufferer (now letting my esophagus heal). What jumps out to me is that you are taking your Omeprazole in the AM, presumably on your doctor's advice. But, you're (still) getting the bulk of your food in the PM. You should check with your gastroenterologist, but mine had me switch my PPI medicine from the AM to before dinner and that made a BIG difference in my symptoms. (I had to do that by taking an AM and a PM capsule and then I was able to taper off the AM capsule). Really, for me, the three balanced template meal structure of Whole30 was a huge help in reducing my GERD. In addition, and again following medical advice, I raised the head of my bed (just 2-3 inches, no big deal) AND I never eat after 8 PM and try to finish dinner by 7 or 7:30, aiming for at least 2-3 hours to digest my food before sleeping. You're not doing yourself any favors, for a lot of reasons, by skipping meals, and banana and almond butter is not a nutritious meal 1. Plus, that combo can be hard to digest first thing in the morning. (Or anytime for some people.) Try eating proteins + fats + veggies (follow the meal template) at each of your three meals and don't snack in between meals (give your digestive system a chance . . . to digest). I love LaCroix, but again, I wouldn't drink it first thing in the morning. (I couldn't tell when you were drinking LaCroix.) And, you may find that the citrus flavors of LaCroix are harder on your stomach--just experiment and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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