I've had a bleeding ulcer. I've taken famotidine which is OTC and works quickly, but I find it most effective if I have it about 60-90 minutes before a big meal I know may cause issues. But I've also taken it afterward to good affect. I will not take any PPIs as the side effects are not good.

Dr. Rx me sucralfate (carafate) which coats the stomach and protects it from irritation. I've had good luck using that when the ulcer problem becomes more chronic. That too works best 60-90 min before a meal.

I've also had good luck with drinking marshmallow root tea which also protects the stomach and helps regenerate tissue. I've had immediate relief from that.

My GF swears by zinc L carnosine for longer term treatment of ulcers. I didn't find it helpful but it is standard protocol in Japan. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40267-019-00667-z

the few times Ive had acid reflux Gaviscon helped. My doctor also recommended Prilosec just to protect my stomach when I was taking a lot of ibuprofen. Both are otc, so maybe one will work for you. Id wait for doctors advice if you can hold out. If not, try the Gaviscon.

I don't know of anything that works faster than Tums, Rolaid, or a liquid antacid. If you're having actual pain, I would think it's something more than heartburn. I'm surprised your doctor didn't order an ultrasound to rule out gallstones.

I just had the same problem for the last 3 days. Pain in the upper stomach but my pains went to the back muscles too. After eating Saturday dinner the upper stomach pain got bad so I took a 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda in a a little water and had nearly instant relief. Baking soda is an antacid, and some of those over the counter antacid tablets are nothing but baking soda.

After Sunday's diner it happened again, along with the back muscle pains. The baking soda didn't help the back pains the night before so I went to a heating pad my wife suggested. It worked for the back muscle pain as long as it was applied but was surprised the upper stomach pain stopped while I was on the heating pad. Weird.

Anyway I'm thinking it's an ulcer and made a doctor appointment, but I don't want the doctor to guess and will request one of the three tests to confirm an ulcer. I've read there could be other problems which could cause the problems, so a wrong guess could be deadly. Inquire about the test to confirm the ulcer with your doctor when you go.

Pepcid AC works for me, esp after over indulging when eating my own chili.

Kevin, pain like you are describing could be pancreatitis. There, I’ve given you one more thing to worry about.

Eat celery, its a natural alkaline. Gaviscon works well

Gaviscon Liquid - Heartburn & Acid Reflux Relief

"I don't know of anything that works faster than Tums, Rolaid, or a liquid antacid. If you're having actual pain, I would think it's something more than heartburn. I'm surprised your doctor didn't order an ultrasound to rule out gallstones"

Dr. said ultrasound would be the next step if taking the acid blockers didn't help.

I second the famotidine (Pepcid) idea. Very fast.

Thanks @Ded tired. I will mention this to the doctor, and request the blood test to check for pancreatic enzymes.

I have acid reflux which I take prescription 20mg Pantoprazole for. I was on 40 mg but 20 works as well. I think of it as a maintenance dose and it allows me to eat whatever I like. I had breakthrough reflux about every day with famotidine, Pepcid AC and Prilosec, but I seldom do with Pantoprazole. Occasionally I need a Rolaid or two where I was chewing them daily before using it. For some reason chili bothers me where other spicy food doesn't. I have woken up in the night after eating chili and have had to chew a few Rolaids.

Occasionally I get what's been diagnosed via endoscopy as gastritis. I feel a little sick to my stomach about half an hour after eating and it lasts for about an hour. Pepto Bismal works well for that. I have figured out that it occurs when I have too much fat or oil in my diet.

I wanted to add that insurance may cover a prescription whereas the OTC drugs are very expensive.

I also take famotidine. I look for antiacid tablets that have either sucrose or sugar as I find those seem to be softer and work quicker. Recently, I have started using the baking soda as it produces gas which is then released. It may depend on what your symptoms are. Mine are a twisting pain in my stomach area with occasional acid reflux. Doctors have all been unconcerned about the twisting pain which does not normally go with hyper acidity.

Generic "tums" works pretty much instantaneously for me. A bloating pain takes longer. That's gas build up not acid so much--different issues but Rolaids/tums does the trick.

Don't gallstones create excruciating pain?

Pepto-Bismol or Tums are my go-to's for stomach upset.

I've resumed taking generic Prilosec before breakfast daily. There's no more semi-nausea all day, and I've regained some appetite.

I once had a trip to the ER for 'heart attack' that turned out to be 'just' my stomach. At least the angiogram showed me that my arteries are in great shape!

Gaviscon Advance is excellent.

It is not available in the US for some reason but can be ordered on line.

When I was in the hospital with gastric reflux/pain one of the nurses told me about it.

It is not cheap but works extremely well.

I order it via Amazon.

I also use generic tums. But one time I had really sharp pain like what you described, and hubby suggested the baking soda. As Kevin said above, a little in some water was almost instant relief.

Mine was nothing they could put a name on, and thankfully it is pretty much gone.

Agree with Kevin, when I have really bad heartburn and needs something quickly, I mix some baking soda in water and drink it down.

For some reason, dill pickle juice helps if I don’t have Rolaids or Tums

Water with lemon in it...oddly enough actually helps stomach acid problems ... probably similar to the acids in dill pickle juice.

This recent episode of The People's Pharmacy has a lot of very important info on "heartburn", acid reflux, etc.

Milk. Drink a glass of milk. Works for me every time.

Don't gallstones create excruciating pain?

Yes Chisue...they do. Having suffered through passing one I can personally attest to that. It took three days and crippled me for the entire time.

The gall bladder is nothing to fool around with diet wise. If one suspects that's the culprit in this discussion...change your diet pronto. Adopt the European fresh fruit and veggies approach and eliminate as much fat as you possibly can from your eating habits...including butter and fatty meats. Switch to olive oil where possible.

Of course, consult you doctor during this process but I have found success in alleviating pain by adjusting my dietary life style to my body's demands.

Additionally, the use of a heating pad in the painful area will help the digestive process. I, personally, did not want to have my gall bladder removed so I hunkered down and took my own advice. So far....it's working.

It should also be noted that this is an annoyance that seems to favor those of us over 60 years of age. I'm in my mid 80s and this is a first for me. Hopefully...it'll be the last such experience.

Thank you for all the feedback. My pains are not sharp pains or where I feel sick to my stomach or need to use the bathroom. It's more of an uncomfortable pressure like pain. I've been off nexium for about a week now and have felt fine except for the other night I had some chili and within 45 minutes I could feel the pain coming on. Luckily it passed quickly. LIke Eileen, I can eat some spicy food and have no affect.

Overall, I need to make better food choices and get some exercise.

A couple of years ago NPR's Here and Now did a segment on GERD and LPR. They discussed the benefits of alginates and in particular one called Reflux Gourmet. Made from brown seaweed, alginates form a raft on top of a patient’s stomach contents so the liquid can’t travel up to the esophagus or throat. Here and Now

FWIW, following the same concept, a spoonful of psyllium husks dissolved in a glass of water can have similar results.

Winter -- Thanks for clarifying. I'm guessing the only comparable pain would be a twisted bowel. I know a 'never sick', high-pain-tolerance woman who thought she was dying when a portion of bowel was sucked into an adjoining portion. (If I could spell 'intra-suption', I'd name this!) Strangely, I heard this described shortly after a neighbor's Irish Setter died of the same thing.

I am just throwing this out because I am curious. I can eat spicy and greasy foods with little or no problems but eating bland foods, those often listed to avoid acid problems, and uncooked vegetables will bring on the pain. Wondering if there is anyone other than myself on here where similar happens to them.

Chisue....What a horrible experience for that woman. It pains me just thinking about her travails. If my condition regarding my gall bladder weren't responding to my curative measures...I might be inclined to investigate further. But so far...so good. I hope your acquaintance is cured and living a pain free existence today. With my experience I have to add that I've never felt such pain and my physical system has been repeatedly put to the test throughout my life time.

Maifleur...Take heed. I spent most of my life enjoying a diet similar to yours but it caught up with me. I liked nothing more than an order of deep fried fish 'n chips at lunch time during my shopping Saturday. Additionally...I'm a very inventive amateur chef and baker who loved French and Italian cuisines. Alas...my dietary preparations are far more basic these days.

Gaviscon is the only thing that works for me. I have a prescription (can't think of the name right now) to fight GERD and it works pretty well, but several times a week, I get very painful heartburn. A couple of chewed Gaviscon tablets make it go away immediately.

Winter and others YOU TAKE HEED. One of the advantages of aging is knowing that you will die soon. People can do what they wish but unless I choke on what I eat why deny myself something only to live a few extra years or even minutes. As I am the last of my family I am well aware that I may spend the last few years in a care facility with only bland crap to eat.

Winter, I'm glad you've found a way to calm your gallbladder. I know foods that are high in fat will aggravate it. Unfortunately, you may not be able to avoid surgery forever. When you have a gallbladder attack and try to pass a large gallstone, the pain will be so bad you may beg to have it removed. I have had that pain, and I was so happy to get rid of the cause. It's laparoscopic surgery done on an outpatient basis, and recovery is quick for most people. I would recommend that you have the surgery soon, rather than wait until the stones get bigger and cause more pain.

always1stepbehind I hope you can find something that will help you. I fight heartburn and acid reflux (GERD) every single day.

Woodrose...At my tender age of 83+ years, I'm not enthusiastic about any surgery but I accept and sincerely thank you for your warning and advice. I'm also a risk patient and the local hospital has minimal talent so that adds to my hesitation. I don't know how large the stone was that I passed but it took its own sweet time vacating my system and it was excruciatingly painful while it did so. It took three days. All of which, I either spent in bed with a warm heating pad or in my bathroom dealing with other lesser side effects. I may reach a point where I have no choice but to have it removed but for the time being...I'm going to hang onto it and follow my dietary advice. I am relieved,though, to learn that it's laparoscopic surgery. That's far, far less invasive than some of the other surgeries I've had to tolerate. Thank you once again for your kind advice and information.

My husband always does the baking soda in water thing. It works for him. I rarely get heartburn but the one time I tried baking soda and water it made me vomit - my husband swears by it though.

I try pepto then Rolaids. If they don't work I go to baking soda in water it has always worked for me