Welcome to GERD, gee thanks!

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spima3

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I was having problems w/ hoarseness and chronic sore throat. Varying courses of treatments and tests and yesterday ENT concluded I probably have GERD.

He currently has be taking Ranitidine. Said the stronger meRAB, I'm thinking Nexium the PPI's, are showing some "issues", so he wants to start w/ the Ranitidine.

I am to take it twice a day, and today I took it this am and am not feeling any better at all; that burning sensation in center of chest along with burping. Do these meRAB need to be taken for a while before showing improvement?

Also, have people found dietary changes to really make a difference? I love my coffee in winter and iced tea in summer and he said neither is good. :(
Also, I am overweight and want to know if losing weight will help?

He wants me to go for upper GI and some other things, looking for ulcers. Is that commom w/ GERD?

TIA,
 
Ranitidine is not very effective in treating GERD. It's just not strong enough to give your body a chance to heal (particularly the sore throat and hoarseness). It may help with the burning sensation but it will take a few days.

Typically PPIs need to be taken for 4-12 weeks before you'll notice a big difference in things like the sore throat and with Ranitidine it may take even longer (but again, the heartburn should start to improve if you keep taking the medication for several days).

As for dietary and lifestyle changes, yes they do help. Minimizing trigger fooRAB like coffee, tomato-based sauces, chocolate and peppermint plus raising the head of your bed 4" - 6", avoiding tight-fitting clothing and not eating for 3 hours before bed all can make a difference. Losing weight also helps because it reduces the pressure on the esophageal sphincter.

It will take time for your symptoms to subside but they should improve over time (although you may notice improvement more quickly if you take PPIs instead of Ranitidine).
 
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