Case Summary  |  Heartburn

I have had problems with heartburn on and off for years. However, it really became a big problem for me while I was pregnant (during both of my pregnancies). I was on bedrest during both pregnancies, and I think that the fact that I was lying down most of the time made the heartburn worse. I experienced the most discomfort with heartburn in the middle of the night, especially if I had eaten something acidic for dinner, such as spaghetti sauce or other dishes with tomatoes. The things that my doctor told me I could try that were safe enough during pregnancy were Prevacid, Prilosec OTC, and TUMS. Unfortunately, none of them worked for me. I tried taking the Prevacid and Prilosec OTC at regular times so I could stay on top of the heartburn and try to prevent it. I tried chewing TUMS when I would wake up in the middle of the night, but that did not work either. The thing that finally worked for me was drinking a glass of cold milk. That might sound strange, but somehow, the combination of the cold temperature of the milk and the antacid properties of the milk really helped. Once I discovered this trick, every time I wake up at night with heartburn (during my pregnancies and after), I simple drink a glass of cold milk, lie down, and go back to sleep. Generally, the heartburn does not bother me for the rest of the night.