Acid burn at depth?

[Mark Derail]

I wanted to post a Funny last night, but would have been first post under the OP...so now!

Acid burn at depth?

Ring of fire on surface!

Eh, sometimes my humor leaves to be desired.

 

[SubMariner]

Heartburn and Peptic Disease

Divers Alert Network

I would tend to agree with pressure-induced GERD, as I used to experience the same symptoms as the OP is describing, but I didn't realize it until I was recently diagnosed with "regular" GERD.

Since then I've been using ranitidine (the generic, over the counter version of Zantac) with good results on land; hopefully it will solve the underwater heartburn problem as well.

Meanwhile, as I recently moved from a hybrid BC (with cummerbund) to a Dive Rite, I'm hoping that will also eliminate the problem.

 

[Dam0]

my heath otherwise is tip top, if I do day so myself. I'm 31 and have no known heath issues.

Thanks for the feedback, if it happens again I'll try tums or something equivalent.

 

[mark01]

What did you have for breakfast? If you had the eggs, sausage, bacon, orange juice, and grape fruit lots of folks eat and then were diving even slightly head down, that's why you were not doing well. If you're in good health otherwise, there is probably little reason to suspect anything more serious.

 

[freewillie]

For a young 31 year old and no prior complaints heartburn a single episode is not much to worry about.

Antacids are the quickest way to neutralize stomach acid. If there are no antacids on board any food will also help. Try to stay with bland foods like crackers or a piece of fruit and avoid greasy heavy foods.

Pills such as Pepcid or Zantac are good. Proton pump inhibitors OTC Prilosec or Prevacid are "stronger.". But keep in mind they take hours before they start working and are generally best when used at least an hour before you think you are going to need it, like before a spicy meal.

If you don't take heartburn pills of any kind then occasional use is fine. If you have symptoms more than 3-4 times a week (even if you don't take something) it is time to see your doctor.

 

[Sly New Girl]

I'm not an experienced diver, just getting started. But do me a favor and see your doctor. Please.
My dad complained about his heartburn only a couple of times before he had his first heart attack. Since then he's had a major stroke that partially paralyzed him and he has spells at night. Please, just see your doctor. I wasn't going to say anything but it's been on my mind. So, if nothing else, you seeing your doctor will relieve my stress after reading your post!