scared to eat

[susan1963]

hi since ive been diagnosed with mild acid reflux im to scared to eat much and so ive lost a stone and a half since april..... i was on lanzoparole and i went to see the doc today and she changed the med to an antacid called ranitidiine (im hoping this med will sort out the problem with the throat issues i have) the thing is why am i so scared to eat the things i used to enjoy the doc said i could eat anything, but nothing to spicy but i cant as im scared im going to have a big flare up of acid reflux and end up in a&e what can i do to eat normaly again i feel like im wasting away im so scared please can anyone tell me that it will pass and i will be ok again

[Indiepoos]

I think you need to calm yourself down.
Try having some tea (or whatever makes you feel calm) and get some snack type food. Watch a fun film with an understanding friend or something and gently just take one mouthful at a time while you focus on the TV screen, nothing bad will happen if your doctor said it's okay to eat.
And think of the worst case scenario, even IF your fear cam true (which it won't) all that will happen is that you'll go into A&E and they'd look after you, fix you up and tell you what caused it to happen.

Please eat something, there's no logic in starving yourself into sickness because you're afraid of getting sick.
Maybe start off with soup or something liquidy if you think it will help.

Best of luck. xxx

[Anxious_gal]

What symptoms are you afraid of?
Personally I have acid reflux most of my life and I have an idea of which foods are safe to eat and which things set it off.

Things like rice,pasta,potatoes ,vegetables,eggs are very safe to eat.
Try drinking milk or water with your food.

Mine isn't too bad, but I some times take Milk of Magnesia before I eat food and it seems to help. But ask your doctor or local chemist before you add anything else onto the meds you are already taking.

[susan1963]

thanks for your reply.... i do eat, but half way through a meal i get a horrible throat sensation like air or pressure there which stops me from finnishing it also i feel i have to eat bland foods because im scared of symptoms getting worse i feel my diet is limited because of the bloomin acid x

---------- Post added at 23:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:52 ----------

thanks anxious gal..... i dont really know what food triggers the reflux and everytime i eat something i worry it will trigger it, the sensation is mainly in my throat and most days i go to bed with it and wake up in the mornings with it

[Elle-Kay]

I don't get acid reflux, but I do have the same as you at mealtimes - I get halfway through, then my throat and stomach tighten and it's a struggle to eat any more because I'm sure it will make me ill. I also talk myself out out having breakfast and lunch, in case the same happens, so I've lost around half a stone recently. It's maybe a bit trite, offering advice when I haven't cracked it myself yet, but I suggest taking your time over eating - take as many breaks as you need, and don't feel pressured by other people. If you can't finish your meal, don't beat yourself up - congratulate yourself for managing what you have, and set a goal to manage a little more tomorrow.

As for *what* to eat, I prefer to have meals I've had before rather than "fussing about" with new things, so I stick to easy, traditional things - today we had chicken kiev & veggies, and tomorrow it's spaghetti bolognese. When I'm feeling more confident (i.e. when my anxiety is generally lower) I like to cook new things, to treat myself. I also like baking, and needing to stop my weight dropping anymore gives me a good excuse to try out new cake recipes

Good luck.