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Hi Grumpygirl,

I hear you!! I hated those wedge pillows . . . even the expensive ones that were long enough to offer some help. FINALLY, I broke the bank and bought a "TempurPedic Deluxe" Mattress with an Adjustable Base. I bought the base with the wireless remote, and I can raise or lower my mattress exactly where it needs to be on any given night. (Sometimes it needs to be higher). THIS WAS LIFE CHANGING AND WORTH THE BIG BUCKS. I love my particular "TempurPedic mattress ("TempurPedic Deluxe"). It is firm, but so comfortably flexible on the joints and pressure points! It eliminated all my back pain & morning stiffness. The Adjustable Base is perfect for GERD.

Now all I need, only rarely, is a Maalox tab if I feel any GERD feelings after dinner. Once I'm in bed, and my body is raised from my waist up, GERD is prevented. Of course, as you read on other posts, there are other cheaper alternatives for raising your bed sufficiently if you just can't swing the cost of the set-up I have. However, it is awfully nice to have the flexibility nightly of raising it to the degree I need with a remote.

The reason I didn't want to continue with Prilosec is because it shouldn't be used consecutively for more than 2-3 weeks max. By decreasing the acid in the stomach, you cannot absorb vitamins and minerals from your food. And, unlike what most people think, people's stomach acid levels decrease with age which is the reason many older folks cannot absorb nutrients from food. GERD is not a condition of "too much" acid in the stomach. You just don't want stomach contents to spill backward into your esophagus. SLEEPING ON YOUR LEFT SIDE WILL PREVENT THIS LEAKAGE FROM OCCURRING AS BADLY AS LYING ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE (based on the anatomy itself) . . . so that's an added thing you can do.

Joy

The best solution for gerd is Fundoplication surgery...mine works wonderfully...you just have to find a good surgeon. I had the surgery 2 years ago and I got my life back after 24 years of suffering. Before the surgery you must get a manometry test to see the pressure of the sphincter. The normal pressure is around 15-16 and if yours is much less than that, then Fundoplication will help. If the problem is something other than the loose sphincter, then Fundoplication will not work. Many times the GI doctors want 24 hour PH monitor and impedence studies done on the patient after stopping the acid prevention medicine for 5-7 days...I had several of them done and none proved that I had gerd problem. If you want to get these studies done, it may help to stop all acid prevention medicine for atleast 3 weeks. In my case only manometry test done by a doctor (not a technician) proved that my sphincter was loose. I do not have any faith in Ph monitor and impedence tests.

I would think wedge pillow would be very uncomfortable but having a full length wedge, the size of the mattress and 6" high on one end should be good because the slant would be gradual rather than having a sudden slant that is offered by wedge pillow. Simple way to make your bed elevated is to put a wooden plan under the mattress and then raise it on the head side with the help of wooden planks. This is definitely better than using wedge pillow. Good luck