Discharge Instructions for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Home care

These home care steps can help you manage GERD:

• Stay at a healthy weight. Get help to lose any extra pounds.

• Don't lie down right after meals.

• Don't eat late at night.

• Raise the head of your bed by 4 to 6 inches. You can do this by placing wooden blocks or bed risers under the head of your bed. Or you can put a wedge under the mattress.

• Don't wear tight-fitting clothes.

• Don't eat or drink things that might bother your stomach. This includes foods or drinks with:

  • Alcohol

  • Fat

  • Chocolate

  • Caffeine

  • Spearmint or peppermint

  • Citrus or other acidic juice

  • Peppers, garlic, onions, or similar spices

• Talk with your healthcare provider if you take medicines. Some medicines can make GERD symptoms worse. They include:

  • Calcium channel blockers

  • Theophylline

  • Anticholinergic medicines, such as oxybutynin and benztropine

• Start an exercise program. Ask your healthcare provider how to get started. Simple activities, such as walking or gardening, can help.

• If you smoke, take steps to stop. Join a stop-smoking program to improve your chances of success.

• Limit your alcohol intake.

• If you are prescribed medicine for GERD, take it as directed. Don’t skip doses.

• Don't take over-the-counter pain medicines or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, unless your healthcare provider says it's OK. This includes aspirin and ibuprofen. 

• Talk with your healthcare provider about treatment if you are pregnant. GERD can start or get worse in pregnancy.

Follow-up care

Make a check-up visit as directed by our staff.

Call 911

Call 911 if you have any of these:

• Pain in the neck, chest, or back

• Choking, coughing, trouble breathing, or wheezing

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these:

• Trouble swallowing

• Pain when swallowing

• Feeling of food caught in your chest or throat

• Heartburn that causes you to vomit

• Vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds

• Black or tarry stools

• More saliva than usual

• Weight loss when you aren't trying to lose weight

• Hoarseness or sore throat that won’t go away