# Running-Induced Stomach Pain



## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi,I have GERD, IBS-C, OCD and depression (and other brain cooties). I take 40mg Omeprazole for the GERD and 90mg Nardil for the OCD. Generally my stomach pain is well managed by the Omeprazole. It's hard to tell between IBS pain and GERD pain for me a lot of the time but overall the tell-tale high-up burning is well supressed.Except for when I run. I love soccer and pretty much every game the GERD kicks in shortly after I've started running around. Unfortunately due to my OCD/depression, I severely blame myself for the burning pain which makes me feel worse and in all likelihood increases acid output A simple and so far unsuccessful approach I tried is to load up on additional Ranitidine (say 150mg) about an hour before kick off. Sometimes having a stomach full of water helps (maybe it dilutes the acid?) but that itself can lead to a stitch and feeling sick (a full stomach is not recommended for soccer!)Does anyone else share this problem? Anyone have any suggestions? Between this and the Nardil making me feel like I have about 10% normal power, my already-fragile soccer game is hitting the skids big time...Pete


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

http://heartburn.about.com/od/gerdacidrefluxdisease/a/exercise_eager.htm has some info that may help.You might try pepcid that has an antacid in it as well as an acid reducer and see if that gives you better control, or add an antacid you can tolerate before you play.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Kathleen M. said:


> http://heartburn.about.com/od/gerdacidrefluxdisease/a/exercise_eager.htm has some info that may help.You might try pepcid that has an antacid in it as well as an acid reducer and see if that gives you better control, or add an antacid you can tolerate before you play.


Great, thanks Kathleen. From the article's recommendations:# Wait at least an hour after eating before you begin to exercise- already wait 4 hours, any less than that and I feel like a beach ball.# Avoid fatty or greasy foods- I don't eat high-fat foodstuffs.# Avoid caffeine- Interesting. I drink a lot of black tea. Perhaps I could try cutting down on that.# Take an over-the-counter antacid before exercising. It may be best to use an antacid that also contains an acid reducer- Can't hurt to try it although I'd be surprised if it's strong enough.# Try a less jarring exercise Jarring exercises, such as jogging, can increase your chances of suffering from heartburn. Less jarring exercises, such as riding a bike or walking, can produce fewer acid reflux symptoms.- perhaps I should go in goal...Cheers,Pete


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

twonK said:


> # Take an over-the-counter antacid before exercising. It may be best to use an antacid that also contains an acid reducer- Can't hurt to try it although I'd be surprised if it's strong enough.


Well you could take Pepcid that has BOTH an acid reducer like you are using AND and antacid in it.Or add an antacid to what you are already taking. Acid reducers (like the thing you are already taking) tend to help in the longer term where antacids tend to give quick relief even if it doesn't last as long.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Kathleen M. said:


> Well you could take Pepcid that has BOTH an acid reducer like you are using AND and antacid in it.Or add an antacid to what you are already taking. Acid reducers (like the thing you are already taking) tend to help in the longer term where antacids tend to give quick relief even if it doesn't last as long.


That's what I was going to do. I tried pepcid alone first out of all the GERD meds I've tried and found it didn't do anything. However on top of the Omeprazole it might do the job.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

twonK said:


> That's what I was going to do. I tried pepcid alone first out of all the GERD meds I've tried and found it didn't do anything. However on top of the Omeprazole it might do the job.


No such luck with the Pepcid. I've looked around but can't find the info on how long it takes to act. I want to know when to pop it before I play.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

twonK said:


> No such luck with the Pepcid. I've looked around but can't find the info on how long it takes to act. I want to know when to pop it before I play.


One thing I don't get is why this happens whilst running? What is it about the jarring motion that makes the parietal cells fire up a storm? I thought that PPI's literally turn them off.Pete


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know that running makes you release more acid. I always thought the problem was the sphincter isn't really tight enough and the bouncing up and done splashes more acid up where it can get out. While they turn off some acid I don't know if they shut everything down to where your stomach pH is completely neutral or not. I also don't know that if you have a hiatal hernia you might get some pain from it getting jarred around that isn't just from the acid? http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHG/is_1_16/ai_98542873/ has some info and it sounds like running can effect the sphincter so it loosens up much more than it usually does. That may be why sometimes making sure to neutralize any residual acid may need to be done (may not be enough with an antacid alone as it can only do so much with a full load of acid but I think the combo was about reducing the total amount then neutralizing the rest for the short term). If you splash it up through a looser than usual sphincter but aren't getting it back down quickly (or constantly splashing it back up) even if is mildly acidic it may be a problem. Where when you aren't running you can get the small occasional amounts dealt with before they cause pain.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Kathleen M. said:


> I always thought the problem was the sphincter isn't really tight enough and the bouncing up and done splashes more acid up where it can get out. While they turn off some acid I don't know if they shut everything down to where your stomach pH is completely neutral or not. I also don't know that if you have a hiatal hernia you might get some pain from it getting jarred around that isn't just from the acid? http://findarticles....16/ai_98542873/ has some info and it sounds like running can effect the sphincter so it loosens up much more than it usually does. That may be why sometimes making sure to neutralize any residual acid may need to be done (may not be enough with an antacid alone as it can only do so much with a full load of acid but I think the combo was about reducing the total amount then neutralizing the rest for the short term). If you splash it up through a looser than usual sphincter but aren't getting it back down quickly (or constantly splashing it back up) even if is mildly acidic it may be a problem. Where when you aren't running you can get the small occasional amounts dealt with before they cause pain.


Wow that's an excellent article, thanks. I don't have a hiatal hernia so it seems likely that my issue is the bouncing around. People have mentioned before that I have a heavy heel-strike when running and I'm sure that can't help. I will try and adopt a more mid-foot strike, as recommended on about.com's running pages. As for soccer though that's much less feasible since it's full of sprints and sharp turns.Perhaps I'll take up darts or pool instead...


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

twonK said:


> Wow that's an excellent article, thanks. I don't have a hiatal hernia so it seems likely that my issue is the bouncing around. People have mentioned before that I have a heavy heel-strike when running and I'm sure that can't help. I will try and adopt a more mid-foot strike, as recommended on about.com's running pages. As for soccer though that's much less feasible since it's full of sprints and sharp turns.Perhaps I'll take up darts or pool instead...


This seems to back up what I experience : http://www.nytimes.c...7real.html?_r=3


> But the specific exercise is crucial. Scientists found that aerobic exercises with the highest "agitation of the body," like vigorous running, consistently induced acid reflux, even in people who did not have chronic heartburn. Less agitating exercise - pedaling on a stationary bike, for example - caused fewer problems.


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