It seems like a fair amount of paddlers I know are getting heart burn or chest pain after they eat or before they goto bed. The way it was described to me is like a heavy pain right below the chest like the food won't make it down. A doctor suggested that it could be from paddling-- from filling up your stomach with liquids before paddling and then constantly constricting the stomach as you bend over to take a stroke. Is this a chronic problem for paddlers? Just curious to see if anyone else has this.
Submitted by luke on Sun, 09/25/2005 - 11:10am
i have a buddy who surfs all the time and has this problem, he's never paddled though...but he has that unable to get food down feeling. to the point where he is unable to eat until the feeling passes. his doctor has no idea what it's from.
#1 Sun, 09/25/2005 - 8:46pm
Exercise induced acid reflux. I never use to get it until I decided to get out of shape and paddle hard like I was in shape...bad combo. I noticed the frequency of attacks went down as my paddling fitness improved. But that may not work for everyone.
There are many triggers for acid reflux (heartburn), the main one being eating food! There are some meds you can take if it becomes chronic (chronic being, I think, 2 or more attacks a week for several weeks straight). Note: I'm not a doctor, although I play one on TV. Chronic acid reflux (GERD) is very common and every year craptillions of dollars are spent on pills to control the symptoms. No cure. Just control. Funny how that often seems to be the case....
#2 Tue, 10/04/2005 - 3:57pm
thats what THEY want you to think...yesss take our pills for the rest of your life!!! muhahahaha
#3 Tue, 10/04/2005 - 7:01pm
I first experienced acid reflux several years ago on a surfing trip to Puerto Rico, and noticed at the time that I had been eating a lot of fried foods there (more than normal). I think the combination of hard exercise combined with certain foods can trigger this annoying syndrome.
I just got back from French Polynesia, which is why I am now hooked on OC's, and had some acid reflux for the first time in many years. I had been doing a lot of Scuba diving on this trip, and one night I woke up with terrible reflux. It was so bad I had to sleep in a sitting position for a while to get relief. Dunno what the deal is this time, because I wasn't really exercising very hard, or eating fried foods, but maybe just a change from your normal diet can cause it too? Maybe it's just part of getting older?? I did turn 40 this year... ha!
#4 Fri, 12/30/2005 - 7:37am
I don't know what its for, but I need it.
See all the adds for prevanzntmantics on t.v.and always joke with my wife that I must need that because its "not my fault" LOL.
Q: Do you feel this right @ your heart or slightly below it but not really in your stomach ?
Does getting off the bad foods and back on the boat 'cure' it ?
A now overweight,42 year old, lifetime of fitness fading via family and business paddler just wondering.
#5 Sat, 12/31/2005 - 1:12am