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Monday, December 17, 2007
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Is it possible that sleeping on one's left side helps with acid reflux because of the shape of the stomach?

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Sleeping positions
Vicki M
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 10:18 AM

Hi ddub44,

I read a posting on this site that suggests sleeping on the right side is bad for sufferers of Acid Reflux. I am not sure why, but it makes sense that if you are flat on your back, the acids in your stomach find it easier to make their way up your esophagus. Best to ask your doctor for sure. Here is a link to one of the posts that suggests sleeping on the left is better.

You might also try reading the posts about kids with GERD. Sometimes you can apply the same principles to adults. There is a lot of information here. Tracy Davenport is one of the resident experts and she has some good information in this posting.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing!!

Vicki M

re: Sleeping positions
ddub44
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 08:31 PM
Thanks for the response. If you look at the shape of the stomachit's kind of offset. The esphogous comes down and after it gets to the stomach, the stomach extends to the left and the esophogous is on the top, toward the ceiling. If you lie on that side then all the stuff in your stomach doesn't have access to the esophogous. If you lie on your right side then the esophogous is at the bottom, toward the bed and the stuff in your stomach can leak into it. I think on you rback the same is true. THe stuff in your stomach has easy access to the esophogous.

how to sleep
Emily
Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 01:43 AM
My doctor told me it was better to sleep on my left side as it would decrease acid reflux during the night. The reason he stated was basically the same as what you are saying.

Untitled Comment
Goldie
Saturday, January 05, 2008 at 04:17 PM

Upon me coming here,during my many sleepless nights, I have found...( in my fear lonliness and desparation to get sleep, that i always felt better on my left side...I didnt even consider i had this problem, until i went to an ENT b/c of sore throat, funny feeling when swallowing etc.this DR. wants me to be checked for gerd...Here I was thinking throat cancer, and heart problem...I am hoping since i got to sleep finally on my left side that maybe I do have this and its not cancer...I have a horrible pain in middle of upper back going through to chest...Does this come with acid reflux? Thanks much!
Goldie

re: Untitled Comment
cindy
Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 08:35 PM

upper/mid back pain going through the chest is not uncommon.

Read this page
http://www.shokos.com/ExcessStomachAcid-AcidReflux.htm

re: re: Untitled Comment
Vicki M
Monday, February 04, 2008 at 02:04 PM

Hi Cindy,

you are correct. Chest pain and pain in between the shoulder blades can be a symptom of GERD. Usually only in the worst cases. There is a study located here as reported by Scout News that many people do not associate this pain with GERD and do not get treated until it gets really bad.

A research study done at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston "measured pH levels in the esophagus of 31 emergency department patients who complained of serious chest pain. Abnormal reflux of acid into the esophagus that would fit the diagnosis of GERD was found in 57 percent of the patients."

If you are unsure of your symptoms and what they mean, you can always go to the symptoms database located here.

Hope this helps!

Vicki M

Re: Sleeping on left side.
ladyisis
Friday, January 11, 2008 at 12:50 PM

Hello,

I saw your post and wanted to share this information that I got from http://www.about.com/

It states:

"A study conducted by the Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia found that sleeping on you left side is the best way to avoid nighttime heartburn. Sleeping on your right side may increase your heartburn symptoms because the acid takes longer to clear out of your esophagus when you lay on your right side. While sleeping on your back can allow acid to slip back into your esophagus more often, sleeping with your head elevated, such as on a wedge pillow, will allow gravity to keep the acid in your stomach."

Hope this helps because it seems that the best way to sleep is on your left side.

Susan