I was up Googling how to get rid of heartburn in the middle of the night a few years ago and came across this. If you find yourself in the exact same position this is the instant cure I found that works.
If there's anything I've learned about being a grown up it's that there's a lot of weird shit that goes on inside your body as you age. Holes get bigger, muscles get smaller and plantar warts appear even though you aren't a teenage boy on a swim team.
Add random heartburn to that list. I used to think I had some type of rare and special disease but as it turns out .............. I have gas. Gas in itself isn't all that bad. Especially if you make your living by belching the alphabet (which I do not).
It's when you can't get the hell rid of the gas that it's a problem. When it just builds up and builds up inside your tiny little locked down stomach.
There's no movement going on in my gut or intestines. You know how your stomach gurgles throughout the day? I have no gurgling. There are no gurgles. I'm gurgleless. I bend, I stretch, I move around. I even hop on the spot in an attempt to burp myself (which actually works). I do Yoga poses entitled "Wind Releaser" and twist back and forth trying to force some kind of movement out of my stomach and convince it that everything's O.K. No one is attacking it.
I have no stress, I'm not bothered. Unless you count how stressed and bothered I am by the excruciating pain in my methane filled gut.
And then I burp (or otherwise) and everything is fine with the world.
The other thing I get the odd time, which is equally excruciating, is heartburn. I have a very important sounding condition called, gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD for short. Basically it means angry acid makes its way out of my stomach and up towards oesophagus.
Table of Contents
What's GERD?
Gerd's a condition that allows acid from your stomach to travel up your esophagus causing heartburn. The muscle that separates your stomach from your esophagus relaxes at the wrong time which allows acid to escape and make its way up your throat. The Mayo Clinic knows all about GERD - read about it here if you weirdly want more information on it.
To help stop the symptoms of GERD I take a medication. Because of that medication I don't get heartburn symptoms from GERD a lot, maybe 2 or 3 times a year but it's always when I'm sleeping (that just makes it more noticeable because the acids can make their way up) and it always wakes me up wondering what the hell is going on, and did why did I eat a pot of blazing fire in the middle of my sleep?
How to Get Rid of Heartburn?
There is one thing you probably have at home right now that will help to instantly get rid of heartburn: mustard. A teaspoon of regular, squeeze bottle, mustard can instantly take the pain of heartburn away.
You can also:
- Stand up.
- Chew gum to dilute the acid and help wash it away. There's also bicarbonate gum that will neutralize the acid!
- Drink a spoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Chew Gaviscon tablets.
- Eat a piece of candied ginger. (this works great if you're nauseated as well)
Why Does Mustard Work?
Mustard acting as a remedy for heartburn isn't just woo-hoo hooey, there's a scientific reason behind why it will stop your pain immediately. Mustard is the perfect natural cure for heartburn because it's alkaline. Therefore, it will neutralize the acid in your stomach.
Yes. A teaspoon of mustard. Regular old, Heinz or French's mustard. Eat it. If it bothers you imagine there's an Ikea hotdog underneath it. The first time I did this I remember almost gagging. The hotdog thing helped me out a lot. Now I kindda enjoy my teaspoon of mustard.
Heartburn at Night
If you get heartburn when you're sleeping, run to the kitchen and take a teaspoon of mustard. Before you get back into bed plump up your pillows and lay down with your head and chest as elevated as possible. You don't have to be sitting straight up but the higher your head is the harder it is for acid to travel up your throat.
I've heard of and tried all of the other tricks. Salty water, soda water, cider vinegar, Gaviscon, Tums .... all of it. And the only thing that has ever, actually, truly worked instantly ... is mustard.
Discovering mustard works as a home remedy was almost as shocking as when I discovered my frozen yogourt tampon cure for yeast infections.
It does NOT work 100% of the time, but it works most of the time. So if you're up in the middle of the night right now, stop reading already and go and eat a teaspoon of mustard to see if it helps.
I've had gut issues for as long as I can remember. I don't think I stress about stuff or get tense, but my stomach thinks otherwise. My stomach thinks I stress out A LOT and it, being the extremely thoughtful organ that it is, gets angry for me. Angry like a nest of wasps made out of acid. So my stomach takes care of all the stress and anxiety I feel, without having to bother my pretty little head about it.
I'll believe in my mind that I'm moving along fine in life not being bothered by a thing when my stomach will start to tighten up. Then I'll feel a bit bloaty maybe. Then I'll notice my stomach is tightening, hard as a rock and ballooning to approximately the same size as a Water Buffalo. You know how when a country thinks conditions are unsafe and it's under attack, it'll go into lockdown? My gut goes into lockdown. Like North Korea.
I can't absolutely and completely guarantee that this is going to work for you but I can tell you it's worked for a lot of other people (you'll see proof in the comment section) and definitely works for me when Kim Jong-un rears his ugly head (and weird haircut) in my gut.
A spoon full of sugar may make the medicine go down, but a spoon full of mustard can destroy a dictator.
If you have another proven heartburn trick let us all know. Not something "you've heard works" or something you've read about please, only things that have actually, for real, worked for you. The Internet is a big fat liar so everything you read on it isn't always true. Except this mustard trick. It's true.
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Brittany
Well, here I am. 38 weeks pregnant, up in the middle of the night, exhausted, with heart burn and indigestion. It’s been 2 hours of suffering, breathing hard/panting, sitting up, and on the verge of forcing myself to vomit to desperately relieve myself. But alas, open my google search and stumble upon this blog. I just downed a teaspoon full of Mustard and was feeling an odd relief within a minute. Happy and still paranoid it wouldn’t work, I downed a second teaspoon of mustard. It’s almost like you can feel the potent tang of the mustard travel down your throat and literally push the acid away. I am now lying (still elevated just in case) in bed with complete relief and no acid or chest pain and it’s only been 3 minutes. I am truly grateful you shared your remedy. Thank you!!!!!
April
Ok. I’ve been dealing with heartburn for over a year. Started out of nowhere and hasn’t left since. Was diagnosed with gerd 2 months in. Put on omeprazole. Had to stop it cause it caused a b12 deficiency that caused a pulmonary embolism and almost killed me. So now I’m on a blood thinner and can’t take anything really for my gerd. Tried all the remedies and nothing worked. I just found this blog and had to giggle reading the first part “ sorry if you’re up googling “ lol cause yes, yes I am once again hoping to find a miracle. Well, I just did the mustard and 5 mins later the burning has stopped along with my terrible cough I get. I am in SHOCK. MUSTARD!!!! Who knew!!!! I think I’m gonna take a teaspoon every night before bed. This may have saved me!!!! Thank you so very much. ❤️
Karen
You're welcome April! I know with me (also have GERD) it only works some of the times, but when it does it works almost instantly! ~ karen
Mohammad moin
Yup another remedy has worked for me that cinnamon and clove tea tasty treat to get rid of heartburn, how I prepare it is to boil it in the 1 glass milk along with rock sugar, (not the diamond cut refined sugar, I highly recommend to kick it out of your life itself since it has 0 nutritional value but lot of side effects in long run), once I can smell the aroma of the spices I the add normal tea powder let it boil for a minute or two and take it down strain to get a half glass of it and enjoy the spicy tea anytime. Anybody can try it with water too if they don't like milk
RC
You are my new favorite person. I have spent the last day looking at your cool stuff on this site. I have also heard that the same dose of mustard is a sure way to relieve a Charley Horse. Thank you for the heartburn tip!
Karen
Yes! I keep hoping to get a cramp so I can test the mustard on it, lol. ~ karen!
Angela
Bread. Perhaps soaks up the acid? It works! Instantly. 1/2 to 1 slice does the trick.
Although: when I have heartburn, I am NOT hungry. Takes me to point of vomiting at times. So, it's a Catch 22 for me...
Angela
Since I saw many people say they would try mustard, and didn't receive many responses to it, I took it 5 minutes ago:
1. First minute, felt a bit of burning (more than I was);
2. After no relief at 2-3 minute mark became worried;
3. 5 minutes later, feeling better!!
Thank you!
Angela
Karen
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know Angela. :) ~ karen!
Morgan
I am a 15 year old who gets excruciating heartburn bi-monthly. I know: 15 years old. But, unfortunately, I just so happen to be in the 5% of children ages 10-17 who get heartburn. What I do is I get on my knees and press my chest against my bed so that the skin on my chest is pushing against my throat. It doesn't exactly make heartburn go away, but it does stop the pain until it does. I do this because I am allergic to mustard :( Maybe this will work for you if you can't stand or are allergic to mustard too!
Jacquie Gariano
I second the advice to see your MD for continual stomach problems. I suffered for years with cramps, gas, etc. Finally so bad I did end up in ER with a full blown out ulcer. Took half my tummy and gallbladder. Continued to have problems with a normal endoscope and colanoscopy (sic). Finally I went tp a msuropath MD who did a lot of allergy testing and found I had multi food allergies. Diet change and things are much better now. There are so many things that can go wrong. So see am MD and get some testing done and live better. Thanks, Karen for you and your blog. I love it. I learn, laugh, cry and enjoy it all. Keep the flag flying. Much love
Maryanne
I’ll try mustard when I am out of Granny Smith apples.
Try it Karen.....a peeled Granny Smith works all the time for me
Connie Tyler
I use good old baking soda in some water. Good for everything.
Tracy King
When I was pregnant (both times) I had wicked heartburn. I would eat some canned papaya and a few almonds. I don't know how to buy fresh papaya, it all smelled like vomit to me. The canned stuff was great. With my first, it was chunk or two, 2-4 almonds, great! Done! With my second, he was a real burner. Half a can of papaya and a handful of almonds and it would finally calm. My veterinarian (yup, for my cat, but I want him as my primary care physician for myself) told me to essentially go paleo, no bread, blah blah blah. But it worked. ugh. So that's what has worked for me. Now with occasional heartburn, sometimes just a few almonds work, but it works best with the papaya.
L. E. Bruce
I am glad I don't have acid reflux because I hate mustard. However, there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence on The Peoples Pharmacy web site that a teaspoon of mustard will instantly stop leg cramps. There is another cure for leg cramps which saves me from choking down disgusting mustard. Put a bar of soap under your sheet! It works. I don't know why, and I don't care.
H
I'd rather gargle my entire stomach's worth of acid than eat mustard, but this is still really interesting.
Sondra
There is a simple solution for this problem besides mustard and it is the following.....change to a Whole Foods Plant Based diet without fat or heavily spiced foods.
Now, I know that most people will not consider this as a viable option but if you are like I was in the past suffering frequently with major pains in my chest to the point doctors admitted me to the hospital because they thought I was having a heart attack then you might be open to a real solution to the problem. After four days in the hospital, tests ever hour, many dollars spent, I was finally told I had a hiatal hernia! I was also told on release from the hospital to go home and live on Prilosec the rest of my life! That was their solution?
Not being one to accept that future I went on a hunt and turned up Dr. John McDougall, Neil Barnard, Drs. Collin Campbell and Esselstyne and became educated on what the heck was going on with my insides. It was the FOOD! The great Western Diet! Do free searches on any medical issues on Dr. MDougall's website. His site has free information plus there are YouTube lectures by Dr. McDougall and others on the WFPB lifestyle. My problem was solved by 98% and only rears its ugly head when I over indulged in heavily spiced or fatty foods.
I now eat a flavorful diet filled with thousands of grains, legumes, beans, veggies, fruits and treats and almost NEVER have an episode. It took a couple of months before I noticed I wasn't having any more flare ups with the hernia. I eliminated eating anything that had a face or their by-products and the chest pains stopped, arthritis hand pains went away and another benefit was that I lost 40 pounds over a year...slow and easy and have kept it off for 4 years!
Helen
Thanks for the interesting post. My father in law had acid re-flux many years ago. My mother in law said that all his symptoms stopped if he ate a few cubes of Paw Paw (Papaya) before his evening meal. My husband has the same problem and just tried the paw paw a few weeks ago, and so far its working out well. He has stopped waking up at night with heart burn. I did read the comment about the papaya enzyme so we are going to give that a try. We can let you know in a month or so if it works as well as the fresh fruit.
Linda clark
I have done this one recently and thrown the PPI out the window as they are causing other problems, to take a small glass with 2inches of cold water 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and a good squirt of pure lemon juice mix well swallow ACID REFLUX GONE!
and it tastes lovely. like a really nice refreshing drink.
Linda
Angela
I'll certainly try that! Thank you!
The mustard worked well, but not instantly...
m'liss
Other than during pregnancy, I get acid reflux rarely, perhaps once every couple of years. I was told no chocolate or tea after dinner & I have to admit, one of these two have been involved in each incident. My remedy of choice, which has always worked, is 1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in warm water, but I'll definitely try the mustard.
Catherine Safer
The trouble with too much acid in the tummy, it's the same as not enough. Symptoms are quite similar. Have a bit of vinegar/lemon juice. If things get worse - too much acid. If things improve - not enough. If not enough - have a cup of water every morning with a bit of lemon juice. If it's gross, add honey. Drink up and be free......If too much acid.....I can't remember the solution because it's late and I've had a couple of beers.
Sue G Stamper
Only had heartburn when I was pregnant, but mustard is my savior when I have leg cramps. The kind that kick in when least expected. Mustard at 4am is tough, but the cramps are gone in less than 5 minutes. When traveling or on vacation, I keep packets with me at all times. If on Amtrak, I just grab some in the snack car if I run out or get low!
Jan in Waterdown
So glad you mentioned V Day is a made up thing. My husband used to say that and it bothered me a tad but once I got my head around it, I realized he was right! We no longer succumb to the what to do? what to buy? guilt and just relax. ❤️ (that’s for you!)
khfrench
I have the same problems (acid reflux, heartburn or whatever it is)- on occasion, and it's always at 2:00 am. I have never tried the mustard remedy, but I have discovered that an ounce of pickle juice works for me - 100% of the time. Just regular ordinary pickle juice right out of the jar. Dill, bread and butter or sweet pickles - they all work. I will keep the mustard remedy in mind next time though, just for a change of pace. Thanks for another good share!