When the burn shows up at bedtime

Maybe it starts as soon as you lie down: a burning behind the breastbone, a sour taste at the back of your throat, a cough that only comes at night. Or maybe it's after a rich meal, when you're bloated, gassy, or aching under your right ribs. Reflux, heartburn and gallbladder trouble are different problems, but they often travel together, and they're some of the questions we hear most. This Saturday Connie is spending the morning on all three.

Reflux and heartburn: why lying down makes it worse. At the bottom of the esophagus, a ring of muscle is supposed to keep stomach contents where they belong. When it relaxes at the wrong time, acid moves up, and gravity stops helping once you're lying flat. Big or late meals, alcohol, smoking, and a tight waistband can all make it worse, and so can coffee, chocolate, peppermint and fatty foods for some people. Connie will cover the everyday swaps that help, like an earlier, lighter supper, raising the head of the bed, and which side to sleep on.

The gallbladder: small, and easy to overlook. Your gallbladder stores bile and releases it to help digest fat. When it isn't working well, or when gallstones form, you may notice bloating, gas, nausea, or pain under the right ribs after a fatty meal, sometimes reaching the shoulder blade. Gallstones are more common in women, especially after 40, and after quick weight loss. Connie will explain how the gallbladder fits in with the rest of your digestion.

Then supporting the body. Connie will talk about the long tradition of taking bitters before meals, the plants people ask her about most, and how meal timing, eating pace and stress fit in. If you've been on an acid reducer for a long time, she'll go over the questions to bring to your doctor, including whether to check your B12.

And when to see the doctor. Chest pain or pressure needs emergency care, so call 911, because it can be your heart. Also get checked promptly for trouble or pain swallowing, vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, black or tarry stools, weight loss you can't explain, or severe pain under the right ribs with fever or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Don't stop or change any medication without talking to your doctor first. Nothing on Saturday replaces your doctor, and Connie will say so first.

This week we're covering

• What reflux and heartburn are, and why they get worse at night
• Everyday habits and foods that make reflux worse, including posture, and easy swaps
• Sleeping positions and the head of the bed
• What your gallbladder does, and the signs it's struggling
• Gallstones and gallbladder sludge, and why they're more common in women over 40
• How the liver and gallbladder work together
• Hiatal hernia: how it drives reflux, and what helps
• Bitters before meals: where the tradition comes from
• The traditional plants Connie gets asked about most
• Long-term acid reducers: questions to ask your doctor
• Meal timing, eating pace and stress
• The signs that mean see your doctor

New to our workshops? You're very welcome. Connie starts each one from the ground up, so nothing this Saturday assumes you've been before. Feel free to bring your questions.

Join us Saturday, November 7

⏰ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

In person: Wise Women Botanicals, 1011B Hwy 24 West, Moberly, MO 65270. $10 per person, limited seating — call (660) 263-1033 to reserve your spot.

Online (free): Can't make it to Moberly? Join the live webinar at no charge. Register on our Wellness Workshops page and we'll email you the meeting link.

Our Wellness Workshops happen every Saturday. Sign up once and you'll get each week's topic and meeting link in your inbox.