I'm 48 yr old man and suffer from gastric reflux.

Elevating my bed head by say 10: helps a lot

Problems with this are that at end of night I've slid
down mattress and mattress has slid down box springs

Everything has to be "pulled" back up in AM.

I'm not a wood worker but have always like Japanese
style Zen like furniture. Very rich woods very simple
designs and low to floor

see link

http://tinyurl.com/fvbkf

any ideas on how to design and make a Japanese style
platform bed with raised head for use on bedroom floor?
maybe only a few inches above floor

It would be better if head can be adjusted to various
heights

Id also use an air mattress or foam mattress on frame

Would also be nice if entire thing can be easily taken
apart such as for a college student who may move
furniture twice yearly.... to school in fall and to
home in spring.

Advice?

Mother-in-law has the same problem and I elevated her bed probably 6" - not
as steep as you're doing. This doesn't involve woodworking but go to a
medical supply store and pick up a "wedge" type of cushion. They come in
different thicknesses and typically cover 1/4 of the bed - under your back
and shoulders. They have a slip-on cover, come in different firmness levels
and made from allergy-free material as I recall. These are a lot better
quality than the similar looking wedge pillows/supports that you find at
Wally world.

Just a thought,

Bob S.


wrote in message
...
I'm 48 yr old man and suffer from gastric reflux.

Elevating my bed head by say 10: helps a lot

Problems with this are that at end of night I've slid
down mattress and mattress has slid down box springs

Everything has to be "pulled" back up in AM.

I'm not a wood worker but have always like Japanese
style Zen like furniture. Very rich woods very simple
designs and low to floor

see link

http://tinyurl.com/fvbkf

any ideas on how to design and make a Japanese style
platform bed with raised head for use on bedroom floor?
maybe only a few inches above floor

It would be better if head can be adjusted to various
heights

Id also use an air mattress or foam mattress on frame

Would also be nice if entire thing can be easily taken
apart such as for a college student who may move
furniture twice yearly.... to school in fall and to
home in spring.

Advice?

"BobS" wrote:

This doesn't involve woodworking but go to a
medical supply store and pick up a "wedge" type of cushion.

I want to build a bed as well tho

wrote in message
...
I'm 48 yr old man and suffer from gastric reflux.

Elevating my bed head by say 10: helps a lot

Problems with this are that at end of night I've slid
down mattress and mattress has slid down box springs

Everything has to be "pulled" back up in AM.

I'm not a wood worker but have always like Japanese
style Zen like furniture. Very rich woods very simple
designs and low to floor

see link

http://tinyurl.com/fvbkf

any ideas on how to design and make a Japanese style
platform bed with raised head for use on bedroom floor?
maybe only a few inches above floor

It would be better if head can be adjusted to various
heights

Id also use an air mattress or foam mattress on frame

Would also be nice if entire thing can be easily taken
apart such as for a college student who may move
furniture twice yearly.... to school in fall and to
home in spring.

Advice?

You admire the design features of Japanese styling so design one yourself.
You're not a woodworker so present your design to a couple of different
shops and farm out the construction. I have used the the wedges that Bob
speaks of with many clients and with great success. This means that the bed
could be constructed to a lesser angle thus at least limiting the problems
that gravity is giving you. The wedge would make up the greater part of the
angle. Best of luck.

"C & E" wrote:

You admire the design features of Japanese styling so design one yourself.
You're not a woodworker so present your design to a couple of different
shops and farm out the construction. I have used the the wedges that Bob
speaks of with many clients and with great success. This means that the bed
could be constructed to a lesser angle thus at least limiting the problems
that gravity is giving you. The wedge would make up the greater part of the
angle. Best of luck.

My doctor has advised against any 'wedges"

Says the bed itself "must" be raised at head end

Okay - forget all the above.


wrote in message
...
"BobS" wrote:

This doesn't involve woodworking but go to a
medical supply store and pick up a "wedge" type of cushion.

I want to build a bed as well tho

Well making a bed at the same angle that you're using now means that gravity
will still work the same. Draw it out and unless you drive some stakes into
the mattress to hold you and everything else back from sliding down, the
only other thing I can think of are magnets. Lee Valley sells some good
ones. I figure one good rare earth magnet about 3' in diameter should do
it.

So while you're waiting for the magnet or whittling some stakes - why don't
you place some riser blocks under the feet of the headboard until you find a
height that works for you and one where you aren't curled up against the
footboard in the morning. Ask your doctor "why" not the wedge. We're
talking about a wedge that is half the length of the mattress and half as
wide and that's what in the hell they're used for.

But you want to build a bed - then have at it. You asked for suggestions -
you got them it looks like but you didn't like the replies so go to your
library and start doing some research.

Bob S.


wrote in message
...
"C & E" wrote:

You admire the design features of Japanese styling so design one yourself.
You're not a woodworker so present your design to a couple of different
shops and farm out the construction. I have used the the wedges that Bob
speaks of with many clients and with great success. This means that the
bed
could be constructed to a lesser angle thus at least limiting the problems
that gravity is giving you. The wedge would make up the greater part of
the
angle. Best of luck.

My doctor has advised against any 'wedges"

Says the bed itself "must" be raised at head end

wrote in message
...
"C & E" wrote:

You admire the design features of Japanese styling so design one yourself.
You're not a woodworker so present your design to a couple of different
shops and farm out the construction. I have used the the wedges that Bob
speaks of with many clients and with great success. This means that the
bed
could be constructed to a lesser angle thus at least limiting the problems
that gravity is giving you. The wedge would make up the greater part of
the
angle. Best of luck.

My doctor has advised against any 'wedges"

Says the bed itself "must" be raised at head end

The shoulders just need to be above the hips. I can't think of anything
wrong with a wedge unless it is only elevating the head or causing back
problems.

If your reflux is bad enough that you need to modify your bed, you should
consider talking to a surgeon that treats reflux and get information about
having it fixed.

http://www.umm.edu/general_surgery/nissen_fundo.html

Your doctor should be able to recommend someone you could see in your
community.

-Steve

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 16:05:39 -0500, wrote:

My doctor has advised against any 'wedges"

Says the bed itself "must" be raised at head end

Try a different doctor?

I can't really address your bed problem, but as someone who spent more
than 10 years dealing with severe reflux I've been through all the bed
elevation and wedge stuff. I was on the most potent medication they
could find and a strict diet and it still wasn't working. I was ready
to considersurgery. At that point I was diagnosed with diabetes and
went on a low-carb diet. I have lost 50 pounds and now sleep on a flat
bed, take no meds and can eat tomatoes and drink coffee again. I don't
know your condition, but when they say that overweight is a common
cause of reflux I'm inclined to believe them.

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

Tim Douglass wrote:

I have lost 50 pounds and now sleep on a flat
bed, take no meds and can eat tomatoes and drink coffee again. I don't
know your condition, but when they say that overweight is a common
cause of reflux I'm inclined to believe them.

Agree

good point

I will lose weight and see what happens

Maybe I wont need to elevate bed at all after that?

I'm 48..... 5'11" and 210 lbs

I "probably" should weigh 170lbs?

On 4/14/2006 4:06 PM mumbled something about the following:
Tim Douglass wrote:

I have lost 50 pounds and now sleep on a flat
bed, take no meds and can eat tomatoes and drink coffee again. I don't
know your condition, but when they say that overweight is a common
cause of reflux I'm inclined to believe them.

Agree

good point

I will lose weight and see what happens

Maybe I wont need to elevate bed at all after that?

I'm 48..... 5'11" and 210 lbs

I "probably" should weigh 170lbs?


Damn, I'm 46, 6'0" and 235 lbs. at 170 lbs I'ld look like a frackin
bean pole. Even when I was in the best condition of my life, weight
lifting and 5-8% body fat, I had a 29" waist and weighed in between 185
and 190. I doubt I'll ever see close to 30" ever again.

--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

Odinn wrote:

Damn, I'm 46, 6'0" and 235 lbs. at 170 lbs I'ld look like a frackin
bean pole. Even when I was in the best condition of my life, weight
lifting and 5-8% body fat, I had a 29" waist and weighed in between 185
and 190. I doubt I'll ever see close to 30" ever again.

Well I have a slight build...small bone structure

On 4/14/2006 4:44 PM mumbled something about the following:
Odinn wrote:

Damn, I'm 46, 6'0" and 235 lbs. at 170 lbs I'ld look like a frackin
bean pole. Even when I was in the best condition of my life, weight
lifting and 5-8% body fat, I had a 29" waist and weighed in between 185
and 190. I doubt I'll ever see close to 30" ever again.

Well I have a slight build...small bone structure

Damn govt BMI says 190 is overweight for me. I have no intention of
ever getting below 190. 200 is more my ideal weight.

--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:06:04 -0500, wrote:

Tim Douglass wrote:

I have lost 50 pounds and now sleep on a flat
bed, take no meds and can eat tomatoes and drink coffee again. I don't
know your condition, but when they say that overweight is a common
cause of reflux I'm inclined to believe them.

Agree

good point

I will lose weight and see what happens

Maybe I wont need to elevate bed at all after that?

I'm 48..... 5'11" and 210 lbs

I "probably" should weigh 170lbs?

Well, you're only two inches shorter than I am, but 85 pounds lighter
than I was, so I'm not sure the weight would be as big a factor for
you. I was mostly just boasting :-)

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com