We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Low Stomach Acid / Indigestion / Nutrient Absorption Issues
Replies
-
macchiatto wrote: »I also looove ACV and could drink it straight up. I really love it on cooked spinach or kale though.
I've been thinking about going back on PPI's but posts here make me nervous about that. I really need to try other options. I actually have tons of organic ACV on hand so I just recently started having that again.
Would your insurance cover an upper GI? It might be helpful to know whether or not you've got gastritis or some other condition a short course of PPIs could relieve....1 -
macchiatto wrote: »I also looove ACV and could drink it straight up. I really love it on cooked spinach or kale though.
I've been thinking about going back on PPI's but posts here make me nervous about that. I really need to try other options. I actually have tons of organic ACV on hand so I just recently started having that again.
Would your insurance cover an upper GI? It might be helpful to know whether or not you've got gastritis or some other condition a short course of PPIs could relieve....
I recently started having big reflux issues again so I looked in the launch pad and ended up at this thread.
I think I am going to ask my PCP about this. I need to see her soon. I did a course of OTC Prevacid recently and it helped but as soon as I stopped, the reflux started back up again. Coffee definitely seems to be triggering it, which makes me sad; I drink coffee with breakfast and lunch every day to help counteract the MS fatigue. 
(I tried generic nuvigil but did NOT like how it made me feel. I talked to my MS specialist and am going to start trying acetyl L-carnitine but I'm not sure how much that will help.)
The tough thing for me being LCHF is that while sugary foods do tend to trigger my reflux, these days fatty foods seem to be triggering it, too. I'm not sure what to eat. I'm leaning toward more starchy vegetables and leaner meats for a little while. Having done Dukan quite a bit in the fast, I'm not excited about going LCLF again but may need to try dropping fats to "moderate"? IDK. I just do NOT feel well and am struggling to stomach a lot of my go-to LCHF foods. 1 -
I've been using Himalayan salt crystals for acid reflux. I put a large crystal or two in my mouth, say, 20 min before I eat. Sometimes I drink a little water, sometimes not. After dinner if I need to, i let a couple more dissolve in my mouth. The salt gets your digestive acids working in anticipation of eating, so they're ready to go to work when the food hits your stomach. It works for me. I don't have a huge reflux problem, but it's worth a try for someone who does. My reflux has gotten a whole lot less after a week of doing this. I hope it brings some relief to you.3
-
Interesting! Thanks, @wozy46. I do have Himalayan pink salt crystals on hand so I could give it a try!1
-
@macchiatto I really hope it works for you! My son was a Prilosec junkie and I got him started on the salt. He was surprised and very happy that it's working for him. Those meds are terrible, and pink salt is a really nice fix.3
-
The bouts of GERD I previously visited upon myself have pretty much vanished since I jettisoned carbs and NSAIDs (but >creeeeak<... ) and doubled my sodium intake.
I would never have thunk it possible! I still kick myself, with my good leg, for waiting so *kitten* long.
4 -
There's a dip in the top of my Himalayan Salt Lamp now, lol. It's like a yummy snack after dinner, sitting on the couch and licking it while reading a good book.
Also the absolutely BEST real sauerkraut I've found is in tiny jars (dammit only 375 ml) - Karthein's Certified Organic Raw Unpasteurized Gluten-free, with carrots & ginger. Ingredients: green cabbage, carrots, ginger (all organic), and sea salt. 3 net g carb in 1/2 cup. I could eat the whole jar and drink the juice as it's not too strong, and the ginger hit makes it awesome! It's super expensive though - I bought it on sale for $4, regular price was $7
I will be buying more... even at the regular price. I've never had sauerkraut I like as much as this, and I'm a fan of the stuff. Canadian brand though, from Quebec, may or may not be available to other countries. belandorganicfoods.com/en/organic-products/kartheins/varieties-and-formats/ 4 -
I'm intending to smash seven bales of kitty out of my salt-lick lump and take some good sized chunks on holiday with me (I really don't relish being held up at the airport trying to explain what I'm doing with a kilo lump of salt in my suitcase), and know I can get ACV and Bicarb of soda when I get there.
Wish some of you lived closer; I have a SCOBY hotel that's fully booked and another accommodation with a box room to spare.
15 SCOBYs in all, I estimate..... Any takers??
0 -
SCOBY.... sounds like a cross between a HobieCat and scabies. No thanks, a mite infestation that dumps you in the ocean....
Here's some ideas for you @AlexandraCarlyle https://kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-scoby-cultures-top-5-other-uses1 -
canadjineh wrote: »SCOBY.... sounds like a cross between a HobieCat and scabies. No thanks, a mite infestation that dumps you in the ocean....
Bwaahahahaa!
0 -
macchiatto wrote: »macchiatto wrote: »I also looove ACV and could drink it straight up. I really love it on cooked spinach or kale though.
I've been thinking about going back on PPI's but posts here make me nervous about that. I really need to try other options. I actually have tons of organic ACV on hand so I just recently started having that again.
Would your insurance cover an upper GI? It might be helpful to know whether or not you've got gastritis or some other condition a short course of PPIs could relieve....
I recently started having big reflux issues again so I looked in the launch pad and ended up at this thread. I think I am going to ask my PCP about this. I need to see her soon. I did a course of OTC Prevacid recently and it helped but as soon as I stopped, the reflux started back up again. Coffee definitely seems to be triggering it, which makes me sad; I drink coffee with breakfast and lunch every day to help counteract the MS fatigue. (I tried generic nuvigil but did NOT like how it made me feel. I talked to my MS specialist and am going to start trying acetyl L-carnitine but I'm not sure how much that will help.)
The tough thing for me being LCHF is that while sugary foods do tend to trigger my reflux, these days fatty foods seem to be triggering it, too. I'm not sure what to eat. I'm leaning toward more starchy vegetables and leaner meats for a little while. Having done Dukan quite a bit in the fast, I'm not excited about going LCLF again but may need to try dropping fats to "moderate"? IDK. I just do NOT feel well and am struggling to stomach a lot of my go-to LCHF foods.
@macchiatto - I can't recall if you are a sufferer of thyroid dysfunction, but L-Carnitine is contra-indicated for thyroid patients, as it interferes with thyroid hormone uptake. I discovered this the hard way while using it during a move for the muscle recovery advantages. I had also switched thyroid meds at this time and had the WORST transition!! I will only use the carnitine now in isolated incidences where muscle recovery is a major issue.1 -
AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »I'm intending to smash seven bales of kitty out of my salt-lick lump and take some good sized chunks on holiday with me (I really don't relish being held up at the airport trying to explain what I'm doing with a kilo lump of salt in my suitcase), and know I can get ACV and Bicarb of soda when I get there.
Wish some of you lived closer; I have a SCOBY hotel that's fully booked and another accommodation with a box room to spare.
15 SCOBYs in all, I estimate..... Any takers??
I have about 5 SCOBIES that are 1/2" thick... I really need to treat them to a new brew in the SCOBY Hotel, but I'm scared to try brewing again since it triggered migraines for me last year with some other contributing factors and histamine issues....0 -
Oh yikes, @KnitOrMiss, good to know! Sorry you had that experience. I don't have any known thyroid issues. (My main problems are MS, PCOS, and formerly prediabetes so I keep an eye on that.)1
-
I can't recall if you are a sufferer of thyroid dysfunction, but L-Carnitine is contra-indicated for thyroid patients, as it interferes with thyroid hormone uptake. I discovered this the hard way while using it during a move for the muscle recovery advantages. I had also switched thyroid meds at this time and had the WORST transition!! I will only use the carnitine now in isolated incidences where muscle recovery is a major issue.
Yikes, @KnitOrMiss! I've been taking it for mitochondrial energy pathway support, but if it's going to interfere with my thyroid autoimmune issues I will just be finishing off this bottle (only about 5 days left). Good thing I saw this before I purchased more. Next thyroid panel will be the end of October so I will be hoping for a lower antibodies score.0 -
Carnitine can actually be used to treat HYPERTHYROIDISM....
http://www.health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/Weight-loss/L-carnitine-and-your-thyroid-20120721
Not having time to read these, but here are a few articles. They might be woo, but nearly everything I found says that it interferes with T4 and T3 uptake...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591013
https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/l-carnitine-is-anti-thyroid.3638/
@canadjineh
@macchiatto - as PCOS sufferers, we're at more risk for subclinical hypothyroidism...which means that our T3/T4 numbers get wonky, but TSH doesn't reflect it - or that we feel bad, but the numbers don't show that we should be BADbad... But, if subclinical goes untreated, it will eventually become full blow hypothyroidism. Because you already have likely autoimmune issues (MS is viewed as AI in many circles), you probably want to keep a doubly close eye on this... Don't let the numbers lie to you - if you feel bad, you could be low functioning with noticing... Not to worry you - just as an awareness things...so many of us get told it has to get bad before we can get help, which is total BS... (HUGS)2 -
@KnitOrMiss Have you heard of colostrum supplementation? I have been reading on the benefits and it helps gut health and (supposedly) cures/treats a plethora of illnesses and diseases...including PCOS, but I have also read that studies have been inconclusive on its efficacy. A friend of a friend told me about it and she uses it every day and swears by it. She has a blind cat and the vet advised her that the cat will never be able to see again. She started giving her cat colostrum and the cat can see now.
Needless to say, I feel like it doesn't hurt to try. I started supplementing last night... we'll see what happens.0 -
Yikes, good to know, @KnitOrMiss! Should I be asking to get my T3/T4 checked?
And yes, I've always heard of MS as an AI disease. Is it viewed as otherwise in some circles? Intriguing.0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Yikes, good to know, @KnitOrMiss! Should I be asking to get my T3/T4 checked?
And yes, I've always heard of MS as an AI disease. Is it viewed as otherwise in some circles? Intriguing.
@macchiatto - Personally, I would do a work up to get a baseline - and to verify that you don't have any additional autoimmune conditions. I know you are doing a fantastic job of keeping your autoimmune reactions tamped down, but they say that once of you have one, you are far more likely to develop others.
In this case, you'd probably want TSH, Total and Free T4 (Free is more important than total), Free and Reverse T3 (must be run together), and TPO and TGA (these are the more common thyroid antibodies that can show auto immune issues before it gets out of control). There are a number of other nutrient co-factors that most of us test, but if you don't have issues in this panel or with nutrients in general, it might not be necessary to test them - or you might already (like D3, B12, Iron, Folate, etc.).
So, basically, I would get a baseline (for comparison later if issues ever surface) test, maybe once a year or every other year as screening, and if you ever have any symptom that might be related to thyroid issues, you can retest.
Here is one of the more comprehensive lists (as well as resource sites) of possible thyroid symptoms.
http://hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypothyroidism-symptoms-yes-really/
I'm not saying this to scare you at all. I know how important we all find it to be able to take charge of our health. Knowing what to watch for, and what to test for, is SOOOO important. TSH is a horrible indicator of thyroid health. It is the thyroid stimulating hormone, which is generated by the pituitary gland. You can have thyroid problems for 10-15 years OR MORE ... before it will show up on a standard TSH screening. And thyroid issues are a set of co-morbid conditions that CAN happen alongside autoimmune issues, any hormone issue, any endocrine issue, any blood sugar issue (insulin levels stimulate thyroid activity, too), any sex hormone issue, any metabolic issue, any digestion issue, any pituitary issue, and a boatload of other issues in the body. It is one of the most common health conditions, especially among women, that gets dismissed, overlooked, or misdiagnosed... Personal passion of mine, can you tell?
So, off the soap box. If you have any questions, please ask. If I don't know here, someone else probably does! (hugs)2 -
LolaDeeDaisy23 wrote: »@KnitOrMiss Have you heard of colostrum supplementation? I have been reading on the benefits and it helps gut health and (supposedly) cures/treats a plethora of illnesses and diseases...including PCOS, but I have also read that studies have been inconclusive on its efficacy. A friend of a friend told me about it and she uses it every day and swears by it. She has a blind cat and the vet advised her that the cat will never be able to see again. She started giving her cat colostrum and the cat can see now.
Needless to say, I feel like it doesn't hurt to try. I started supplementing last night... we'll see what happens.
@LolaDeeDaisy23 - I've heard of it, but only in passing. I'm not in the best position for a lot of dabbling, so I'll follow along with your testing and progress with interest! I'm trying to lock down the options I know I can mark off the list, etc.0 -
Sorry this is in response to the first page I overlooked page 2.
I bought some of the ACV pills and I have notice they can give me a bit of a stomach ache (nothing severe though) if I don't take them right before a meal or during. I tend to take two teaspoons of liquid ACV with the mother in it with about 6 oz of water and never had a problem but I tend to eat with 20-30 minutes of doing so. You might try adding a little more water to your "shoot" and see if that helps. I know you shouldn't just drink ACV straight because of the damage it can cause over the long term. You stomach aches might be in regards to the water/ACV ratio and the stomach trying to adjust to ACV. I don't drink or take ACV pills without eating within a short time frame, just because I have gotten that nausea before but something like a multivitamin taken on an empty stomach will cause the same reaction in me.0 -
Thank you, @KnitorMiss! I actually just found out today that my LFTs are elevated so I need to follow up with my dr asap on that.1
-
canadjineh wrote: »SCOBY.... sounds like a cross between a HobieCat and scabies. No thanks, a mite infestation that dumps you in the ocean....
Here's some ideas for you @AlexandraCarlyle https://kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-scoby-cultures-top-5-other-uses
Great, so I'm gonna buy myself a dehydrator.
Oh, and a dog.2 -
AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »canadjineh wrote: »SCOBY.... sounds like a cross between a HobieCat and scabies. No thanks, a mite infestation that dumps you in the ocean....
Here's some ideas for you @AlexandraCarlyle https://kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-scoby-cultures-top-5-other-uses
Great, so I'm gonna buy myself a dehydrator.
Oh, and a dog.
@AlexandraCarlyle - Or find someone with chickens who will trade you eggs for allowing you to feed your SCOBies to the chickens to get some shockingly deeply gorgeous yolks!!!
Or brave the SCOBY face mask...I haven't done that one yet. LOL0 -
SCOBYS remind me of that old Star Trek episode with the alien 'flat jellyfish-like' beings that dropped onto people and tangled into their nervous systems. They were killed by light but not before Spock goes temporarily blind trying to find the right wavelength. I can't remember the name of the episode. Any other Trekkies out there?2
-
@canadjineh I know EXACTLY the episode you're talking about, but I don't remember the title. That one always creeped me out!!!
EDITED TO ADD: my inner nerd and Trekkie had to go google. Looks like it is "Annihilate!" Very Whovian (Dr. Who-like) title! hee hee http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708441/2 -
Yeah, that's the one... Kirk's brother, SIL, and nephew all die because of the SCOBYs.1
This discussion has been closed.