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Curing severe acid reflux with diet

13

Replies

  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    CharlieBeans......you are correct. I conveniently left off the part (that was in my brain) about checking with a doctor *IF* there is a medical condition.

    ACV is a really good thing for most people, generally speaking. BUT.....and this is a very big word here......if there is a medical condition then ACV may be a good thing or it may be a bad thing. And, everyone is so very different that - with a medical condition involved - ACV can indeed make things worse.

    And, agreed - another point that I left in my brain.....finding the root cause of acid reflux is the best solution. There is no point in mowing the lawn to get rid of the weeds.....mowing the lawn offers temp reliefe but the weeds will be back in a few days. So, absolutely agree there.

    Thank you for catching my oversights.
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  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    I am a little bit late to this party, but I was going to suggest Apple Cider Vinegar. It is so very good for so many thing. Generally speaking, i strongly suggest that everyone add this to the water that they drink (because we are all drinking eight - 10 glasses of water every day, right?). It is really good.

    Yes - you can clean your toilette with this stuff. Weird, right? I struggled with that fact for a minute. Got over it and so glad that I did.....

    Anyway, everyone needs to make his/her own decisions. I am a VERY STRONG yes on Apple Cider Vinegar.

    This is an irresponsible suggestion and will cause harm to many who may take your advice. Do you have any credible research to back up your claim?
  • Kullerva
    Kullerva Posts: 1,114 Member
    I had terrible acid reflux as a young child, and it carried into adulthood. My father's on Prilosec for life, and that *kitten*'s just not healthy. I was on it when I was eleven (because ulcers!), so I started keeping a food journal to figure out when it happened. I had my worst attacks after:

    (1) Soda (biggest trigger)
    (2) Meat (especially beef, especially especially steak)
    (3) Straight pasta (no butter, no cheese, no nothin'--we went through a bad patch for a while)
    (4) Dehydration (after runs)
    (5) Not eating any fruit/veg for a few days

    It took months to find the patterns. I eventually cured myself by eating the opposite way that my dad eats: no meat, little cheese, lots of fruit and veggies, and a decent macro balance (though I'm still probably oriented toward carbs more than is strictly healthy).
  • GailK1967
    GailK1967 Posts: 58 Member
    Going gluten free eliminated my long term GERD. absolutely GF not just mostly. That means even traces in sauces etc. It took a month but worked 100%.

    Oh and oats had to go too.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    @mph323 - O M G! I read your post and the one from suzannesimmons3 and was confused by your reaction. Then I re-read what I posted. I AM SO SORRY. I left of the end part of my post about the "getting to the root" of the issue. Anyway, please forgive me (I don't often put my tail between my legs, but will admit to a HUGE oversight in this case....not afraid to admit when I am wrong!). I was simply (A) going too fast and (B) not including everything in my posts. Anyway, thank you for correcting my oversight. I would feel absolutely horrible if someone followed that "partial" advice and ended up hurting themselves.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    @mph323 - O M G! I read your post and the one from suzannesimmons3 and was confused by your reaction. Then I re-read what I posted. I AM SO SORRY. I left of the end part of my post about the "getting to the root" of the issue. Anyway, please forgive me (I don't often put my tail between my legs, but will admit to a HUGE oversight in this case....not afraid to admit when I am wrong!). I was simply (A) going too fast and (B) not including everything in my posts. Anyway, thank you for correcting my oversight. I would feel absolutely horrible if someone followed that "partial" advice and ended up hurting themselves.

    I just wanted to point that out because there are always potential newbie readers lurking, and ACV is such a prevalent topic that people tend to think of it as completely benign and a weight loss aid.

    For the record, I disagree that ACV does enough of anything that it should be recommended routinely to people (who don't have an adverse reaction) but that's a different thread :)
  • hazeleyez26
    hazeleyez26 Posts: 71 Member
    for you grains was your trigger. its not that way for everyone. I can eat wheat and grains and have no issue. some days water alone causes it. I have even tried cutting out certain things and still get it. some of us produce too much acid,some too little. and for some acid reflux is from an underlying health issue. knowing what is causing it is the key. some of us need meds as well. so saying it can be cured with diet alone ,is not going to be the case with everyone. same for those who may have migraines,some may control it with diet and others need meds or other things.

    I also had very high acid in my body and had h.pylori.. it was so bad that water also made mine worse.. anything I ate or drank did. And I did not know what the cause was when I decided to change my diet. To me, it was worth trying because I didn't want to be medicated. And it worked.

    Just to be clear.. I wasn't saying or implying that everyone should be changing their diets to grain-free. The question was asked if severe acid reflux can be cured with diet... and yes, it can. I simply shared my story on how it helped me.. in hopes that it could help someone else. They can decide for themselves if it is something they'd like to look into. :)
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    PPIs for short term to promote healing but diet for the long term.

    Personal story - I took Prilosec for 3 years after being diagnosed with GERD and ulcerative colitis. I got the colitis under control and kept taking the Prilosec, not even thinking of trying to wean myself off because, heck, I wasn't burning was I?

    Well, after I shattered my kneecap in my driveway, my orthopedic surgeon told me that PPIs weaken the bones (not to mention the other health issues) and my GI should have known this! Makes sense because how I broke my kneecap ... I did a banana peel slip in my driveway between my garage door and my jeep. The force of me trying to catch myself on my bumper and the garage door handle (I was thinking broken tailbone-ouch!) pulled the muscles and connective tissue taut and that combo snapped my kneecap in multiple pieces. There were no blemishes or anything on my knee but after that, my kneecap was positioned on the side of my leg - not a pretty picture!

    I had to go cold turkey on the Prilosec and mostly it was diet and heavy probiotics and coconut oil that helped me. (Oh, it took almost 4 years of weight training for my left leg (side with the shattered kneecap) to be able to lift the same weight as my right.)
  • rhtexasgal wrote: »
    PPIs for short term to promote healing but diet for the long term.

    Personal story - I took Prilosec for 3 years after being diagnosed with GERD and ulcerative colitis. I got the colitis under control and kept taking the Prilosec, not even thinking of trying to wean myself off because, heck, I wasn't burning was I?

    Well, after I shattered my kneecap in my driveway, my orthopedic surgeon told me that PPIs weaken the bones (not to mention the other health issues) and my GI should have known this! Makes sense because how I broke my kneecap ... I did a banana peel slip in my driveway between my garage door and my jeep. The force of me trying to catch myself on my bumper and the garage door handle (I was thinking broken tailbone-ouch!) pulled the muscles and connective tissue taut and that combo snapped my kneecap in multiple pieces. There were no blemishes or anything on my knee but after that, my kneecap was positioned on the side of my leg - not a pretty picture!

    I had to go cold turkey on the Prilosec and mostly it was diet and heavy probiotics and coconut oil that helped me. (Oh, it took almost 4 years of weight training for my left leg (side with the shattered kneecap) to be able to lift the same weight as my right.)

    and for some diet changes make no difference. trust me I have tried. only thing that works is meds and even sometimes that barely works.I have tried cutting out certain things that trigger it,some things dont trigger it all the time either.I cant take coconut oil as I have a health issue and have to eat low fat/low cholesterol. so that means even healthy fats
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    Ppis don't in themselves weaken the bones; what they do is inhibit the absorption of certain minerals such as calcium, because they reduce stomach acid which is needed for the absorption of some minerals. I agree it's a risk;all meds carry risks. For me the risk of uncontrolled bleeding and ulcers in my stomach and oesophagus is greater.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    Nothing but Prilosec 40mg has worked for my acid reflux and now that I have no gallbladder it is worse. Even one day off and I feel the burn. I remember in collage walking to class I would throw up from the reflux and I would eat nothing all day just wake up with it. Then I found Prilosec and it works.
  • renniepaula948
    renniepaula948 Posts: 1 Member
    cmazurek85 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with PPI. If the OP has cut foods out of her diet and she still is feeling poorly, why discourage her from trying something new that has a record of success?

    http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20160608/proton-pump-inhibitor-health-risks#1

    Would rather stay away from things that have a chance of upping my risk of death when there are good alternatives that don't have the same potential risks.

    Your risk of death is 100%. Just saying.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited June 2018
    edit to delete zombie thread
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited June 2018
    cmazurek85 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with PPI. If the OP has cut foods out of her diet and she still is feeling poorly, why discourage her from trying something new that has a record of success?

    http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20160608/proton-pump-inhibitor-health-risks#1

    Would rather stay away from things that have a chance of upping my risk of death when there are good alternatives that don't have the same potential risks.

    Your risk of death is 100%. Just saying.

    I am not dead yet.and have been using them for awhile. any meds can cause death for pete sake and risk of death is not 100% or I would not be here typing this. and this is a zombie thread

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited June 2018
    cmazurek85 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with PPI. If the OP has cut foods out of her diet and she still is feeling poorly, why discourage her from trying something new that has a record of success?

    http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20160608/proton-pump-inhibitor-health-risks#1

    Would rather stay away from things that have a chance of upping my risk of death when there are good alternatives that don't have the same potential risks.

    Your risk of death is 100%. Just saying.

    I am not dead yet.and have been using them for awhile. any meds can cause death for pete sake and risk of death is not 100% or I would not be here typing this. and this is a zombie thread

    I think the point he was making was that there is 100% chance we will all die at some point in our life. Regardless of whether you take meds or not. Which is true. Nobody gets out alive. ;)
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    cmazurek85 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with PPI. If the OP has cut foods out of her diet and she still is feeling poorly, why discourage her from trying something new that has a record of success?

    http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20160608/proton-pump-inhibitor-health-risks#1

    Would rather stay away from things that have a chance of upping my risk of death when there are good alternatives that don't have the same potential risks.

    Your risk of death is 100%. Just saying.

    I am not dead yet.and have been using them for awhile. any meds can cause death for pete sake and risk of death is not 100% or I would not be here typing this. and this is a zombie thread

    I think the point he was making was that there is 100% chance we will all die at some point in our life. Regardless of whether you take meds or not. Which is true. Nobody gets out alive. ;)

    well yeah I know that lol but it sounded like PPIs cause death which its possible but yeah.
  • FibroHiker
    FibroHiker Posts: 398 Member

    also if someone has gastritis they need to avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks,acidic and spicy foods as well. [/quote]

    The above, as well as fried foods.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    aidydh wrote: »
    also if someone has gastritis they need to avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks,acidic and spicy foods as well.

    The above, as well as fried foods.
    [/quote]

    I Have had gastritis often and carbonated drinks/caffeine doesnt irritate it. spicy food and hot drinks do though. so hot coffee does but cold coffee does not.but it cant be fresh made coffee that has gotten cold. it has to be like cold brew coffee.fried foods I avoid due to genetic cholesterol issues
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    and that just shows how individual it all is.
    when my stomach is at it's worst, hot drinks and soups are the only thing that soothes it and cold feels like i'm being stabbed
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    and that just shows how individual it all is.
    when my stomach is at it's worst, hot drinks and soups are the only thing that soothes it and cold feels like i'm being stabbed

    yeah for me it sucks and I used to love hot coffee even thought I was new to drinking it. that was the only new thing I had added too. now any kind of premade cold coffee and I have no issues. I even tried different coffees to see if it was that. nope just hot coffee,hot cocoa and things like that. I can have soup that doesnt seem to aggravate it but for me its mostly chicken noodle or something like that.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    GERD can be triggered by different things in different people. My suggestion to you would be to take a look at what you regularly eat over the course of a week or two, and based on that, try an elimination diet. By that, I mean take a look at the items you eat the most frequently, and then remove them one at a time.

    For example, let's say the top three foods you find that you eat a lot of are dairy products, eggs, and citrus fruits. Week one, eliminate dairy, and take note daily of how you feel daily. If there's no improvement, then in week two, put dairy back in and eliminate eggs. Again, note how you feel. If no improvement that week, then for week three put eggs back in and remove the citrus.

    Doing this may take awhile, and you may find more than one food that triggers your symptoms, but in dealing with them one at a time, there is less confusion as to which food is the culprit when you have problems.


  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Another thing you may want to try is taking collagen peptides daily. Collagen is good for the entire body - tissue, bones, and joints. It is also supposed to help heal the gut and aid in digestion. I dissolve a scoop of collagen peptides into a cup of broth or tea every day, and have found it to be helpful. And it doesn't really taste like you've added anything to your drink.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    I realize this is an old thread, but what happened with this? Is the OP feeling better?
  • Zodikosis
    Zodikosis Posts: 149 Member
    It really depends on the cause of the issue. Not all acid reflux is alike. You can try different things to see what works for you, but realize that it is possible that you cannot fix this through dietary changes.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    My reflux is not caused by diet. It's caused by severe gastroparesis and occurs no matter what I eat or in my case how little I eat.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    GERD can be triggered by different things in different people. My suggestion to you would be to take a look at what you regularly eat over the course of a week or two, and based on that, try an elimination diet. By that, I mean take a look at the items you eat the most frequently, and then remove them one at a time.

    For example, let's say the top three foods you find that you eat a lot of are dairy products, eggs, and citrus fruits. Week one, eliminate dairy, and take note daily of how you feel daily. If there's no improvement, then in week two, put dairy back in and eliminate eggs. Again, note how you feel. If no improvement that week, then for week three put eggs back in and remove the citrus.

    Doing this may take awhile, and you may find more than one food that triggers your symptoms, but in dealing with them one at a time, there is less confusion as to which food is the culprit when you have problems.


    mine is because I produce too much acid so change in diet and eliminating things doesnt do squat(for me). if someone has GERD they need to see a dr to see what the cause is. for some its too much acid,for others its too little acid. for others it could be more severe than those things.cancer could be one cause,a stomach sphincter can malfunction and cause it and for those people sometimes surgery can fix it. so its not always food that causes it and the root cause needs to be investigated . barretts esophagus can also happen with GERD and for that meds are usually prescribed.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    GERD can be triggered by different things in different people. My suggestion to you would be to take a look at what you regularly eat over the course of a week or two, and based on that, try an elimination diet. By that, I mean take a look at the items you eat the most frequently, and then remove them one at a time.

    For example, let's say the top three foods you find that you eat a lot of are dairy products, eggs, and citrus fruits. Week one, eliminate dairy, and take note daily of how you feel daily. If there's no improvement, then in week two, put dairy back in and eliminate eggs. Again, note how you feel. If no improvement that week, then for week three put eggs back in and remove the citrus.

    Doing this may take awhile, and you may find more than one food that triggers your symptoms, but in dealing with them one at a time, there is less confusion as to which food is the culprit when you have problems.


    mine is because I produce too much acid so change in diet and eliminating things doesnt do squat(for me). if someone has GERD they need to see a dr to see what the cause is. for some its too much acid,for others its too little acid. for others it could be more severe than those things.cancer could be one cause,a stomach sphincter can malfunction and cause it and for those people sometimes surgery can fix it. so its not always food that causes it and the root cause needs to be investigated . barretts esophagus can also happen with GERD and for that meds are usually prescribed.

    The OP is already under the care of a doctor. While I agree that many root causes of GERD require medication or even surgical intervention, if things such as cancer have been ruled out, a patient has every right to decide to pursue a less drastic solution first. As long as their doctor is aware of that, then it's ultimately the patient's decision.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    GERD can be triggered by different things in different people. My suggestion to you would be to take a look at what you regularly eat over the course of a week or two, and based on that, try an elimination diet. By that, I mean take a look at the items you eat the most frequently, and then remove them one at a time.

    For example, let's say the top three foods you find that you eat a lot of are dairy products, eggs, and citrus fruits. Week one, eliminate dairy, and take note daily of how you feel daily. If there's no improvement, then in week two, put dairy back in and eliminate eggs. Again, note how you feel. If no improvement that week, then for week three put eggs back in and remove the citrus.

    Doing this may take awhile, and you may find more than one food that triggers your symptoms, but in dealing with them one at a time, there is less confusion as to which food is the culprit when you have problems.


    mine is because I produce too much acid so change in diet and eliminating things doesnt do squat(for me). if someone has GERD they need to see a dr to see what the cause is. for some its too much acid,for others its too little acid. for others it could be more severe than those things.cancer could be one cause,a stomach sphincter can malfunction and cause it and for those people sometimes surgery can fix it. so its not always food that causes it and the root cause needs to be investigated . barretts esophagus can also happen with GERD and for that meds are usually prescribed.

    The OP is already under the care of a doctor. While I agree that many root causes of GERD require medication or even surgical intervention, if things such as cancer have been ruled out, a patient has every right to decide to pursue a less drastic solution first. As long as their doctor is aware of that, then it's ultimately the patient's decision.

    never said they shouldnt try a diet. but being under the care of a dr depends on the type of dr. and gastroenterologist would be best as they deal with things of that nature.Im under the care of one and had NO idea until I had a scope done why I was having such awful GERD,my family dr couldnt figure it out which is why she sent me to my gastro dr.what I did say is they need to rule out why they are having the acid in the first place. saves a lot of time and angst that way.
  • dawn_m_hanford
    dawn_m_hanford Posts: 12 Member
    You need to heal the ulcer first. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about foods that heal like those with flavonoids Honey helps heal ulcers as well as Cranberry supplements which make it hard for H. pylori bacteria to grow. Flaxseed and various berries are good too.

    After ulcer is healed, check out HCl Betaine supplement with pre and probiotic supplement that has digestive enzymes. Let me know if you need help choosing!
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