GERD / Acid Reflux

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  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
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    I help moderate a Pediatric GERD board.

    What meds are you on and what is the dose? This matters more than you think.

    Also, there are RX meds out there that can coat your throat 30 mins before eating to help stop the damage and pain from GERD.

    My son was taking an adult dose to control his GERD. If you don't get it under control it can cause pre cancerous conditions in your esophagus. This is not something to mess around with.

    Feel free to message me and I can try to help out.

    My son's GERD was soo severe (started as a newborn) that he ended up Failure To Thrive and 100% tube fed for 2 years.

    And yes, there are some tests the GI can do to tell you if it really is GERD and the symptoms are not being caused by any other issues.

    Keep in mind though that you can skew the results if you are on an elimination diet already.

    If it's that severe, they can do an EDG on you and take photos and tissues samples in order to see how severe things really are.
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
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    Okay, you guys will probably think I'm totally weird, but I stopped mine with organic apple cider vinegar. I add a teaspoon of it into nearly every glass of water I drink. No, it's not an overnight cure, but I already got Osteoporosis from another illness and taking long-term prescription meds was not a good option - they can CAUSE Osteoporosis...

    This worked for me, but it can't stop a fit of it if I have marinara sauce and red wine together in one meal! haha! You do need to take care...

    This is what I have been using for 8 months now. I have not taken a prilosec since. Braggs organic with the mother.

    My son was on a PPI f(Prilosce then Prevacid) or about 4 years and had no issues. Yes, it *can* cause osteoporosis but it's rare.

    You have to weigh the risk of meds which can cause minimal side affects in some people to the fact that severe GERD can cause cancer of the esophagus.

    From what I've read up on, the chances of it causing osteoporosis is slim. I'm sure if you are predisposed to it from having another illness, your chances are higher than the norm.
  • jsygurl
    jsygurl Posts: 28 Member
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    I have found drinking Aloe Vera pulp in the morning on an empty stomach really helps calm down the reflux if it goes haywire - haven't had the guts to try without the meds though yet! I have a hiatus hernia, and the reflux gives me an inflamed oesophagus, which feels like I have a steel bar from my throat to the base of my ribs, a tight chest and throat, and pains down my left arm. I actually had real difficulty breathing last time I had a break out - some meds give me reflux and I had been put on antibiotics that gave me a terrific case of reflux. I had to gulp air, and was on the verge of passing out, until I got put on loads of different antacids, which thankfully sorted it out.

    I have heard that reflux cause 40% of chronic coughs - the variety of symptoms is quite amazing!

    One warning though - aloe pulp is quite ridiculously disgusting, so it's best to start with 5ml, and build up to 30ml.
  • rose_mortem
    rose_mortem Posts: 147 Member
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    The most common triggers are: fatty foods, spicy foods, acidic foods like tomato, pineapple, citrus and also caffeine and alcohol.

    this ^^^^^^ any tomato products give me the worst acid reflux. Also, over-eating is a huge trigger for me. It starts as acid reflux, but then it turns into puking my guts out :sick:
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
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    Anybody have a squeezing feeling in their throat from acid reflux? My meds don't seem to help.

    I think it's important to cut out certain foods. Personally I would rather adjust eating than take meds if possible. Lower protein helps

    Thanks for your reply. I've been trying to cut out different foods & drinks but the outcome is still the same. I had the "balloon" procedure on my esophagus last spring & the dr prescribed me 3 different meds since then & none of them seem to work. I was hoping to avoid future tests by trying something natural. Trying gluten-free this week!

    This may seem odd to post here but I'm doing it anyway.

    One of my dogs has the same problem. She has to eat small meals 5 or 6 times a day. I had to lower her protein level and in doing that switched to a food that had corn meal in it. They both got sick from that. She had to take meds for a while because her stomach lining is damaged. The way the vet explained it to me, the stomach lining problems were causing too much acid which caused problems with her esophagus.

    Now I'm saying all your food needs to be prepared in a blender like hers. lol.

    I do have a friend who takes meds for his acid reflux, he has ulcers which cause acid. He watches what he eats a lot too.

    I would start cutting out gluten for a few weeks and see if that helps. Then maybe cut out dairy. It could take a while to find the right balance. At least you are trying. I have one friend that complains about it all the time yet still drinks a 12 pack of diet coke daily.

    For dogs, the fact that someone had you reduce protein and start them on a cornmeal based food is very negligent. Dogs are carnivores and would do better to be grain free. Both of my dogs have better teeth and lost weight that they needed to just by switching to a grain free dog food.

    Cats are obligate carnivores, yet pet food companies put tons of grains in vegtables in their foods, which the cat is 100% unable to even digest...should be illegal to do that to animals knowingly.

    The vet did not tell me to switch to a food with grain. No one did. Did I say that? No, I did not. Trying to find something with a good protein source low enough was difficult so I tried one. I can't afford to feed a 100 lb dog the prescription food and it's really not very good anyway.

    That being said, I work with dogs and have my entire life. I'm one of the few people who actually understand how to read a dogfood label.

    I found your response a bit snippy.

    I came back on this thread to see if anyone else had received messages from someone trying to sell them a product for acid reflux. I don't mind messages from members but do not like someone to try to sell me products.
  • skinnybefore
    skinnybefore Posts: 37
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    Give gluten free a good 2+ weeks to work before you move on. Gluten can have a cumlitive effect in the body. My wife is VERY gluten intolerant and just a little bit can make her swell up and it takes about a week for her joints to stop hurting.

    Thanks for the encouragement Marll! I'm on day three and I haven't had any swelling in my feet for the past two days! Woohoo! My throat still feels a little tight, but I actually had a few hours today that I FELT NORMAL AGAIN! :) Even if my symptoms don't completely go away, I am holding on to hope that I won't have to be on meds forever. Plus, my hubby & I are saving lots of money (and calories) by eating at home because it's nearly impossible to find a restaurant that serves gluten-free food!
  • skinnybefore
    skinnybefore Posts: 37
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    Okay, you guys will probably think I'm totally weird, but I stopped mine with organic apple cider vinegar. I add a teaspoon of it into nearly every glass of water I drink. No, it's not an overnight cure, but I already got Osteoporosis from another illness and taking long-term prescription meds was not a good option - they can CAUSE Osteoporosis...

    This worked for me, but it can't stop a fit of it if I have marinara sauce and red wine together in one meal! haha! You do need to take care...

    This is what I have been using for 8 months now. I have not taken a prilosec since. Braggs organic with the mother.

    Hey guys, just curious, did you have problems with acid reflux every day before you started taking the cider vinegar, or was it just on occasion? I'm trying to figure out if this might help, or if I should just stick to the gluten-free diet.
  • jsygurl
    jsygurl Posts: 28 Member
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    The most common triggers are: fatty foods, spicy foods, acidic foods like tomato, pineapple, citrus and also caffeine and alcohol.

    this ^^^^^^ any tomato products give me the worst acid reflux. Also, over-eating is a huge trigger for me. It starts as acid reflux, but then it turns into puking my guts out :sick:

    Walnuts, even in small amounts set my reflux off. Some tablets do it too, even vitamins can. I avoid most manufactured stuff where possible. A commercially made treacle tart sets it off, even though all the ingredients listed on the package seem to be fine when I use them to cook! Not that I minded too much, not a big treacle tart fan.
  • jkladd
    jkladd Posts: 2 Member
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    I have reading the post on acid reflux. I am searchig or ways to control my acid reflux without the meds. I was told I would have to take them the rest of my life but I know there is much room for improvement on my part with my diet. There is some decussion about gluten being bad, some say yes and some say no. I am looking into decaf coffee right now. I gave up soda and fatty foods and lost weight. Three years ago my asophagus ruptured and my family was called in because the surgery is so serious. Even while taking meds I still have trouble so I'm researching what to give up to control acid. I really don't know anything for sure except don't eat 2-3 hours before bed and stay away from coffee and pop and don't overeat. Your body will tell you if you are doing it right....Judy
  • sfstegall
    sfstegall Posts: 10 Member
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    For those struggling with both "acid reflux" (a misnomer) and silent reflux, I can recommend "Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure" by Jamie Koufman MD and Joseph Stern MD. I am not affiliated in any way with this book; I just bought it and read it and had my eyes really opened. These two doctors are leaders in the fields of ear/nose/throat (ENT) and ENT surgery. Their research and reputations are impeccable. And one of the most important things I learned was that ACID IS NOT THE WHOLE PROBLEM. The problem is the pepsin enzyme which digests protein; it is activated by acid -- ANY acid -- and even after the acid dies away the pepsin molecule is still active. If acid reflux washed that pepsin molecule into your esophagus, it will stay there as long as it's getting triggered by acids you eat. So even if your acid reflux stops, the pepsin molecule has now attached itself to your esophagus, larynx, whatever and is now EATING YOU. Best of all, there is no medication of any kind that will deactivate the pepsin enzyme.

    Drs. Koufman and Stern outline a program to allow the esophagus to heal, and then transition back to what passes for normal eating for a healthy person prone to acid reflux. I found the second half of the book, which is a cookbook prepared by a gourmet chef, to be one of the best parts of the book. Trying to figure out what to cook and how to avoid high-acid foods (which trigger the pepsin molecule even if they do not trigger reflux) is a job requiring a dietary degree and two spreadsheets; fortunately, Chef Bauer made it easy.

    The second most important thing I learned from this book is that most doctors are behind the curve on this, largely due to outmoded information and the fact that ENT is a specialty apart from most family practice. I recommend that you not only get this book, but that you give a copy to your doctor. Since esophageal erosion may be a trigger for cancer, this may actually save your life.

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