Oh, and something else. Low stomach acid and lack of proper enzymes can lead to candida overgrowth and all manner of gut problems, because not having those acids/enzymes allows bacteria and bad crap to make it to our gut and destroy all the good things, etc.

Any acid in your esophagus is going to burn. Having acid reflux does not *necessarily* mean you are making too much (like KnitorMiss said - could also be too little) it just means it is getting into a place it should not be, even if just a little of it. So if the flap that keeps stuff in your stomach from going back up (throwing up, etc) is weak or lax, some stomach acid could get back up there and feel like heartburn (because it is).

In addition to the great suggestions you will likely get here regarding diet based solutions, pay attention to your posture. Picture your stomach like a balloon, and if you bend over or slouch you are squishing the balloon and the contents will have to go somewhere - they will take the easiest route which is probably back up where it came from. Practice standing or sitting up as straight as you can, especially when eating. Avoid laying down after eating, or prop your head up (or better yet, raise the back two legs of your bed so the whole thing is at a slight angle).

Another possibility: Be aware that drinking while eating will make it worse - makes it all liquidity and mobile, and dilutes the stomach acid so it doesnt do as good a job. Try to limit your drinking in the half hour before and after a meal, and avoid drinking during your meal (other than small sips). Worth a try

Good luck!

I was on this medicine for many, many years. I went off it last year when I read how bad it was for you, regarding nutrition and digestion. I started taking it every other day for a while, then every third day, once a week and then off it completely. To be honest, my first month completely off of it was this side of hell. I bought Maalox, kept it in the Fridge, and chugged it when I needed it. Eventually the acid reflux decreased significantly, but never fully went away until I started LCHF. It is now totally gone!

JessicaLCHF wrote: »

Aquawave wrote: »

I was on this medicine for many, many years. I went off it last year when I read how bad it was for you, regarding nutrition and digestion. I started taking it every other day for a while, then every third day, once a week and then off it completely. To be honest, my first month completely off of it was this side of hell. I bought Maalox, kept it in the Fridge, and chugged it when I needed it. Eventually the acid reflux decreased significantly, but never fully went away until I started LCHF. It is now totally gone!

That's awesome! Yes, Maalox is great. I've done that at night when I realized too late I was out of meds. Did you ever experiment with apple cider vinegar?

Not for my acid reflux. I recently started taking it in water, when I remember to.

Sarahb29 wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss if you take ACV as a pill, are you still getting the benefit of the "mother" (that sounds so weird) that's in liquid form? The friendly bacteria?

According to my doctor, it is supposed to be yes. It has a specific level of acetic acid or whatever it is, and they have a warning not to get too hot and all that. I researched when I first started taking it (it's been 8 or so months now), so honestly, I don't remember what all I found out at that time, as I've had other issues on my priority table since then... I just recall that the article said to look for specific things on the label, and this one I got had them all.

That being said, I cannot do the 1 tsp-1TBSP diluted in a glass of water thing. It's instantly an aversion, so I was doing 1 TBSP in 2 oz water and chugging it like a shot, but I was still getting some of the burn feeling from it, which was GREAT when I got sick, but not so much the rest of the time. My doc suggested switching to the pills since I was using it with every meal...she said it was what she herself did.

I just know that most of my issues have resolved, as long as I don't go from one extreme to the other in my eating.

@aylajane - my research has shown that the under-production of stomach acid is far more rare than the over-production, unless dramatically influenced by a less common medical condition or medication side effects. Do you find this to be untrue or closer to 50/50? My understanding that around 5% or so of cases of heartburn were related to underproduction of stomach acids. I'm just asking, because I'm sincerely curious.

And yes, I remember the "floating bile" feeling if I drank too much water with or at my meals, which was very very rare for me, and generally only happened if I was very dehydrated already.

I know one of the strange things that can trigger the "flap" that closes the stomach off for digestion to stay open or not close is peppermint. My daughter was diagnosed with GERD 6 or so years ago, and that was one of the many things she was told to avoid, as well as caffeine, excess sweets, and others. Simply by bringing attention to what to avoid and all that, we were able to have the majority of her symptoms resolve within that year.

@KnitOrMiss - oh I am no expert or anything, but in googling (not scientific research!) there were quite a few articles that stated it was very prevalent. I of course did not care to prove or disprove anyone, just looking for help with my symptoms and experimenting with various suggestions.

Here are sites that threw out some stats (that I did not try to confirm)
http://www.ndhealthfacts.org/wiki/Hypochlorhydria_(Low_Stomach_Acid)
" Approximately one third of individuals over 60 years-of-age have achlorhydria and a much higher number have hypochlorhydria."

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/03/16/are-your-symptoms-related-to-low-stomach-acid-the-truth-about-heartburn/
https://nutritiongang.com/low-stomach-acidity-hypochlorhydria/
http://www.eatnakednow.com/13-signs-you-have-hypochlorhydria/

Here talks about symptoms indicating it
http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/06/hypochlorhydria-3-common-signs-of-low-stomach-acid/
http://drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/hypochlorhydria_-_lack_of_stomach_acid_-_can_cause_lots_of_problems

As a WLS patient, I dont have malabsorption issues (VSG) due to intestinal changes, but I do have digestive issues with food not being broken down enough in my stomach, so vitamins etc are not able to be absorbed properly (other surgeries alter the intestines on purpose to shuttle food out before it has time to absorb - my issue is not the time it spends there, just the form it is in when it gets there is inappropriate).

My philosophy is self experimentation - not trying to change or fix the world, only myself... so anything someone else has found that works and sounds reasonable and seems to apply and wont hurt me more, I try. So I throw out things to others thinking maybe it will spark something in them that makes sense and leads them to a solution. Most of the time it doesnt

@JessicaLCHF It is also worth noting that the ACV gave @auntstephie321 bad stomach pains, but adding the enzymes has really helped her, as has adding probiotics. She worked out a schedule to stagger it up to make her feel her best.

@aylajane - I really loved the articles that were posted before about using Betaine HCL versus the compound enzyme formula. The Betaine HCL alone was horrible and not well tolerated for me, but the enzymes have a combination of bile acids and the enzymes which work in the intestine. My understanding is that stomach acid starts the process, and the enzymes continue it, so both must be present for the whole process to work well.

In not having a gallbladder, the time in the digestive system is dramatically lessened, because if there is not enough acid to break down say, lettuce, will be expelled nearly whole within 1/2 hour, which is dramatically less time that it should be in the system...

I hope medical science focuses more on how much things like VSG and other surgeries impact digestion... It makes huge differences when treated properly after an important surgical event... I was never give any suggestions after my gallbladder removal. Just "go back to normal." Horrible. Had I known about low carb those almost 16 years ago, I might never have had to have that surgery...

My spouse has had success with ACV pills. Braggs with the mother burned his throat, and he started skipping doses, so I switched and he is doing much better.

If you don't get heartburn anymore, is there a reason to stay with the ACV?

kmn118 wrote: »

If you don't get heartburn anymore, is there a reason to stay with the ACV?

@kmn118 - ACV with the mother has probiotic and other benefits, so one might continue taking it for those reasons. But if you're not getting heartburn anymore, it might be BECAUSE you're still taking ACV. I would "wean" off of it if that's what you're wanting to do, cut down the dose, then drop every other day, etc. to make sure you don't trigger a mad resurgence!

kmn118 wrote: »

If you don't get heartburn anymore, is there a reason to stay with the ACV?

I concur with @KnitOrMiss regarding try weaning off it and see what happens. I'm in the camp supplement if you need something and don't if you don't.

@MariahMichaels - I get it off of amazon... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000POWGBC/

That is the brand I use.

I went to look for the article I used to pick my brand, and this wasn't the article I found, but this is good info. Going to research the "recommended" ones, so I might switch, but I've been taking mine since for several months now...

http://www.npdfoodworld.com/nutrition/7-best-apple-cider-vinegar-pills-better-health/

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

@aylajane - I wish you luck with the enzymes. They've been awesome for me... But yeah, that Betaine HCL was so not fun for me. Supposedly, it could indicate another type of gut infection if you don't tolerate it well, but it seems unlikely... h.pylori, I think it was...

@Sunny_Bunny_ - I was always told that it needed to be diluted minimum 4:1, water, preferably 16:1 (1 TBSP to 8 oz water), and still drunk through a straw to protect tooth enamel...hence with all the hassle that I switched to pills.

I don't doubt that's true. I'll probably still take mine with very little water though. If I can't do it as a shot I probably won't do it at all. And I really think it's been a good addition.
I'll try it a bit more diluted.