Does anyone else have issues with highly acidic foods ?

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butchiesmom
butchiesmom Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi.

I've recently been FORCED to change a lot of my eating habits...can't eat any veggies that are even a little high in acid, some fruits as well. I get really bad side effects when I try to incorporate them back into my diet. I've always loved veggies and only in the last few months this has started..any help would be great !!!!

THANKS!

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  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I was having some issues, and ended up going to the doctor. She told me to take Zantac. Its made a world of difference. I would suggest seeing your physician.
  • snbridenbaugh
    snbridenbaugh Posts: 9
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    Well it kind of depends on what actually happens when you eat them. I used to get incredibly painful stomach pains when I ate anything high in acid (mostly oranges and tomatoes). I ended up in the hospital one night and they told me I just had really bad irritable bowel syndrome, It's really common and a lot of times it will just go away on its own. I had it for about 2 years. But I also had my gall bladder removed for other problems and that seemed to help as well.
  • snbridenbaugh
    snbridenbaugh Posts: 9
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    And it could also be heartburn. That can really be triggered by acidic foods. I take Prilosec or Zantac and that works pretty well for me.
  • AngelikaLumiere
    AngelikaLumiere Posts: 862 Member
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    Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammation of the bladder that can be aggravated by high acid food. It is far more common that you would think. I agree you should talk to your doctor.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    Depending on the issues you're having, it might be acid reflux. Really acidic foods can irritate it. Try meds like Prevacid, Prilosec, Zantac, etc. They are available over the counter now, so you can try each one and see which helps you. If the problems continue, though, it might be worth a visit to a gastroenterologist. It could be acid reflux, ulcers, hiatal hernia, any number of other things. It's worth getting checked because some problems, left unchecked, can cause major health issues.

    Something else that helps with reflux is sucking on hard candy or chewing gum (avoid mint-flavored items, though--peppermint can irritate reflux as well). These help generate extra saliva, which helps dilute and neutralize acid. I don't go anywhere without gum in my purse (sugar-free, of course!).

    Good luck...hope you feel better! It's a bummer not to be able to eat the foods you like.
  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
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    I naturally have an acid imbalance in my stomach and can't eat anything with to much citric acid - oranges, tomatoes, pineapple, grapefruit - anything like that. If I do, I have to be sure and balance it out with some bread or something starchy - if not then it makes me incredibly nauseous. Zantac was also what my doctor suggested for the issue.
  • butchiesmom
    butchiesmom Posts: 5 Member
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    hi and thanks...i feel NO heartburn whatsoever, it's fine going down..its the coming out thats bad, some very faint/light bleeding when I do eat foods like cabbage, tomato sauce, any type of citrus juice...other veggies and fruit as well...berries, some like that....just started a few months ago. I could try zantac and see what happens..it won't hurt. i didn't think of IBS because I don't fall into all the symptom categories..
  • butchiesmom
    butchiesmom Posts: 5 Member
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    AngelikaLumiere, I had bladder irritation this summer, thought it was a UTI, saw a urologist, did a catheter and thankfully found nothing...he gave me that list of foods to avoid...and at first I ignored it...but then I tried it....(bad I know)...I noticed all the bladder pain went away and no more pains whatsoever....now if I do try to incorporate those foods, it's as I described earlier...If I avoid them, I seem to be fine...I wonder if it is that inter....thing that you mentioned....THANK YOU
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    hi and thanks...i feel NO heartburn whatsoever, it's fine going down..its the coming out thats bad, some very faint/light bleeding when I do eat foods like cabbage, tomato sauce, any type of citrus juice...other veggies and fruit as well...berries, some like that....just started a few months ago. I could try zantac and see what happens..it won't hurt. i didn't think of IBS because I don't fall into all the symptom categories..

    Bleeding of any kind is an indicator that a trip to the doctor is needed. Go see your doctor! If your insurance doesn't require a referral for a specialist, then just find a good gastroenterologist and make an appointment. You don't say where the bleeding is coming from (I'm assuming from BMs), but you don't want to wait until it's bad or extensive bleeding. Go now...most things are treated more easily if you take care of it early than if you wait until it's bad. They will likely want to do an endoscopy, which is not a big deal. They sedate you for it, and you're back to normal activity the next day. It's worth it to find out if there is something serious going on.

    Good luck, and please keep us posted on how you're doing!
  • NaturalinCO
    NaturalinCO Posts: 164 Member
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    Oh honey! I'm so sorry! I know you LOVE your fruits and veggies. I have a huge natural healing book you can look through - but definitely see your doctor. I'm with the previous poster - bleeding is a HUGE sign you need to see a professional!
  • AngelikaLumiere
    AngelikaLumiere Posts: 862 Member
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    There is a lot of information about IC (Interstitial Cystitis) on the internet, a good article to start with is:
    http://www.evenbetterhealth.com/interstitial-cystitis.asp?s=gaw1&gclid=CK6DxfXkkawCFRFZhwod0jdvng#step5
    One in four women are affected to some degree by this issue so it isn't rare (I think people just don't like to talk about bladder issues, ya know?)
    I recommend you go to a urologist tell them you suspect you have IC and they will give you a simple test and determine if that is the problem. Then there are a couple of medications to heal and sooth that really work.

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