The All-Natural Regimen That Has Helped My Reflux Problem

[Pinkerton]

NYer, this all sounds good and promising to me. That's why I'm gonna try it and hope it helps. Can't hurt me, so why not. I'll have to go to my local health food store early this week to see what they have. Their online website has Absorbaid and Natural Calm you speak of. Below, I posted 2 links for you to check out. Just want to make sure I'm getting the right stuff.

[URL="http://naturalblessings.org/digestive-and-fiber/digestive-aids/product-67878.html"]http://naturalblessings.org/digestive-and-fiber/digestive-aids/product-67878.html[/URL]

[URL="http://naturalblessings.org/minerals-en/magnesium/product-69683.html"]http://naturalblessings.org/minerals-en/magnesium/product-69683.html[/URL]

Couldn't find DGL Licorice Tablets on their site, where do you get yours? Might have to order those online along with the Raspberry powder mix.

So, this should do it? I'll continue with the vitamin D I've been taking. How much do you take of the Vitamin D?

Thanks a bunch! I hope I don't rebound too much! I'll be lol...

[NYer]

Vitacost.com has much better prices than the site you posted - so does LuckyVitamin.com (but you have to spend more with Lucky to get free shipping). They carry the DGL, too. Actually, the DGL is easy to find, even Whole Foods has it.
You're going to have to read through the whole thread on Vitamin D (I gave you the link above) to find out how much to take and how much I take and why. It's important to understand all that. It's a long thread but there is a lot of excellent information already there.

[Pinkerton]

Sounds good, NYer. I'll be around reading up on info and if I have any more questions. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes. Thanks again!!!

[Pinkerton]

NYer...

Good news, I've got my orders placed for the DGL, Absorbaid, and Raspberry powder. Should be getting them sometime this week.

However, I'm really feeling the burn right now. I haven't had a Nexium since Friday morning and paying for it. I broke down and took a Zantac along with some antacid to try relieve the torch in my throat. What can I say, I'm a worrier and things like this set me back. It makes me wonder a lot. I really need to figure out the best way to ween myself from Nexium while starting the all natural approach. Did you mention you had the rebound effect? This just puts a damper on my outlook. I just pray I can adjust and do well with this regime. The nexium caused me to feel burning in my throat and the last day or so I have felt better without it. Wouldn't you say that's probably the culprit? I called and told the pharmacy and blew me off like some doctors would. Well, I don't know about that is the answer I got. I'll call my doctor tomorrow and tell them. See what they say about weening off of it. I just needed to ramble and get this out, sorry. Anyway, here's to getting back on track!

[NYer]

Pinkerton,
I'm sorry you're having discomfort but I have to tell you, I've mentioned things for you to do and you're not really doing them - I don't know how much you're actually reading here. I said to make sure you are doing all of the supplements and physical changes (like sleeping elevated) BEFORE you stop the Nexium or you would suffer through the rebound. Ordering the supplements isn't the same as actually being on them when you withdraw from the PPI's. You went off of the Nexium cold turkey before you even got the supplements. So you are either suffering from rebound or you simply are just having GERD again.
At this point, since you weren't getting extremely bad side effects, go back on the PPI's but wean yourself off slowly...and wait till AFTER you've started taking all of the healthy stuff. And when you wean off of the PPI's, go to every other day for a week or two and then maybe every third day for a week and then stop. Don't just go off cold turkey like you just did.
And, no, I didn't have a rebound - because I didn't take the PPI's. I tried a number of different ones for a very short time and couldn't take any of them. I explained all that at the beginning of this thread.
But also, you only picked a few of items I mentioned. How about the liquid calcium/magnesium? That might help soothe your throat, as well (temporarily).
I hope you feel better.
In the meantime, I've been finding that Haagen Daz ice cream is really soothing - and cooling if you have heartburn. Dairy can make you kind of phlegmy, but it's a nice way to try to feel better! (Assuming you're not lactose intolerent.)
Hope you feel better soon.
NYer

[Pinkerton]

As always, thanks for responding, NYer.

To clarify things, I didn't plan on going of Nexium cold turkey. I decided to go a day or two without it to see how I felt in comparison to taking it. I felt great and didn't have the burning sensation in my throat. I've just been trying to figure out the best way to get weened off of it. I agree completely with how you. I'll take it slow and one step at a time. Now, the reason I haven't followed what you said is because I don't have the products yet. I've been apart of this community for almost a week now researching options. Very good options posted by you. So, I'm gonna resume Nexium tomorrow and wait until I get my order. I'll probably take Nexium everyday for awhile during my all natural regime. Then, I'll take it slow and gradually decrease my intake. I've had to ween off another medication before. While it seemed difficult, it didn't really feel as bad. Just takes time. Also, I find it odd that I can lay down and sleep without any problems. I know a lot of you mention having issues with this. I wonder why it doesn't seem to affect me. Ah, just another mystery I guess. I'm feeling better now after eating and taking the Zantac, just some irritation from the episode. Thanks for listening and all your help.

[NYer]

Actually, from what I've read on here, a lot of people who just have LPR and not GERD find that they don't have problems when they're laying down. But the thing that I find is that I don't necessarily FEEL bad lying down, but the next day I'll have symptoms.

[Pinkerton]

Actually, from what I've read on here, a lot of people who just have LPR and not GERD find that they don't have problems when they're laying down. But the thing that I find is that I don't necessarily FEEL bad lying down, but the next day I'll have symptoms.

Interesting. I usually just feel the burn in my mid throat and around my adams apple. Never really have burning in my chest. That's not to say I haven't but usually I don't. I have a little rasp when I talk sometimes. I'll have to read up on LPR .

[LSAT]

LPR vs GERD

Actually, from what I've read on here, a lot of people who just have LPR and not GERD find that they don't have problems when they're laying down. But the thing that I find is that I don't necessarily FEEL bad lying down, but the next day I'll have symptoms.

What you describe is characteristic of LPR.......LPR is called 'silent reflex' and is worse in the upright position.
[url]http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BUM/is_9_81/ai_92281754/[/url]

[Pinkerton]

Calcium Citrate.

NYer, I'm indecisive and can't decide what kind of Calcium Citrate to get. I know you spoke of taking a powder form and switched to liquid if I'm recalling right. What would you recommend and what brand? Was Naturally Calm worth it?

[NYer]

Pinkerton,
I just described that a few posts back on this page. Just use a browser search for Liquid cal/mag.
No on the Natural Calm.

[Pinkerton]

Well, I'm pleased to report that I'm feeling much better. I'm just now getting started on my all natural regime. Still waiting on the Black Raspberry powder and Calcium Citrate though. I'm still taking my medication but plan on taking it less over time. I tried the DGL chews today and all I can say is wow. That is a unique taste. These will take some getting use to. Anyway, things are looking up...

[NYer]

Haha! Yes. For my whole life - up until 4 years ago - I thought the taste of black licorice was disgusting. I think I would rather have eaten worms.
But when I was really in bad shape from GERD and all the physical problems I was suffering from it, I would have danced naked in the street with my finger in my ear if it would have made me feel better. So as much as I hated the taste of black licorice, I started taking the DGL's. Initially, I held my breath while I chewed them. Eventually, however, I got used to it. And - weirdly - I got so used to it that I actually developed a TASTE for black licorice in general. It really is so weird but I actually LIKE black licorice candy now. If you asked me that 5 years ago, I would have said I'd sooner lick the bottom of my shoe. So there you go. I guess if your body knows you need it and it's good for you, it has a way of changing its mind.

[Thistle]

to NYer

I actually LIKE black licorice candy now

This IS truly kinky.

I have always hated black licorice, and you've got me wondering if this aversion is somehow common to GERD patients. Seems like a lot of folks here don't like it.

A friend of mine (who I've mentioned here in relationship to her son, who had bad GERD until he was out of toddlerhood) got me interested in fennel water about 10 years ago. She actually gave me a bottle of gripe water (as it's called), which her pediatrician had told her to give her son (it was vastly successful for him). But I liked the way the bottle looked so much that I have never opened it. And still haven't. Flash forward to now ... Whenever someone slips me one of my triggers, and I don't realize it, I've started drinking fennel tea (it's named "digestive relief" or some such -- you've got to read the label to ID the fennel aspect). Works like a charm, and is so much better for me than Tums or the like in my opinion. One of the ingredients is licorice, and thus I dreaded even trying the tea. But the licorice taste is not strong, and the tea is very palatable. But fortunately I usually don't need the tea more than every 6-8 weeks.

Anyway, long live black licorice and fennel!

By the way, about six months ago I noticed that the local supermarket chain now sells gripe water (but it's called something else) for babies. Don't know when they got on the bandwagon. When I first mentioned this here 10 years or so ago, it was not at all mainstream. And most folks here just ignored this tip. Glad to know the pediatricians are on to it.

[NYer]

Why is it that we can't eat the stuff we love ...and the stuff we hate is good for us?
Thanks for chiming in, Thistle, my long lost sister! I have a box of fennel tea here, in fact. I like it.