The All-Natural Regimen That Has Helped My Reflux Problem

[NYer]

Hi Garce,
The only valid way that I'm aware of to test for low acid is the Heidelberg Capsule Swallow Test.
Here's a link:
http://www.phcapsule.com/patients/heidelberg-ph-test/
You swallow a capsule which has a thread attached to it and they tape the thread to your cheek to keep the capsule tethered in your stomach. It stays in for about 20 minutes (it might have been more like a half hour...it's been 8 years since I had it done) and they measure your stomach acid. They have you drink some things like Sodium Bicarb to change the pH and see how your system reacts. The capsule sends radio waves to a receiving machine that shows real-time information about your stomach acid.
Then, they pull it back out at the end. That made me gag a little on the way out but nothing horrible.

If you look on the web, there's all sorts of BS "advice" on testing with HCL pills or vinegar or Sodium Bicarb. But the reality is that those home tests really don't show you what you need to know - if they work at all.
It's possible that there are other newer tests out there that I'm not aware of. I haven't been keeping up too diligently these days because I'm basically FINE! So it's no longer in the forefront of my mind, I'm happy to report.
I hope everything works out well for you.
Best,
NYer

[garce]

Hi Nyer,
Is there an easy way to determine if you have low acid? I have some of those strips but never felt they provided a good reading
I have hearburn. I have had irritated/inflamed esophagus for some time. A year ago from now it worsened and I began with chestpain. I did a barium swallow and also an upper scope. Nothing. Only that it is inflamed. I took Tecta first and then Nexium. I noticed some improvement at first but couldnt say it was due to the pills. I certainly felt bad while taking the pill and at some point stop taking them because I thought they cause the problem. I also tried alkalyne water and appear to work at first but certainly didnt eliminate the feeling.
I exercise and eat very healthy (although not a strict diet as you do)
I just received absorbaid and the DGL yesterday. I am also setting up a new bed (with adjustable slope) tomorrow. Hoping they work. Thanks for helping on this forum!

[NYer]

I am giving her the liquid Cal Mag from Strentta which you had written about. Are you still taking it, has it helped ? I give 15 ml once at night.

I never wrote about that brand (I'm not familiar with it) but I did write about using Cal Mag.
The brand I've been using more recently is Solgar. It tastes really good. It's called Solgar Liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate with Vitamin D3. It comes in Blueberry and also in Orange-Vanilla and also in Strawberry. One tablespoon contains 600mg of Calcium and 300mg of Magnesium Citrate.
I really can't tell you if that helped overall. I like it and it's good for me, so I still take it.... BUT!! Since your daughter is only 13, I have no idea if it's a good idea for her to take that dosage, so check with your doctor or naturopath.

[Mita]

YES! I do think it's controllable with just natural stuff. That's what I've done. And I was feeling HORRIBLE three years ago.



Sure, if you can find them. I've never seen them anywhere. And the ONLY place I've ever found the powder is at [url]www.nutri-fruit.com[/url]



STOP using pillows to prop yourself up. You need a gradual up-slope from your belly to your head. If you have the pillows under your head, it just bends your neck. Use a wedge. The one I found that I like is expensive. It's around $90. It has a layer of memory foam on the top and is extra long so I don't slide down. They have it at AlexOrthopedic:
[url]http://www.alexorthopedic.com/Body-Wedge_p_222.html[/url]
A few other places have it, too, but they're all about the same price. That same site has cheaper ones, too, take a look under pillows/wedges section. You can also find cheaper ones (not the long ones, though) at Overstock.com usually. And Bed Bath and Beyond and stores like that always carry the regular (shorter) ones.'


Regarding "burning on the way down"...no way with the kind I take. It's VERY SOOTHING. She may be referring to some other kind.
I used to use the powder and put it on yogurt or applesauce. It didn't mix well with water. The issue with taking the capsules or tablets is that they don't dissolve till they hit your stomach. The theory, however, is that the calcium coming into direct contact with your LES (lower esoph sphincter) is what helps to tighten it up. That's why the powder or liquid would work better for that.


Yes, your naturopath is correct. It should be helpful and for those reasons.

Re your other post...
Yeah, you have GERD. Especially since it got "better" while you were on the PPI's. Use the wedge. It'll help. I recommend that you put some pillows under your knees (or a leg wedge), too, it works like when a mechanic puts a chuck under the wheels of a truck while he's working on it so it doesn't roll! The knee wedge keeps me from sliding down off the wedge and ending up with my neck bent and my body flat.

Stop eating anything 3 hours before bedtime. And take the Canadian or English Gaviscon at bedtime.

Should help.

Hi Nyer,

I have a quick question to you, if you remember me, my daughter was 13 and has LPR. I am giving her the liquid Cal Mag from Strentta which you had written about. Are you still taking it, has it helped ? I give 15 ml once at night.

Any advice >


Thanks, Mita

[NYer]

Mita,
Go to www.naturopathic.org to do a search for a Naturopath in your area. You can find one in Ohio, it's just that only 16 states allow for full licensing and you can actually get reimbursed by insurance. So the one in Ohio can be just as good but he/she is more limited in what they can actually do - for example, they might have to send you to someone else (doctor or nurse practitioner) to write a prescription or draw blood.
Here's a blurb:

Sixteen states and four provinces allow the practice of naturopathic medicine: Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ontario, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also have licensing laws for naturopathic doctors. In a number of states and provinces where there is not yet professional licensure, naturopathic medical associations are actively engaged in legislative initiatives to pass licensing laws. The scope of practice varies from state to state and province to province. In states and provinces without naturopathic licensing laws, many who hold the N.D. degree also hold other degrees, such as the Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Chiropractic, or Masters in Oriental Medicine degree, and they practice under licenses for those professions. Others offer services that do not violate their states and provincial medical practice acts. Most naturopathic physicians are in the states and provinces that regulate the profession.

Also, you mentioned that your daughter is drinking aloe juice. If it helps, fine. I found no use for it. And some people get diarrhea from it, so don't overdo it. And if she's not improving, there is no need for it. And she doesn't need to eat an "alkaline diet". She just needs to avoid the trigger foods that I've listed many times in this thread.

I'm glad she's using the DGL but, as I've said many times in this thread, you can't pick and choose which things you like and not use the others. You have to do ALL of them. As you start to improve, you can stop using something and see if it makes any difference. I, for example, after 8 years, decided to give a try to sleeping without wedges. It was OK for a day or two, but after that, I found myself very phlegmy in the mornings and constantly clearing my throat. And then, of course, heartburn. So I went right back on the wedges and I'm fine. I also think that the digestive enzymes are extremely important.
-NYer

[Mita]

Hi Mita,


Please read through this entire thread from the beginning and you will find ALL of my recommendations. The main things I recommend (in addition to avoiding the foods that may be triggers) are Digestive Enzymes with every meal (my favorite is AbsorbAid) and chewing DGL tablets before each meal (my favorite is Enzymatic Therapy sugar free German Chocolate). Also, sleeping every night with the upper body elevated is really important.

I do NOT recommend Melatonin, especially for a 13-year-old. It is a hormone, and you do not want to introduce that into a pre-teen's body without specific direction from a doctor. Also, some adults on this site have had side effects from Melatonin.

New York is limited in what it allows Naturopaths to do. I don't know what state you live in, but you need to do a Google search to find a Naturopath in your area. If you're in the NorthEast, I know that Connecticut is a good state for allowing them to do what they do.

If your daughter is not diabetic or lactose intolerant, a good choice for helping her gain some weight back, believe it or not, is vanilla ice cream! It's very soothing when you have heartburn (temporarily), it tastes good, and it will help with weight gain, obviously. (I'm sure she'll love me for suggesting that, to!)....HOWEVER....that said...

...If she is 13 and she weighed 180 lbs., she was VERY overweight. And having too much fat in the belly/chest area exacerbates reflux. It makes for less space in the stomach and when you bend over or sit, everything gets pushed back into the esophagus. And if she is carrying that extra body fat, she may also have a fatty liver or gall bladder issues. Those can contribute to digestive issues.
I'm not saying that being thin means you don't get reflux. But having too much body fat is a contributing factor for sure.

I wish you and your daughter the best and I hope she feels better soon.
(((Hugs)))
NYer

Hi NYer,

Thanks for your suggestions, appreciate it. Yes, she was overweight and you are correct, she had lot of fat in her belly area as well...and has it even now and that might have been why she got this in the first place.
Anyways, thats the past and I cannot do anything about it I guess....except feeling bad. I am trying to introduce as much as alkaline food into her diet as possible.

Yes, she is taking DGL licorice from Enzymatic Therapy and Georges Aloe vera juice as well.

I am planning to introduce as much as alkaline juices as well, feel that might help her. I will look up some naturopath in CT. We live in Columbus Ohio.

We are mainly struggling with diet I think....but reading some recipes now to see what can help....she is 13 after all and its painful for me to see shes not able to eat.

We have cut her milk back to Lactaid milk, though I dont think shes is lactose intolerant....

Thanks again for being in touch and for your good wishes...and for writing in to this troubled mom...

Best Regards,
Mita

[NYer]

Hi Mita,


Please read through this entire thread from the beginning and you will find ALL of my recommendations. The main things I recommend (in addition to avoiding the foods that may be triggers) are Digestive Enzymes with every meal (my favorite is AbsorbAid) and chewing DGL tablets before each meal (my favorite is Enzymatic Therapy sugar free German Chocolate). Also, sleeping every night with the upper body elevated is really important.

I do NOT recommend Melatonin, especially for a 13-year-old. It is a hormone, and you do not want to introduce that into a pre-teen's body without specific direction from a doctor. Also, some adults on this site have had side effects from Melatonin.

New York is limited in what it allows Naturopaths to do. I don't know what state you live in, but you need to do a Google search to find a Naturopath in your area. If you're in the NorthEast, I know that Connecticut is a good state for allowing them to do what they do.

If your daughter is not diabetic or lactose intolerant, a good choice for helping her gain some weight back, believe it or not, is vanilla ice cream! It's very soothing when you have heartburn (temporarily), it tastes good, and it will help with weight gain, obviously. (I'm sure she'll love me for suggesting that, to!)....HOWEVER....that said...

...If she is 13 and she weighed 180 lbs., she was VERY overweight. And having too much fat in the belly/chest area exacerbates reflux. It makes for less space in the stomach and when you bend over or sit, everything gets pushed back into the esophagus. And if she is carrying that extra body fat, she may also have a fatty liver or gall bladder issues. Those can contribute to digestive issues.
I'm not saying that being thin means you don't get reflux. But having too much body fat is a contributing factor for sure.

I wish you and your daughter the best and I hope she feels better soon.
(((Hugs)))
NYer

[Mita]

Did the Melatonin help you with the LES pressure ?

All,

I am new to this site and have been suffering with both GERD and silent re flux. I have tried everything, including conventional drugs. Never got it under total control. I have been doing tons of research and came across several studies with Melatonin. According to the studies, Melatonin works directly on the heart of the problem, the LES, with very high success rate. All studies show that 6 mg dose for 40 days increases the LES pressure and increases PH above the LES to neutral. Not sure if anyone else tried this. I have just started and am on my third day. At this stage, I have nothing to lose. We will see how it goes.

LeonK

Hi Leonk,

Struggling with 13 year old daughter with LPR, does the Melatonin help with LES pressure ?

What was your expreience ? You can write to me at [email protected]

Thanks, Mita

[Mita]

Please help - my 13 year old diagonised with LPR

I just wanted to log in and say thanks for all the information you posted. It's so rare to hear good news about LPR in forums, but maybe people just write when things are bad for the most part and they are seeking answers.

I was diagnosed last spring with LPR, I was sure it was something in my sinuses after a couple years of recurring bronchitis and a bad case of sinusitis. The outcome was always the same - a prescription for antibiotics which I do not tolerate well and hate taking. After my sinusitis resolved, I still had a burning feeling in my nose and need to constantly clear my throat. When the ENT said it was LPR I was completely taken off guard. I had never heard of it. He quickly explained it, gave me a page of foods to avoid, told me to elevate my head and mentioned he could give me something for it, but try the suggestions on the page. I was a little stressed at first, and made some changes. The symptoms would come and go, and I eventually got a prescription from my MD for a PPI 1x/day for flare ups. I would take them here and there, my flare ups usually coincided with illness (cold and flu), but never more than a week. I couldn't really tell if they were working anyway. I also had manuka honey and DGL, and took them occasionally. But for the most part I think I was in denial and just went on with life, spicy food, wine, coffee etc. I came down with a cold at Christmas, and my sore throat never resolved. A red patch on the left side of the back of my throat and a few red dots never went away. Went to my doc and he suggested antibiotics for a throat infection, took them for 2 days and said enough of this. I think it is related to LPR - anyone else have this? I came down with another cold/sinus infection early this year and did my usual ritual of raw garlic and spicy food - no antibiotics this time, I soldiered it out! But heartburn ensued. Took a couple PPIs, got a bit better (I think?), then came back when I gorged on spicy food again. Oh - and I love wine. I easily have 2 glasses a night, while in bed with a book (so stupid, but I did switch from red to white after my diagnosis). I never really had heartburn as a symptom before...just occasional nose burning, sore throat, and need to clear my throat. Had the occasional persistent cough following a cold or flu, but not all the time. And I sleep OK, it kicks in when I am upright. The heartburn concerned me so I decided I better start reading up.

Holy Crap.

I became absolutely terrified and convinced I was going to die from cancer! From what others wrote and scientific journals it seemed nothing would help, not diet, not pills...I was screwed. And terrified. I freaked out for 4 days, plus I have GAD and I am sure my stress just made it worse.

But then I found this thread and it gave me hope. I am on day 4 of no coffee, no alcohol, restricted diet. Taking DGL and Slippery elm, manuka honey, probiotics. I am going to pick up some digestive enzymes today. There is a really good pharmacist who works with NDs in our city and he has been so helpful with natural remedies. I am also going to talk to my doctor so I can better understand the results of my ENT visit. I had a barium swallow, and it came back "nothing outside of the normal limits". I need to understand just how bad it is, and if I can get follow up to make sure it is not getting worse. Especially since it is "silent" reflux. My throat feels a little better today, but it is always more sore by the end of the day. And I still have some burning in my upper chest, but for the most part I function pretty normal and have for the last year. Sometimes I think it is worse when I think about it. Plus, last year was pretty much the most stressful year of my life, and I wonder how that fits in with it all.

I have an appt with my MD in a week. I am hoping I will be able to tell him things have improved a little. Most info says you need to take the PPIs to allow the throat to heal, and I just don't want to go there. I need to get better. I have a 4 year old son, and I will not let this control my life. Sometimes I think about the changes to diet etc and it seems overwhelming, and I do worry that maybe even this natural approach won't work. But from what I can tell PPIs don't help, they don't treat the cause, and the long term effects scare me.

SO - again I will say thanks to NYer for all this info and encouragement. I try to talk to my husband about it, but I don't think he gets just how serious this disease is.

I'll try to keep you posted with my progress.

Hi Nyer,

I have a 13 year old daughter on my hand with LPR, life is tough, woudl like to talk to you if possible to see what kind of regimen we can do to help her.
Also if there are any naturopaths I can contact. She is not abe to take any PPIs. Please help me.

She has lost a lot of weight in 2-3 months (180 pounds to 150 pounds), but still suffer from throat issues.

Thanks,
Mita




Nutraceutical Probiotic 15-35.

[Thistle]

Great news, NYer. Thanks for letting us know. The "episode" is gross, yes. But if it helped you assess how far you've progressed, I guess it's a good thing too. I'm glad you recovered. I can imagine how awful re-starting your healing would have been.

It in the high 60s where I am, and I'm freezing.

[NYer]

Stomach acid. Ouch.

Hi All!
It's been a while since I've posted. I see that this thread has had 116,613 hits since I started it. Wow! Obviously there are a LOT of people who need help with their reflux issues and the standard drugs that too many doctors prescribe simply do NOT work. I hope this thread has helped you.

The reason I haven't posted in a while is because I feel GREAT. I am fine and only very occasionally get a little heartburn or related symptoms. And when I say "a little"...I mean, on a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the worst, when I started coming to this web site, I was on a pretty constant level of TWELVE out of 10. Now, on the rare occasion that I have an issue, it's a TWO. And I have to reiterate that you have to keep doing everything I've described in this thread. Just because you feel better doesn't mean you can go back to your old habits. You can't. If I sleep without wedges for more than one day, I start getting some reflux. Some dietary things I've noticed (happily) that I can handle again are: cooked onions (NOT RAW)...so it's easier to eat soup that has onions in the stock, which is most of them. Mint gum doesn't bother me (but, as usual, some people are bothered by mint, others not), and bananas don't seem to be a problem for me anymore.

But what prompted me to write a post today was this...(and sorry if it's a little gross):
A few days ago, I had food poisoning. I threw up for the first time in 18 years. And as much as I hate being nauseous and/or throwing up, the worst part of it was right afterwards. The stomach acid that came up with the food was intense and felt like it burnt my throat and vocal chords out of my body. I immediately lost my voice for a few hours. Surprisingly, my voice came back the next day, but for two days afterward, I had chest pressure and esophageal spasms that are totally typical of GERD. And, of course, that makes sense because that was sort of like GERD to its most extreme, having ALL of my stomach acid roar through my esophagus. I took lots of digestive enzymes (AbsorbAid) in the form of powder mixed with water, drank it slowly so that it would touch every part of my throat, esophagus, and stomach. Then chewed DGL's a few times. And then, finally, I took some Pepto Bismol. All of that helped. The next day I had a fever but the gastric stuff was over. And then the next day, I was FINE. (And thank God, because I was having visions of having to start all over again with all the horrible GERD symptoms.)

So, it was just a scary reminder of what I went through when my GERD was at its worst. But the good news is that after doing all the right things for all this time, I've obviously made my esophagus more resilient and it was able to get better faster.

It's 82° in NY so I'm outa here!
Best to all,
NYer

[NYer]

Something nice during this freezing weather:
Chocolate is a trigger for a lot of people here. I've noticed that a few drops of liquid chocolate stevia isn't a problem for me. So I've been adding liquid chocolate stevia (like 6 drops) to my cup of Pero and a little half and half. It's not quite hot cocoa - more like a hot mocha - and I find it pretty delicious. (If you can eat sugar, add a few mini-marshmallows!)
Enjoy!
NYer

[NYer]

Nice Hot Drink

Hey All!
I tried a new hot beverage that I like. It's called "Pero". Since we cannot drink coffee or decaf coffee, this is a nice option. I drink herbal tea every day but sometimes I want something with the consistency of coffee - thicker than tea. Pero tastes sort of like instant coffee. If you are looking for something just like fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee, this ain't it! But it reminds me of when I was a teenager and my Mom kept instant coffee in the house and that's what everyone drank back then. I like the taste of this. I put 2 heaping teaspoons into my big coffee mug, pour in the hot water, and I mix in some half and half. I never sweetened my coffee but you could certainly drink this the same way you would have had your coffee - with or without sweetener and/or milk.
Pero is made from Barley, Malted Barley, Chicory, and Rye. It's all grains. It only has one gram of carbs, so that's really a non-issue.
It comes in "Original" and "Extra Dark Roast". I had the original flavor the other day and right now I'm drinking the Extra Dark Roast. I'm not sure that I can tell the difference. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison! Either way, though, I like them both.
Ultimately, the point is that this is a non-acidic hot beverage. So now I have something else, besides tea, that I can drink. And if you're sad about not being able to drink coffee anymore, this might make you happy. It's de-caf, of course.
Hope you're all staying warm!
-NYer

[NYer]

Good DGL

Hi All,
I've tried a new product that I'm happy with so I want to recommend it.

As you know, I take DGL before every meal. For years, I've been taking the Enzymatic Therapy sugar-free/fructose-free DGL. I even learned to kind of like the taste of black licorice in the process. About a month ago, I inadvertently bought their "Ultra DGL". I didn't notice that it was different till I got home (it's also sugar-free/fructose-free and the bottle looks pretty much the same except for the word "Ultra").
What I DID notice in the store was that this was the "German Chocolate" flavor. I knew they made a chocolate flavor but I also knew that chocolate might be a trigger for GERD so I never tried it. However after these many years, I have tried eating some chocolate from time to time and I never had a problem from it (other than getting fat). So I thought about this and decided that it's such a small amount of chocolate flavoring the DGL that I'd give it a try.

OK...it's AWESOME!
Maybe because I hardly ever eat chocolate anymore so it seems better than it really is...but I've actually been excited to take my DGL's now because I feel like I'm eating a snack!

And as far as the "Ultra" part, after staring at the ingredients for a while, I realized that the Ultra DGL is more potent than the regular. The regular contains Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root Extract at a ratio of 3:1 but the "Ultra" contains a ratio of 10:1. The regular recommends chewing 2 tablets at a time and the "Ultra" recommends chewing 1 tablet at a time. I hadn't paid attention and was chewing 2 of the Ultras. It really isn't an issue because it's safe anyway. I called them to make sure and they said that if I wasn't having any problems with it then it's fine.

I always found the regular one to be fine, but I like the Ultra better now. And what brought this to mind to write this was...
about two hours ago, I noticed a tiny bit of heartburn creeping up on me. So I chewed 2 of the Ultra Chocolate DGLs and it helped! I feel fine now.
Now I'm not saying that when you're having a bad episode this will make such a quick difference but what I am saying is that in the past, I didn't find that it actually helped much after I was already having heartburn - it was more of a preventative by soothing my gut before eating.

So I'm impressed. I like it AND it helps.
The brand is Enzymatic Therapy. The product is DGL Ultra - Fructose-Free/Sugarless.
And the flavor is German Chocolate. And I just noticed that they also have a "caramel creme" flavor. And if you like licorice, get the regular flavor.
They actually put out the same product under a few different brand names, so if you get it from a healthcare practitioner, it might have another brand name. But Enzymatic Therapy is the more popular retail brand. They carry it in Whole Foods and Vitamin Shop (and other health food stores) and you can find it online on Amazon and Vitacost and lots of other sites. Check around, you can find good prices.

OK, I hope you're all doing well. I'm outa here.

-NYer

[NYer]

Hi Leon,
Welcome!
That's very interesting. I've never tried it. I do remember someone else on another thread on here tried Melatonin. He said it seemed to help his GERD but he had some negative side effects. Here is a link to his thread:

http://forums.heartburn-help.com/showthread.php?8645-Melatonin-Warning-To-All&highlight=melatonin

I think that was what turned me off to the idea of trying it.
That said, though, if you only do it for 40 days, maybe it wouldn't be a problem. He was on it much longer than that.
I'd suggest that you see a naturopath (or a good holistic doctor) and discuss it and have him/her oversee your use of it (since it is a hormone).
Please do keep us updated on your results. I'd be very interested to know if it works.
Good Luck!
-NYer