READER FEEDBACK

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/21/2006: Rosemarie from Worcestershire, UK writes: "I've been taking a number of prescription meds including aspirin for years for high blood pressure and under- active thyroid. The latter is the result of radium treatment for over-active thyroid and I believe agreeing to that treatment is the biggest mistake I've ever made! Last year, in addition to all the other medication, I was prescribed anti-inflammatories and pain-killers after I suddenly developed osteoarthritis(?) in my lower spine and knees and, almost immediately, I had crippling indigestion and reflux which prevented me from sleeping. I became afraid too eat and The medication which was then prescribed to counter the effects of the anti-inflammatories and aspirin caused dreadful insomnia so sleeping became an even greater problem. I stopped taking the anti-inflammatories and was soon unable to walk despite spending a fortune on physiotherapy, osteopathy and acupuncture . Eventually, I returned to the anti-inflammatories because they took the edge off the pain in my knees and back and I was immediately back to square one with reflux etc"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/20/2006: Kellye from Tulsa, OK writes: "I took Ibuprofen every morning for a year or more and started having stomach problems and I still do til this day. I am struggling with my diet and can't hardly eat alot of things. I did buy the apple cider vinegar but didn't continue because I thought it would make the acid worse. I went to the doctor and all they told me was to take Zantac twice a day to no end. I quit taking it because I believe there is an answer. If you have any extra advice let me know."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/13/2006: Joni from Minneapolis writes: "I am just starting to try Apple Cider Vinegar and pickles for my acid reflux. My husband and I were both diagnosed about a year ago, and have been on various medications, Prilosec being the one we have gravitated to. We were led to believe that being on the Prilosec for short term would heal our acid reflux, but every time we try to get off, it flares up almost immediately. My husband is a carpenter, so Ibuprofen has been a constant means of relief for him. I have had horrible menstrual cramps in the past and was told by my doctor that I could take 4 ibuprofen at a time during those times. We both believe that ibuprofen was the cause of our acid reflux problem. I am very hopeful that by using vinegar, pickles, and pickle juice that we can wean ourselves off of the Prilosec."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/07/2006: Robyn from Boston writes: "i was taking aspirin because i have a family history of heart disease and my sister who is a nurse suggested it to me. My acid reflux occurred two months later for the 1st time. i stopped the aspirin and now i am waiting patiently for it to rectify itself."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/02/2006: Adrian from New Jersey writes: "All of a sudden, I found myself taking Mylanta 4 or 5 times a day. Before this, I was taking Tums which did not seem to help after awhile. I was getting heartburn day and night, no matter what I ate. It progressively got worse over a 3-month period. I said to myself, "it is time to visit the doctor." Before doing so, I went onto the web and looked up natural remedies for acid reflux. I found your website: Earth Clinic. I tried _______'s apple cider vinegar 3 times a day with a 1/3 glass of apple juice and a little water. The first time I took this combination (in the morning), I felt lousy. Nothing hurt; I just didn't't feel good for 15-20 minutes. Then, I felt great. This "bad feeling" happened again and again, each time for a shorter period, and eventually not at all. (This lasted about 4 days.) The first week I did a lot of belching. I am still taking the apple cider vinegar (about 3 - 4 weeks) and will continue to do so because last year, after a first time attack of asthmatic bronchitis, I came down with laryngitis. For one year, my voice has been hoarse, sometimes with a hoarse –type cough at night when I'm lying down. The hoarseness now seems to be going away, very slowly, and the cough is almost gone. After a more thorough reading of your website, there were some comments on taking ibuprofen. About a year ago, I started taking Advil (at night – 4 to 5 times a week) for leg pains which was probably from exercising (avid exerciser). A few months later (as best as I can remember) I started to get heartburn on and off. I have not taken Advil in approximately one month and do not intend to after what I read on your website. Remarkably, I am not getting the leg pains since I started taking the apple cider vinegar. Thank you for your informative website. I hope this information may help."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/01/2006: Bee writes: "All of a sudden this past week I have been waking up in the night with bad acid reflux. I have rarely ever experienced this in my 25 years of life. I decided to look online for some natural remedies and I came across this site with a message from someone who had a similar situation and attributed it to ibuprofen. I also started taking ibuprofen this week to relieve menstrual cramps and think this must be the cause of my acid reflux! I will try the apple cider vinegar and see what happens! Thanks!"