Effective Natural Remedies for GERD Relief - Holistic Approach

Multiple Remedies

6 User Reviews
5 star (5) 
  83%
4 star (1) 
  17%

Posted by Chieko (Albuquerque, Nm) on 01/16/2010
★★★★★

The following work most of the time for me. Sometimes I have to do all of them to finally get relief. I take an OTC acid reducer that just doesn't cut it so I frequently end up with painful GERD, even though I tend to healthy and organic.

*vinegar (distilled or ACV)
*pickle juice (not the sweet ones)
*juice from pickled hot peppers (capsaicin is an anti-inflammatory)
*juice from pickled ginger (another anti-inflammatory)
*1/4 tsp sodium bicarbonate, 1/2 tsp citric acid in 4 oz cold water (like Alka-Seltzer without the aspirin)
*12 oz club soda with lemon or lime and a dash of bitters, no ice, quickly consumed with a straw (helps to prevent the ingestion of too much air)


Multiple Remedies
Posted by Jllerenas (Los Angeles, Ca) on 10/05/2009
★★★★★

If your going to use ACV, please use RAW apple cider that contains enzymes to aid in digestion. But it's not a cure, as claimed here but therapeutic. Indeed, it worked well for me, but not a cure. I also tried 3 apples a day (6months), and that too was even less therapeutic. Some people mistakenly confuse Sleep Apnea/GERD/Celiac disease/H.pylori/Ulcers because the symptoms are all very similar. Find out what you have from a doctor. To my surprise, my doctor diagnosed me with GERD, me thinking Sleep Apnea.

For what ever reason(s), doing the following has helped me: Sleep on your back with head & shoulder at slight incline -pillows are fine, eating figs(high in manganese, pectin, calcium), eating papaya, and finally cabbage, has had a 95% episode reduction for me(i hope 100%; more time to know fully -3months so far). I used to suffer every night waking up gasping for breath, and now I never do. Also, I try to have at least 1 serving of the foods I've mentioned every day. Cultured cabbage is a great way to get natural probiotics. Eat whole foods, not synthetic over the counter pills or pharmaceutical pill that introduce side effects. BTW: Lots of oatmeal and grains seem to stimulate my acid reflux, but that indicates a gluten intolerance (mild Celiac disease?). I wanted to post this since this website had helped me during my quest for natural healing.


Multiple Remedies
Posted by Carri (Lake Forest, California) on 08/11/2008
★★★★★

My husband was on proton pumb inhibitors for GERD, Prilosec being one of them. From my reading of nutrition books and alternative medicine I know how dangerous it is to have your stomuch and bowels out of whack and how it effects the rest of your health. So I zealously urged my husband to get off his medicine and that I would find some way that would work. I googled natural cures for GERD and gathered info from different sites(without having to buy their products) and we tried all the different things we found. Plus I also put him on a low carb high protein diet. It took a few months but he no longer has stomuch pain and the GERD is gone!
From what I can remember here's what he took.

DGL (deglycerized licorice)
Lemonene (or something like that)
Digestive enzymes
probiotics
NO coffee (until GERD is completely gone!)
Acid defense by garden of life and a few other things we found in health food stores.
In Protein Power (the book) they claim that the diet cures GERD, so we also did that and my husband lost 35 lbs too.

I'm not sure exactly what cured him because we threw everything at him and it worked! Don't blindly believe everything doctors or even well meaning friends and family say.There are cures for many things if we learn to work with our body instead of trying to suppress it's natural functions through the many pharmaceuticals the docs are throwing at us.


Oatmeal

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Vicky (Manila, Philippines) on 08/13/2009
★★★★★

Hi there! For those who are suffering from Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) I also suffered for more than 5years and underwent with hi-tech laboratories and spend thousands of money, time and effort but noting seems to no avail. I was having reflux, feeling of bloated; vomiting from time to time especially when my stomach was full, back pain, chest pain, pain on shoulders and heart burning and what is worse is halitosis. Most of the doctors prescribe medicines to cure the acid reflux without even caring for other possible causes of it. I asked and consulted few doctors who examined me for another opinions but I was so disappointed that they just copied what the other doctor said. Without further explanation of possible immune deficiency or vitamins, they just prescribed antibiotics and high dosage of medicines which I eventually had skin inflammation just last year. It is the reaction of my body due to taking strong and excessive antibiotics. I FELT SO HOPELESS so I studied the reasons why I had reflux everyday.

At first I just ignored these symptoms because I thought I was just gaining weight from petite to chubby one. What I remember was I drink sterilized milk everyday and eat foods that contain milk and dairy products. I also had yogurt in my daily diet. Indeed, I am very cautious with myself so finding cure was my greatest battle. I drink and smoke frequently for years and quit for good. Here are the solutions and explanation I made for myself and hope will help you too.

1. The reason why people felt starving just an hour ago after meal is they go to bed when their stomach is full, and in the next morning they felt their stomach much empty, so much hungry that about to lose their consciousness, is the long habit of going to bed with full stomach. Another pain is they got stomach cramp. IT SHOULD BE ATLEAST 2 TO 3 HOURS before going to bed AFTER MEAL.

2. Dyspepsia is nearly the same to bloated, burping and feeling of heavy stomach that is full of air. There are many medicines over the counter to take before each meal. Another option I took was to eat plenty of vegetables which are rich in fiber to digest the food easily. Drinking water while eating will lessen the ability of the stomach to dissolve food but of course excessive acid will tend to acidity which is another story. Drink water only after meal. Another reason for dyspepsia is the slow moving of our intestines which we could get from the fried items and other dairy products.

3. The acid comes from the stomach when it goes up to the esophagus is cancerous because it damages the tissues. The only cure I have done and worked for me till now is to drink half glass of dissolve instant oatmeal without flavor with small amount of sugar; I do it everyday before taking my breakfast. I honestly cannot avoid fried chicken so I maintained eating it but the acid in my stomach had gone because of the oatmeal. Soft drinks and other juice drink can trigger the stomach cramp which is the cause of the air trap in the stomach. Also avoid sour food and unripe mango. Orange is ok.

4. Another reason for acid reflux is the inability of the stomach track to close (like anus) on the time it has to be that is why the acid spill out to the esophagus. In addition to heart burn will appear when the stomach was full with air (like the feeling of bloated), our diaphragm cannot function well especially if we lay down in bed in this condition. If you suffer from heartburn, lay on bed not leveling your whole boy, it should be in the upward position or put many pillows at the back of your head up to your chest.

Now, I was able to solve my GERD, halitosis is my big problem. I read on this site that our saliva should have maintained its PH level. I have in mind the possible cure. I'll give it a try. By the way, Hydrogen peroxide might increase the hairy tongue problem. HP really works instantly just for few minutes after rinse but not for long hours and the bad odor comes back after a while.


Oatmeal
Posted by Gino (Los Angeles, CA) on 04/30/2009
★★★★★

I am a big guy, and I have suffered from GERD/AR for a few years now. Nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with a sour and burning sensation in the throat. You know that this is just the beggining of what is yet to come. You can't go back to sleep, and you know that you have to get out of bed. Then the worst part comes, the painful acid starts to work, and you try to cough it up, and those coughs are very painful and will bring tears to your eyes. You will notice an orange or yellow color in your cough coming out of your lungs. You did your best not to eat anything greasy that night, and you did not eat any chocolate or smoke. You keep trying to figure out how to stop the insanity. I have been there over and over. You read so many articles about this, and you just don't want to drink vinegar, or have to go hungry all night before bed.

I have found a solution for myself. It works for me, and I do not always eat a green apple everynight (but that helps too, Granny Smith). I have read elsewhere that oatmeal causes acid, but this cure works for me. Before going to bed, I make myself some oatmeal. I fill a cup halfway with water, then scoop at least a half cup of oatmeal into it. I do add a little salt for flavor, and then I put it in the microwave to heat and cook. The oatmeal should be very thick and not at all watery. Tastes really good, and I really enjoy it with a few almonds. This works for me even after eating onions, spicy food, tomato sauce, and even something greasy. Can't explain why it works for me and maybe not others. I am sleeping great now. Also, I have great bowel movements the next day, an added plus. Give it a try. May not be good for diabetics given the carb count.

Replied by healthy80
(Central Point, Oregon)
05/01/2009
★★★★★

Unless my health care has strictly forbidden oatmeal, or any other food substance, I do not give it up if it satisfies my need for food at the time. But Please do not follow my lead unless you are prepared to be moderate in all dietary matters from this day forward. I carefully watch my carb, protein and fat balance and accompany or follow my meals with digestive enzymes. I give credit to the digestive enzymes for the disappearance of many of the syptoms I suffered from when I was a youngster in my 70's. The diabetes 2 was a tough nut to crack, after 10 years I discovered thaat a diuretic i was taking was apparently the culprit for bone loss and high blood sugar. I don't have a blood sugar problem at this time. I have found that each time I was able to find a pertinent homeopathic or nutritional remedy for what ails me, I have been able to give up the prescription remedy for that or another ailment. I am a rebel, of course, having grown up with nothing but organic foods and raw milknand cod liver oil.

In those days that was the only kind of food available. I still consider my body to be my Ferrari and I will not try to run it on "kerosene." I get moderate exercise and make sure that I get plenty of O2. I also had/have COPD from Sarcoidosis and refused any medication for that. It was discovered 10 years ago that i had pulmonary fibrosis, 30% of my lungs. my remedy was singing lessons. I sound terrible but it is a good way to learn true deep breathing.

I am relentless in pursuit of remedies that do not involve prescription drugs.They allhave side effects and I am victim to most of them.So I avoid them and feel better that most my age. m Are ther many or any octegenarians among you? For a while it seemed that people my age were dropping like flies. That made me more determined than ever to investigate any and all medications I might be influenced to ingest and more determined to research every ailment that was trhying to catch me. You all seem to be cmputer savvy. Do the same for yourselves.We are not meant to be sick and hurting in our old age. We are meant to enjoy these years. So let's give it a go. Be determined to be well and do not give up the quest to STAY WELL. It is much easier than to try to get well, but i feel sure that we can do that too in most instances. Namaste


Okra

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Marlita (Makati, Philippines) on 04/05/2008
★★★★★

OKRA(lady's finger) cured my acid reflux... i also tried the purple pill like OMEPRON OMEPRAZOLE for more than a month and then other brands.

no medicines cures my reflux then i have complication coming from it ( PHARYNGITIS & LARYNGITIS )

ive been browsing sites to look for remedies or much better CURE and im very much lucky to bump on this site. i read that OKRA (lady's finger ) cures his GERD by eating OKRA for 2 mos.

I TRIED IT... by boiling for a minute, removed the seeds then eating 6 pieces a day... 2 pieces for every meal within 10 DAYS im cured already.

I know it has something to do with OKRA'S natural slimmy characterics that help cures the inflammation of my LOWER ESOPHAGEAL SPHINCTER the major reason of the reflux

the slimmy characteristic coats my LES as it gives time to heal it....i guess that's the most important part HEALING FIRST YOUR LOWER ESOPHAGEAL SPHINCTER before your GERD eradicated.

Now i can eat anything i want... my GERD it's just a nightmare for me and dont want to remember as it cost so much depression on me while sleeping in SITTING POSITON for more than a month.

THANKS TO YOUR SITE i read that information here.

Replied by Juve Orbista
(Parañaque Manila Philippines)
07/09/2020
★★★★★

Ohhh thank you me my GERD coming 4months this July 20 and I'm healed by okra I'm sure I'm almost ok now with the help of good diet and PRAYERS ..thank you OKRA


Pain Medication and GERD

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Heather (Portland, OR) on 01/09/2007
★★★★★

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs: Remarkable decrease in symptoms, but I still have not been able to get off my prescribed prevacid. I've been on it for 5 years. I started reading your site for helpful information, but came away somewhat confused and frustrated. There are just so many testimonials with a dizzying amount of yay's & ney's... it actually left me feeling less hopeful than when I arrived. I've been using acupuncture & chinese herbs to help curb my GERD. I've reduced my Prevacid from 30mg once a day, to 15mg every other day. Acupuncture is a great stress reliever, so that's probably one of the reasons I find relief. The Chinese herbs I take is a formula Coptis & Evodia which you can research on the internet. One piece of information I did find helpful, was the link between pain medication and GERD. My GERD developed shortly after a 15-day hospital stay in which I was on a morphine pump that delivered a dose of morphine every 3 minutes. (I had a complication to a gallbladder removal surgery.) My theory has been that large doses of antibiotics & the lack of gallbladder & the bile it produced left my stomach vulnerable to H. pylori & unable to digest food properly. However, now reading about the pain medication theory - that would make sense too.


Pickle Juice

14 User Reviews
5 star (13) 
  93%
4 star (1) 
  7%

Posted by Abbey (Northampton, PA) on 12/09/2022
★★★★★

I will forever be so thankful to this site. I've been feeling pretty crummy all morning with GERD symptoms starting about an hour ago and going from 0-100 real quick. So much pressure in my chest it feels like I'm dying. I tried ACV, digestive enzymes, prilosec & tums. Nothing. I just went to the fridge and drank about 1/2- 1 cup of pickle juice and I can breathe again! Great relief & easily on hand! THANK YOU EARTH CLINIC!


Pickle Juice
Posted by Rebecca (Cincinnati) on 05/24/2013
★★★★★

This is a total shock! I have been suffering from GERD symptoms for about two weeks. I realized I have been eating all the foods that trigger it from reading this forum. I tried ACV, baking soda, even drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide in water. Nothing worked. Out of desperation, I looked in the frig for pickle juice after reading all the comments and voila, the symptoms are dissipating. Amazing!


Pickle Juice
Posted by Steve (Charlotte, North Carolina) on 10/27/2011
★★★★★

I am a healthy and fit 56 year old. As I've aged, I have learned to avoid eating later at night and to choose my foods wisely, selectively avoiding foods that cause heartburn. Both efforts have helped control GERD, which I ocassionally experience at night while horizontally resting or sleeping. When I do eat the wrong foods or eat late at night, I'll take OTC medication to prevent GERD. Late last night I ate several slices of pizza, a notoriously avoidable food for me, but I followed that with three garlic kosher dill pickle spears. Not an inkling of indigestion! Truly remarkable!

Replied by Sarah
(Thomasville, Nc)
11/22/2011
★★★★★

It's 2:30 am and I cannot sleep due to the burning in my throat. I do not suffer from GERD and this is one of the few times in my life that I have had an episode of acid reflux and therefore I do not have a medicine cabinet full of pills to prevent it.

I stumbled across this page and found that pickle juice might provide some relief since I don't have apple vinegar so I guzzled down some pickle juice and I feel much better. The searing, burning sensation in my throat has almost subsided and it's only been a couple of minutes since I drank the juice! Yay! Maybe I can go to sleep now! Thanks for the information!

Replied by Mark
(Novato, California, Usa)
11/21/2012
★★★★★

I'm 29 years old, I've had Acid Reflux / GERD since at least 2009. During 2009, I was in a bodybuilding transformation contest, and I worked out 5 days a week. After 4 months of weight training, my acid reflux became severe, and I went to the hospital to get an endoscopy. They found nothing, except that my esophagus was red. Well I laid off the weight lifting for a couple years and started again in 2011. It took a whole year before the acid reflux kicked in again, and this time, it returned with a VENGEANCE! I felt paralyzed by the pain, I was getting tingles in my arms and legs, had a hard time breathing, could barely swallow, felt like I was going to choke on every bite of food, had panic attacks, even felt like I was going to randomly swallow my tongue. I couldn't lay down at night, without feeling like my whole body was in shock, due to the acid in my esophagus. I had a hunch that it was the acid hitting some vital nerve in the esophageal area, which was subsequently causing the all of these other symptoms I described above. Sure enough, I was right!

I went to the E. R. In August of 2012, and they put me on a 2 month supply of Protonix. This immediately stopped all of these symptoms, including all of the acid reflux. I have also tried Aciphex, which works well too, but it has a lot more side effects than the Protonix. I'm a health nut though, I've never drank, never done drugs, I work out, eat well, etc.. So I wanted to get off of these PPI pills. I decided to look on here, where I found Pickle Juice. I have also tried apples which helped for a short time, but then they stopped having a powerful effect, and I started waking up in the middle of the night with acid in my throat.

Well I just now came across this site, looking for other remedies that might help, instead of the pharma-pills. I saw all these about pickle juice, and figured I'd give it a shot. I went to the store and bought 2 bottles of 'Polish Dill pickles with garlic. ' I ate one spear of a pickle, just to test the waters. I was afraid it might cause a worse worse reaction, but to my surprise, not only does my acid reflux seem gone, but I noticed that it made me feel like I could breathe better?? I'm not sure if pickles have ever helped people breathe better, but I certainly noticed that my lungs seemed to open up more and the congestion in my chest seemed all but gone! I will post more as the days go on, and I try more pickles each night. Thank God for this site!

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Philippines)
11/21/2012

Hi Mark... The fact that your symptoms go away when you take Pickle Juice, ACV or even Vinegar tells me that the reason for your GERD problem isn't caused by too much acid in your stomach but is, instead, caused by TOO LITTLE stomach acid production. Pickle Juice is acidic so when you take it at mealtimes this raises your stomach acid to the correct pH strength -- hence no GERD. But taking Pickle Juice will only accomodate and remove the symptoms of your problem -- it is therefore not a cure. To address and repair the root cause of your problem -- lack of stomach acid -- you will have to supply more chlorides to your body.

Here's how it works. When you eat, the stomach acid pH must be at a pH of between 1 - 3(very acid) for proper stomach digestion. If it is higher than that, more alkaline in other words, then the stomach will fail to kill all the pathogens incoming with your food. This will eventually lead to dysbiosis -- pathogens like E. Coli, H Pylori, Candida, Gardia etc will begin to dominate your upper intestine area leading to all sorts of other serious problems. This is also the main reason and cause for your reflux or GERD problems.

When food is eaten, a hormone called secretin is put out into the blood which triggers the secretion of the pancreatic juices and main stage digestive enzymes -- and this process is triggered only if your stomach acid pH is between 1 - 3. So if you pH is higher and at incorrect strength, then the pancreatic juices and digestive enzymes for mainstage digestion will not be triggered and so your food will just sit there in your duodenum rotting and fast breeding pathogens also causing your GERD and reflux problems.

The remedy is as follows:

* Take betaine hydrchloride tablets at with every meal. This will help to supply the necessary chlorides and will address the root cause of your stomach acid problem.

* Take pancreatic enzymes containing bromelain and papain at every meal. This will aid proper protein digestion in both the stomach and duodenum.

* Take Sea Salt(not refined table salt) -- 1/4 to 1/2 tspn with water once per day -- outside mealtimes. This helps to supply chlorides for proper stomach acid production.

* Take Magnesium Chloride -- 1/4 teaspoon once per day -- taken at mealtme. This also helps to supply chlorides for proper stomach digestion.

* Alkalize the intestines using Ted's Sodium Bicarbonate and water remedy. Take this remedy 1/2 hr to 1 hour after every meal. This remedy helps to promote proper alkaline digestion in the upper intestine and also addresses a possible lack of bicarbonates in the pancreatic juices.

*(Optional) Kelp Extract -- regular advised dosage -- Iodine is also necessary to help regenerate stomach acid.

The above remedy can also be taken together with the Pickle Juice if you want.


Pickle Juice
Posted by Kayla (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) on 08/09/2011
★★★★★

My girlfriend was having horrible stomach pains and was feeling really sick. She had eaten a lot of foods that were bad for her GERD all day long. I finally, after reading the site, talked her into drinking some pickle juice... It really helped... It started instantly and was kind of a slow process but is feeling better now... Thank You..!!!!!!


Pickle Juice
Posted by Babs1968 (Marietta, Ga, Usa) on 06/09/2011
★★★★☆

Here it is at 2:55 AM and I have been up for over 2 hours now pacing with my GERD. I am a pretty healthy person and I am also a Chiropractor. I was recently diagnosed when I went to the ER because I thought I was having a Heart Attack. I am 42 years old, eat pretty healthy, get adjusted regularly, and do moderate physical activity. Even as healthy and holisitic as I am, I succumbed to omeprezole because the pain was so severe. I had such a bad reaction to it. I was severely nauseous and dizzy. I went back to the GI Dr. (trying to be a good patient) and he gave me aciphex. I am refusing to take it. GI Doc says that it will allow the acid to subside and let the esophagus heal. I think that is a load of bunk and based on what I have been reading on this site, many of you feel the same. I have not taken perscription meds since I was a kid, why was I going to do so now? Here I am at 3:00AM, with severe pain, so I went to the web and came across your website. I did not have any Apple Cider Vinegar, so I turned to the pickle juice idea. I was in doubt that it would work but at 3 AM, I was feeling desperate. I love pickles and have stayed away because I thought it would make my GERD worse. I took a shot (about 1/2 cup) and now I feel much better. I started taking digestive enzymes today (Alka Pan and Alka Green) suggested by another Chiropractor. They are not working yet. I am hopeful that they will. I also like the apple idea. I usually have them around and will be buying more tomorrow. Thank you all for your suggestions and Thank you Earth Clinic for having this awesome website. I have added it to my favorites. Sweet dreams all.


Pickle Juice
Posted by Rita (Miamisburg, Ohio) on 03/04/2010
★★★★★

Thank you so much for this site. I have been suffering for years but more since I was dropped from medicaid and could not get any of my medications. I love pickle juice but never drank it thinking it would make the GERD worse. BOY WAS I WRONG! It does help and for the first time in months I am acid free and out of pain.


Pickle Juice
Posted by Janie Y (Mattoon, Illinois) on 01/30/2010
★★★★★

I have been suffering from Gerd for years. There are some foods that really irritate it the most. I find that by leaving the caffeine (anything chocolatey!), and tomatoes(the red ones as the yellow ones seem ok and aren't that bothersome) alone, I am fine for the most part and seem to suffer less. But, oh how I love to eat them both! Thank goodness I have discovered (because of your website) pickles/pickle juice and anything pickled! When I feel the Gerd coming on (because I am only human and vulnerable to these temptations,I have slipped and eaten those things to which I shouldn't have and thus pay the price),and... that is when I will grab a pickle slice or two. I also like pickled asparagus spears/pickled cauliflower, pickled beets, etc.(most of these are found at our local health food store. These things seem to really do the trick and with-in seconds after gobbling a few of these up, wa-la the Gerd has disappeared! I also drink a tab bit of the juice as well. Maybe a couple tablespoons full. Anways, thank you for your website and for everyone who contributes.


Pickle Juice
Posted by Sharon P (Mineral Bluff, Ga) on 11/30/2009
★★★★★

hi my name is sharon have been diagnosed with the medical condition gerd really couldnt understand it until tonite...starting feeling the systoms coming on about an hour ago and nothing at home to take so went to the internet and typed in gerd and found this website...wow read the section on pickle juice and tried about half of cup and starting feeling relief in just a few minutes...will be a full time drinker of pickle juice thanks..im 43 years old



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