Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Acid Reflux

Dear Adam,

Apple cider vinegar worked very well for me for a long time for acid reflux. Eventually it stopped working all together.

It turned out that my gall bladder problems were the cause of reflux for me. Several gall bladder flushes have completely eliminated my reflux (and my gallstones.)

You might read the gallbladder pages here at EC and see if anything there resonates with your situation.

~Mama to Many~

Try not eating four or five hours before bedtime. Also, cut spicy foods as they make things worse. The last thing is stop the home remedies and otc meds. Eat balanced meals and add walking a few miles a day. Good luck.

ACV worked temporarily for me as well but once I added 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon to the concoction, I no longer take the Prilosec nor the Omeprazole. It works!

Dear Cwk,

I used Apple Cider Vinegar for years for reflux/heartburn. Then it didn't work and neither did anything else.

My reflux was caused by gallstones. I did several gall bladder flushes over several months and got out the stones.

For the last year I have felt so much better. Heartburn is very rare now. I marvel still that I feel so much better.

So all that to say, you might want to consider a gallbladder issue.

~Mama to Many~

Cwk, ACV nor Betaine HCI never worked for me. I had to buy OTC products for relief and it was horrible heartburn! For another reason, I had allergy testing done for metals as I had a titanium implant that was hurting and drs could see no reason for it to hurt. Also had other metals in my mouth as well. Found out I was extremely allergic to nickel, cobalt, vanadium and chromium. I had the implant replaced with ceramic last week in Dallas and that evening I was dreading eating my soup for dinner. Because I knew I would have to chew an antacid and that would be difficult after surgery. But I ate the soup and nothing! No heartburn since, and other weird symptoms are gone too. So, if you have had any medical or dental implants, that could be a possibility? Silver fillings? It's not a fun, nor cheap things to undertake, but getting rid of all that metal and now detoxing has made a big difference. I also had 8 root canals, 2 of which was infected, but could not be seen by an xray. Only upon extraction was it found. Thermogram also confirmed an infection with drainage into my lymph nodes showing a hot spot. Hope this helps you, I know your pain. Good luck!

I just had a Nissan Fundoplication surgery recently. But I still have GERD. I had to get off the Prilosec so started taking apple cider vinegar. It is working well. However my understanding is that after 3-9 months on ACV the GERD should be cured. Providing you routinely avoid foods that trigger GERD. I think you are having a rebound effect from continuing to take the ACV.

hi, can I ask how long it took to help with the heartburn & reflux please been a few days & still not feeling great. Should I give it more time???

You can have the bacteria, h-pylori. It's so painful & Apple Cider Vinegar stops working. Get a breath test. The cure is antibiotics or supplements. I have done both. I prefer the natural way. Take 2 supplements, pyloricin & I forget the name. It has mastic gum, zinc carnosine & a few others in it. Take it for a month & you feel normal again.

You said you get asthma symptoms from GERD! I have breathing issues supposedly to GERD also, seems like a strange symptom and it concerns me it is something else, breathing issues common from GERD?? And I just started the vinegar, hoping it works!!

Ive also had my GB removed, you might want to look into taking ox bile with fatty foods, I found bentonite clay help enormously with the issue with the surgery so you might want to look into that. Hopefully it will settle down once your body adapts

Wanting to get off my prilosec. Been on for 6 months. Should I stop cold turkey for the ACV to work, or taper off? Would seem the ACV can't work if I am still suppressing acid with PPI.

I have being having acid reflux/ gerd for years but I don't take a lots of antacid or prescription drugs, I couldn't find the organic apple cider vinegar or the one with mother here in Jamaica but I have started yesterday with apple cider vinegar instantly I felt a little relief, I intended to continue using it but my main concern with this is I am scary that I will start losing weight and don't want to my weight is not a problem I could do with more, my next concern is how much should I take per day an also on the glass bottle it is marked diluted with water. Should I add more water to this or drink it directly, anticipating a quick response thank you.

Amanda, as with most things, start low and slow and notice your reactions.

I too am coming off Nexium/Prilosec, after being on it for over a year.... and suffering heart arrhythmias as a result of the long term use.... I tried tapering off of it, but the irregular heartbeat got severe enough to land me in the emergency room, so I stopped it entirely.... I'm happy to say, 3 days off Nexium, and using apple cider vinegar, and no more irregular heartbeat, and no more heartburn.

Mix with 6 oz of water. Never drink vinegar full strength.

Wondering why you say not to take full strength? I have a friend that told me she battled GERD for years, took 1Tbsp ACV straight in the morning for 1 month straight and never suffered again. I have been taking for a week. I just want all the info I can get, thanks!

I did ACV and baking soda for a year. Got off prescription. Keep it up.

I had acid reflux for years. Now I hardly get it. so I know how uncomfortable it is for you.

I did this:

1. NO oily food eg Samosa, Poori, Pakora etc. and ABSOLUTELY NO meals when you stuff yourself fully. Eat light, quickly digestible stuff. No maida.

2. Take very limited quantity of above it you cannot resist--that too only once a week.

3. keep your weight under control. NO belly. Get ample of Exercise or physical activity.

4. It may take 1-2 weeks to see improvement.

Give yourself a dedicated full 2 months taking apple cider vinegar 2 tbls in 6-8oz water, 3 times a day (before each meal). After the 2nd week, go down to twice a day. After the 4th week, you may be able to go down to once a day. No doctor here, but I followed this plan and my daily acid reflux struggle decreased to only once or twice a month (after eating a trigger food)! If that's not worth a try than I don't know what is!

For the women out there, be careful with drinking it 3 times a day. I did this when I first started using Apple Cider Vinegar and it gave me a yeast infection.

You are supposed to take the Apple Cider Vinegar with 8 oz glass of water. That should work better for you.

Hi Rohith, please let me know how is your acid reflux now....I am a singer but unable to speak from 3 months... kindly let me know how are you feeling now.....it will be great help.

I just took 1 tblsp ACV and honey in a glass of water. Will also try the 1/2 an apple. There are days I just don't think I'm going to make it, my reflux gets so severe 😢

Praying for great results!!

Perhaps look into gall bladder flushes. Reflux can be a symptom of gallstones.

You are taking the foods that should be avoided; ie a lot of coffee and eat late at night. Should stop these two ASAP.

Dear Jacqueline,

It is discouraging that it seems to be taking more and more vinegar to get the results. I tend to think that you would get to a point of too much of a good thing. I personally would not want to be taking more than 4 T. Ideally, 2 T. per day or less.

When I was using ACV for reflux in pregnancy, I just had some ACV in my water and sipped it all day. I would tend to think it is best taken between meals, but you may need to just try different things and see how you do.

Have you tried other things? Making sure you are well hydrated, limiting things like coffee and soft drinks, eating less processed foods, smaller meals, etc. are all things that could be helpful.

Is it possible that your gall bladder is involved in any way? When I have a gall bladder flare up, I have reflux symptoms. Recently, when I had the flu, I had a terrible flare up that responded to nothing and had me about out of my skin in pain. I used a castor oil pack over my gall bladder area with a heating pad and the pain resolved in 20 minutes. I kept the castor oil pack on for several hours.

Just some thoughts. I hope you be feeling very well soon.

~Mama to Many~

I've been having GERD symptoms for 6 months and have been on daily PPI since my diagnosis. I also had a camera inspection 3 months ago that found a hiatus hernia and a tiny (microscopic) instance of Barretts. Fortunately, from the biopsies, the cells appear normal and are not dangerous.

But, taking PPI, trying Lanzoprazole and Omeprazole to ever increasing dosages (now 2x30mg per day), my symptoms are no better.

I am generally fit and healthy, have a good diet and consider myself fortunate that I don't suffer from some of the more extreme symptoms that some here appear to. I can sleep right through at night and have only noticed an acid taste in my mouth recently. My main symptoms are a feeling of congestion in oesophagus, tightness of throat and a cold tongue.

I am strongly considering stopping the PPI medication today and starting the ACV recipe, but before I go against my specialists advice of PPI treatment, I wondered if anyone has had a camera inspection before and after self-medicating with ACV, and whether there had been any change in the cells in the oesophagus? Basically, I don't want to take ACV if it only masks the symptoms, but is still doing harm and turns the tiny amount of Barretts in to something serious.

If anyone can offer any insight, I would be grateful. Thanks.

Hi, I had a serious reflux and the helicobacter, ulcers, doctors put me on nexium which ruined my body, this sucks the important acid from your body. I went on a research trail, and came across a fabulous book called 'hard to stomach'. I started on L Glutamine, and took a good mineral supplement before I took these tablets I had a camera the doctor told me the scars would not heal, and even taking antibiotics might not help, then I started on a strict no fat diet and took l glutamine and minerals when I went back to get the camera the doctor said he was amazed the stomach he seen before was not the same the ulcers were gone and my reflux healed. Best of luck

What mineral supps are you using?? ie magnesium-zinc??

Research the benefits of taking melatonin for heatburn