The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Ginger
Posted by Lisa (Barto, Pa, Us) on 01/13/2012
★★★★★
I do agree with the Ginger Candy for acid reflux. It is very good and I also eat it after my meal. I try to suck on it and it can turn into a very small piece of ginger root and I chew on it for about a half hour or so. If I can't get a piece sucked down I also chew ginger gum for about an hour helps a lot.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Kat (Arlington, Tx) on 01/09/2012
★★★★☆
This is my first post on Earth Clinic. I just started using BSM this past week for the first time ever. I had never even tasted it before. I'm trying the Organic Unsulphered Wholesome brand. (I wanted to use the Plantation Organic brand because it's packaged in glass instead of plastic, but I couldn't find any. :() So far I'm only using 1 tsp in my coffee once a day. One day I also tried it in tea, and it tastes ok, but I like it better in coffee. Anyway, I only started for the health benefits of getting extra vitamins and minerals, and also as a possible hope of maybe helping my endometriosis. I found it on Earth Clinic while trying to help my mom find a cure for her very large Uterine Fibroid so that she won't have to have a hysterectomy. So I figured, if people say it can help that then maybe it could help me also.
Well, I would have never guessed that it would help my GERD/Acid Reflux! I had no idea it could be used for that. I've mainly heard about ACV. I know it's got to be the BSM that's helping. I have had GERD for the past 2-3 years, and it is flairing really badly right now. I have been in extreme pain and discomfort this last week from reflux (dry cough throughout the day, acid belly--which I normally only get during my cycle, burping up food and acid 1-2 hrs after I eat, congestion in the morning). Somehow these symptoms have become considerably less since starting the BSM, and it hasn't even been a full 7 days. Amazing.
Last night I even ate tacos and didn't have any reflux issues. That's a huge breakthrough. I will try using up to the recommended 1 TBSP on the bottle to see if that cures it completely.
Cabbage
Posted by Richard (Pago Pago, American Samoa) on 01/07/2012
★★★★★
RED CABBAGE!!!
Greatest cure for acid and indigestion I have found that really chewing a chunk of raw red(purple) cabbage, quickly balances my system quicker than anything.
It seems to work instantly!! Been a life saver for me.
Papaya
Posted by Aileen (Makati, Philippines) on 09/15/2011
★★★★★
I had a very bad time last night bcoz of my acid reflux. I was sitting the whole night and couldn't sleep. And then I remember reading here about digestive enzymes and it just so happened that I have papaya fruit. After eating it, my pain was gone in less than 30 mins. I was able to sleep. Just sharing it so that it might help others too. Thanks to this wonderful site, you're really helping a lot of people. Keep up the good work guys!
Apples
Posted by Jo (Derby, Uk) on 07/03/2011
★★★★★
Having recently found out that I am too a sufferer of acid reflux I am sooooooo glad I found this site!! After reading these comments about apples I thought I would give it a go as I'd far prefer to do this than take medication for the rest of my life! No joke, within half an hour of me eating my first apple that awful burning in my throat started to ease up. 24 hours later after having a few apple slices after every meal the burning has gone completely. I am still taking my medication but when I report this to my doctor when I see him next week maybe he will allow me to stop.... You know what they say, "An apple a day"... (I don't need to say the rest!!! 3 cheers for the good old apple!!
Aloe Vera
Posted by Kate (Kingston, Ny) on 06/28/2011
★★★★★
I've found aloe juice to help with digestive issues and read that it works by lowering the acidity of the gastric juices found in the stomach. Aloe vera is also a powerful anti-inflammatory (think sunburns), offering relief for sore throat symptoms as well. Hope it helps!!
Milk
Posted by Hiram (Charleston, Sc) on 06/26/2011
★★★★☆
I've had reflux for a few years now and I've been taking 40 mg Protonix mostly to control it, and it did for the most part, but the burning always woke me up in the mornings and my sleep/rest time suffered. I discovered recently that drinking a few ounces of milk before go to sleep helps a great deal, eliminating about 95% of that burning sensation. Now I can sleep in more often than I have for years. I hope this helps you.
I'm thinking about trying to get off the meds altogether by taking the ACV.
Digestive Enzymes
Posted by Audrey (Fort Pierce, Fl) on 07/29/2011
★★★★★
hi, I take 2 TwinLabs Super Enzyme caps and 1 Swanson Acidophilus before each meal. When I first started, now I take it once a day and if I should have a problem I take them as soon as I notice....... and it works for me
I buy my products from www.swansonvitamins.com and have useed them for at least 25 years
Digestive Enzymes
Posted by Karen (Cumming, Ga) on 05/12/2012
I have taken Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics for 8 years. My worst symptom was a constant cough for 10 years for which I was prescribed various inhalers for asthma. After a tongue biopsy which diagnosed candidiasis (probably caused by the inhalers), I began doing my own research online and decided to try Probiotics. I wanted the best one I could take and consulted a friend who sold "high quality supplements". As it turned out, she sent me the above mentioned product and my cough was gone in three days. It was nothing short of miraculous!!! Since then I have learned much and believe what I suffered from was GERD (not asthma), with no "typical" acid reflux symptoms. I had an endoscopy and the DR diagnosed Barrett's Esophogus (caused by GERD).The enzymes are all plant based, and since it is a powder that you mix with water and drink (with or without a meal), it is 100% bioavailable. Fully absorbed by the body - no waste, and no need to digest a pill in order for it to work. Just be careful if you take a timed release medication as this product contains cellulase, which will break down the cellulose in some timed release medications too quickly. Ask your pharmacist if the medication you are taking is timed release and if it is bound with cellulose, then use accordingly - ie: taken several hours apart. Enzymes and Probiotics are live and should not be heated. Be aware: Ordering them online in the summer is risky since the product could sit in a hot truck or your mailbox for hours on end rendering them ineffective. So order and store them appropriately.
Garlic
Posted by Seanb (Port Mcnicoll, Ontario, Canada) on 04/26/2011
★★★★★
I have suffered from Acid Reflux for about 5 years. I have enjoyed many of the typical symptoms, Lump in throat sensation, burning behind breast bone, throat palpatations, excessive mucous etc. I have tried every remedy I could find including Ted's alkalizing forumla's primarily Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking soda. As with most remedies I have found nothing seems to work for long. I had the best success with ACV and Baking soda but it too stopped being as effective after about a year.
With all the remedies I have tried I think at best I could only describe the results as controlling my symptoms. This no longer seems to be the case, my acid reflux seems to be gone entirely. This is a direct result of taking Garlic supplements daily.
In researching this condition I found a few articles claiming that the active healing ingredient in garlic called Allicin is one of the only natural ways to kill the H pylori bacteria in the stomache. its widely believed that a high percentage of people with reflux have this bacteria.
Over Christmas I was having an exceptionally bad episode and out of desperation ate a couple raw cloves. After my mouth stopped burning I was amazed to note my symptoms had subsided. I have since been taking garlic and over the course of a couple months all of my symtopms have ceased. I quickly switched to galic supplements from Wall Mart as taking raw garlic was too poweful and was causing some social implications.
Garlic is one of the trigger foods we are supposed to avoid, I believed this to be true and would not have tried this if not out of desperation. It may well be responsible for the occaional heart burn I have had since but this has been minor and typically reiieved with a few almonds or some candied ginger. All of my other more concerning symptoms are gone.
reading up on Garlic you will find it has a lot of benefits including fighting some types of cancers. One of the other benefits is bowel regulation. I did not think I had a problem in this area but its now apparent that I did. I think its this issue that led to my acid reflux in the first place.
I hope others will try this and hopefully get the same benefit. Its my hope that if this works for others that we can spread the word and help others. I know this condition can really get you down over time and can seem hopeless but like the X-Files the truth is out there. Good luck to all of you
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Marie (Ny) on 08/07/2017
The problem with the acid blockers is that they shut down the acid producing pump in the stomach and when you suddenly stop taking these drugs the stomach pump tries to make up for the blockage and produces more acid so it's hard to get off these drugs., but not impossible. It would appear that reducing gradually would be better.
Milk
Posted by Cpn (Panther Land, Usa) on 03/04/2010
★★★★★
My wife also uses milk to relieve her heartburn. Works everytime for her. So I'll give milk a second YEA for heartburn!
Apples
Posted by Charlene (Mccoll, Sc) on 12/13/2009
★★★★★
Just eat a small to medium size apple in the evening before bedtime, or after dinner. Better than vinegar, and tastes much better.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Posted by Liz (Seattle, Wa.) on 11/05/2009
★★★★★
Am 70 and have acid reflux for years. Got herbs from the Chinese doc and things are better. If you think that you might have ulcers, cranberry juice is great. I drink it with soda water to make it more palatable - no sugar. Find that sugar really starts the acid reflux. As long as I avoid it, I'm good. Also Health food stores have some good digestion teas that help.
Ginger
Posted by Darijan (Zagreb, Hr, Croatia) on 09/23/2009
★★★★★
I would like to add Yes for GINGER.
I suffered from Acid reflux for nine months, tried almost everything, was on NEXIUM too, I did not have chest pain but throat pain, and ginger tea was the most spectacular discovery! Now I drink several glasses of ginger tea daily and the pain is now much much weaker. Nothing I tried before ever made so much difference.
Therefore, strongly recommend ginger.
I buy a fresh one, peel it off, cut it in small pieces and just spill hot water over it, just like I would do with any other tea.
Anyway, that worked out for me. Pain is not completely gone yet (I drink it for three days only) but life became much more bearable since I started.
Good luck to all of you!
Turmeric
Posted by Stefanida Leelannee (Sussex, Nj) on 08/30/2009
★★★★☆
I have had an acid reflux problem for several months. I posted a couple of months ago about my success with the water cure. I started slacking off on this because (a) it really worked, so I kept forgetting to do it; and (b) I had to take it at least 4 times per day, so sometimes that was inconvenient.
A couple of weeks ago I started taking 1 tsp of turmeric (just the powdered spice) in a small glass of water twice a day (for liver function), and without taking the water cure, my acid reflux seems to have subsided. I now just take the turmeric once a day, because taking it late in the evening seemed to be keeping me up at night.
Yesterday I didn't take the turmeric, and by evening I had severe reflux. Too late to take turmeric so I took 1/2 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt and a large glass of water, and that gave me relief almost instantly.
Although the spice is a little bitter, there is no aftertaste or repeating (burping). So it may sound unpleasant, but it's really not bad. I take a small spoonful of honey afterward, or a sip of tea.
I have read that turmeric is more effective when taken with black pepper, so I try to shake a bit into my drink. I also just read that it's much more effective when warmed up in something containing fat--like food! or even milk or coconut milk. Apparently in India it is taken as a tea with milk. You can find many recipes online.
Water and Sea Salt
Posted by Leelannee (Vernon, NJ) on 07/12/2009
★★★★★
WATER AND SEA SALT (WATER CURE)
has worked wonders for my acid reflux.
I had been coughing for weeks, then the burning started...No matter what I ate, even just water and raw fruit all day, the reflux would start about 1/2 hour after I ate. I've also been taking probiotics every day for years. Within 3 days of starting the water cure, my coughing was gone and my reflux started getting better.
I take 1/4 teaspoon of UNREFINED SEA SALT with 1 quart of water at least 4 times per day (I just keep a bowl of salt in the kitchen with a measuring spoon in it, and whenever I think about it, I just chuck the salt in my mouth then wash it down with a bottle of water, rather than drinking salty water). Although for my weight, I should be taking 8 doses, I usually only manage 4. If I skip it due to running around & not being home, I might be all right that day but will suffer the next, and it takes about a day to re-normalize.
Other benefits that I have noticed: I don't have to urinate as often--I can hold it like a "normal" person! This may also be due to not coughing as much, which was causing some incontinence.
It has also helped with insomnia. I was taking several natural remedies to help me fall asleep, and would have vivid, disturbing nightmares if I skipped these (especially a powdered magnesium drink). Within a week on the watercure, I started falling asleep more easily and while I still have weird dreams, they aren't as vivid & I barely remember them in the morning.
I have difficulty taking ACV because of the flavor, and while taking baking soda helps I am reluctant to do so because you NEED acid to digest certain foods. It's also easier & cheaper than many of the other supplements I was taking! I've read some success stories about weight loss... haven't had any luck in that department yet (started June 11th, today is July 12th), but am still hoping it will help!
Raw Potato
Posted by Ivette (Pasadena, California) on 05/23/2009
★★★★★
Hello! I have acid reflux and I found that eating one half potato relieves the symptoms quickly. Probably because potatos are high in natural starches, overall, raw potatos have helped me more than prescribed medicine!
Apples
Posted by Erin (Lima, Ohio) on 05/09/2009
★★★★★
After suffering from symptoms of "Acid Reflux Disease" for about three and 1/2 years and feeling very frustrated with (expensive)pharmceutical treatments and not getting any results, I decided to try both apple slices and apple juice before going to bed or when symptoms appeared (not at the same time). The results, I am THRILLED to say were IMMEDIATE!!! I tried them the same night that I read the testimonials from others on this site and I slept the best I have in those 3 1/2 years! No more sleeping sitting up or on my left side only. I had sloppy joes this afternoon, felt the symptoms coming back, ate apple slices (red delicious) and the symptoms went away. I am still trying to figure out what all of my trigger foods are. THANK YOU for this site and the information!
