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.
Raw Honey
Posted by David (Europe) on 07/30/2006
★★★★★
Just having a spoon or 2 of raw honey every time the burning starts and just before you go bed seems to work for me but eating everything slowly and not drinking coffee alcohol (dunno spelling) or soda and always follow a meal with a glass of water and if it goes away which it did for me u can resume your normal diet and if the reflux comes back just go back to doing all of these and you should be fine.
Milk
Posted by Len (Chicago, IL) on 06/05/2006
★☆☆☆☆
Except for a little fat free milk in the morning, I eliminated milk from my evenings and afternoons and it helped my acid reflux.
Raise the Bed
Posted by William (Klamath Falls, OR) on 05/07/2006
★★★★★
Lifted head end of bed about three inches. Helps, doesn't cure, night time acid reflux.
Mangosteen Juice
Posted by Ray (East Nortport) on 05/05/2006
★★★★★
After an great dinner and two apple pie and vanilla ice cream I went to bed. I woke up at 1 AM with some moderate heartburn. I drank 1 oz. of Mangosteen Juice and by 1:15 I was able to lay down without any pain. It worked better than Alkaseltzer.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Kathleen (Gulfport, FL) on 05/03/2006
★★★★★
Mine is not so much a remedy, but a prevention. After being on a low-fat diet for several weeks, I noticed that all my acid reflux symptoms had disappeared. I can eat any of the foods that normally triggered acid reflux as long as I keep my fat intake to no more than 10% of my calories. When I change this eating routine, the acid reflux comes back, especially at night.
Mangosteen Juice
Posted by Carla (Ohio) on 04/25/2006
★★★★★
i'am currently trying the mangosteen remedy (very expensive Xango). The xango is helping me with everything. i had bad headaches, no energy dry skin back aches, toe nail discoloration, smoke too many cigarettes and the list goes on. I feel 500 percent better. although i think i am going to try the apple cider remedy. i was reading the part (nays, i believe) where the people where getting sick or not working or whatever and i wanted to let people know that everyone's bodies are different and every person may need a different dosage. if a person gets sick from a remedy they need to start off with a lower dosage and work their way up. the body cannot deal with a new strange thing entering and taking over. healthy for you or not. introduce yourself and work your way up. some people need to start off twice a week for a couple of weeks then add more and more to your diet until you met your needs. some people every other day and so on and so forth. don't give up and good luck!
Raw Honey
Posted by Frank (Fort Pierce, FL) on 04/14/2006
★★★★★
SEEMS THIS MIGHT BE THE RIGHT REMEDY FOR ACID REFLUX. I AM NOT DOING AS MUCH BELCHING AS I DID BEFORE. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO COMPLETLY CURE ME?
Licorice
Posted by Deirdre (Los Angeles, CA) on 04/10/2006
★★★★★
I haven't had an issue with acid reflux until this past weekend when I over-ate (mostly thick chunks of bread) at a dinner party on Friday night. 3 hours later I had intense burning and pain in my upper right intestinal tract, just under my liver/gallbladder. When the pain and burning spread to my entire upper intestinal tract and didn't ease up after 48 hours, I decided to research some home remedies for gastritis. I ended up buying chewable DGL (licorice root extract) at Whole Foods last night... I knew it was great for healing ulcers, why not gastritis?! I chewed two tablets and within 30 minutes, the burning and pain had stopped. Today I am almost back to 100% (just a slight sensation of burning). I hope other people will give this supplement a shot for acid reflux. DGL supports the lining of the stomach and intestinal tract. One more thing -- Licorice Root Extract raises blood pressure, but DGL is licorice root extract without the compound that raises blood pressure -- glycyrrhizin -- so you can take it every day supposedly, 20 minutes before a meal.
Licorice
Posted by Sherry (Longview, Washington ) on 08/12/2008
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Licorice (the herb not the candy) cannot be taken safely for very long. It causes high blood pressure. I have found licorice root in diet teas and women's remedy teas used as a dieretic. Taken any longer than 6 days or so can cause health issues. I made the mistake years ago of drinking a dieter's tea after my evening meal for over a year. I had never had a problem with high blood pressure before but after a year on that tea my blood pressure sky rocketed and I felt horrible. As soon as I stopped the tea my blood pressure went back down to normal.
Licorice
Posted by Katie (Chicago, IL) on 09/02/2008
★★★★★
I have had moderate success with DGL wafers. It is the glycyrrhizic acid that is the cause of most of the side effects of licorice, including high blood pressure. Therefore, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) which has had the glycyrrhizic acid removed is thought to be much safer. As with any herbal, exercise caution and seek the advice of a medical professional who has experience with herbs.
Licorice
Posted by Deb (Cb, Ia) on 12/19/2009
Deirdre, I can't believe reading someone else has the same problem I've experienced since the Dr put me on thyroid medicine in 2002 after radiation for Graves Disease. Never had all the problems I now have before the thyroid medicine. Jumped from Dr to Dr trying to figure out why the severe burning pain in the liver/gallbladder area (most Dr's didn't have an answer after running test after test & people acted like I was crazy to complain of such a severe pain there), had my gallbladder removed in '98. One Dr finally told my I had acid reflux and allergies but I didn't think it could be since I had never had heart burn! I recently had an Endoscopy & Colonoscopy confirming I have GERD, diverticulosis and gastritis. I've been on ALL the meds for reflux only to have too many side effects and then quit taking them due to little to no relief and most of them causing my blood pressure to rise and feeling worse(never had hypertension before these meds and only having it while taking them). I've tried the ACV, teas, papaya, etc. I'm going to try the DGL with caution, we are only given one body and I don't want to cause more problems trying to cure it! BTW cutting down on salt intake has helped ease the burning pain! Thanks! Deb
EC: Hi Deb,
Yes, DGL is fantastic. I still have the same issue when I eat too much bread and it's been very helpful from time to time. Also drinking more water during the meal and after. I started recently to take potassium iodide after someone mentioned it on the site and it's turning out to be an amazing tool for digestion and weight loss. That tells me there is a thyroid link too!
Deirdre (now in Atlanta)
Licorice
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 12/22/2009 490 posts
Question for Deb & Deirdre:
Hello Ladies,
Did your blood pressure rise before or after you started the licorice root extract for the acid regurg? The reason I ask is we were told in a physiology class that eating licorice would cause your blood pressure to rise.
Also, as stated many times before, getting rid of bleached flour got rid of my gastrointestinal problems including the acid regurg or GERD. Why take something to relieve the problem if you can avoid what causes the problem?
EC: Hi Joyce, no. DGL licorice extract did not cause a rise in my blood pressure because it does not contain glycyrrhizin (the compound that causes a rise in bp). That's why it's a great supplement!
Deirdre
Reader Theories
Posted by Rosemary (Trenton, NJ) on 03/30/2006
I just started getting acid reflux and have been awakened in my sleep from it (twice so far) and I've never had a digestive problem before. So it was quite baffling. I just started taking ibuprofen regularly to combat the pain in an arthritic knee. Funny that this is the only change in my diet and all of a sudden I have acid reflux. Well, it turns out that ibuprofen will do havoc on your digestive system. So, I will try the apple cider vinegar cure. But, wanted to make sure everyone with this problem is warned that there is a likelihood that their acid reflux problem may be related to taking medications such as ibuprofen. I am hopeful that stopping the pain medication and drinking the ACV will fix the problem.
Lemons
Posted by Brisa (San Diego, Ca) on 02/28/2010
I wanted to know if limes or mexican limes work as well, or is does it only work with lemons?
Apples
Posted by Tristan (Houston, TX) on 02/27/2006
★★★★★
ACV helped for a few days and then the acid was back worse than ever. Apple juice on the other hand seems to be helping. Within 20 minutes of drinking a bottle of Minute Maid Apple Juice with Vitamin C, the burping and pain are gone.
Orange Peel Extract
Posted by Jake (Tampa, Florida) on 01/28/2006
★★★★★
I have been suffering from heartburn for many years. I've been taking different medicines and found no relief. Just lots of medical bills and switching from Prevacid to Nexium to Prilosec and drinking lots of Maalox. I found online that Orange Peel Extract can cure heartburn. I was skeptical, but I decided to try it anyway. After using the second softgel tablet I felt total relief from heartburn. I thought it was an absolute miracle! For about six months I didn't have any heartburn! My old doctor did approve of herbal medicines but my new doctor doesn't. I have to take their medicines again and I feel miserable everyday. I don't eat regularly like I was. That's all those medicines do is cover the problem up, but your body counters the medicine by producing more acid. Prolonged use of meds can lead to cancer. Orange Peel Extract actually prevents certain cancers. I am planning on changing doctors soon and going back to Orange Peel Extract.
Soy Milk
Posted by veggie girl (Berkeley, California) on 03/01/2024
★★★★★
A glass of plain, unsweetened soy milk in the evening always seems to calm any acid reflux for me. (nothing else added, just organic soybeans and water) I drink it cold usually, but warm is good too.
Yogurt
Posted by Ali (Portland, Oregon) on 10/29/2008
I suffer from severe acid reflux. I've tried yogurt - to no avail. You mentioned taking Advil, Naproxen, and Bextra for pain. Please be aware these types of OTC meds can, over time, weaken your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) valve which will then allow acid to enter your unprotected esophagus. The list of these OTC drugs is long. Aleve and Naproxen are just 2 of very common OTC drugs that can and do cause permanent weakening of the LES. Most doctors will not tell you this unless you look them straight in the eye and ask them. Here's the scoop: The lower esophagus has a mucus coating which contains a natural acid neutralizer that protects the lower esophagus from small amounts of acid that may from time to time leak through the LES valve. Aleve, Naproxen and a number of other OTC drugs prevent that protective mucus from forming, thereby allowing acid to burn the esophagus. Repeated burning can lead to Barrett's Esophagus which can lead to cancer. Esophagus cancer is now the #2 cancer in the United States. Which brings me back to Acid Reflux: It is vary dangerous and not to be taken lightly. Thanks goodness for this website and for those who use it in an effort to cure themselves and help others.
Raise the Bed
Posted by Jon (Concord, NH)
★★★★★
Elevating the head of the bed 2" (use 2 pieces scrap 2"x6' board to elevate head of bed) cures acid reflux when you awaken in the morning. Doesn't work all day but its good for a nice part of the morning when you first wake up.
Mastic Gum
Posted by Cl (Morrow, Ca) on 02/06/2012
I have been dealing with acid reflux, acid indigestion and gastritis on and off for years. GI docs put me on Prilosec then Prevacid after scopies where they saw erosion and hiatial hernia. The Prevacid gave me a life threatening intestinal infection of C. Difficile. Mainstream medicine knows little of this and thinks you only get it from antibiotics. After a year of recovery from the c. diff (and loss of 45 lbs in six weeks) my acid reflex and terrible acid burning came back.
H.pylori is a very common intestinal bacterium that most docs overlook as well. The antibiotic treatment is terrible and many do not kick it with this and become sicker. The tests (stool, breath) for h. pylori are unreliable.
I am now treating acid reflux and for h. pylori naturally with Mastic (sometimes called Mastic gum).
Also taking digestive enzymes (Digest by Transformation) before meals and made major nutritional changes to get PH balanced. You can buy the little strips to test urine PH at health food store. This is essential.
Seeing an excellent licensed naturopathic doctor has helped me enormously with this. There is so much more to tell but not enough time or room.
Please do not believe the mainstream line on this and avoid PPI's, OTC antacids, prescriptions, etc!!!!! These things exacerbate the problem.
Two good websites are: Weston Price foundation and Cure zone for more info.
Be and get well naturally!
Mastic Gum
Posted by Mary (Arcadia, Ca) on 05/15/2015 50 posts
I started to take Mastic Gum after having an episode of vomiting for 3 days straight couldn't even keep down water. After it stopped I developed very bad Panic Attacks. I went to see my natural doctor and she said, "we better give you something to help heal your stomach issues first" I was told to take Mastic Gum.
It affected me badly by raising my blood pressure to 188/113. It wasn't great before that but never that high. I started to take Oregano oil lets see what happens to me next. I will keep you posted thank you. Mary
Manuka Honey
Posted by Brijorg (New Haven, Ct) on 02/02/2011
★★★★★
Kleemarti from Tampa, Florida, Hillsborough, I had some pretty bad reflux not so long ago. The #1 remedy for this I found on manukahoneyusa. There are types of foods and drink to avoid and those you should take but most important smear 1 teaspoon of the active manuka honey on (in my case) a 1"x1" piece of rice bread (no wheat gluten) and chew well and swallow do this about 20 minutes before each meal. Initially you will feel a slight sting (healing sting) but the honey will coat the esophagus and start healing. This actually works for many digestive issues. The honey has to be applied to something (bread apple, banana, etc) or else it is absorbed into the bloodstream too quickly.
Now knock that reflux out, the manuka saved my life.
Licorice
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 04/18/2009 490 posts
To Denise from Huddersfield, UK:
Hello Denise, to answer your question "why drink acid to relieve an acid stomach problem" I will borrow some information gleaned from an alternative MD named Jonathan Wright. According to Dr. Wright the problem is not too much but too little hydrochloric acid, and if this is true then drinking an acid should relieve it and from most of the correspondence from those who have tried it, I have to side with Dr. Wright as to the cause.
However I got rid of the acid, along with the bloat, constipation, flatulence, and outright peptic ulcer flare ups 4 or 5 times per year, when I stumbled on the fact that spicy foods were not the problem, but anything made with bleached flour always brought on the misery. At first I wondered about the gluten in wheat causing it, but when I started eating bread again I found that whole grain products caused no problems, but bleached flour did, a few other things like any acid foods (tomatoes, citrus juices, etc) from a memtal can brings on the acid regurg misery. As long as I stay away from the above, life is a whole lot more enjoyable and has worked for me for the last 40 years or so. I don't know what they use in the bleaching process that causes the problem, but I do know that eliminating bleached flour eliminates the problem, and without ever being treated for the bug that modern day orthodox medicine says causes peptic ulcer disease.
By the way, don't expect your doctor to be overjoyed to hear that a patient has found a way to relieve the problem without his help, because doctors don't like patients who think they are smarter than he/she is and also don't like the prospects of his income decreasing because you no longer will be visiting for your former chronic complaint.
Another thing to think about, do check your blood pressure periodically because licorice candy is said to elevate blood pressure in those who eat a lot of it, and if it does then licorice root might do the same.
Licorice
Posted by Mike R (Houston, Tx) on 09/15/2011
I have tried many remedies for GERD and have researched licorice root as a cure. The catch is that normal licorice or candies also contain high levels of glycerin and sodium which will most certainly also cause or risk a higher incidence of blood pressure issues.
HOWEVER, GNC sells an extract pill form of licorice without these ingredients, it is called "De-Glycerinated Licorice" or "DGL", food supplement. IT WORKS! It will repair the esophagus and correct the GERD in a few days. It can be taken in small doses pretty much forever with no side effects. If you are so inclined, licorice flavored liquors (Anisette, Ouzo) also work in a similar way as a digestive aid after a meal, but take in small doses for obvious reasons!
This can be combined with any other methods, but as always, best to avoid or limit the spicy, fatty foods. I have also found that a high protien diet and low carbs works for me in the same way. Best of luck!
Licorice
Posted by Frank R (Anytown, USA) on 04/05/2008
★★★★★
I developed acid reflux and ulcers due to stress in my job. I did not read anyone having stress induced acid reflux. This developed in 1986 and I still have it.
I have taken tagament to Prilosec with varying degrees of result. When I took Prilosec I was told it was only for 30 days and then never again. That was in 1997 and of course that was not true.
The worse thing is when contents of my stomach decide to go up my throat and into my lungs when I am sleeping. It does not matter what I eat, how much, or when I still get these scary episodes.
I have not tried vinegar for this but use it for hiccups. I figure it shocks the system. When I know my stomach is going to be a problem I eat saltine crackers (baking sode is in them), eat yogurt, and drink lots of water. Sometimes it really helps, sometimes it only minimizes the discomfort, or I wait until my digestive system has moved along any food.
One thing I have learned is to try avoiding drugs if you can and that each person really is an individual which inclues our bological systems.
Having lived in Europe a lot of my life I found black licorice made in Germany helps my acid reflux too. It is not like what is found in the United States. Moms often give it to kids with stomach aches. I happen to like and have my German friends mail it to me.
Has anyone else ever used black licorice for acid reflux? It is a natural drug free treatment.
I wish good health to everyone.
Licorice
Posted by Patricia (Ottawa, Canada) on 04/11/2008
Love this site! Thanks to Frank R. for the tip about black licorice - have a German Deli that sells it - assume you mean unsalted? Have a friend just moved here from Australia who told me that they commonly recommend sucking on "natural glucose" lolli-pops for reflux.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Gracie (Flushing, New York, USA) on 02/01/2013
What kinds of supplements did you take to get rid of the fungus? Did you take any supplements to help your overall condition?
PS: I hope you recover from your current health issue, soon.
