Effective Natural Remedies for GERD Relief - Holistic Approach

I suffered with a severe case of GERD and tried all the pharaceutical remedies without any relief for over 2 years. I then read an email from some alternative health company and the cure for it was to start eating apples. I did just that and I have not had a single attack for over 3 years now. So start eating apples and your acid reflux problem will go away instantly. I recommend that you clean up your diet as well, eat more fruit and vegetables and don't eat anything deep fried and try to eat only unprocessed food. Too much fat in the diet makes the whole body sluggish and causes candida as well.

Candida acts as a buffer to clean up the blood sugar when the adrenals are exhausted because a coating of fat on the cells blocks the absorption of sugar into the cells causing the body to put out more and more insulin to the point of exhaustion. Candida in this case is there to protect the body. SO before you go on an anti candida regimen you need to eliminate fats from the diet and start eating more fruit and vegetables without added oils. Once the levels of fat are brought down the candida will disappear on its own. No one will ever get rid of excess candida in their body unless fat levels are at a healthy level. You will NEVER get rid of candida completely because everyone on earth has some of it in their body. It is supposed to be there.

See Understanding Candida by Dr Doug Graham Youtube video for a greater understanding.

It has been over two weeks since I came to this site seeking help. I am happy to report that it has been a pain free weeks starting the first day of Apple Cider Vinegar and Sodium Bicarbonate. I am still afraid to stop the expensive meds entirely but I am down to taking them one time at night rather than three times a day. I will wait several more days and stop them entirely.

I put two tablespoon of ACV in a eight ounce glass of water and eight sodium Bicarbonate pills. I add two tablespoon of local honey direct from the bees. Does not taste bad and is effective.

I also control my diet. No colas, no caffeine, no fats, mostly steamed vegetables and chicken breast. For drinks, I put fresh bananas, papaya, apples, Korean pears in blender and blend them to a liquid. Makes a drink. Thank you Ted.

I tried and can't believe that all these years I had been suffering with such horrible heartburn. I was seeing a therapist for depression from being in constant pain from gerd. Nothing helped. I mean I tried everything.

This is my first week on Apple Cider Vinegar today was the first day I haven't had pain from heartburn in 10 years!!!! So grateful that I tried this. just a couple teaspoons in the morning and a couple in the afternoon first time in so long I have NOO pain.

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!

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!

Erika, I had a quick read of the reviews of the book you mentioned. I don't think they are giving you the right advice at all. Acid Reflux is caused by a LACK of acid in your stomach not too much acid. If as told in the book you eat lots of alkaline foods you are still not fixing the problem. If you don't have enough acid in your stomach the acid won't be able to digest the foods properly and your body won't be able to absorb nutrients properly.

Iodine regulates acid in your stomach. You are probably deficient in iodine and that is why you have a problem in the first place. Iodine is needed by the whole body. Deficiencies cause many many problems including acid reflux.

Google Dr. Flechas on youtube talking about the lack of iodine and how it relates to stomach acid. The lack of iodine is what causes the throat cancers and stomach cancers according to Dr. Flechas. It also causes endometrial cancer (which starts off as endometriosis)...

The reason ACV works is because it puts back acid into the stomach which helps digest the food. It then breaks down to an alkaline after digestion but it still doesn't fix the deficiency. The same with lemons. Google "why stomach acid is good for you"...

You will get lots of problems down the track if you don't fix what sounds like an iodine deficiency.

If the author Dr. Kaufmann has been studying reflux for decades why does she not mention iodine deficiency or that reflux is caused by a lack of stomach acid?

I was unexpectedly diagnosed with silent reflux after going to an ENT for a regular voice checkup in August of this year '11. (I'm a singer) I was also just beginning to see a little blood when I brushed my teeth in the morning. All this time I thought the bleeding came from my gums not my esophagus. He diagnosed it as a severe case of acid reflux and put me on a high dosage of Lansoprazole (before meals) and Ranitidine (bedtime).

After about a week I began to develop symptons e.g. numbness in fingers, high heart rate etc. Someone introduced me to "Dropping Acid- The Reflux diet Cook book and Cure" by Koufman, Stern & Bauer. The book gives the acid and ph levels of many foods so I followed their guidelines. I eventually dropped the medication for symptoms stopped and I was afraid the meds may have a detrimental effect. The book is absolutely wonderful!! I plan to stick with this regiment for the rest of my life. I have never felt better and I am losing weight without trying. It revealed not only the usual culprits e.g. caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes etc. but also revealed less known culprits such as peppermint, carbonated drinks and sometimes cucumbers (depending upon your personal makeup) Everyone's toleration is at different levels when eating certain borderline foods such as cucumbers. I determined cucumbers were not good for me during this healing stage because it was the only thing I ate one evening and then side effects occurred that night.

I had a setback last week when I travelled out of town for 4 days. I ate airport food and my host's food. I had just started Mag Relax (powder form), which is great by the way, for muscle spasms and didn't realize it was loaded with acid. I also failed to follow the directions to mix with 'cold' water instead of room temperature. Yesterday, the old acid symptoms returned again. Lesson learned.... know the content of your vitamin supplements and prepare for out of town trips.

Thru my previous victory, I am still so very encouraged that I and many others can beat this! The jury is still out on ACV. I've tried it off and on. Some say to drink it diluted WITH a meal while others say to drink in the morning or in between meals. Again, I need a scientific explanation to fully embrace the idea.

Thank you all for your postings. This site is wonderful!

Erika

ACV can not cure acid reflux. It makes it worse. I personally expericed it. It makes the buring sensation even worse. Indigestion is due to low acid in the stomach so ACV may help. Acid Reflux is the opposite, too much acid in the stomach, ACV is really bad for it.

Michelle! I'm another Michelle from NYC, also 26, also diagnosed this summer (with LPR/silent reflux). I feel slightly better knowing there are two of us. ;)

I've made insane dietary changes. I have basically been reduced to smoothies and basic non-acidic foods. I drink green smoothies with banana and also 2 tablespoons of olive oil each morning/night, followed by a combo of honey and tumeric paste. The olive oil is anti-inflammatory and helps sooth the throat, though my symptoms are less about soreness and more about the lump-in-throat feeling and excess mucus.

I take ginger, garlic, and echinacea pills each day, drink tons of water, and have started light dance classes again to relieve stress. Since being diagnosed my anxiety has gone through the roof (long process of not knowing what it was/being misled by doctors/being misdiagnosed and put on the wrong meds... horrible summer) and that doesn't help the healing process.

My mother had some version of this at my age and she recommended the ACV. I am now drinking 3 cups of water with 2 TBSP per day, and 90% of my symptoms are gone including pain in my throat and the burning sensation in my chest after eating. I hope that's enough relief for my body to start healing--but I don't plan to change my diet back to normal any time soon.

I did buy one awesome book that shed so much light on this condition for me, and has a ton of GERD/LPR friendly recipes that are really delicious. It's called "Dropping Acid" and it's a cookbook/text book. Easy for people who aren't scientists to understand exactly what's going on inside of them.

I know how miserable this condition is (I work in nightlife and fashion, and it's made me feel like an isolated lab experiment). Good luck to everyone. Xx

Because without Pills doctors and Pharmacy will be out of business. Who will pay for there million dollar homes and Mercedes-Benz? I have had bad heartburn for past 7yrs now. Been taking all sorts of heartburn medicine. It just relieves the pain but I feel other problems with fatigue and joints hurting problems.

I just started taking ACV with Gatorade or 2tsp Apple Cider Vinegar with 1tsp raw honey and 8 oz of water.

I feel much better after only 4 days of taking it. I will continue to take this until all my symptoms are gone. Not all doctors out there care about patience, they only care about what health insurance you carry.

I think the best is to read true stories and testomonies about natural remedies cure and try it for yourself.

I have tried it ALL. Prilosec, Zantec, Nexium, Apple Cider Vinegar just to name a few.

I have found IT! Digestive Enzymes with Betaine HCl. It works. I doubled the dose for the first week per my natural doctor I see, and then brought it down the next week to normal dosing. Take with every meal. Give this at least a week to do its thing! Oh and along with that take NO GERD, that contains Licorice Root Extract... double that dose for a week as well.

In the meantime to relieve the pain, try 1tsp Baking Soda in a 1/2 glass of water.

I recently was made aware of an article by Dr. Bruce West, M. D. , who said that it's very possible that "diaphragm strain" is the CAUSE of many cases of acid reflex, GERD, and hiatal hernia! To me, this is a landmark document and anyone interested in healing their stomach issues should definitely check into it. ARTICLE 2: Hiatal Hernia, Indigestion, Heartburn, Reflux, GERD And Esophagitis. If this is the cause of many cases of acid reflux and hiatal hernia, these could be fixed without surgery or drugs - just by contacting one of the specialists (chiropractor-kinesiologists) on a list Dr. West mentions in his article. Most doctors don't seem to know anything about this (no surprise here! ). I think the article does say you need to be a member of HealthAlerts to get access to the practitioner list, but a small price to pay if you find you have a hiatal hernia and want to avoid surgery, drugs, and working only with the symptoms for the rest of your life! It's worth a shot by anyone with symptoms of GERD, hiatal, hernia, etc. I go to my doc. NEXT Fri to find out if I have a hiatal hernia, since I did the barium xray series last Fri. If he says yes, the first thing I will do is locate one of those practitioners and see if I can get relief that way! In fact, even if he says no, I plan to check it out -- tests don't tell you everything always, and my symptoms are 100% of every symptom Dr. West mentions for this problem (yes, 100%- acid reflux, weakness in my body, fatigue, headaches (I never had headaches before I got the reflux), sore ribs, poor appetite, nausea- horrible nausea, and wt loss)! ).

Another thing-- I began fresh cabbage juice, undiluted (not bad tasting) and find it helps with increasing my appetite - even if not resolving the underlying problem of acid reflux, etc. (Just juice 3 days-worth of cabbage in a juicer or blender -- take 1 oz. 3 times a day for 3 days, meaning juice 9 oz. Of juice each time. Don't think you can keep in fridge longer than 3 days fresh, but maybe; then, before you drink your last 1 oz. of the 3 days' worth, juice 3 more days worth! Do this for 2 weeks- or more, if you find it's really helping. ). I have been on the cabbage juice for just 3 and a half days and I have had three-four bigger appetite "bonuses" since getting the reflux months ago! Having small meals is also a good idea and has helped me. My idea of a small meal is a reasonable-sized pc. (between the size of your palm to even the size of your palm plus fingers! ) of fish or a cube steak cooked in a little bit of sunflower oil (my favorite), salt, and perhaps pepper for flavor, and about 6 tbsps of corn or other veggie, and then frequent small meals after, whenever you get hungry (don't overeat at any of them--limit yourself, knowing it could cause a bad reaction AND knowing you can eat again in 2 hours! ). Have the cabbage juice on an empty stomach. What I do is have 1 oz cabbage juice when I get up, wait 2 hrs, then have a reasonable meal- 4-6 oz. Plain Seven Stars (Original, full fat) yogurt from health food store (more creamy and less sour than Dannons or others I've tried-- you can add stevia too, and it's quite nice! ) and fresh fruit, or a medium-sized Kyo-Green drink and some protein (like 1-2 slices Swiss cheese and/or yogurt) plus my vitamins, and then I wait 2 hrs more without food ( I might have water after a half hr after eating, or 1 oz. of aloe vera juice, diluted w/ water or not), then another 1 oz cabbage juice, wait another 2 hrs (most people can wait 4 hrs to eat, can't they?), and have another meal. I like fish or meat, with fresh or frozen veggies -my favorites are artichokes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and if you feel like it , a small salad, and there is also rice! I have a last 1 oz. of cabbage juice before bed. It took away a queasy stomach last night! This appears to be improving my appetite and is also cutting down a lot on the nausea, my major gripe with all the symptoms! Reflux is less troublesome also, esp. at night. It seems to have improved my quality of life enough to keep me content until I can get a firm diagnosis, and hopefully fix the issues without conventional medical intervention!

Aloe vera juice is very helpful too- said to kill h. pylori in studies (http://www.mangosteen--juice.com/aloe-vera/aloe-vera-juice-research.php) -- cabbage juice does too, but there is a protocol by Dr. Shallenberger- think you have to get his newsletter -so will tell you the gist: it involves the use of 1 oz. of cabbage juice 3 times a day as I'm doing but adding 1 cayenne pepper cap with the cabbage juice 3 times a day, for 2 weeks- -- he says this kills the h. Pylori. The BIG caution I discovered is : you can ONLY use the cayenne pepper caps if you have ulcers but DON'T HAVE acid reflux or hiatal hernia! SO, DON'T USE the cayenne/capsicum if you HAVE acid reflux or a hernia! That's why I decided not to assume I had h. Pylori now-- I hope I don't. The ulcer protocol ALSO uses "mastic chewing gum" (find on Web) that kills h. Pylori in mouth and esophagus, AS WELL AS mastic gum capsules (I think mastic gum is OK to use with acid reflux/hiatal hernias, but pls check before buying). It also says to use a new toothbrush before you start as h. Pylori can exist on your toothbrush! Clean it with tea tree oil nightly to keep the h. Pylori down.

AND for acid reflux, also remember Slippery Elm losenges. I suck on those at night if I get reflux after I've gone to bed and don't want to get up. I take as many as 4 over a hr or two, if I stay awake. They're safe! Good luck and hope this helps! I may not be back on this site but this should get you started if you want to try some of these things...

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..!!!!!!

So, I started taking Apple Cider Vinegar for my gerd and in 4 days it seems to working well areadly I take 2 tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 tbs of honey in 160oz mountain water an sip it all day. My only problem is that tounge feels a lttle burnt and looks teared up and white is this normal?

I like to Thank everyone for sharinig their experiences and remedies. I was diagnosed with gerd 3 weeks ago. Was given prescription version of pepacid, didn't seem to get better, got worse started feeling sharp pains when I ate certain foods, which never happened before. I felt hopeless at 26 yr. Because for the most part I've been healthy and active all my life. Researched alot of sites and saw positive reviews for ACV and almonds for heartburns, decided to try it and through the grace of God have been feeling much better and even have started slowly to eat some of the normal foods that arent recommended for those with gerd. I started taking a yoga class and got a chiropractic massage. Little by little im slowing improving. I will keep everyone in my prayers for a full recovery.

The BEST pickle juice I've found to work is from fermented pickles, not the vinegar ones. The MAIN problem with GERD is the lack of gut flora balance, I've found, and increasing probiotic foods, especially in the form of ferments, has helped me tremendously. I, too, was having GERD to the point of thinking I was having a heart attack. Cutting out ALL grains, starchy veggies, sugars (other than RAW honey), and processed carbohydrates, taking HCL with pepsin with each meal, plant enzymes after each meal, and drinking and eating LOTs of fermented foods each day is what is helping me.

If I get a flare up, a quick trip to the fridge for a sip of juice from one of the ferment jars, or a cup of Kombucha, often does the trick. If not, then I know I have TOO much acid for some reason, and I reach for NOW brand's Acid Comfort. It's a blend of vitamins, minerals and enzymes to help calm the effects of the acid.

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.

Hi all, I was diagnosed with GERD in April 2011. I was prescribed Omeprazole and Gasec. These did not make me feel any better. I developed cramps under my skin. A friend of mine recommended herbal treatments of Kangen water and wheatgrass tablets combined. I have improved greatly. The fast pulse rate, heartburn and short breath feelings I used to have, have lessened. This seems to be helping but lately I have seen bright red blood in my stool. Can anyone help with this please?

Well it's been 2 days since starting the standard ACV cocktail for GERD. I'm putting 2 teaspoons of organic ACV into a full glass of spring water and adding 2 teaspoons of raw organic honey. It's actually delicious, but most important of all is that I haven't had to take a Prilosec in two days!!!!!

I'm also following GERD guidelines re eating but that alone hasn't helped in the past. I've read a ton about ACV and its vitamins/minerals and all the positive benefits of this cocktail.

I stopped taking daily vitamins so I can really test the effectiveness of 2 ACV cocktails a day. Yesterday I had 3 but tasted and smelled the vinegar a little too much so cut back to 2 today and feeling great.

I was concerned about the effects of ACV on the liver and teeth and possible damage to the esophagus but further research hasn't turned up anything specific so I shall continue forging ahead! Thanks for this great site.

I was diagnosed with GERD a couple of yrs back.. The first thing the Dr. wanted me to do was to get on meds and quit all of my fave foods and drinks... NO..... So I did research, saw so many positive reviews for ACV... Tried it... Felt like gagging... So I switched to ACV tablets... You can find them in every heath store and even WalMart for only a couple of bucks... This has been a heaven send... I have been GERD free for yrs...naturally.

The reason that the ACV made you feel nauseous could be that you are Salicylate Intolerant. I am. I am allergic to aspirin. Aspirin is a salicylate. It comes from the bark of the willow tree. All plants produce salicylates as a natural insecticide. So I am allergic to all fruit except bananas n peeled pears, most vegetables, coffee, tea, all vinegar ( except rice and malt) olive oil (I can have canola n sunflower oil) Mints, almonds and especially tomato sauce. So for my acid reflux I take 1/2 tsp baking soda in 1/2 glass water at night. After I gave up salicylates in two days all my symptoms were all better: migraines, dizziness, nausea, asthma, arthritis, dry eyes, nosebleeds and foggy headed feeling. A good book about this is "Salicylate Intolerance and The Healthier I Ate the Sicker I Got".

I will probably look into the test for the pylori bacteria in stomach and the pills with hydrochloric acid sounds plausible too.

I suffer from acid reflux. I noticed apple cider vinegar is a known help so I tried 2 tablespoons in a glass of water with a few drops of organic honey each day for the past 2 months. Yes, it does burn my throat but I put up with that. After about 4 weeks I began to feel better, and suffered less gas. Now after nearly 2 months my overall health seems to be much improved, and I can eat meals like red meat that used to cause indigestion and reflux. A great remedy ACV in water with honey!

I put a tablespoon of it in about 7 oz of tart cherry juice that I was already taking for some heel pain, and I can barely taste the ACV. Guess you need to mix it w/ something of your choice .

I have been suffering from GERD for about 10 years and been taking Nexium that long. I feel like the Nexium is having bad effects on my body so I wanted to get off of it. After seeing this site, I ordered ACV. Started taking it today only to discover that I feel like vomitting after it goes down. I have a bad gag reflex and I am not sure I can tolerate it any more. Any suggestions?

Thanks for this website I managed to stop my GERD by using cheap and simple solutions like apple cider vinegar and baking soda. I am now trying also the mixture of apple cider, honey and garlic which I also found in one website calling it "magic potion" and can cure so may ailments.

I think it is individual. For me, my gerd trigger is protein. Atkins diet made my acid reflux worse.

In response to... "I dont understand why so many allopath drs refuse to believe in anything but pills."

it's all about the money.