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.
Marie (Kingsland, Ga) on 08/18/2009:
I am a lap-band patient for 3 yrs. The last year has been a nightmare with the acid reflux waking me in the middle of the night and feeling like I was choking to death. Sleeping on 5-6 pillows didn't help, nor did the many over the counter and prescription medicines. One night about 6 weeks ago, I googled "acid reflux" and read about the many believers in ACV. I take 1-2 TBS of organic AVC with about 1/2-3/4 cup organic apple juice every evening 30 minutes before bedtime. It works for me and I'm finally not afraid of going to sleep on 1 pillow.
I came across your web page a couple of weeks ago. I have been on acid reflux medication for 10+ years (nexium, omeprazol, etc.). I decided to give ACV a try - I bought organic with "mother". At first I used 2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water (I was surpriesd the taste is OK) twice a day but I still had heart burn during the day. I increased to 2 TABLEspoons of ACV in a glass of water twice a day and it seem to be the right amount. I still experienced some minor heartburn in the late afternoon but I treated this eating an apple. Since I intruduced the apple for minor heartburn I have been free of acid reflux symptoms. From my experience, the amount and frequency of ACV needed is determined by trial and error. I feel very confident on the effectivness of ACV and I am gladd to be of the acid suppression medications.
I am a 29 year old healthy adult who has been suffering from acid reflux for as long as I can remember. I have a healthy and active lifestyle and my diet is realtively good (no read meat and only moderate chicken). I have been taking Aciphex for about a year now and have been symptom free. However, I am fully aware of the negative side effects PPIs have on the body and was direly searching for an alternative, preferably a natural one. The other day I came across this website and decided to give apple cider vinegar a try. I didn't have too much hope as I have tried many natural home remedies in the past...all without much success. I started with 2 teaspoons of ACV in 8 oz of water with a spoonful of organic honey twice a day (once in the morning on an empty stomach, and once before bed). I was surprised at how potable the mixture was. I began the ACV and stopped taking the Aciphex on Monday morning. I am overjoyed that it is now Friday and I have zero symptoms of the reflux. Prior to this, if I ran out of my medicine, I would be in excrutiating pain within 48 hours. I wouldn't call myself sured yet (I am still nervous it is going to come back), but I am amazed and excited about the results thus far. Thank you everyone for the excellent (and hopefully life changing) recommendation!!!
I'm not big on natural cures, but my acid reflux was so painful for about 3 years I was willing to try anything. I was in the habit of taking Pepsid Complete every night before bed and the drug worked fine. I had no problems if I took the pill. But I decided to see if there was another alternative ... so I decided two weeks ago to give ACV a shot.
This was a difficult step for me, because I have never gone to bed without the pepsid complete for the past 3 years. To my amazement the ACV works wonders. I have only had a couple of minor issues with acid reflux this past two weeks, and amazingly I have not had in trouble at night going to bed when the reflux would really attack. I take two teaspoons per 8 ounces of water 3 times a day ... and the acid reflux is getting even better. I haven't had any issues the past two days.
Thanks to all for the suggestions ... I can tell you it worked for me. I will now browse through this site and see what else I have been missing out on.
Apple Cider Vinegar works for me. For a year I had been going to a doctor for my stomach problems, first acid reflux, and later, stomach pain, bloating, throwing up, not sleeping, and finally constipation. As some of you might guess, it was the PPI (little purple pill) that the doctor was prescribing. (to bad you were not my doctor!) We did all kinds of tests to try to figure out what was wrong with me but I was always told to keep taking my little purple friend. And true, I did not have acid reflux anymore, I was just miserable. My last exam, a lower GI let the doctor give me the good news, "I don't have cancer." He sent me home with saying, "We still don't know what the problem is." After another few weeks of throwing up my dinner and having trouble sleeping I started search the internet for others with similar problems. (I'm a little slow) Yes, it was the purple pill and those wonderful side effects the doctor doesn't mention. So I went off the pill and tried the apple cider vinegar. IT WORKS, YES IT DOES, IT WORKS. I take a teaspoon with 8 ounces of water and a little honey, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I have been taking it for two weeks and found it works great. I am amazed. I never take these kind of home remedies or organic solutions, but, it works and that's all I care. What have I learned? My doctor sells expensive tests and doesn't listen and I need to take control of my health care. Bill
thank you for this wonderful site i have been diognosed today with cronic reflux its been burning my throat which is red raw i have been taking pariet tablets for ages its getting worse so i have tried the acv after dinner it seems to have had instant results my throat has stopped burning i also ate an apple i will take more tomorrow
has anyone also suffered with cronic ulcers due to reflux?
My insurance company will no longer pay for my Aciphex which is terrible because I have extreme acid reflux. My throat got raw plus I was unable to sleep. The ACV after 1 week seems to help some as long as I eat an apple before I go to bed and take 2 tums. I do have a questions though-why am I so tired now. It seems that each day I get extremely tired and I'm very restless at night. It's almost like I've run 10 miles even thought I have a desk job. Does anyone have an answer or a remedy. Could it be that I'm going thru detox?
Hang in there Rob. I have a similar story, (see below) and have been using the ACV since the beginning of March. I'm happy to report that I am doing great. It takes awhile to figure out how much and how often you need it and it can vary depending on what you eat and how much. The best part is like you said, the acid no longer comes up into your esophagus/throat. I'm even able to tolerate an occasional glass of wine now. I have been drug free for almost 2 months and I too am angry that in 15 years of seeing GI specialists, not 1 suggested that I might not be producing enough acid. I don't care if I see another GI doctor as long as I live. They are all in bed with the drug companies.
I was on PPIs (gastritis) for around 10 years. I've taken them all. Decided to give the ACV a try to get off of Nexium. I'll be a monkey's uncle, this is the 4th day off and I feel OK. The second day rebound was hell but a little zantac quelled it. The main thing is this acv keep the acid from splashing back up. I don't know/care why it works but it does (at least with me.) I take a tablespoon 3x daily with 8 oz water. It took me about 2 weeks to work up to this level. I started off slowly and a very weak solution (around 1 teaspoon a day with a lot of water.) Too much would make me nauseous. It may be too early to tell if this is a long term fix, but going off Nexium was unthinkable a month ago. My inner alarm clock keeps reminding me to take my purple pill, but I don't need to! I am a little pissed at my doctors and drug industry at this point. All that $$, all that misery could have been avoided by drinking a little vinegar? Wow!
Noel (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) on 03/24/2009:
I've been suffering from acid reflux and heartburns everyday for 4 months. My Dr. prescribed me prevacid then librax but none of them help. I purchased a Acid Reflux Report over the internet and ACV is one of the cures from acid reflux. It doesn't make sense since ACV is already acid. I went to the nutrition store and hesitantly purchased ACV. I followed the instructions... to make the story short, acid reflux is gone and I just hope it's all the way through. ACV will now be part of my diet.
ACV cured my acid reflux (and made me smell like roses!) ok, maybe not roses, but it definitely stopped any sort of bacterial growth that caused my body odor.
i take acv orally, 2 tablespoons per glass of water, every morning and two hours before bed. i was diagnosed with acid reflux at 12 and took pills off and on but i feel so free. Apple Cider Vinegar freed me naturally!
I also keep the acv in the shower and before i turn on the water i put some music on, pour the acv all over my body (i pour a little in my hand and then rub on my body), dance around for 2 minutes and then spend my shower rinsing, NO SOAP!. after the vinegar smell goes away i towel off and go about my business. every deodorant ive ever tried has let me down, time and time again, but this stuff-i love it! i ride my bicycle 10 miles a day commuting and i sniff and sniff and check and check and nothing-no smell at all, its a beautiful thing. i want to shout from the rooftops! These pharmaceutical companys tell us that we have to use their products, their chemicals- and we dont! we just need to go back to nature.
I just want to say a big thank you to the subscribers of this website. After suffering from acid reflux for many years, I came across this ACV remedy that brought a big change to my life. I was just wondering if this remedy can also be used during pregnancy? I'm currently taking 2 - 3 Tbsp at every onset of symptoms and then go to bed and sleep like a baby...thank you very much.EC: Yes, apple cider vinegar can be used during pregnancy. Please read the response from John Westerdahl here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/nursing_issues.html#ACV
i am 58 in good health taking no prescription medications and experienced a sour stomach, queasiness, and nausea a couple nights ago about 18 hours after eating dinner the night before. i almost vomited and did not because i was swallowing to avoid it. i could taste the acid in my throat and had the upset stomach for about 5 hours and could not sleep half the night. when i felt well enough, i went online to see what may have caused the sour stomach and came to my conclusion upon reading about tophology (combining foods) that i was mixing fatty steak with salad with too acidic a dressing. i read the reasoning behind this inefficent digestion is caused by hydrochloric acid released by the stomach to digest the fatty steak was counteracted by the alkaline stomach reaction of the stomach to digest the acidic dressing cancelling the digestive action of the stomach, causing the sour stomach. i always thought i pretty much had an iron gut since i do not even get gas from 'gaseous causing foods', but attributed it to getting older. So today, i practised eating small quantities of food in single food categories, ie fruit, vegetables, bread and not mixing. the last thing i ate was a grilled ciabatta roll, which is not even an acid reflux causing food, but i actually got that lump in the throat feeling, and then a bit of acid taste! so then i go back on line to research a natural remedy for acid reflux and came upon this site about apple cider vinegar and off i went to the grocery store. upon returning, i immediately drank a mixture of 1 tbs acv, 1tbs honey, and 8z water and was 90 percent relieved in about 15 minutes. in about an hour, all signs of acid taste were gone and i ate dinner of a salad made with olive oil and acv dressing and spareribs, a similar dinner to what caused my sour stomach in the first place with the exception of using the apple cider vinegar in the dressing instead of balsamic, and i feel great. thanks for the remedy that really worked for me. i guess i will see if i need to take it as a precautionary measure or as a remedy, but at least i will know that it works. thanks a million for this website!
I suffered with severe acid reflux for several years, waking up from a sound sleep due to choking on acid in my throat! I used tagamet, tums, and Nexium. I came across a home remedy site and found out that using acv helped a lot of people. I bought some raw organic acv at the health food store and put a tablespoon in 8 ounces of water and added a tablespoon of honey and drank it. I couldn't believe that the heartburn and acid reflux just disappeared within 10 minutes after the very first drink. Not wanting the calories of the honey on a regular basis, I now leave the honey out and drink the vinegar & water through a straw to avoid getting it on my teeth. I don't understand why doctors don't suggest using acv instead of Nexium. As long as I drink the mixture twice daily, I have no problems at all and can eat anything I want. If I eat something that I know used to trigger the reflux (like chocolate or something fatty), I sometimes drink a little acv/water right after eating. This has been such a relief for me.
I have a GREAT cure for acid reflux. Believe it or not, you can simply take a teaspoon of vinegar -- just regular apple cider or white vinegar. It works immediately. You would think that it would only add to the acid upset but it actually rebalances it. You'll be amazed -- and save a ton of money.
ACV: I prayed for a solution to my acid reflux after being diagnosed and perscribed aciphex. found this website and gave it a try and my prayer was answered.
Hiatal Hernia & Acid Reflux: While pregnant with my 2nd daughter I got heartburn with everything I ate and was drinking a bottle of Maalox a day. After she was born it got a little better, but then worse again until everything including water gave me heartburn. Also I began to have reflux while sleeping and I would wake up after breathing the acid into my lungs. I was pretty scared to sleep lying down so I started sleeping at a 45 degree angle to prevent that from happening again.
I started xray school right after my daughter was born and during the 1st semester of training I saw all these people having Upper GI tests and were prescribed medications but people kept coming back because the meds weren't helping and that's when I decided to look for a solution naturally. I was told if you took a tablespoon of ACV when you had heartburn and the heartburn went away then you needed MORE acid and not less and the pills the docs were giving people STOPPED the production of acid, but you need that acid to help digest your food. I also assummed I had a hiatal hernia because sometimes my food felt like it didn't want to go down and stayed in my throat. After learning about the ACV treatment I did that for about 3 months. It was hard to drink it everyday but I did. I also cut out sodas, sweet tea, and tomato products as these things caused severe heartburn. I kept searching and talking to people and found a company that made food enzymes. I switched to food enzymes for about a year. My hiatal hernia and heartburn went away and I started sleeping flat again. That was in 1995 and I haven't had the problem again. I've told lots of people to try the ACV or food enzymes because I now know for sure that the meds people are put on are not the solution - oh I know it fixes some for a while but then the body is unable to get the vitamins from the foods they are eating and they come back to the hospital for a CAT SCAN to see what problem they have now. Since I work in a hospital and see the day to day problems that people have due to medication or Drs. who are simply overworked and most know nothing about nutrition, I go the natural way for everything. This is a great website and at least when people are searching for a solution they will try it, but I find that people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them a simple solution to their problem, especially if it is going to mean they can't just take a pill and the problem goes away.
I have had acid reflux for about two years on and off. I found this website and began using apple cider vinegar (a store brand). The first day I drank a full glass and did experience bloating and pressure so decided to sip it instead. It took two days to get full results but I persisted and have great results now. I sip about 2 cups over the day. But I have also started to watch my diet, controlling spicy foods and other foods that seem to irritate my system (including caffeine, for me). I've told a few other people about this "cure"!EC: Just to clarify for any new readers -- Kim did not drink an entire glass of apple cider vinegar, but (most likely) 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water!
Hi there, I was suffering very badly from Acid Reflux a few months ago and had to carry rennie tablets everywhere with me when I had attacks. I looked for natural cures on the Internet and found this site. I mix the ACV with some juice and it worked great, at first.
I have started to notice that I have been getting very constipated recently, and the only change in diet is me using Apple Cider Vinegar. I must take ACV to cure my heart burns, then I will get constipation as a result of it & this will then make my acid reflux even worse. It is a vicious cycle that I don't know how to get out of.
I have two choices:
1 - Stay without acid burn pains and feel nauseas, bloated, sluggish and constipated all the time
or
2 - Stay with the acid burn pains after I eat anything and have no constipation
The person who said do not take ACV-it doesn't make sense, may have a highschool education about acids and bases, but he does not understand medical things very well. What is Prevacid? It helps to slow down or stop the pumps. It's the same concept as, putting oil on your skin. If you continually put oil on your skin, your oil glands will slow down or quit producing the natural oils. If you ingest Vinegar, your body will tell the stomach to produce less acid. IT WORKS! I used to have Acid Reflux so bad, I took 1 or 2 30 mg pills of Prevacid every day. But, it's chemical and not natural. A friend in Europe told me to take the ACV. I did 1 tablespoon of ACV with 1 Tablespoon of water 2-3 times a day. After some time, I only needed it 2 times a day, then once a day. Then I went a LONG time not needing it again. So that meant NO pills for my body to filter through and my body actually stabilized on it's own from something natural. Now, I only need it if I am an idiot and eat a lot of deep fried foods and such. So yes, it's great! I agree you must be careful about your teeth as the acid can eat the enamel; it does have a high acid pH. But the thing of it is, you do not have to do it ALL the time, only until you get the acid under control. Now I only need to take ACV once every 6-8 weeks-less or more, depending on my diet and stress. But there have been times I can go months witout touching the stuff. And you get some Vitamin C and antioxidants. And just think, it saved the soldiers from scurvy and mouth bacteria and lots of ailments in George Washington's day! There IS something to old remedies, as long as they are not just silliness. When it's telling you to do weird things, you know it's bologna. But simple things, are very accurate and cheaper and healthier! It's a win-win-win situation.
I am 21 years old and have been suffering with acid reflux and heartburn since I was a lot younger. I was on nexium for about 3 years and on prilosec for about 5 or more. After reading about all the harmful side affects with long use I was desperate to find a natural cure. I found this website and it is quite a blessing to me. I stoped taking prilosec completly on Feb 1st and started taking 2 teaspoons of braggs organic apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water the next day. The first day i took it when I woke up about a half hour before eating anything and I had no symptoms of acid reflux till yesterday. I think I messed up by taking it after I ate. I still have mild heartburn but Im willing to suffer with it and try to make this work! Any other things I should try? let me know! Thanks
I tried Prilosec for the required 14 days, the next day it was worse then when I started, then I tried an off brand made in Israel it worked for 14 days, but my relux came back. So a guy at work was telling me about Apple cider vinegar, we had the Trader Joe's with the mother and I fiqured I'd give it a chance. I started with 2 tablespoons in 8 oz. of water at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I quit taking green tea in my thermos and started taking ACV and honey to sip on all day, I'll have to say I am a believer, I have no signs of reflux at all, plus drinking this I'm starting to feel better over all. I am going to add some cayenne to help with overall health. It's nice to know that a natural, God breathed apple can heal the body. Have a great day and God Bless
It is the day after the Super Bowl, and after consuming several beers, a few mixed drinks, buffalo wings and nachos, I slept all night with no heartburn. About a week and a half ago I found this site and decided to try the ACV cure. I had been living with heartburn and acid reflux for years and taking ranitidine for it. But it became less and less effective. I tried Prilosec OTC and it helped for the two weeks that I took the pills but once I stopped, the heartburn returned. So much for lasting 4 months! Then I was back to ranitidine. Now, I'm not sure I can attribute it all to the ACV. I have also been exercising regularly; watching what and when I eat (except for yesterday); lost some weight; as well as eating apple slices, honey, and the yogurt with the probiotics. My approach is this: get my digestive system working normally and deal with any heartburn if and when it does flare up. The ACV, honey, and yogurt are for fixing my digestive system, the apple slices are for any flare ups. The only caveat I have is that the Prilosec is still in my system and will be for about another month. I am very pleased with the results so far.
Stephanie Siegner (Seabrook, Texas) on 02/02/2009:
ACV for Acid Reflux: I tried ACV (Heinz) and it was great. I slept a full night for the first time in 2 years. Dentist said it is bad for tooth enamel. Went to ACV tablets but got a headache everyday and Acid Reflux came back. Now, trying _____'s 2tsp w/8oz water and 1 tsp honey. Chewing sugarless gum with Xylitol and hopefully that will protect my enamel. Anyone tried this? Either way, it's better than Prilosec which caused many other problems. Thanks for your site! It's great!EC: I've been drinking ACV (no honey added) in water almost daily for the past 10 years and have absolutely no issues with dental enamel! To me it's a non-issue. I've never followed the suggestions made by people like immediately brushing my teeth, rinsing with water, or swishing with baking soda. False information on the net trying to scare people away from taking ACV?
Deirdre
Acid reflux was ruining my life. In order to sleep I sat straight up in a chair at night. I was sickly all day. The doctor put me on Nexium, Protonix and lastly Acidphix. NONE OF THESE THINGS WORKED. I only got worse.
In total frustration, I went to the internet to search for a NATURAL cure. I found a remedy which worked immediately. I eat a red delicious apple everyday and two if needed.
I found Earthclinic and started using Apple Cider Vinegar. When I have a episode, I put a tablespoon in a 1/4 cup of water and down it..... REFLUX is GONE.
The ACV did what the doctor and DRUGS could no do. TRY IT.
I have Hiatal Hernia and just started taking the ACV to avoid taking more meds or having surgery, since those seemed to be my only options. Its only been 2 day but its starting to work. Since to me the 2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water tastes like lemonade without sugar (I actually like it), I think if you give to children mixed with some lemonade it may work. Also, based on other's email, in addition to the ACV when I started to feel I was getting the reflux (before going to bed), I ate an apple and it actually helped me get rid of it.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CURED MY ACID REFLUX - 3X PER DAY WITH HONEY AND WATER - EXCELLENT!!! DOCTORS PRESCRIBED LIFETIME OF NEXIUM - BUT I NO LONGER NEED NEXIUM BECAUSE OF THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
I found your website because after trying all different kinds of thing without substantial results I decided to go back to a more natural approach. So I have a lap band for several years already - lately my trouble with acid reflux got worse and I thought the symptoms like pain behind my sternum, extreme tightness in my throat even down to my esophagus was caused by a too tight lab band, but my surgeon ensured me after reviewing my x-rays that my lap band and the way it is placed and the way my stomach pouch is located is just perfect. So he agreed that the discomfort, PAIN, and nightly suffocation attacks indicate a acid reflux problem and he gave me a prescription for Apo-Omeprazole.
Even though it cost me $ 155 I didn't feel too comfortable to take it with all the things and side effects - so to make a long story short - having heard about Apple Cider Vinegar I looked for it on the internet and came to this website, yesterday. I took the vinegar water mix (1.5 tablespoon of vinegar/1 glass water) right away and since then 3 times per day. After two glasses of mix last night I had the best night sleep in a long time.
Anybody else out there with a lap band and acid reflux problems?
I have been using the apple cider remedy off and on for the last 3 weeks. Because I was laid off from work the state run insurance decided that I did not need the Acid Reflux med. They said I could use the over the counter stuff. After 6 months of agony I went to the internet and found the acid reflux remedy. It has been a great relief to me and it also has cleared my skin which really surprised. I use the apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair too.
I have been using 1 teaspoon to 8 oz of water. I use about a 1/4 cup of vinegar in a large 20 oz cup water shampoo and the rinse with the vinegar.
I have been on Zantac 50 mg. once a day for the past 15 years. I have been suffering with Acid Reflux for the past 4 months. I have only had 3 weeks relief out of the past 4 months using homepathic medications, I ran out of them and within 2 weeks the pain in my stomach and the pressure in my chest have been so bad I was desperate. My friend has been trying to get me to try Apple Cidar Vinegar and I thought yuck who wants to drink vinegar. I tried it for the first time 2 days ago and could not believe within minutes the pressure was gone. I slept better that night than I have in 4 months.
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