Kymom (Bowling Green, Kentucky, Usa) on 11/21/2010:
Lisa,
I am 50 years old and have had difficulty with acid reflux for over a year. I, too, have noticed that beer is a big aggravator for me. There have been numerous things that help temporarily, but I have finally figured out that the acid/alkaline foods and beverages I drink seem to determine my level of reflux.
I am using 1/2 tsp baking soda with lime in the morning and at bedtime. I use more during the day if I am having heartburn or know I am going to eat acidic food. I also try to eat more alkaline foods than acidic. You can google and find a list of foods and where they fall on the list. Beer is very acidic, as is sugar, which may be why so many people find relief by eating low carb. Baking soda is very alkaline. I am also eating a grapefruit for breakfast and an apple for snack on a daily basis. Hope this helps. It is a miserable feeling to have reflux, but even worse is not knowing how to help yourself. Using the acid/alkaline food chart has helped me manage myself very well.
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Jllerenas (Los Angeles, Ca) on 05/23/2010:
I do get acid reflux when I have gluten in my diet. I'm allergic to wheat/flour, and so many other gluten containing foods. My doctor put me on Prilosec or a generic form of it. But I didn't take it, since it has side effects I wasn't about to risk. Anyway, I kept looking for a natural way of "curing" acid reflux not a therapy for it, since that was easy; there are all kinds of natural ways to subside acid reflux. I found an article on celiac disease and tested myself for it and found that my "acid reflux" went away. My doctor asked me why I hadn't come back to see him for an evaluation on Prilosec. I told him I had celiac disease and have been avoiding gluten. He then asked how is that going? I told him I've hadn't had a recurrence since we last spoke. I have this theory about it. Here goes, if I haven't already put your mind to think of me as a quack. I somewhat believe that the sinus leakage gets swallowed containing bad bacteria, causing an imbalance in the stomach, which may cause damage to the intestinal floral. Once this happens the stomach is unable to digest certain foods, so the body in response to protect itself from an overwhelming amount of bad bacteria releases acid to dissolve it. I don't believe I'm really allergic to gluten only that I probably have damaged my floral. It can take years to become whole again. In our Western culture we treat diseases and rarely seek the problem. So we are treated for symptoms not a cause. Anyway for me addressing multiple problems have had tremendous positive impact for me. Using the salt rinse has been a huge relief for me since I can breathe at night and not get disrupted sleep. Taking care of the "acid reflux" has also helped me in my disrupted sleep as well. The digestive system is super important to our overall health. I don't have the discomfort I used to have with stomach pains, but still have mild symptoms of that every once in a while. It has definitely subsided since I've been gluten free and been using aloe vera juice, gluten free being a bigger key.
Paul (Lansing, Mi) on 12/10/2009:
About 10 years ago, I went to my doctor with complaints of heartburn. Refered to specialist. Scoped and diagnosed acid reflux. Presciption. I asked the doctor if I would be taking this the rest of my life, he said yes. I determined that I would not. After 3 months and 3 different precriptions that made me feel worse I quit taking them. Felt better right away, but still had heartburn sometimes. I now know in my case it is chocolate. Just a small amount can make me feel like i'm having a heart attack hours later. Experiment, don't let them put you on a lifetime of prescriptions that will make you sicker.
Martha (Sacramento, CA) on 04/30/2009:
I went on the Atkins diet twice in my life and both times, my GERD disappeared. I have mentioned that to all the Drs I have ever seen and they all just shook their heads and blew it off as an anomaly. I am happy to hear of someone else having that same experience. I won't go back on Atkins, but now I am motivated to once again cut most of the bad carbs out and see if it helps. View Entire Thread
Annette (Sacramento, Ca) on 12/02/2008:
I am writing to tell you of a discovery I made when I stopped eating carbs for weight loss. As long as I kept off carbs, I had no, zero, nada acid reflux! So, I have come to the conclusion that for myself, carbs are the cause of my acid reflux. It is hard to avoid carbs without planning and it takes a week to clear the sugars from your muscles and liver...but soon you will not have cravings for carbs and I hope, no more acid reflux. Good luck!
Ross (Port Washington, NY) on 10/23/2008:
I have taken Prilosec or Nexium for 45 years straight, and have recently detoxed as part of a program to help my thyroid and adrenal fatigue. Long story short, I simultaneously stopped taking my Prilosec, and I was fine. My detox consisted of raw veggies, fruit, fish and chicken. When I went off detox, reflux returned with a vengeance. My Naturopath suggested that I remove gluten from my diet, and I have been completely acid free for 2 weeks without any medicines. This is unheard of for me. I strongly believe that for some people reflux is a sign of gluten intolerance or worse. By removing Gluten, everything improves...skin, brain, energy, etc. View Entire Thread
Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 07/19/2008:
Hi Rosetta, If you diligently work at eliminating all bleached flour from your husband's diet, you might find that you also eliminate his acid reflux problem that nothing helps. It works for me and I can tell you that unless breads and cereals state l00% whole grain, they aren't, and probably contain some bleached flour. You will also find that many products contain both bleached and unbleached flour. The above has been working for me for over 30 years now. I don't know what it is in the bleaching process that creates the problem, but since I can eat whole grains or unbleached products without getting the problem, I know that is where the problem is.
Arthur (Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin) on 07/15/2008:
I am age 83. I suffered from canker sores continuously my whole life until 2 years ago when by accident I discovered that I had celiac disease, that is gluten intolerance. Since going on a gluten-free diet I have not had even one canker sore. NADA! Also the acid reflux that I had all my adult life has also almost completely gone away.
Gary (Carpinteria, CA) on 06/10/2008:
Just a note on what has helped me with acid reflux. I was really suffering badly from this for several months, I tried a lot of different diets, and also ACV baking soda and bentonite clay. None of these helped me significantly. I came across an article from a natural health practitioner who stated that he was able to cure many of his clients from acid reflux by giving them a strict low carbohydrate diet to follow. I immediately went out and bought a couple of the low carb books and read them as fast as possible to learn how to do this type of diet. I started the next day, and I have not had any major problem since (3 years) -- I do occasionally still get some acid reflux if I eat too many starchy foods. If I follow a low carb diet reasonably strictly, I have minimal problems. Once you learn how, it is easy, and also keeping your insulin levels low helps with many other health conditions.
Lisa (London, England) on 05/14/2008:
Acid Reflux: I was given a prescription for antacids from my doctor to deal with acid reflux. I was suffering from a persistnet cough, mainly in the morning and often throughout the day. I could tell it was not a flu-related cough. My naturopath friend advised me to stop drinking and eating at the same time. I tried it for a week and my cough stopped. I drink at least a half hour or more before or after a meal or even after something as small as a donut. I am very concious about separating the two processes. Try it, it works! It is all to do with the fact that the stomach can not digest food properly with liquid in it. As a result the acid builds up and causes reflux. Simple.
