Replied By Laura (Monroeville , PA) on 06/16/2008
Acid Reflux Remedies: No on the bananas -- it actually makes it worse for me or creates it. Anything sugar based turns on the reflux for me. Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon with a cup of water when I eat badly. Nothing when I eliminate coffee and sugar.Replied By Patient (Union, Nj) on 10/14/2009
i've been taking nexium for 7 years. First signs of burning 12 years ago, first reflux 8-9 yrs ago. 7 years ago diagnosed with hiatal hernia. Nexium helped from day one. First several times a week, then every other day, then every day 40mg. A few years ago started reading about danger of proton pump inhibitors and antacids. Switched to 40-20mg alternating every other day. Now stopped nexium completely a few days ago and i'm on fire non-stop. Headaches, nausea, constant feeling of hunger, chest and throat pain. Eating any kind of food helps relieve burning for a while. Tried organic 1 table spoon ACV 1 tbl spoon honey mixed in warm water 6-8oz cup. It helps for about 30 minutes. Tried 1/2 tea spoon of baking soda mixed with 6oz cup water and could not drink it because of bad taste. Added 1 tea spoon of ACV (for tolerable taste) and it helped for 1 hour. Apples help just like any non-acidic food for about 10-20 minutes. Bananas - for me 100x worse, almost immediate burning. 1 spoon of honey may be "soothing" the esophagus but it doesn't do anything for me.
Still searching for alternatives to dangerous pills and irreversible surgery.
Replied By Sean (Seattle, Wa) on 10/15/2009
How much water do/have you been drinking? The one thing that I have noticed about people with acid reflux...Not enough water and not enough fibrous foods. Cut out bleached white flower products and bleached white sugar/corn syrup products. They can easily account for 1/2 of your caloric intake if you don't wage a war on them. I feel that we are in the midst of a nutritional holocaust. Stick to natural foods. I know a lot of people that don't like water! They even go YEARS without getting enough. -Just a thoughtReplied By Selena (Chula, Ga) on 10/16/2009
My husband had the same problem before we married. I put him on a yeast free diet and within a month he was 90% better (the remaining 10% is diet and bad habit related that could be fixed by eliminating things from his diet but so much better he can put up with it not to have to give up those things.) Google yeast free diet. I had a book but can't remember the name or author. Basically you have to eliminate all refined sugars, white flour products, refined vinegar products (mustard, mayo. ketchup.) all fungus foods (mushrooms, alcohol), and dairy. He stuck to this diet Mon-Fri and splurged on the weekends and still had great results. He now treats his heartburn with baking soda and water when it occurs. It works wonders for him and does the job. Good luck and congratulations on deciding to take your health into your own hands and fix the problem instead of cover it up.