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.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Michael (Dix Hills, New York) on 03/28/2012
★★★★★
I had reflux attacks so bad that I went to the emergency room on several occasions thinking that I was having a heart attact. I was getting most of my calories at the time from whole grains and legumes. I read that concentrated carbohydrates are not a natural food for man, and they can contribute to creating an environment that encourages the growth of bad bacteria that have a hand in reflux. I went low carb-paleo and stopped eating all grains and legumes. The reflux disappeared in TWO DAYS. The arthritis tht I had developed in my neck and shoulders disappeard in TEN DAYS
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Shelley (Gadsden, Al, Usa) on 02/24/2012
★★★★★
I have had severe acid reflux and gerd for years. It began progressing to horrible spasms and chest pain. The last three years I figured out a cure. I took the following things:
Quit prevacid
Began taking L-Glutamine to heal my stomach
1000 mg Calcium 1000 mg Magnesium to get those levels back up after depleting them for 10years of prevacid
Probiotics with digestive enzymes
1 glass red wine
After 4 weeks, no burning, no throat clearing, no chest pains, no hard time breathing and I can drink coffee all I want.
HOWEVER, if I get a sinus infection/virus. My doctor puts me on Allegra D and an Antibiotic. And the misery starts again. It takes me 3 weeks or more after the cold is over to calm the acid reflux down and get rid of the wet cough. Why????
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Tina (Houston, Usa) on 02/24/2012
Cayenne
Posted by Olddude (Chattanooga, Tn, Usa) on 02/08/2012 21 posts
★★★★★
I have had acid reflux for years now and finally got around to Cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar. I have been doing this for only 3 days and my acid reflux is under control without taking pills. Just a pinch of cayenne to a coffee mug and 2 teaspoons does it for me. I am thankful I found this site.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Kat (Arlington, Tx) on 01/09/2012
★★★★☆
This is my first post on Earth Clinic. I just started using BSM this past week for the first time ever. I had never even tasted it before. I'm trying the Organic Unsulphered Wholesome brand. (I wanted to use the Plantation Organic brand because it's packaged in glass instead of plastic, but I couldn't find any. :() So far I'm only using 1 tsp in my coffee once a day. One day I also tried it in tea, and it tastes ok, but I like it better in coffee. Anyway, I only started for the health benefits of getting extra vitamins and minerals, and also as a possible hope of maybe helping my endometriosis. I found it on Earth Clinic while trying to help my mom find a cure for her very large Uterine Fibroid so that she won't have to have a hysterectomy. So I figured, if people say it can help that then maybe it could help me also.
Well, I would have never guessed that it would help my GERD/Acid Reflux! I had no idea it could be used for that. I've mainly heard about ACV. I know it's got to be the BSM that's helping. I have had GERD for the past 2-3 years, and it is flairing really badly right now. I have been in extreme pain and discomfort this last week from reflux (dry cough throughout the day, acid belly--which I normally only get during my cycle, burping up food and acid 1-2 hrs after I eat, congestion in the morning). Somehow these symptoms have become considerably less since starting the BSM, and it hasn't even been a full 7 days. Amazing.
Last night I even ate tacos and didn't have any reflux issues. That's a huge breakthrough. I will try using up to the recommended 1 TBSP on the bottle to see if that cures it completely.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Gaye (Gold Coast, Queensland/australia) on 12/14/2011
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
Hi Ted,
I have been trying the Apple Cider Vinegar and Bicarb Soda for terrible indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux. At first it seemed to be working, but now I think it is just getting worse. I have a lot of pain from my front through to my back. Can you please tell me if I should be doing this if I don't have a gallbladder? I had it removed 3 years ago as it functioned below 5%..
Melatonin
Posted by Rachella001 (St Pete, Fl) on 11/12/2011
★★★★☆
Take 6 mg of melatonin every night at bedtime. It strengthens your stomach sphincter making it harder for acid to travel up your throat. I've been doing it for 1.5 mos and feel 70% better!
Melatonin
Posted by Mary Alice (Oregon) on 04/01/2017
Will try this along with D-limonene. Thanks for posting.
Ginger
Posted by Erin (Cary, Nc) on 11/06/2011
★★★★★
Once I stopped using tums for acid reflux, I was using apples, which work well. But, I don't always have them on hand especially away from home. So I tried crystallized ginger (ginger soaked in sugar), and it works great. Anytime symptoms come on, I eat several pieces. If the symptoms don't go away immediately, I eat a few more pieces. Works every time. I keep a few pieces in my purse and a jar at home. You can buy these in any health food store.
Gum
Posted by Mike (Stuart, FL) on 10/11/2011
★★★★★
It might not help everyone and it's not a complete cure but chewing gum after meals helps me a lot. The saliva from chewing the gum helps to wash all the acid down and keep it out of your esophogus.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Kattis (Auckland, New Zealand) on 08/24/2011
This is a great method. Also have a quick look into food combining , that is when you combined alot of protein and carbos in the same meal. What happens is the enter the stomach and alkalines rush out to digest the carbs and acid for the proteins... When they meet they just nuetralise each other... They try again and again and finally the food gets pushed through and not digested properly and we end up even more hungry as the body try to grab at nutrients. I think that maybe reflux stems from this. I now have fruit for breakfast and then a protein lunch ( protein nicely absorbed after a fruit bed ) only have fruit in the morning while body is in elimination stage.... or 3 hours after eating other food, as it breaks down so quickly and starts to ferment if stuck behind other food, this can start to cause yeasts) and then depending on your body type and blood type some carb and vege feeds.
Kefir
Posted by Lardiver (Abbotsford, Bc Canada) on 07/22/2011
★★★★★
I found kefir works for acid reflux, it takes a few months to cure it but stops the burning in the meen time.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Kate (Kingston, Ny) on 06/28/2011
★★★★★
I've found aloe juice to help with digestive issues and read that it works by lowering the acidity of the gastric juices found in the stomach. Aloe vera is also a powerful anti-inflammatory (think sunburns), offering relief for sore throat symptoms as well. Hope it helps!!
Aloe Vera
Posted by Lilu (Los Angeles ) on 01/09/2022
Lily Of The Desert Aloe Vera Juice is a very nice & trusted one. It is the juice of the inner fillet. The rest of the aloe (the green slippery stuff or anything other than the inner fillet part) will not only give you extreme stomach pain (as it did to my years ago) but it is also not good for your health.
Apples
Posted by Suresh (Lautoka, Fiji Islands) on 06/24/2011
★★★★★
Thanks to everyone who has suugested to take an APPLE for the remedy..... yes it really helps to reduce the acidity.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Robert (Martinez, California) on 06/21/2011
★★★★★
Barring there are no underlying conditions & there is 'typical' acid reflux then diet is essential. Poor food combining added to diminished enzymes & hydrochloric acid production causes food to rot. Enzymes & digestive acid production decline with age due to the constant eating of lifeless cooked foods. I am not recommending a raw food diet as all foods cannot be eaten raw. 1/4 to 1 tsp of air dried pink salt in a glass of water in the a.m. stimulates hydrochloric acid production. Enzymes may be taken before each major meal, not after, & followed by betaine hydrochloride after the meal. Dr. David Brownstein, M. D. wrote a small book on salt which is helpful for many ailments. Dr. Bob Marshall, PHd, CNC has a site that addresses these issues.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Jeff (Nashville, Tn) on 05/13/2011
★★★★★
I no longer take Nexium since drinking ACV and BS everyday. I stopped taking the drug every other day and then every 3-4 days and so on till I was free. As with ANY drug you should never just stop taking it. Your body will revolt!
Garlic
Posted by Seanb (Port Mcnicoll, Ontario, Canada) on 04/26/2011
★★★★★
I have suffered from Acid Reflux for about 5 years. I have enjoyed many of the typical symptoms, Lump in throat sensation, burning behind breast bone, throat palpatations, excessive mucous etc. I have tried every remedy I could find including Ted's alkalizing forumla's primarily Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking soda. As with most remedies I have found nothing seems to work for long. I had the best success with ACV and Baking soda but it too stopped being as effective after about a year.
With all the remedies I have tried I think at best I could only describe the results as controlling my symptoms. This no longer seems to be the case, my acid reflux seems to be gone entirely. This is a direct result of taking Garlic supplements daily.
In researching this condition I found a few articles claiming that the active healing ingredient in garlic called Allicin is one of the only natural ways to kill the H pylori bacteria in the stomache. its widely believed that a high percentage of people with reflux have this bacteria.
Over Christmas I was having an exceptionally bad episode and out of desperation ate a couple raw cloves. After my mouth stopped burning I was amazed to note my symptoms had subsided. I have since been taking garlic and over the course of a couple months all of my symtopms have ceased. I quickly switched to galic supplements from Wall Mart as taking raw garlic was too poweful and was causing some social implications.
Garlic is one of the trigger foods we are supposed to avoid, I believed this to be true and would not have tried this if not out of desperation. It may well be responsible for the occaional heart burn I have had since but this has been minor and typically reiieved with a few almonds or some candied ginger. All of my other more concerning symptoms are gone.
reading up on Garlic you will find it has a lot of benefits including fighting some types of cancers. One of the other benefits is bowel regulation. I did not think I had a problem in this area but its now apparent that I did. I think its this issue that led to my acid reflux in the first place.
I hope others will try this and hopefully get the same benefit. Its my hope that if this works for others that we can spread the word and help others. I know this condition can really get you down over time and can seem hopeless but like the X-Files the truth is out there. Good luck to all of you
Decaf Coffee
Posted by Edgar (Heber City, Utah) on 04/18/2011
★★★★★
after almost two years trying hundreds of remedies I saw improvement after drinking instant decaf coffee. I tried medicines and natural remedies and nothing could stop the acid reflux at night. I would wake up every 2 hours with sweats and discomfort. I do not know how coffee is stopping my acid reflux but it is working for me.
