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 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.
Milk
Posted by Art (Red Deer, Ab Canada) on 03/03/2010
★★★★★
Milk cures reflux for me. If you get more heartburn, drink more milk!
Apples
Posted by Van (Sa, Tx) on 01/07/2010
★★★★★
Keeping this short so as not to repeat information -- I stopped taking my meds for a couple days till symptoms appeared. Tried the ACV, and it didn't really work (for the reflux). Tried the almonds, worked slightly. Ate the apple...worked almost immediately!!! I was amazed. Since then I have been eating on average 2 apples a day, drinking apple juice with my meals (which seems to work also). I still am experimenting with the ACV though...but for my sinus clogs and allergies...too early to tell but that seems to be working slowly as well.
Thanks to all who post here and to the site owners for helping people try to find more healthy ways to live. The part that really chaps my hide though is that doctors HAVE TO KNOW that these remedies exist and work and yet they still try and sell us on those prescription meds.
Apples
Posted by Mrgrace (Concord, Nc) on 12/14/2009
★★★★★
I have suffered from Acid Reflux for over 10 years and have been on a precribstion for at least 7 years. I still have problems from time to time and noticed that eating an apple helped me. I think I just lucked up with that, I tried it only a few times and it seemed to work, so I deciced to google apples helping with reflux and found this site! It is good to know it is not just me, it really works! One apple (I have used Granny Smith, Gala, Red Delishious and all worked fine)
Dietary Changes
Posted by Lisa (Bend, Oregon) on 11/20/2010
At 40 I developed acid reflux and tried traditional medicines off and on, but found 10 years relief from not drinking beer. Oddly, wine and coffee didn't bother me. After reading from others, I see it's the grain connection. Unfortunity, at 52 my acid reflux has resurfaced and is miserable. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to reduce eating all grains and see what happens.
Dietary Changes
Posted by 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.
Apples
Posted by Nicole (Springville, Utah) on 11/30/2009
★★★★★
I am 32 years old. I tried the pickle juice remedy that I read about on this site. Being a pickle lover, I was open to trying it! I drank some of the juice from a jar of kosher dills. I felt some relief a few minutes later. The pain from the acid burning diminished, but did not go away. I also read that apples do the trick, but not having any apples on hand, I turned to my jar of organic apple sauce. It is helping also. I think more so than the pickle juice did. Cold applesauce had a cooling effect to help ease the burn of the acid. If you have a very sensitive stomach, I recommend trying the apples or applesauce first, before the pickle juice. Good luck!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Orange Peel, Aloe
Posted by Crazydogjack (New Castle, Pa, USA) on 11/13/2009
★★★★★
Okay. Here's my advice to acid reflux. If you take the "medication" traditionally given for reflux, what happens is that it depletes the acid in your stomach and then you don't digest your food properly. I was on medication for 11 years and decided there was a better way. There are a slew of side effects from taking those suggested meds. This is what I came up with on my search for something better to cure this problem. I was very skeptical that it would work but I thought what the heck I'll try it and it worked.
In the begininning I used a combination of orange peel extract every other day, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and water daily and organic Aloe Vera juice as needed. After two months I became symptom free. I drink the Apple Cider Vinegar and water everyday because of the health benefits. I also keep aloe vera juice on hand and I keep the orange peel extract on hand just in case I have a flare up. I have been symptom free for over a year and I feel great! Best of luck to you! I am sure this will work for you too!
Aloe Vera
Posted by Camillems (Las Cruces, Nm, Usa) on 10/07/2009
★★★★★
Hey Kimberly from Mineral VA, try aloe vera juice for your acid reflux. I have had chronic heart burn and acid reflux and the past week it has gotten out of control and keeping me up at night. The gal at the pharmacy told me to buy a gallon of aloe vera juice.. and guess what my acid reflux is gone!! I was taking antacids, and baking soda, even ACV nothing was working but the cooling and gentle effect of aloe vera juice has done the trick... i hear its good for weight loss too...hmmmm looking forward to what I'll find. Good luck.
Ginger
Posted by Darijan (Zagreb, Hr, Croatia) on 09/23/2009
★★★★★
I would like to add Yes for GINGER.
I suffered from Acid reflux for nine months, tried almost everything, was on NEXIUM too, I did not have chest pain but throat pain, and ginger tea was the most spectacular discovery! Now I drink several glasses of ginger tea daily and the pain is now much much weaker. Nothing I tried before ever made so much difference.
Therefore, strongly recommend ginger.
I buy a fresh one, peel it off, cut it in small pieces and just spill hot water over it, just like I would do with any other tea.
Anyway, that worked out for me. Pain is not completely gone yet (I drink it for three days only) but life became much more bearable since I started.
Good luck to all of you!
Apples
Posted by Erin (Rockingham, North Carolina) on 09/05/2009
★★★★★
When my acid reflux got so bad that it came back every morning even without eating any trigger foods, I decided I couldn't keep taking antacids every day. I tried ACV first, but it upset my stomach and gave me gas. So next I tried eating an apple when the acid reflux came on. It worked immediately and has worked every single time since then, over several months. Plus, the acid reflux doesn't come back later in the day or the next day either!
Green Tea
Posted by Rich Shepherd (Miami Beach, Florida) on 08/21/2009
★★★★★
I tried the baking soda with ACV with little or no success.
Then I remembered a little Chinese waitress who told me, if you want to have great sex eat no meat or after dinner drink several cups of green tea it neutralizes stomach acid.
After every meal I have had at least 3 cups of green tea as dark as possible.
I have also programmed my body for acid to be where God intended it to be. Told my acid: "You must stay where you should and no where else"
I sleep nicely and acid is no longer a problem. I keep a bottle with strong green tea on my night table.
Magnesium Chloride
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 06/11/2009
★★★★★
There is a case where the Acid reflux remedy DOES NOT work using the baking soda remedy or any alkaline remedy, regardless of whether it is baking soda, sodium citrate, or potassium citrate. The remedy that works the best is simply the magnesium chloride. The dose I have found to be about 250-500 mg taken three times a day in one warm cup of water. The magnesium was designed to protect against the toxicity of the excitotoxins, which occur from monosodium glutamate, aspartame, aspartic acid, for example. It's effect in relieving the acid reflux is almost instant upon taking the first dose, but almost a complete stoppage of acid reflux may occur after three days to seven days. In event there is a vitamin B deficiency some additional stopping of acid reflux may occur with just once a week of B50 taken only a couple of times. This is one of the fastes acid reflux remedy I have found. An addition of clove oil one drop stirred in a 1/2 glass of water will also help in a few cases.
Ted
Almonds
Posted by michelle (Cambridge, UK) on 06/03/2009
★★★★★
Dear Sammi, I have been eating almonds with every meal, before, after, or during the meal, for the last six months, and they have completely taken my acid reflux away. I think they work because they are alkaline.( I found this advice on this site )
I took 5 per meal to start with, then dropped to 2 after the meal, but at night I tend to eat a bit more, so sometimes need none if my meal is very alkaline, ( ie. lettuce , avocado and lemon juice ) or 15-20 if I eat late and heavily ! They ALWAYS WORK !
Slippery Elm
Posted by Lenore (Chicago, Illinois) on 05/23/2009
★★★★★
Slippery elm bark cured my acid refux.You can buy slippery elm bark powder in most health food stores. I found out about it while researching for a cure for acid reflux, made the tea by adding 1 heaping tablespoon to one pint of boiling water- let steep one hour then simmer a few minutes - strain( or not) and drink. Prior to this I took tums, prisolec and other otc and prescription meds to no avail. After using this remedy I have no more trouble, I was also informed that tums and other drugs taken over the long haul begin to cause the problem they were originally meant to cure. I had acid refux so bad it burnt my throat and I had to try to sleep while sitting up. Amazingly I only had to take it 2x in a whole year and otherwise have not even modified my diet at all. Slippery elm bark is also very nourishing and is said to heal anything it comes into contact with.
Hydrogen Peroxide, ACV and Baking Soda
Posted by Lynn (Mt Healthy, Ohio) on 04/24/2009
★★★★★
well it's almost 3a.m. but I had to post this remedy in case someone else is suffering. SEVERE acid reflux is much worse, it feels like I just trisd to drink battery acid. It's very painful and is sometimes accompanied with spitting up blood. I've had this happen before only to suffer with it for hours and wondering if it was going to kill me. This time I took the spray bottle I keep in my bathroom loaded with 4oz. of hydrogen peroxide (drugstore brand ok) per 24oz. of purified water to brush my teeth with and sprayed enough to gargle (the same could be done with a cup of purified water and a tblsp of peroxide-don't swallow) and the relief was instant. Keep brushing, gargling, andspitting out into the sink until pain subsides you will cough up the acid-good-get rid of it. Then take a cup of purified water, mix 1 tbsp acv + one fourth/one half tsp. ORGANIC baking soda (I have to watch my budget too but using small amnts. for internal help is still cost effective), I keep it in an air tight jar on the counter, and sip. The bs will make you burp alot but you'll feel much better. Well, it's almost 3:30 am so I'm going back to sleep now. GOD BLESS
Ginger
Posted by Roy (Brampton Ontario, Canada) on 04/05/2009
★★★★★
I simply would like to mention ginger tea made from raw shaved ginger root boiled in two cups of water then strained and perhaps with a little honey to enhance the flavor, to be drank as a wonderful cure for acid reflux.