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.
Probiotics, Hlc
Posted by Chris (Jacksonville, Fl) on 03/25/2009
★★★★☆
I'm new to this site, it's awesome... I have been suffering from what the M.D. calls acid reflux and given the prilosec routine, however I was just given info from my acupuncturist that LACK OF ACID in the stomach doesn't allow the stomache valve to dump the acid, therefore whatever acid you have have ingested just comes right up....so the prilosec makes it even worse....her suggestions-massive doses of probiotics along with increasing my acid with HCL with pepsin. So far it's helping. I am going to start the ACV tonight.
Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
Posted by Brian (Campbellsvile, KY) on 03/12/2009
Salt & Vinegar potato chips? I don't have acid reflux but I've noticed testimonials about ACV or Vinegar + Baking Soda. ACV or Vinegar are both forms of acetic acid. Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate, I don't want to bore everyone with a lot of chemistry mumbo jumbo so I'll get to the point. When you mix the two (acetic acid + sodium bicarbonate) you get sodium acetate which is the same thing used to flavor Salt & Vinegar potato chips. I thought someone might be interested in trying the chips as a junkfood junkie cure.
Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
Posted by Lukki7 (Ajax, Ontario) on 11/12/2009
★★★★★
Yep I have tried salt and vinegar potato chips and they worked quite nicely
Water and Sea Salt
Posted by Karen (Randolph, New Jersey) on 02/23/2009
★★★★★
Acid reflux is sometimes a symptom of dehydration. The body turns on histamines in order to protect the BRAIN from dehydration; according to Dr. Batmanjelidh, "Dr. Batman" "The Water Cure", the histamine closes off water and function from different body parts in order to preserve all the available water for the protection and use of the brain.
In the stomach this can lead to sensations of burning - see www.watercure2.com. the actual explanation of the mechanism is found in the book - I don't remember exactly how it works.
I have avoided salt most of my adult life, thinking it was bad for you; I found it difficult to even swallow water except for when I used to jog when I was young.
After reading "The water cure"I forced myself to drink water with a little salt in it - no more fatigue, no more constipation, tons of energy. When I get a little heart burn I just drink water - 2 to 3 glasses and it's gone.
Juicing
Posted by Brad (Los Angeles, CA) on 01/26/2009
★★★★★
I used to get regular heartburn. I was young, only 23 years old, and healthy. I got to the point where i was eating TUMS regularly, and using over he counter meds. I went to my doctor, and he prescribed Prevacid. I think i may have had the beginning of an ulcer. Anyways, i had mixed results with the Prevacid, and was uncomfortable taking a pill every day (forever?). I started to change my diet, more healthy, more fruits and vegetabless, and accidentally found that carrot juice will knock out the burn immediately. And plus when you do that you are drinking vegetables too with vitamins, fiber, etc. Nowadays, I have no heartburn meds in my house, and when my stomach burns, which is very rare, a cup of carrot juice just kills it. Forget the pills, work on changing your diet, and keep some carrot juice around. You cant overdose on it, the more you drink, the better for your body.
Mango
Posted by Sherry (Moreno Valley, California) on 01/13/2009
★★★★★
hi, i have acid reflux for 4 years, and what help me is eating a mango a day or when i feel the acid reflux active. I do not take any medication for acid reflux at this time i use to take nexium, but the mango does just as good without the side effect.
Apples
Posted by Gary (Los Angeles, Ca) on 01/01/2009
★★★★★
This last week I started having this acid reflux happen to me really bad. I went online and saw that apple cider vinegar and some type of apples were mentioned to help it. So, I bought some medicine at the store, but I haven't taken them. The apple cider vinegar and eating apples seem to work. It hasn't been bothering me much now and when it does, I eat an apple or drink apple cider or a shot glass full of straight apple vinegar. That's a bit of a "face-twister", but just drink some water after it and it's not too bad. Seems to work. I haven't opened the meds yet.
Dietary Changes
Posted by 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.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Stacey (Jackson, Wyoming) on 01/28/2010
I'm not an expert on this matter, but it may be that carbs aren't the issue. It could be what is in most carb foods, and that is gluten. An amazing amount of people have some sort of intolerance to the gluten protein. The good news is there are several foods that are gluten free or low in gluten. I had severe GI problems (including awful reflux) and found out that I'm intolerant to gluten. Once I removed it from my diet I felt great! Good luck.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Nevada (Smithfield, Pa) on 12/30/2011
I have done low carb and I have also done plant-based nearly vegan diet for over 2 years. I found that either of these diets works to eleiminate both acid reflux [GERD].
I think the main thing is to avoid all processed foods. No processed sugar or flour. [I don't like to call them "refined" cause there is nothing fine about them.]
I took prevacid for a year and would wake up in the middle of the night choking on the taste of stomach acid in my mouth. Then, because I also had diverticulosis, I started eating oatmeal 5 days a week for the fiber. For the longest time I became convinced that animal foods were one of the bad things that contrubuted to disease but now I am not so sure.
Eventually I went vegetarian and from that I went nutritarian based on a book by Joel Fuhrman, MD called Eat To Live. I stayed on that diet for over 2 years up until 2 months ago when I went low-carb high-fat. Low-carb high-fat is really what all the low-carb high-protein diets are about. They don't want to emphasize the high fat part cause it would scare folks off. Reading Gary Taubes Good Calorie, Bad Calories is what got me interested and turned me around into accepting that animal foods may not be all that bad as long as you avoid processed animal foods and those with hormones and antibiotics.
Anyway it has now been about 5 years since I have had any symptoms of GERD or diverticulosis. Plus after going on the vegetarian diet followed by the nutritarian diet I lost 40 pounds and since going low carb and eating much more meat & fat but no potatoes, bread and the like I have not gained back a single pound but in fact have lost a few and my lipids have gotten even better as well as my blood sugar which went from 99 to 89. I also supplement with DHA, vitamin D and magnesium taurate.
I will be 65 years old in another month. Wish I ate better when I was younger.
Bran
Posted by Dave (Hyattsville, MD) on 11/30/2008
★★★★★
I found that adding 3 heaping tablespoons of Quaker Unprocessed Bran to yogurt in the morning or at night produces great regularity. The regularity relieved my acid reflux. I also an prescribed and take Prilosec 40mg daily at night. However, If I don't stick with the daily unprocessed bran, the reflux returns as well as anxiety. I try to remember to take an enema once a month just for extra cleansing but believe me if you make a habit of taking the unprocessed bran you will feel it literally scraping your insides as you eliminate and it improves your cholesterol profile while helping with reflux as well.
Antibiotics
Posted by Bill (Baguio City, Philippines) on 11/23/2008
★★★★★
I spent most of my 70 years suffering with an acid stomach. Tried everything. I couldn't even drink a glass of water without my stomach burning. One day I read an article in Reader's Digest about an Australian Doctor who discovered the Helicobacter Pylori Bacteria in the stomach. After reading his story I went to my doctor. They did an Endoscopy on my stomach and the biopsy proved I had the H. Pylori Bacteria. Took antibiotics for two weeks and since that time I have had NO stomach burning sensation except for when I eat flaming chili!!
They now have a test for this bacteria using your breath in a balloon an analyzing the breath. My stomach is GREAT and I'm so glad I read that article!! I hope your stomachs get cured so you can truly enjoy life.
Reader Theories
Posted by JD (Makawao (Maui), Hawaii, USA) on 11/11/2008
I have always loved hot, spicy foods, especially when I feel "under the weather". I have instinctively eaten foods containing capsaicin (often raw or pickled chili peppers) when I have a sore throat and it always seems to help. Now that I am middle aged, though, I am plagued with acid reflux and spicy foods make it MUCH worse. If I've eaten hot peppers, antacids don't even help much because the "chili reflux" is painful even without stomach acid.
I can't help but think that the REAL problem is not so much the acid, but my weakened or dysfunctional esophageal sphincter allowing stomach contents to come up into the throat, where their acid or spicy nature causes irritation and pain. I will try the ACV cure, but I think what would really help is an excercise to tone that particular muscle. Any suggestions?
Reader Theories
Posted by Rita (South Africa) on 08/31/2018
Hi there .....look at Dr John Bergman on Youtube .....on reflux and hiatal hernia cures. Also Google Breath of Fire which is a yoga breathing technique for same.
Helps me a lot.
Red Wine
Posted by Elizabeth (Cambridge, Ma Usa) on 04/05/2012
Very helpful. I've been working on this two months, am much better, trying to fine tune the "in between meals" problems. Tried red wine this evening, and was so pleased I went to the net. Please look up and consider the 6 mg. Melatonin per night approach, which has nearly taken away my symptoms, and the low carbohydrate diet approach. Melatonin reasons are beyond me. For low carb, many people have an imbalance between fungus and good biotics, and need to rebalance. The fungal contingent is happy eating carbs/sugar/fast burn refined anything. If that is your problem, a proprietary product called Candex is the best I've found (although there are many other herbal approaches). It takes months, but you will automatically lose weight (be prepared if you are thin), and it will balance out. Good luck to all, and thanks for the confirmation on red wine.
Water
Posted by Cindy (Wichita, Kansas) on 08/17/2008
★★★★★
For indigestion, drink 2 glasses of water. Not sipping, drinking. The last time I had indigestion - almost 4 years ago now - I did this. The first glass went down hard - it was literally painful. But I haven't had indigestion, acid reflux or suffered from hiatel (sp) hernia since. And I suffered indigestion since I was a child. I'm now 50. I've been following the watercure since then and use ice water for headaches as well. NOTE: You can't merely sip it. You must drink it down, a glass at a time. I have a whole big story about the watercure, ovarian tumor, cancer etc...but it's very long. EC is very cool! I'm preparing to use the banana peel remedy on one of the few problems the watercure didn't help - a 30 year old plantars wart! Yeah!!
Water
Posted by AKR (Jersey City, New Jersey) on 08/17/2008
Cindy, you said "I have a whole big story about the watercure, ovarian tumor, cancer etc"
Would love to hear about your story. I have started drinking about two glasses of water in the morning recently, and am interested to learn how true all those stories about "watercure" are.
Many thx,
AKR
Water and Sea Salt
Posted by Cindy (Wichita, KS) on 07/22/2008
★★★★★
After more than 30 years of indigestion and 10 years of acid reflux the very last time I experienced either was about 2 minutes prior to drinking my first 2 glasses of water. I've been drinking water and eating sea salt ever since and have not had indigestion or acid reflux once, in over 2 years. Yes, I had a myriad of other life-threatening problems that the water and salt have fixed since I was sent home from the hospital to "put my affairs in order", but the constant acid was the worst of all and the one I'm most glad to be rid of. I can eat and sleep like a human being again.
EC: Cindy, can you please tell us more about these two remedies? How much water, how often, do you add sea salt to the water, etc. Thanks!
Chlorella
Posted by Vicki (Ranger, Georgia) on 07/19/2008
★★★★★
Recently I tried Chlorella for my acid reflux. I was amazed when the pain stopped within a short time. This is truly the best remedy I have found for acid reflux. I bought the powder and take about two thirds of a teaspoon to cure acid reflux. Safe and effective.
Dietary Changes
Posted by 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.
Ginger
Posted by Clyde (Chesapeake, VA) on 06/21/2008
★★★★★
Fresh Ginger Root also helps Acid reflux and IBS. peel off a small teaspoon size chunk of the root (after peeling and rinsing) chew it well
NOTE: the root is very spicy (hot) but not too bad.
Banana
Posted by Mike (Chicago, IL) on 06/17/2008
★★★★★
Banana is the only thing besides Pepcid AC that has cured my acid reflux. I always eat one or two before I drink any alchohol and it works great every time.
Apples
Posted by Rose (Faun Skin, America) on 06/16/2008
★★★★★
ive heard that an apple, or even just one slice will take care of acid reflux! you can eat them through out the day. the more the better. i tried it and it worked, although i dont know if it is a cure, i know i can help right away. so for those of you who have to wait to get something to cure it, why not munch on an apple in the time being.
