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.
HCL
Posted by Mama T (Sparks, Nv) on 05/28/2012
★★★★★
Years ago I was having severe acid reflux and would not try over the counter stuff. I went to our local health store and I learned a wonderful lesson that BIG PHARMICA doesn't want you to know. When you have acid reflux it is caused because you don't have enough acid! They want to sell you the band aids, the prescriptions. The clerk told me that as we age or if we have poor diets (not enough fermented foods) our stomach does not have enough acid when we eat. So the food goes in and the body reacts by producing acid to digest the food, after the food is in the belly, so the acid goes on top of the food, causing a reflux of too much acid, too late. What he told me I needed was to increase my acid before I eat so that the acid is there under the food in the belly. This information was contrary to what we learn on TV or magazines. He was so certain, he opened a bottle and gave me a handful of HCL hydrocloric acid capsules for free to try this out. There was enough for about 8 days. He said if it works, which he assured me it would, I could come back and buy the bottle. He said take one or two before each meal. I did, and I did come back and buy the bottle because it worked! I asked him how I know when it is enough. He said you can tell when you have balanced your acid when it starts to burn after the meal. You'll know. After a couple weeks I stopped taking them for a time until I need to do it again, which was quite a while. So, you see, eating a pickle before is increasing the acid in your belly. I also drink the apple cider vinegar daily when I get up in the morning. I have done this for years. It helps with your overall ph balance.
This year I got acid reflux even though I drink the vinegar. When I took the HCL it didn't work. I was burning up! I realized I had become too acidic! I quit taking the apple cider vinegar for a while, drank some club soda. I had to bear thru this for a couple weeks to balance out. I do have the saliva test strips for testing my spit first thing in the morning. I just thought that the vinegar was good. I guess it can become too much of a good thing. Now I don't drink the vinegar as often.
High Altitudes
Posted by Rick (Cictoria, BC, Canada) on 04/20/2008
★★★★★
I recently went to live for three weeks at very high altitude, in Ecuador. During my stay my reflux went completely. I found I could even drink alcohol and wonderful local coffee. My symptoms gradually returned about eight weeks after my return. My work involves a certain amount of forward bending so I could be aggravating my symptoms and causing acid reflux with bending. However I do also wonder if the altitude, 8,500 feet to 12,000 feet, contributed to my temporary recovery. Higher altitudes have totally different bacterial fauna and lower oxygen levels. My bodies' physiology had to adapt; with a faster heart rate and thus altered vagal nerve activity for example. Perhaps some of the readers would like to comment.
Replied by Kay
(Estes Park, Co)
01/15/2012
Himalayan Salt
Posted by Kennywally (Midwest) on 06/07/2016 46 posts
★★★★★
I used to carry a small container of himalayan pink salt, to instantly knock out acid reflux. I was at a transformational workshop and folks seen me taking a pinch and wondered what I was doing, so I shared that with them, of course it worked great. I rarely get the reflux, but am not sure why, I'm just glad it worked, and fast too!
Hot Peppers
Posted by Melanie (NY, NY) on 01/11/2006
★★★★★
The only thing that I have tried that has worked is Habanero Peppers. I have gargled with Apple Cider Vinegar, but I will try it again after eating to see if it works.
Hot Peppers
Posted by Tami (Burns, OR)
★★★★★
Cayenne pepper capsules and hot (tea hot) water. i take 2-4 of the capsule, 450mg each with the hot water, and the heartburn literally disappears. i had my friend try it who has been on aciphex for over 2 years, and she is now medication free!!
Hydrogen Peroxide Inhalation
Posted by Jonna (Los Angeles, CA) on 09/15/2007
★★★★★
Lately I have been having a hell of a time with digestive issues. Not sure what is going on -- it may be that I am eating way too much hormone injected chicken and turkey now that I moved in with my partner, who has to eat meat at least once a day or he gets sick. On the other hand, I ate a Trader Joe's garlic naan last week at home with a homemade curry and woke up to extreme abdominal pain and brain fog. Second time that happened with the naan, will have to check the ingredients next time I go. So perhaps I am allergic to wheat now. I don't know. At any rate, after a week of snail's pace recovery with Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda, molasses, etc., I decided to a) eat vegetarian and b) do Bill Munro's h202 inhalation therapy. I started the peroxide therapy yesterday at about noon. By 8pm the brain fog that I have had for a week disappeared. This morning, exactly 24 hours later, my digestive tract finally feels back to normal. No more abdominal pain. I did 6 pumps of 3% h202 (drugstore brand) every 2- 3 hours. I think eating only rice and vegetables the last few days was helpful too.
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
Ibuprofen Connection
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Posted by Lea (Janesville, Ca, Usa) on 01/04/2013
I developed acid reflux after taking ibuprofen. Once I stopped, the acid reflux slowly went away. With so many people suffering from acid reflux and with so many taking these pills, I highly suspect a connection.
Ice Cubes
Posted by Harout (San Fernando Valley, CA) on 06/04/2006
★★★★★
I have been told by my dad that swallowing bit and pieces of crushed ice does the cure as a natural home remedy for acid reflex and heart burn. Although my throat was burning like crazy, after being waken up twice in the middle of the night, I went to my refrigerator and filled up a cup of crushed ice. than I started to swallow a lot of crushed ice pieces. It took about 10 minutes and the acid in me was gone. I did not experience acid reflux that night again after swallowing a lot of crushed ice. Try it it will work. It cools down the burning and also makes the acid less concentrated in your body. Over-all the swallowing crushed ice method works. If anyone experiences heart burn or acid reflux, swallow crushed ice, it works! Attempt to swallow the ice at a reasonable size to avoid difficulty and discomfort of swallowing. But further more the best defense (in my opinion) is not to eat after 5 or 6 PM. The average person's metabolism slows down during night which can increase the chances of acid reflux or heartburn when you sleep. avoid late night eating, and boost up the metabolism by getting on some kind of exercise program. It can be as simple as walking around your neighborhood.
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.
Juicing
Posted by T (Dumont, NJ) on 04/20/2008
★★★★★
After a long battle, first with prescriptions, then with nearly every suggestion made here on Earth Clinic, I have finally defeated Acid Reflux by juicing. (I love Earth Clinic, & many of the suggestions here helped, but juicing seemed to resolve my problem.) I improved after juicing for the first time and now, after several months, I can eat anything (except I still avoid chocolate, coffee, & excessive sugar). At my worst, even a single mouthful of any food would set off symptoms. I couldn't lie flat for almost a year. I was up all night many times. I had symptoms of a hiatal hernia as well as reflux. Before I started trying natural remedies, I was on 80 mg/day of Nexium with little relief and discontinued when I started seeing blood in my stools.
A typical juice may have kale, carrots, ginger, cucumber, celery, zucchini (+ maybe 1/2 beet or apple). Be creative but don't overdo it with fruits or sugary veggies.
I also eat oatmeal (soluble fiber acts as prebiotic) w/ cayenne, virgin coconut oil. I eat papayas too. I found baking soda in water at bedtime controlled symptoms when I still had them. These things helped but juicing was the key to conquering. Make small quantities (1 glass or less) and sip. If you are prone to constipation, don't drink too much and take a fiber supplement. If you don't have a juicer, some healthfood stores make fresh juice blends by the glass (again, avoid the sugary blends). My juicer cost about $75 and has been well worth it. One more thing- in my experience, there is no substitute for the nutrition of real, whole food. I have had a pretty healthy diet for a couple of years but never was able to consume the quantity & variety of raw veggies I get w/ juicing.
Kefir
Posted by Christopher (New York) on 12/21/2020
★★★★★
Since I started drinking a cup of kefir in the morning my stomach acid discomfort has gone away. I just bought grains and within a week I will be drinking my own homemade kefir. Good luck, everyone!
Kefir
Posted by Sara (Texas) on 06/24/2018
★★★★★
KEFIR for acid reflux works for me. I use only the plain Kefir and drink about 1/2 to 1 cup, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It is full of nutrients, probiotics and has antibacterial properties. I wait and do not eat anything for about 1 hour or longer so as to let the probiotics work effectively. I have not had any problems with acid reflux since. I realize everyone has different body chemistry's, but this has sure worked for me.
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.
Replied by Nathan
(Vietnam)
05/23/2014
Kefir, Kombucha
Posted by Tina (Houston, Usa) on 05/08/2012
★★★★★
Happy to report that home-made Kefir and Kombucha has resolved long standing acid reflux. I now can sleep uninterrupted in the night, and do not suffer from painful acid reflux.
Google to find easy ways to make these at home.
