Effective Natural Remedies for GERD Relief

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by VAR (Los Angeles, CA) on 01/07/2009
★★★★★

I believe that I have acid reflux. I've had a horrible burning in my esophagus and severe nausea. I went to the doctor and they gave me a drug which is usually used for GERD. But, I hate taking medicines long term and the doctor didn't even tell me I needed to come back and take more of it.

So, every time I've gotten the burning sensation and nausea, I've taken ACV (and it was the aweful tasting grocery store kind), but it totally works. I've discovered that I don't even need a lot of the ACV in water for it to be effective. I used to use about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of ACV with a 8 oz cup of warm water and honey. It tastes horrible, but it works so fast! Now, I take maybe a capful of the ACV in 8oz of water and even that works fairly well. But I'd like to try the daily regimen or the tablet form to get this under control.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Rebecca (Simi Valley, CA) on 12/25/2008
★★★★★

I was diagnosed with GERD a year ago my valve between my esophagus and stomach was gone and I had surgery to rebuild it last Jan. I started having symptoms again in Nov I was nauseous for a month straight after many expensive tests ( i moved states) they told me I have Gerd (surprise) and put me on Nexium (expensive)and Reglan, to no avail.

I found this site and wow! Thanks so much. I wanted to give you all some help I found. I drink the ACV hot in lemon tea with honey tastes like strong apple cider but it is much more palatable! I can eat all foods thanks to ACV and I am only nauseous maybe 1 out of 15 days instead of everyday. What a life saver.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and thanks for sharing such vital info.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Raja (Bangalore, India) on 09/29/2008
★★★★☆

I have been suffering from severe GERD for the past three years.I used all kinds of antacids and none did work for me.
I believe poor bowel movement is also makes GERD severe. Keeping the stomach clean is a part of getting relief from GERD.
I started walking at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. I started taking two cups of fruit salad daily. I started finshing dinner at least three hours before going to bed. The result is now I am almost free of the hellish reflux, i ndigestion and constipation.
But I'm not sure whether it has been cured...

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ellen (Arlington, TX) on 08/31/2008
★★★★★

I have had GERD for almost 3 months. I did not know what it was until I researched it on the internet.I had been eating a lot of spagetti made with diced tomatoes as well as drinking tons of coffee and peppermint tea constantly. Apparently my diet brought about the GERD in the first place. Then about 2 weeks ago I caught a stomach virus from my daughter.My husband caught it too so I know for a fact that it wasn't just the GERD. Suddenly I could not digest anything at all. The reflux was unbelievable and unrelenting. I tried OTC meds like Zantac and Tums, as well as using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to control it at it's worst. Nothing was truly working and I was living on crackers and honey for days. My throat hurt and I had the globus sensation. My throat felt so swollen and tender that I could not sing or talk with any force. I went to the doctor and he gave me samples of Aciphex. I tried that the next day but I felt horribly lightheaded and developed a bad headache.

I decided I wasn't going to go through a second day like that. I did an internet search and found this website. When I read about all of the people who were helped by drinking ACV I ran for the kitchen. All I had was Heinz brand ACV but I drank 1 tablespoon in about 8 ounces of water. I felt relief within minutes. I drank it with every meal that day. I kept the meals light and stomach friendly. That night I bought the good brand at Whole Foods(the one with the mother). The next day the globus sensation was gone. I continued that dosage with every meal for several days. After I began to feel better I cut back my dosage to about 1 teaspoon to 8 ounces of water. I usually only drink it once a day now in the morning, unless I feel like I might be starting to have reflux after a meal. Then I drink a smaller amount to counter the reflux. I am able to eat most regular foods now, although I'm being more careful about what I eat now and the amount. Keep in mind that I had a stomach virus as well as GERD so I think it took a little longer to recuperate than if I had only been dealing with GERD. Thank you all so much for your testimonials. They have made a huge difference in my life. I am eating and singing again, and feeling so much better.

All the best,
Ellen

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Keith (Nashua, New Hampshire) on 07/03/2008
★★★★★

Yesterday, I wrote concerning my first time using the Apple cider vineger. My condition was pretty severe - Gerd and/or acid into my throat and nose area, extreme pain and/or burning in the lungs. I have been dealing with this oondition for years, but it has worsened up until yesterday.

Today, I feel like I have woken up as a new man. I think my body is still trying to get used to the fact that I have no pain right now. I am totally amazed...

Yesterday morning I started out with two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vineger around 8:30AM or so. It was almost immediate that my body began to react. Withn the first few hours of taking the first dose, my stomach began to feel better.

Through out the day yesterday, I had taken a total of 4 doses at 2 tablespoons each. These doses were not accompanied by water or diluted with anything else. Just straight Apple Cider Vineger.

About halfway through the day, the burning sensation in my lungs went away.

Usually at night time, I have huge amounts acid or when going to bed. Not this time...

I am shocked. My body is literally shocked... I have never felt so relieved of these symptoms for years... This morning after waking I only felt a little acid, but this ws nothing compared to what I had been dealing with for years... I have already taken my first two tablespoons this morning and there is now no gerd...

I will keep using the Apple Cider Viniger! I want to thank all of you who have posted all of these remedies here and your results to which inspired me to make that change to using the Apple Cider Viniger!!!

Apple Cider Viniger works!

Okra

Posted by Juve Orbista (Parañaque Manila Philippines) on 07/09/2020
★★★★★

Ohhh thank you me my GERD coming 4months this July 20 and I'm healed by okra I'm sure I'm almost ok now with the help of good diet and PRAYERS ..thank you OKRA

Cpap Machine

Posted by Nancy (Newton, NC) on 12/14/2007
★★★★★

After years of severe acid reflux that no medicine helped, including Nexium, my doctor convinced me to have a sleep study. After being diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea I started using a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure). It took about a year for my esophagus to heal, but I never ever have acid reflux anymore. My pulmonologist explained that the struggle for breath was squeezing the contents of my stomach up my esophagus all night. I used to sit up in a recliner all night rarely getting any sleep. I now sleep all night laying down flat. It was an adjustment getting accustomed to the CPAP but it is worth its weight in gold. My GERD had absolutely nothing to do with what I was eating nor with overproduction of gastric acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Isabel (Chicago, IL) on 11/18/2006
★★★★★

For the past 5 weeks I have been experiencing coughing fits that would get worst nocturnally. It originated from a sinusitis infection that turned into what I thought was now a chest cold. Tried antibiotics and over the counter cough medicines along with codeine to control the coughs. All this did was mask the underlying problem which I finally realized was GERD (acid reflux) . My doctor wanted to try a more potent antibiotic but I refused since the first didn't work. I coughed so much I strained my back muscle which made breathing nearly impossible. I asked her to give me a proton pump inhibitor (Prilosec) and thankfully I got samples to try so I didn't have to waste my $$ if it didn't work. I tried the Prilosec that night and I was up ALL NIGHT COUGHING AGAIN. The only thing it did was reduce the burn. I went on the internet to learn more about GERD and a pop-up-screen came up saying apples was the cure but I had to pay $$$ to get the info which to me is insane. I linked "apples and GERD" and this site came up. Got the'ACV on 11/17/06 and it WORKED and I slept for 6 1/2 hrs straight! Woke up at 4:00am with a cough took a dose of ACV again and within 15 minutes (in the mean time I remained sitting up and meditated) my coughing fit stopped and went back to sleep. I have not slept through the night in weeks; it's quite liberating. With continued use I hope to heal the damage done to my esophagus and get back to my normal self. Thank you for sharing this with the rest of us. Isabel

Dietary Changes

Posted by Cliff (Dallas, TX) on 09/15/2006
★★★★★

Less food volume intake per meal. More light snacking. Organic foods preferred. Never lay down after eating for 2-3 hours. Has not cured GERD, but has reduced symptoms significantly.

Apples

Posted by Lura (CA) on 05/06/2006
★★★★★

I ate a mini red small apple from Trader Joe's that actually seemed to make my GERD worse. But on days I ate other kinds of apples I don't recall having too many problems. I just ate some red delicious apples and didn't have any problems.

Apples

Posted by Carlos (Baltimore) on 04/23/2006
★★★★★

I am so glad I found your website. Last year I started developing some strange food sensitivities and terrible dizziness and fatigue. After numerous doctor visits and many many tests I was diagnosed with acid reflux! I was taking aleve for joint pain and levaquin for an infection and my health started going downhill fast. I started taking Prilosec & Zantac and noticed remarkable improvement for a few weeks, but then my heartburn and problems swallowing got worse than ever! One day I noticed that a nice crunchy green apple helped my GERD considerably, and now I can't live without 2-3 green apples a day. I'm going to try that apple cider vinegar too - antacids are just like painkillers, they don't attack the real problem they just try to minimize complications without addressing the source. Thanks for the info!

Pickle Juice

Posted by Stacy (Royal Oak, IL) on 04/12/2006
★★★★★

Unbelievable!! I am 2 days away from an endoscopy which is the first step in surgical correction for GERD. I have suffered from GERD for over 12 years and in preparation for my next pregnancy, have decided to have the issue corrected. Mine became so bad after my first pregnancy that for the last 5 years, I have been taking double dose OTC Prilosec with only partial relief. To prepare for the procedure, I have to be off of Prilosec for 5 days prior and 2 days post. This scared the tar out of me since I am usually in burning pain if I am even 2 hours late with my pills. I am now 3 days off of the pills and have been, so far successfully, fighting the urge to call and cancel the whole thing just so I can get back on some Prilosec ASAP. With my doctors ok, I have been taking above the max dose of Tums but when I hit about 30 for today, I figured that couldn't be too good. Looking for alternatives, I found this website and read about the pickles. Ironically, I had a pickle from lunch that I had not eaten for fear that it would make me worse. I went and got it and decided, at this point, nothing could be worse. Right after eating it, I noticed a difference. More than I had gotten with all the Tums all day long. Unfortunately, I only had one spear and will have to stop and get more on my way home but this really was amazing. Absolutely worth a try.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Josh (Ca) on 02/08/2018

I haven't had any blood work done in a while and my GI doctor at the time told me I have GERD and IBS but there was nothing else he could do for me. I've been wanting to get a second opinion because I really didn't like my GI doctor as he didn't seem like he was that invested in helping me out. I don't have insurance anymore since my parents took me off their plan so I'm not sure when I'll get that second opinion

Thanks for your help I will keep everyone posted if I make any progress

Dietary Changes

Posted by Josh (Ca) on 02/08/2018

Thanks for mentioning that because forgot to add I had jaundice when I was around 16 or 17 from taking pro hormones while I was working out. I used to think I was invisible and drank alcohol while I was taking those and I ate fast food like there was no tomorrow. The jaundice cleared up after about 6 weeks I think and I was back to my normal self but I always thought there might be a connection between that and my stomach problems

Supplements

Posted by Rob (London, Ontario) on 06/01/2016
★★★★★

I've been going through the GERD remedies here, and I'm surprised nobody has bothered to quote a 2006 study on a natural treatment for GERD that had a 100% success rate with all 175 subjects cured within 40 days.

The abstract of the study- ( from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16948779 )

"The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is increasing. GERD is a chronic disease and its treatment is problematic. It may present with various symptoms including heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia, coughing, hoarseness or chest pain. The aim of this study was to investigate if a dietary supplementation containing: melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and betaine would help patients with GERD, and to compare the preparation with 20 mg omeprazole. Melatonin has known inhibitory activities on gastric acid secretion and nitric oxide biosynthesis. Nitric oxide has an important role in the transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR), which is a major mechanism of reflux in patients with GERD. Others biocompounds of the formula display anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. A single blind randomized study was performed in which 176 patients underwent treatment using the supplement cited above (group A) and 175 received treatment of 20 mg omeprazole (group B). Symptoms were recorded in a diary and changes in severity of symptoms noted. All patients of the group A (100%) reported a complete regression of symptoms after 40 days of treatment. On the other hand, 115 subjects (65.7%) of the omeprazole reported regression of symptoms in the same period. There was statistically significant difference between the groups (P < 0.05). This formulation promotes regression of GERD symptoms with no significant side effects."

Supplements

Posted by Timh (Ky) on 06/03/2016 2048 posts

R: Thanks for posting this report.

If I may add, in addition to the said benefits of Melatonin, Tryptophan, and the anti inflammatory and analgesic effects, it seems an intended or unintended oversight to not mention the fat burning effects of Methionine, B-12, Folic Acid, and B-6. Maybe it was discussed in the larger content of the study, but certainly worth mentioning here as there is an increase in fatty liver in the western diet particularly due to increase sugar intake and the single worst sugar High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) which is known to cause obesity and fatty liver.

I have been using these fat burning nutrients for several yrs to keep the fatty liver at bay; if I don't take them I get the common symptoms reported of GERD but mostly constipation, both of which are a result of decreased bile flow from F.L.

Also the Lipotropic nutrients listed above are also great "methyl donors" in the extensive biochemical reactions influencing physiological functions over the entire body.

Betaine HCl

Posted by Bobbie (Burbank) on 04/28/2016
★★★★★

I disagree with the thread that states you need to neutralize stomach acid to cure acid reflux, which is the ideology of mainstream meds like Prilosec. Doing so will only exasperate the condition. Hear is why.

Poor eating habits high in crabs cause an overgrowth of starch metabolizing bacteria, like h pylori, in the stomach. These bacteria actively lower the stomach acids to facilitate their own growth, which reduces the stomachs ability to do its job, digest food. If food does not reach a certain acid level, it will not be released into the intestines and will sit in the stomach like a rock. This causes stomach bacteria to begin metabolizing the food in the stomach, which causes a gas byproduct to build and resultant burping. The burping brings up gastric acids into the esophagus, and resultant GERD.

Curing GERD means healthy eating habits (low starch diet) and restoring stomach acids with HCL acid tablets. If your GERD has already progressed to stomach ulcers, you will first need to address that problem before re-acidifying the stomach. Worked like a charm for me.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sandy (Vancouver) on 04/04/2017

I have been suffering with GERD for many years now, and have been on everything imaginable when it comes to prescription drugs. I've tried all of them - Nexium, Pariet and now Dexilant 60 mg every night. Without the Dexilant, I get severe heartburn that keeps me awake all night, to the point of throwing up. My esophagus tube doesn't close like it should, so I have a swooshing of acid going up and down, all the time. The only way to fix that, according to my doctors, is surgery to repair the tube, but that's something I do not want to go through if I have another choice.

Does anyone out there have the same problem, and does ACV actually work - also, have you been able to come off your prescription medication completely. I imagine stopping your medication cold turkey is not advised, but any information you can provide or suggest at this time would be greatly appreciated. I'm scared to come off the medication because the GERD symptoms are so severe without it.

Betaine HCl

Posted by Sam (Miami, FL) on 12/26/2014

First do the test if you need it, then follow the guidance on how many to take.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Jamesh (Indonesia) on 11/07/2014

Hi there, that Apple Cider Vinegar with or without yeast.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Dean Nadzri (Kl, Malaysia) on 05/07/2015

Just get the the organic ACV "with the mother".

Raw Potatoe Juice, Baking Soda

Posted by Reflux Master (Brazil) on 04/16/2014
★★★★☆

GERD: Things that I tried that didn't work for me:

1: remedies 2: surgery (actually it got worse!! ) 3: Betaine Hcl 4: probiotics 5: ACV 6: Almonds 7: Lemons 8: Apples 9: Kale 10: Gluten-free, Dairy-free diet

Things that works for me, but didn't cure:

1: Raw potato juice 2: Baking Soda

D-Limonene

Posted by Mary Alice (Oregon) on 03/31/2017

Thanks for this detailed review. I am going to try a lower dosage to see what happens...but your review was great. I will add to this remedy if it works. If the lower dosage does not work, then I will do the 1000 mg. Thanks again!

Apples

Posted by Truth9 (New York) on 02/20/2013
★★★★★

Organic apples are great for GERD and IBS. To supercharge them, take COLD CHAMOMILE TEA. A couple of cups in between meals or at night. Together, they will save you from doctors and their procedures, medications, pain, anxiety, etc.

Trust me on this one. You can do no better!