Reflux (GERD)-who has it and what to you do about it?

[dianaross77]

I have heard of some people having success with an alkaline diet. I guess it helps by neutralizing some of the acid naturally. I understand you don't want to take the meds if you don't have to. Papaya extract worked for me when I was pregnant with my second child. It comes in a chewable, it tastes good too. My grandma had acid reflux really bad. It ended up eroding her esophagus to the point that my mom said it looked like raw hamburger on the endoscopy screen.

 

[har]

Quote:
No headaches here. This is the first I have heard of reflux causing headaches. Did your doctor tell you this or are you asking to see if there is a connection?

My doctor did not tell me that I'm just thinking there is a connection, I could be wrong.

I woul like to know what kind of vinegar and amount in water and how much baking soda to use.

 

[NYboy]

There is a post on SS about slippery elm bark tea.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Quote:
No headaches here. This is the first I have heard of reflux causing headaches. Did your doctor tell you this or are you asking to see if there is a connection?

My doctor did not tell me that I'm just thinking there is a connection, I could be wrong.

I woul like to know what kind of vinegar and amount in water and how much baking soda to use.

I take a teaspoon of baking soda, and dilute it in about a half cup of water. Drink it down, and it helps nearly instantly.

 

[Brindlebtch]

My husband had GERD. We sleep with the head of the bed raised 6".

The reason a lot of folks have GERD is a sphincter muscle in their throat somewhere has lost tone or doesn't work properly for some reason. So unless the sphincter muscle works, you will have GERD and only the meds will keep it under control.

 

[turney31]

I have it - take Prilosec- probably 20 years.

 

[chickensioux]

A friend of mine had "silent" reflux - no pain. She kept having asthma attacks and her voice would get hoarse frequently. Her Drs. finally figured out that she had reflux and that the stomach acid was coming all the way up and damaging her vocal cords, as well as, she was aspirating the acid into her lungs. She had the surgery done and has been fine.

 

[booker81]

GERD here too - the nice thing is my insurance will cover the Prilosec Rx so I get 3 months for ~$5. Cheaper than OTC, though it's the same ingredient.

I've had to be on Nexium before as well, when GERD ate up my esophagus badly (to the point of throwing blood), but we found if I we get it under control with the Nexium, the Prilosec keeps it at bay as a preventative.

Before medicating, I would try every single remedy I could find - I drank a lot of vinegar, baking soda, and pretty much every thing out there. Even a handful of antacids wouldn't minimize it.

Looks like I'm stuck on Prilosec forever too, but it beats the alternative

(I've also had extensive blood tests for food allergies and sensitivities, including gluten. Nothing showed there. I just have a cruddy valve

)

 

[MSDeb]

I had reflux for years, I was sleeping almost every night in the living room in my recliner after (being woken up with that shot of bile coming up from my stomach). Ugh, I took prescription meds with so so results for quite a while. One day dh sent me a link about fruit enzymes as a natural remedy. I looked into it and tried over ripe fruit, mainly bananas and papaya with better results than the medications. Stopped taking the prescription meds and started eating more ripe fruit. Things were better but I still had an occasional episode.

Last summer dh started buying fresh goats milk and I stopped having the night time reflux episodes. Unbelievable! Wanting to see if it really was the goats milk I quit drinking it and went back to cows milk. Within weeks I was back to sleeping in my recliner. I have since read articles where children with reflux are switched to goats milk for reflux with good results.

These days I drink goats milk and supplement my diet with mainly over ripe bananas and papaya because they are readily available and I like them more than most fruit. Vitamin D supplements are also recommended and I take the 5,000 mg gel caps (one a day).

Good luck,

Controlling reflux appears to be a matter of identifying the triggers (mine is tomatoes and eating too close to bedtime) and finding the right supplement(s). I no longer take the prescription meds at all and am able to sleep lying down vs in a recliner. Hope this helps.

Deb

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
A traditional foods diet is a good place to start.
But Kombucha will go a long ways towards ending the issue.
Above all, do not take antacids. They actually further the issues.