Been taking a probiotic (2 pills serving size) daily and have seen some improvements so far. Still not feeling 100%, but I don’t feel ill all the time, which is great.
Am looking into some digestive enzymes and will start using some ginger or vinegar to see if that helps my stomach.
Hey
do you know if you have hiatal hernia?
its where part of the stomach gets pushed up into the esophogas.
It is one cause of acid reflux.
I had/have it, and a chiropractor helped treat it.
Maybe that helps?
kmc
[quote]Djwlfpack wrote:
I will give that book a read, for sure.
Can I find HCL in any stores or do I have to order it online?[/quote]
It’s called betaine HCL and almost any vitamin or health food store will have it.
As for probiotics, I recommend one called Healthy Trinity, if you can afford it. It’s always refrigerated. A professional nutritionist (one who actually gets results!) told me to only use probiotics that require refrigeration.
Lately I’ve been trying Kombucha, a fermented effervescent chinese tea. It supposedly has lots of enzymes and probiotics in it. It’s about $3 per bottle, but I can’t drink a whole bottle in one sitting; it’s pretty strong. It’s an acquired taste.
[quote]yorik wrote:
Lately I’ve been trying Kombucha, a fermented effervescent chinese tea. It supposedly has lots of enzymes and probiotics in it. It’s about $3 per bottle, but I can’t drink a whole bottle in one sitting; it’s pretty strong. It’s an acquired taste.[/quote]
That’s really good stuff, the Kombucha. You can save a boatload of money by making it yourself. I have yet to do that, but I hope to get round to it. Be careful of the brand you get. I usually get GTKombucha or High Country. I have actually seen some brands that are pasteurized, which totally ruins the purpose.
One thing about Kombucha, you either love it or hate it. I love it to the point of having to have it everyday…not only for the benefits but also because I really love the taste.
Maybe our desire for fizzy drinks stems from a history of drinking stuff like this. Oh, VERY IMPORTANT FOR stomach problems, DON’T DRINK CARBONATED DRINKS and that means DONT DRINK SPARKLING WATER. I can’t remember where I read this so I can’t offer a link or a quote, but it does have an effect. Research it if you doubt me.
For those who use apple cider vinegar, how much/often do you take it?
Has anyone tried the test for HCL usage mentioned in CP’s article on the vinegar?
So far so good with the ACV. At first I was using the Heinz variety we had around the house, but quickly realized how wrong that was. I’m now using a raw, natural version w/ “mother”, which has made a significant difference.
For those who have been helped by ACV, did you take the normal amount several times a day for as long as it took, or did you start with large doses and worked your way down?
On a separate note, for those who have experienced extreme digestive problems, has anyone tried/been successful with food rotation, in other words laying off certain foods for a couple of weeks at a time, then reintroducing them into your diet?
Bananas:
These things have now been proven to help in elimination, as well as the high shot of potassium to soothe the stomach; the antioxidants don’t hurt either.
Yogurt:
You’ll receive your mass quantities of probiotics to soothe your G.I. tract through a much more natural source as the majority of the people in this post have suggested.
Fiber:
I think just bumping your Fiber intake to around 30g/day should make a world of difference in terms of elimination, the antioxidants (through fruits and vegetables) should reduce the acid levels within your body, and help you shift into alkalizing.
[quote]Oquendog wrote:
Bananas:
These things have now been proven to help in elimination, as well as the high shot of potassium to soothe the stomach; the antioxidants don’t hurt either.
Yogurt:
You’ll receive your mass quantities of probiotics to soothe your G.I. tract through a much more natural source as the majority of the people in this post have suggested.
Fiber:
I think just bumping your Fiber intake to around 30g/day should make a world of difference in terms of elimination, the antioxidants (through fruits and vegetables) should reduce the acid levels within your body, and help you shift into alkalizing.[/quote]
All good suggestions. However, these items are already staples in my diet. I’ve eaten very clean for years now, but it has not fixed my digestive troubles like I had hoped, as the clean eating followed years of hideous abuse. That’s why I’ve turned to more potent remedies like ACV and Kambucha tea, which I’ve just tried and can definitely attest to its effects.
Certain meals give me a little bit of acid reflux, usually spicy foods, or large quantities of red meat. I’ve found that eating an apple immediately after those meals solves the problem.
Are those the only remedies you’re taking? The ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar, I presume?) and Kambucha Tea?
I also will say you need to see a specialist if you haven’t already; this is really concerning me as a student of nutrition, I’d really like to read the diagnosis. May unfortunately be something completely non-related in terms with your diet, possibly.
[quote]Oquendog wrote:
All good suggestions. However, these items are already staples in my diet. I’ve eaten very clean for years now, but it has not fixed my digestive troubles like I had hoped, as the clean eating followed years of hideous abuse. That’s why I’ve turned to more potent remedies like ACV and Kambucha tea, which I’ve just tried and can definitely attest to its effects.
Are those the only remedies you’re taking? The ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar, I presume?) and Kambucha Tea?
I also will say you need to see a specialist if you haven’t already; this is really concerning me as a student of nutrition, I’d really like to read the diagnosis. May unfortunately be something completely non-related in terms with your diet, possibly.[/quote]
I began seeing doctors about my digestive problems about six years ago, although none were specialists and-at least at the beginning-I was still engaging in less than healthy practices. Mirroring the experiences of those who posted earlier in this thread, I was initially prescribed versions of Pepcid, while more recently was given Bentyl as an anti-spasmodic (my new doctor figured I was suffering from mild IBS). Simply put, no medicine has ever helped my condition for any stretch of time. Frustrated, and growing more distrustful of the mainstream medical community when it came to this particular issue, I began seeking natural remedies and ultimately came across hundreds of testimonials in support of ACV. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I began to supplement major meals with ACV; as I am only a few weeks in, I can’t deliver a verdict.
All that said, I plan to contact my doctor this week to explain that nothing is really working, and, if need be, I will work my way up the medical ladder to whatever specialist is best suited to help me.
[quote]entheogens wrote:
swordthrower wrote:
Well, I’m not going to pretend to have any expertise, but I can tell you what has worked for me.
I used to have serious stomach issues (gas, discomfort, the shits, poor digestion, heartburn, etc), and even went to see a doctor and was told to eat bran muffins (thanks, doc). But then I heard about hydrochloric acid supplements, and figured I had nothing to lose, since I had all of the symptoms.
It worked wonders, and I was finally digesting my food, I took all-star shits, and rarely had any food disagree with me. I also got my appetite back.
Bravo. I would say that HCL and mass quantities of probiotics. That is what I used to treat my acid reflux.
A couple of years ago, I had acid reflux, real bad (probably from a series of antibiotics I had taken). At first, I relied on my Kaiser doctor, who prescribed me one of those acid blockers (I can’t remember the name now). That worked at first, but eventually stopped. That’s when I decided to do my own research. I finally found this book, by Dr. Jonathon Wright, “Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You”: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Stomach-Acid-Good-You/dp/0871319314/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209516687&sr=1-1
And that is what turned me around. He says that most acid reflux is caused not by too much acid but too little.
So I tried the HCL and it worked…he has other suggestions as well. I also found that mastic gum soothes the stomach.
The only time you should NOT immediately take HCL is if you already have an ulcer. Anyway, I highly recommend that you get that book. It’ll be 10 dollars well spent.
[/quote]
Seconded. Definitely read Wright’s, “Why Stomach Acid Is Good For you”. Very good book.
Alright well, I’ll bite.
Have you attempted taking specifically, the probitoic L.Acidophilus?
I think actually, it would be smarter for me to ask in terms of what over-the-counter remedies you have tried first of all.
Bentyl, Pepcid AC…How long have you been taking the Kambucha?..And, as for the ACV you should have been feeling the effects after 3 weeks. (My Father struggled with IBS for a year when I was halfway through my Nutritional Science degree, pained me that I didn’t have any ideas.)
I believe who he was seeing was a ‘Gastroenterologist’…? I’ll look it up, but find one of those!
[quote]Oquendog wrote:
Alright well, I’ll bite.
Have you attempted taking specifically, the probitoic L.Acidophilus?
I think actually, it would be smarter for me to ask in terms of what over-the-counter remedies you have tried first of all.
Bentyl, Pepcid AC…How long have you been taking the Kambucha?..And, as for the ACV you should have been feeling the effects after 3 weeks. (My Father struggled with IBS for a year when I was halfway through my Nutritional Science degree, pained me that I didn’t have any ideas.)
I believe who he was seeing was a ‘Gastroenterologist’…? I’ll look it up, but find one of those![/quote]
The yogurt that I consume on a near-daily basis contains L. Acidophilus. I’m not sure how this compares to probiotics in capsule form.
I’m afraid I can’t remember exactly what OTC remedies I consumed in the past, but I realized YEARS ago that Tums, Rolaids, and the like did absolutely nothing for me (and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all). I came away from my first trip to a doctor with a prescription for a stronger version of Pepcid, but even subsequent increases in the strength did nothing for me. After giving up on that, I got married, cleaned up my diet, focused my training, and basically gave my life a good make-over, yet the stomach problems continued, worsened, and even changed. My last trip to the doctor resulted in a prescription for Bentyl, but that failed as the other medications have.
I’d never heard of Kambucha tea until reading about it in this thread. I only consume about a bottle a week, but it does provide temporary relief; the price prohibits me from making it a full-time remedy. As for the ACV, things have definitely changed since I began taking it, I’m just not sure whether for the better or worse.
I’ve made an appointment to see my doctor this week, and I’m already expecting to be referred to a gastroenterologist (sp?).
For the most part, it’s recommended on top of you consuming Yogurt to take specifically that probiotic to soothe the stomach.
Also, I would definently look into a high quality digestive enzyme. They have excellent complexes online.
For the most part I really hope that specialist either brings on the top-end medication for you, or finally finds an organ (Pancreas, Stomach, Intestines) not functioning optimally.
I mean I’ve never heard of someone having to deal with acid reflux problems consistently for this long. To what I’ve seen, heard, and experienced it’s usually an on/off type of thing activated by a food (or stress) you’re not suppose to eat anyway, heh.
[quote]Oquendog wrote:
I mean I’ve never heard of someone having to deal with acid reflux problems consistently for this long. To what I’ve seen, heard, and experienced it’s usually an on/off type of thing activated by a food (or stress) you’re not suppose to eat anyway, heh.[/quote]
Without going into excessive details, I’ll say this whole trouble really began as severe GERD/acid reflux about ten years ago, where everything I ate immediately came back up, burning my esophagus in the process.
Over time, the problems moved progressively lower through my digestive system. Now, I’m not sure whether I’m suffering from ongoing irritation of a condition or merely the damage done over the last decade.
I have experienced a lot of the same symptoms, its rather embarrassing for me. I do not have the ability to hold food down. PERIOD. Its a rather hard thing to have during life. I have been to the doc multiple times. No meds have worked, the only possible solution I have been giving, is surgery to strengthen up the sphincter. I have been to the gastero (not even going to try), and he said everything looked good through the camera the put down your throat. No meds have worked for me. If anyone has suggestions, I am all ears.
Problems, food comes back up, or sits in my stomach for hours. Sometimes it can take 12 hours to digest one meal. Never heard of acv. I will probable attempt to do that.
[quote]flexation wrote:
I have experienced a lot of the same symptoms, its rather embarrassing for me. I do not have the ability to hold food down. PERIOD. Its a rather hard thing to have during life. I have been to the doc multiple times. No meds have worked, the only possible solution I have been giving, is surgery to strengthen up the sphincter. I have been to the gastero (not even going to try), and he said everything looked good through the camera the put down your throat. No meds have worked for me. If anyone has suggestions, I am all ears.
Problems, food comes back up, or sits in my stomach for hours. Sometimes it can take 12 hours to digest one meal. Never heard of acv. I will probable attempt to do that.[/quote]
I feel for you. It seems that with all the different versions of digestive problems out there, it’s really hard to follow someone else’s advice to the letter.
It seems many people are starting to believe that some of these problems are the result of TOO LITTLE acid in the stomach, rather than the opposite which is so often diagnosed. Products such as apple cider vinegar, HCL tablets, etc., are supposed to retrain your stomach to produce enough acid, thus alleviating your digestive issues. Because I try to get as much nutrition/aid from natural sources as possible, I went with the ACV.
You many want to read up on using ACV before you try it; there is a ton of information out there. Some people think you should take it straight, while others believe you should dilute it in water with some honey, and maybe even some baking soda, to protect your esophogus and the enamel on your teeth. I would recommend starting with the diluted version, as you can always increase the potency if you need to. I will advise you to find a raw, unfiltered version with “mother”; all health food stores will carry this. DO NOT, under any circumstances, use the cheap Heinz (or equivalent) version from the regular grocery store.
I’ve taken the ACV for less than 3 weeks now, and I’m not sure if it’s working for me. Things have changed, but I’m sure whether that’s good or bad. I have to admit I’m suffering from some more heartburn than usual, and my throat feels a little raw at times, but I don’t know if these are from the ACV, or if I’m simply rediscovering old damage.
You might also try Kambucha tea. It’s a fermented, bottled tea found in most health food stores, and it has digestive enzymes in it.
Good luck.
See that damn gastroenterologist!
I’m waiting!
You may also want to consider which nutrient you eat first. Protein requires an acidic medium, while veggies will cause an alkaline medium.