Comments on: The hidden causes of heartburn and GERD

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:42:17 +0000

i’m a female age 30 years and have never had a good stomach, recentley i have had a very difficult time, that started with an Iron Deficiency and weight loss.I was put on Iron theapy but was malabsorbing so was referred to a gastro and had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy to see what was happening, the gastroscopy showed that i had 50+ ulcers in my stomach !!!! I was put on 40mg of Nexium a day to heal them, the gastroenterologist was astounded i had no gastro symptoms of the ulcers at all. I have been fine for just over a year, i’ve put weight and started to feel more healthy, untill just before Christmas when i started with reflux, i thought i had a throat infection to start with because my throat was sore and i had a horrid taste in my mouth, my GP tried various combinations of things, none of which seemed to help. Over the course of Christmas i came to the conclusion it may be caused by lactose intolerance so i canged my diet and it went well for a week or so and then started up again although the lactose free diet seems to have cured the bloating.I feel constantly sick and its really starting to get me down. I thought i must have had loads of acid otherwise what caused all the ulcers, because they still dont know, i was tested for zollinger ellisons and it wasnt that. Any thoughts welcome

By: Brooke

Brooke — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:46:09 +0000

Hi Chris,

I’m a mom of a one year old that has had suspected reflux and possible milk protein intolerence since she was 2-3 months old. She’s been on zantac and now Nexium (currently 15mg in the morning). I HATE that she has been on these meds. She has had constipation problems and still has suspected reflux symptoms on and off. She can’t talk so it’s hard to ever really know what’s going on but she has never been a good sleeper and is always being woken up in the middle of the night by something and then often can’t return to sleep. After reading all of your articles, I’m more determined than ever to get her off of the meds. Any suggesstions for a 1 year old on weaning and how to manage the reflux symptoms she may still have from an underdeveloped anatomy?

By: Jean

Jean — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:20:21 +0000

Hello Chris, thank you so much for these article series — they really are a life saver for me!
I do have two questions though:
1) What do you recommend to eat for breakfast? I seem to have zero stomach acid early in the day and I find that paleo foods, in fact any meat/fish, first thing in the morning does not digest at all.
2) This question is related to the first one. I am breastfeeding right now and was told I cannot take HCl by my doctor as well as my lactation consultant. I have tried ACV, lemon juice, fennel seed, raw sauerkraut, probiotics, DigestGold, but I can’t seem to raise my stomach acid sufficiently. I have taken HCl a couple of times and it made me feel fantastic, but since I can’t take it for now, is there anything else you can suggest? Fats do seem to help a bit (coconut oil, butter, bacon grease), but I don’t always have access to these foods at every meal, but breakfast is the most problematic. Please help!
Thanks!
Jean

By: Angela P

Angela P — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:00:46 +0000

Great article, I really enjoyed it! My husband experienced terrible GERD for his entire adult life until he started taking Prilosec. It seemed like magic. But what was truly magical is that he didn’t “need” Prilosec once he switched to a low-carb, paleo diet.

I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and suddenly have terrible GERD 24/7. I follow the diet in the Healthy Baby Code, consuming lots of raw milk, egg yolks, pastured meats, etc. and avoiding food toxins. It is no mystery what is causing pressure in my abdomen, but I was wondering if you have any suggestions on remedies that are safe during pregnancy. I do not have any gas or other digestive issues, just GERD. I’ve thought about trying the apple cider vinegar but I want to confirm that it is safe during pregnancy. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Also, it might be a great addition to the reference material in the Healthy Baby Code.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:52:05 +0000

Hi, Chris thank you very much!
I’ve suffered from GERD for years without relieve from conventional drugs (PPI & antacids). From your articles I am able to put almost all puzzle pieces about GERD’s causes, symptoms, & treatment in its place after years of researching.
But one thing still isn’t resolved. It’s hunger sensation, which constantly afflict many GERD sufferers including me .
Is it caused by excess gas in guts and stomach? Thanks.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:44:10 +0000

Hi, I have absolutely been put through the ringer. I was having throat pain almost 6 months ago. To make a short story of the affair I went through a normal doctor, an ENT, and finally a GI. I have been given a z-pac, antihistamines, prilosec, prevacid, carafate, gaviscon, In that order. I had burped a few times before this ordeal and food would come up. I never really thought about it till the throat problems.I had loose stools from time to time (ate lots of cereal, fats (cheese), carbs (bread), and popcorn) also I always get sick from eating really greasy or sugary food (runs in the family) but otherwise no pain or bloating etc. After being put on these meds I can’t eat more than a bite without feeling nauseous, bloated, etc. I had been having gas for a few days that smelled absolutely rotten from both ends (It is embarrassing however I have never produced anything that rancid before). I felt mildly normal while on the last set of meds (gaviscon and carafate) until I stopped taking them to gauge the rebound effect and it is excruciating. One of these two meds is what has caused the smelly death farts and what I assume is gas pain and/or acid burning from the food in my stomach putrefying. The gas and continued stomach upset are what finally prompted me to disregard my doctors advice. So now I am taking something called ‘probiotic multi-enzyme by nature valley’ and it is chocked full of enzymes: Calcium 144mg, Phosphorus 110mg, Betaine Hydrochloride 100mg, Pancreatin 100mg, Amalase 50 mg, Protease (papaya extract)50mg, Bromelain (600GDU per gram) 25mg, Papain (papaya extract) 25mg, Pepsin 25mg, Ox Bile25mg, Lipase 25mg, Cellulase25mg, Lactobacillus Acidophilus 1 billion. The death gas is gone but otherwise I am not noticing any immediate relief upon taking these enzymes. I have been on them for a little over three days. I want to take more HCL on its own but my stomach constantly HAS a burning sensation, I don’t want to take more than I should (if I even need it) but I am having trouble coming up with a way to gauge the burn. Endoscopy no ulcers, negative for H. Pylori. I am also leaning toward a possibility of food intolerance.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:50:27 +0000

Chris I had one other though. A long shot but I thought I would ask. My nephew recently had mono. And I was reading how Esophagitis can be caused from Herpes. Now mono is in the Herpes family, correct? Is it possible I contracted a strain of the mono virus from my nephew which is not attacking my Esophagus?

I don’t have any food coming back up. No vomiting or nauseousness. No weird tastes in my mouth. Just heartburn sensations, sour stomach occasionally. And sometimes a sore throat when I eat.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:40:30 +0000

Hi Chris,

41 year old male. No major health issues. I have never had any issues with heartburn until last Monday, November 28, 2011. Shortly after dinner I noticed I had a little heartburn afterwards. I went to gym 3 hours later and still had the heart burn. Now, 5 days later I still have it. Last night, in the evening the heart burn went completely away until I awoke today when it came back after dinner. Can acid reflux come on that quick? My stomach is sour. Looser than normal stool. And occasional burps. Before I found this site I was thinking I might have some type of stomach bacteria or virus? My father has a hiatus hernia which he has had for years. And my fathers sister has the same condition. I was a heavy Red Bull drinker for a year. But I stopped drinking them about 3 months ago. Not sure if that could be related or not.

By: Samantha Stevenson

Samantha Stevenson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:34:25 +0000

Thank you, I will continue with the HCL Pepsin and cut down the carbohydrate..and stop with any grains, try and introduce good bacteria. I notice that you advocate a Paleo approach to diet, funnily enough I had started to embark on this when the reflux started – maybe a sign that the low acid in my stomach just was not able to cope with the higher levels of protein were introduced? Thank you for all your invaluable advice, it is great to hear a voice that is looking at ALL the evidence to provide answers, rather than following the conventional medicines route of PPI’s and acid blockers.

By: Chris Kresser

Chris Kresser — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:58:37 +0000

Yes, HCL (stomach acid) is required for iron absorption, so low stomach acid can certainly cause anemia. Restricting carbohydrates (of all types) to less than 50g for a period of time can be helpful.

By: Samantha Stevenson

Samantha Stevenson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:29:01 +0000

Hi Chris,

I have been suffering with Acid Reflux very badly since the summer, but last year had to take Ferrous iron as I was anaemic. Do you think that low stomach acid might have been the cause of the anaemia? I had a colonoscopy and all was fine there and was tested for Coeliac disease and that was fine, so they decided that my periods must be heavy. I think that they were wrong!
I am quite worried about it now, as I wonder what other nutrients I have not been absorbing. I have read Dr.Wrights book with great interest, and as I live in England (where H2, PPI’s are also given out like sweeties) there is no way to have your stomach acid levels assessed, the Heidelberg capsule is not used by UK doctors. (I emailed Heidelberg to find out!). So I decided to take the plunge and start taking Betaine HCL with Pepsin – after being prescribed by the doctors one lot of omeprazole for 2 weeks and one lot of Zantac (about a month later), both of which made me feel worse. Also I am following Dr.Wrights ideas by supplementing with vitamins, DGL before eating and am about to start taking digestive enzymes too. I have ordered an organic kefir starter kit to start to encourage the good bacteria. However, I am definitely feeling quite unwell (was before the HCL) and am still having some reflux and heartburn. I am very thin already and am worried about reducing carboydrates as I am worried that I will lose more weight. I am taking on average 5-6 HCL capsules (648mg) with every meal. If I take them towards the start of the meal I have no burning or warming sensation at all. My tongue is coated with white and I am generally feeling very exhausted, with huge bags under my eyes! I am nearly 47 years old and feel about 80. Last year I was very fit, a ten mile a week runner who only realised my iron levels were low when I lost all stamina. On the 16th December I am having an endoscopy to look at the esophagus but feel that this will only make my doctors say “You need acid blocking drugs” when I am sure the reason is otherwise. I have been on 5/6 capsules for a week, and the previous week worked up from one to two to three etc over the period of that week. I have stopped at 5/6 as Dr. Wright recommends that 5-7 seems to be the optimum number. I know that I am only 2 weeks in, but is there any idea how long it will take to kick in? I think my reflux is slightly lessened which is good, and the belching is lessened but still not gone. My lower guts seem to have given up and I am very constipated which is a nightmare. I would be very grateful if you could give me an idea of which carbohydrates to avoid..are all veg and fruit alright to eat? I’m a little muddled and more than a little sorry for myself! Thank you.

By: Pat Ruggiero

Pat Ruggiero — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:37:19 +0000

Rosalyn, I hope it’s not too late to reply to your question about DGL. It is SAFE to take. It does NOT raise blood pressure. The reason it is safe is because the natural licorice has been “denatured” to remove the substance that causes the kidneys to retain water and thereby raise blood pressure. (Notice that DGL stands for DE-Glycyrrhizinated Licorice.) If you’re still not convinced, do a Google search on DGL.

I always keep a bottle on hand.

All the best,
Pat

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:37:27 +0000

I was plagued by indigestion and gas for a number of years before the serious reflux symptoms started. I’ll never forget the first time I felt that violent, stabbing pain. For a couple weeks I was afraid to eat – especially in public for fear the pain would strike and I’d be buckled over, unable to control myself.

My doctor prescribed Tagamet, which I took before every meal for months.

In 2003 I went on a low carb diet for weight loss (I was about 50 lbs overweight), and at some point along the way I ran out of Tagamet. I ate rather cautiously for a few days but felt pretty good. Intrigued, I bought more Tagamet but decided I’d wait to take it until I experienced symptoms. I never opened the box of Tagamet, and threw it away a couple years later.

It’s been 8 years now and my GERD has never come back. I still eat moderately low carb most of he time. I always attributed the disappearance of my GERD to low carb but never knew for sure. It all makes perfect sense now!

By: Judy

Judy — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:18:24 +0000

THEY HAVE SAID THAT WITH A SCOPE THAT MY VOCAL CORDS ARE SWALLEN AND MY TONSILETS –I HAVE HAD MY TONSILS OUT WHEN I WAS 12 – NOT SURE WHAT TONSILETS ARE. I AM A SINGER AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SING FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO CLEARING OF THE THROAT, AND SWELLING LIKE IN THE THROAT WHEN DOING SO. I USUALLY DON’T HAVE HEART BURN WHERE YOU CAN FEEL IT, BUT ONCE IN A WHILE DO HAVE THE REFLUX THAT LETS FLUID COME UP INTO THROAT AND MOUTH. sO DOES THIS SOUND LIKE (GERD) AND WHAT MIGHT I HAVE TO DO TO STOP THIS.
JUDY L.