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Get Rid of Heartburn and GERD Forever in Three Simple Steps

Note: this is the sixth and final article in a series about heartburn and GERD. If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IVa, and Part IVb before reading this article.

In this final article of the series, we’re going to discuss three steps to treating heartburn and GERD without drugs. These same three steps will also prevent these conditions from developing in the first place, and keep them from returning once they’re gone.

To review, heartburn and GERD are not caused by too much stomach acid. They are caused by too little stomach acid and bacterial overgrowth in the stomach and intestines. Therefore successful treatment is based on restoring adequate stomach acid production and eliminating bacterial overgrowth.

This can be accomplished by following the “three Rs” of treating heartburn and GERD naturally:

  1. Reduce factors that promote bacterial overgrowth and low stomach acid.
  2. Replace stomach acid, enzymes and nutrients that aid digestion and are necessary for health.
  3. Restore beneficial bacteria and a healthy mucosal lining in the gut.
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Reduce Factors That Promote Bacterial Overgrowth and Low Stomach Acid

Carbohydrates

As we saw in Part II and Part III, a high-carbohydrate diet promotes bacterial overgrowth. Bacterial overgrowth—in particular H. pylori—can suppress stomach acid. This creates a vicious cycle where bacterial overgrowth and low stomach acid reinforce each other in a continuous decline of digestive function.

It follows, then, that a low-carb diet would reduce bacterial overgrowth. In studies done to test this hypothesis, the results have been overwhelmingly positive. Carbohydrate intake (especially simple sugars) is correlated with GERD symptoms, and reducing that intake can lead to a reduction in those symptoms. (1)

In a study performed by Professor Yancy and colleagues at Duke University, researchers worked with five patients with severe GERD that also had a variety of other medical problems, such as diabetes. (2) Each of these patients had failed several conventional GERD treatments before being enrolled in the study. In spite of the fact that some of these patients continued to drink, smoke and engage in other GERD-unfriendly habits, in every case the symptoms of GERD were completely eliminated within one week of adopting a very-low-carbohydrate diet.

Another study was performed by Yancy and colleagues a few years later. (3) This time they examined the effects of a very-low-carb diet on eight obese subjects with severe GERD. They measured the esophageal pH of the subjects at baseline before the study began using something called the Johnson-DeMeester score. This is a measurement of how much acid is getting back up into the esophagus, and thus an objective marker of how much reflux is occurring. They also used a self-administered questionnaire called the GSAS-ds to evaluate the frequency and severity of 15 GERD-related symptoms within the previous week.

At the beginning of the diet, five of eight subjects had abnormal Johnson-DeMeester scores. All five of these patients showed a substantial decrease in their Johnson-DeMeester score (meaning less acid in the esophagus). Most remarkably, the magnitude of the decrease in Johnson-DeMeester scores is similar to what is reported with PPI treatment. In other words, in these five subjects a very-low-carbohydrate diet was just as effective as powerful acid suppressing drugs in keeping acid out of the esophagus.

All eight individuals had evident improvement in their GSAS-ds scores. The GSAS-ds scores decreased from 1.28 prior to the diet to 0.72 after initiation of the diet. What these numbers mean is that the patients all reported significant improvement in their GERD related symptoms. Therefore, there was both objective (Johnson-DeMeester) and subjective (GSAS-ds) improvement in this study.

It’s important to note that obesity is an independent risk factor for GERD, because it increases intra-abdominal pressure and causes dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The advantage to a low-carb diet as a treatment for GERD for those who are overweight is that low-carb diets are also very effective for promoting weight loss.

I don’t recommend very-low-carb diets for extended periods of time, as they are unnecessary for most people. Once you have recovered your digestive function, a diet low to moderate in carbohydrates should be adequate to prevent a recurrence of symptoms.

An alternative to a very-low-carb is something called a “specific carbohydrate diet” (SCD), or the GAPS diet. In these two approaches it is not the amount of carbohydrates that is important, but the type of carbohydrates. The theory is that the longer chain carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysacharides) are the ones that feed bad bacteria in our guts, while short chain carbohydrates (monosacharides) don’t pose a problem. In practice what this means is that all grains, legumes and starchy vegetables should be eliminated, but fruits and certain non-starchy root vegetables (winter squash, rutabaga, turnips, celery root) can be eaten. These are not “low-carb” diets, per se, but there is reason to believe that they may be just as effective in treating heartburn and GERD. See the resources section below for books and websites about these diets, which have been used with dramatic success to treat everything from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to Crohn’s disease.

Another alternative to very-low-carb that I increasingly use in my clinic is the low-FODMAP diet. FODMAPs are certain types of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed by some people, particularly those with an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine (which, as you now know, tends to go hand-in-hand with heartburn). See this article and my book for more information.

Be careful to avoid the processed low-carb foods sold in supermarkets. Instead, I suggest a Paleo or ancestral approach to nutrition.

Fructose and Artificial Sweeteners

As I pointed out in Part II, fructose and artificial sweeteners have been shown to increase bacterial overgrowth. Artificial sweeteners should be completely eliminated, and fructose (in processed form especially) should be reduced.

Fiber

High fiber diets and bacterial overgrowth are a particularly dangerous mix. Remember, Almost all of the fiber and approximately 15 to 20 percent of the starch we consume escape absorption. (4) Carbohydrates that escape digestion become food for intestinal bacteria.

Prebiotics, which can be helpful in re-establishing a healthy bacterial balance in some patients, should probably be avoided in patients with heartburn and GERD. Several studies show that fructo-oligosaccharides (prebiotics) increase the amount of gas produced in the gut. (5)

The other problem with fiber is that it can bind with nutrients and remove them from the body before they have a chance to be absorbed. This is particularly problematic in GERD sufferers, who may already be deficient in key nutrients due to long term hypochlorydria (low stomach acid).

H. pylori

In Part III we looked at the possible relationship between H. pylori and GERD. While I think it’s a contributing factor in some cases, the question of whether and how to treat it is less clear. There is some evidence that H. pylori is a normal resident on the human digestive tract, and even plays some protective and health-promoting roles. If this is true, complete eradication of H. pylori may not be desirable. Instead, a low-carb or specific carbohydrate diet is probably a better choice as it will simply reduce the bacterial load and bring the gut flora back into a state of relative balance.

The exception to this may be in serious or long-standing cases of GERD that aren’t responding to a very-low-carb or low-carb diet. In this situation, it may be worthwhile to get tested for H. pylori and treat it more aggressively.

Dr. Wright, author of Why Stomach Acid is Good For You, suggests using mastic (a resin from a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern variety of pistachio tree) to treat H. pylori. A 1998 in vitro study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that mastic killed several strains of H. pylori, including some that were resistant to conventional antibiotics. (6) Studies since then, including in vivo experiments, have shown mixed results. Mastic may be a good first-line therapy for H. pylori, with antibiotics as a second choice if the mastic treatment isn’t successful.

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Replace Stomach Acid, Enzymes and Nutrients That Aid Digestion and Are Necessary for Health

HCL with Pepsin

If you have an open-minded doctor, or one that is aware of the connection between low stomach acid and GERD, ask her to test your stomach acid levels. The test is quite simple. A device called a Heidelberg capsule, which consists of a tiny pH sensor and radio transmitter compressed into something resembling a vitamin capsule, is lowered into the stomach. When swallowed, the sensors in the capsule measure the pH of the stomach contents and relay the findings via radio signal to a receiver located outside the body.

In cases of mild to moderate heartburn, actual testing for stomach acid production at Dr. Wright’s Tahoma clinic shows that hypochlorydria occurs in over 90 percent of thousands tested since 1976. In these cases, replacing stomach acid with HCL supplements is almost always successful.

Although testing actual stomach acid levels is preferable, it is not strictly necessary. There is a reasonably reliable, “low-tech” method that can be performed at home to determine whether HCL supplementation will provide a benefit.

To do this test, pick up some HCL capsules that contain pepsin or acid-stable protease. HCL should always be taken with pepsin or acid-stable protease because it is likely that if the stomach is not producing enough HCL, it is also not producing enough protein digesting enzymes.

Note: HCL should never be taken (and this test should not be performed) by anyone who is also using any kind of anti-inflammatory medication such as corticosteroids (e.g. predisone), aspirin, Indocin, ibuprofen (e.g. Motrin, Advil, etc.) or other NSAIDS. These drugs can damage the GI lining that supplementary HCL might aggravate, increasing the risk of gastric bleeding or ulcer.

To minimize side effects, start with one 650 mg capsule of HCL w/pepsin in the early part of each meal. If there are no problems after two or three days, increase the dose to two capsules at the beginning of meals. Then after another two days increase to three capsules. Increase the dose gradually in this stepwise fashion until you feel a mild burning sensation. At that point, reduce the dosage to the previous number of capsules you were taking before you experienced burning and stay at that dosage. Over time you may find that you can continue to reduce the dosage, or you may also find that you may need to increase the dosage.

In Dr. Wright’s clinic, most patients end up at a dose of five to seven 650 mg capsules. In my experience, this dose is too high for many people. In fact, some have trouble with even a single 650 mg capsule. I’ve also found that the addition of cholagogues (agents which promote bile flow from the gall bladder into the small intestine) and pancreatic enzymes can help tremendously, especially in the initial stages.

While I previously recommended a combination of HCL and enzymes called the AdaptaGest Duo, those supplements are no longer available. I now recommend Betaine HCL/Pepsin by Thorne Research and Super Enzymes by Now. 

Bitters

Another way to stimulate acid production in the stomach is by taking bitter herbs. “Bitters” have been used in traditional cultures for thousands of years to stimulate and improve digestion.

More recently, studies have confirmed the ability of bitters to increase the flow of digestive juices, including HCL, bile, pepsin, gastrin and pancreatic enzymes. (7)

Unsurprisingly, there aren’t many clinical studies evaluating the therapeutic potential of unpatentable and therefore unprofitable bitters. However, in one uncontrolled study in Germany, where a high percentage of doctors prescribe herbal medicine, gentian root capsules provided dramatic relief of GI symptoms in 205 patients.

The following is a list of bitter herbs commonly used in Western and Chinese herbology:

  • Barberry bark
  • Caraway
  • Dandelion
  • Fennel
  • Gentian root
  • Ginger
  • Globe artichoke
  • Goldenseal root
  • Hops
  • Milk thistle
  • Peppermint
  • Wormwood
  • Yellow dock

Bitters are normally taken in very small doses—just enough to evoke a strong taste of bitterness. Kerry Bone, a respected Western herbalist, suggests five to 10 drops of a 1:5 tincture of the above herbs taken in 20 mL of water.

An even better option is to see a licensed herbalist who can prescribe a formula containing several of the herbs above as appropriate for your particular condition.

Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut and pickles are other time-tested, traditional remedies that often relieve the symptoms of heartburn and GERD. However, although these remedies may resolve symptoms, they do not increase nutrient absorption and assimilation to the extent that HCL supplements do. This may be important for those who have been taking acid suppressing drugs for a long period.

It is also important to avoid consuming liquid during meals. Water is especially problematic, because it literally dilutes the concentration of stomach acid. A few sips of wine is probably fine, and may even be helpful.

Finally, for those who have been taking acid stopping drugs for several years, it may be necessary to replace the nutrients that are not absorbed without sufficient stomach acid. These include B12, folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc. It’s best to get your levels tested by a qualified medical practitioner, who can then help you replace them through nutritional changes and/or supplementation.

Restore Beneficial Bacteria and a Healthy Mucosal Lining in the Gut

Probiotics

Because bacterial overgrowth is a major factor in heartburn and GERD, restoring a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria is an important aspect of treatment.

Along with performing several other functions essential to digestive health, beneficial bacteria (probiotics) protect against potential pathogens through “competitive inhibition” (i.e. competing for resources).

Researchers in Australia have shown that probiotics are effective in reducing bacterial overgrowth and altering fermentation patterns in the small bowel in patients with IBS. (8) Probiotics have also been shown to be effective in treating Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other digestive conditions. (9)

Probiotics have also been shown to significantly increase cure rates of treatment for H. pylori. (10) In my practice I always include a probiotic along with the anti-microbial treatment I do for H. pylori.

I am often asked what type of probiotics I recommend. First, whenever possible I think we should always attempt to get the nutrients we need from food. This is also true for probiotics. Fermented foods have been consumed for their probiotic effects for thousands of years. What’s more, contrary to popular belief and the marketing of commercial probiotic manufacturers, foods like yogurt and kefir generally have a much higher concentration of beneficial microorganisms than probiotic supplements do.

For example, even the most potent commercial probiotics claim to contain somewhere between one and five billion microorganisms per serving. (I say “claim” to contain because independent verification studies have shown that most commercial probiotics do not contain the amount of microorganisms they claim to.) Contrast that with a glass of homemade kefir, a fermented milk product, contains trillions of beneficial microorganisms!

What’s more, fermented milk products like kefir and yogurt offer more benefits than beneficial bacteria alone, including minerals, vitamins, protein, amino acids, L-carnitine, fats, CLA, and antimicrobial agents. Studies have even shown that fermented milk products can improve the eradication rates of H. pylori by 5 to 15 percent. (11)

The problem with fermented milk products in the treatment of heartburn and GERD, however, is that milk is relatively high in carbohydrates. This may present a problem for people with severe bacterial overgrowth. However, relatively small amounts of kefir and yogurt are therapeutic and may be well tolerated. It’s best to make kefir and yogurt at home, because the microorganism count will be much higher. Lucy’s Kitchen Shop sells a good home yogurt maker, and Dom’s Kefir site has exhaustive information on all things kefir. If you do buy the home yogurt maker, I suggest you also buy the glass jar that Lucy’s sells to make it in (rather than using the plastic jar it comes with).

If dairy doesn’t work for you, but you’d like to get the benefits of kefir, you can try making water kefir. Originating in Mexico, water kefir grains (also known as sugar kefir grains) allow for the fermentation of sugar water or juice to create a carbonated lacto-fermented beverage. You can buy water kefir grains from Cultures for Health.

Another option is to eat non-dairy (and thus lower-carb) unpasteurized (raw) sauerkraut and pickles and/or drink a beverage called kombucha. Raw sauerkraut can easily be made at home, or sometimes found at farmer’s markets. Bubbies brand raw pickles are sold at health food stores, as is kombucha, but both of these can also be made quite easily at home.

All of that said, probiotic supplements are sometimes necessary and can play a crucial role in treatment and recovery.

But not all probiotics are created alike, and in the case of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (or SIBO, which is commonly present with GERD), certain probiotics may make things worse. SIBO often involves an overgrowth of microorganisms that produce a substance called D-lactic acid. Unfortunately, many commercial probiotics contain strains (like Lactobacillus acidophilus) that also produce D-lactic acid. That makes most commercial probiotics a poor choice for people with SIBO.

Soil-based organisms do not produce significant amounts of D-lactic acid, and are a better choice for this reason. I recommend the Daily Synbiotic from Seed.

Bone Broth and DGL

Restoring a healthy gut lining is another important part of recovering from heartburn and GERD. Chronic stress, bacterial overgrowth, and certain medications such as steroids, NSAIDs and aspirin can damage the lining of the stomach. Since it is the mucosal lining of the stomach that protects it from its own acid, a damaged stomach lining can cause irritation, pain and ultimately, ulcers.

Homemade bone broth soups are effective in restoring a healthy mucosal lining in the stomach. Bone broth is rich in collagen and gelatin, which have been shown to benefit people with ulcers. (12) It’s also high in proline, a non-essential amino acid that is an important precursor for the formation of collagen. Bone broth also contains glutamine, an important metabolic fuel for intestinal cells that has been shown to benefit the gut lining in animal studies. (13) For more on the healing power of bone broth, see my article “The Bountiful Benefits of Bone Broth: A Comprehensive Guide.”

Although I prefer obtaining nutrients from food whenever possible, as I explained above, supplements are sometimes necessary—especially for short periods. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has been shown to be effective in treating gastric and duodenal ulcers, and works as well in this regard as Tagamet or Zantac, with far fewer side effects and no undesirable acid suppression. (14) In animal studies, DGL has even been shown to protect the stomach lining against damage caused by aspirin and other NSAIDs. (15)

DGL works by raising the concentration of compounds called prostaglandins, which promote mucous secretion, stabilize cell membranes, and stimulate new cell growth—all of which contributes to a healthy gut lining. Both chronic stress and use of NSAIDs suppress prostaglandin production, so it is vital for anyone dealing with any type of digestive problem (including GERD) to find ways to manage their stress and avoid the use of NSAIDs as much as possible.

When Natural Treatments May Not Be Enough

There may be some cases when an entirely natural approach is not enough. When there is tissue damage in the esophagus, for example, a surgical procedure called “gastroplication” which repairs the LES valve may be necessary. These procedures don’t have the potential to create nutrient deficiencies and disease the way acid blockers do. It is advisable for anyone suffering from a severe case of GERD to consult with a knowledgeable physician.

Conclusion

The mainstream medical approach to treating heartburn and GERD involves taking acid stopping drugs for as long as these problems occur. Unfortunately, because these drugs not only don’t address the underlying cause of these problems but may make it worse, this means that people who start taking antacid drugs end up taking them for the rest of their lives.

This is a serious problem because acid stopping drugs promote bacterial overgrowth, weaken our resistance to infection, reduce absorption of essential nutrients, and increase the likelihood of developing IBS, other digestive disorders, and cancer. The manufacturers of these drugs have always been aware of these problems. When acid-stopping drugs were first introduced, it was recommended that they not be taken for more than six weeks. Clearly this prudent advice has been discarded, as it is not uncommon today to encounter people who have been on these drugs for decades—not weeks.

What is especially disturbing about this is that heartburn and GERD are easily prevented and cured by making simple dietary and lifestyle changes, as I have outlined in this final article.

Unfortunately, the corruption of our “disease-care” system by the financial interests of the pharmaceutical companies virtually guarantees that this crucial information will remain obscure. Drug companies make more than $7 billion a year selling acid suppressing medications. The last thing they want is for doctors and their patients to learn how to treat heartburn and GERD without these drugs. And since 2/3 of all medical research is sponsored by drug companies, it’s virtually guaranteed that we won’t see any large studies on the effects of a low-carb diet on acid reflux and GERD.

So once again it’s up to us to discover the truth and be our own advocates. I hope this series of articles has served you in that goal.

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1,156 Comments

Join the conversation

  1. Everyone who suffers from heartburn or GERD should try a gluten-free diet. It cured me after 15 years on PPIs.

    • I have been on a gluten, dairy, and soy free diet for 6 months. For the last 3 weeks I have experienced GERD. Got diagnosed 4 days ago. Been on Prilosec for 1 week. Been taking probiotics for the 3 weeks of symptoms. Nothing has helped yet. I’m diabetic and close to under my recommended weight. If low carb diet was the cure I would be cured! My question is, if I have SIBO, how did this occur? I’ve eaten the cleanest food in my life for the past 6 months. I’m looking for some help other than medication. Do I continue on the probiotics and wait it out? What should I do?

    • Unfortunately eating gluten free is not a “blanket cure” because every case is different. I’m a Celiac and *have* to eat gluten free, which I’ve been doing for the last eight years, but I have a bad case of heartburn (see my issues posted today, as well).

      I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying the gluten free route by any means! Just don’t hang your hopes *entirely* on a gluten free diet as a remedy or cure.

      Definitely try it, and I hope and pray that it works for all those who try it! I am *very* happy for you, David! If all could find a solution this easily! ☺

  2. I’m a bit worried about the information presented here, due to the fact that it is accompanied by an independent product line.
    Feels a bit like the tried and true “ebook training” websites. So i will have to remain reserved on how much of this I am willing to absorb.

    However what you have said within the article makes good logical sense, which is a lot more than I’m getting from my doctor, let alone the ER where I went the first time thinking I was having a panic attack. LOL. Same old routine, cough, grab your nuts, pat on the back, $150 and off you go. Swallow these and I’ll see you next tuesday forever until you die. Lol. And I pay $400 a month for that? wicked.

    I have silent reflux, and I think after reading this article, I need to approach food from a completely different angle. I have studied probiotics before, it’s definitely an unsung hero. Bacterial balance is key, now I just need to figure out how to determine what my body needs and doesn’t need….
    Thanks for your time publishing this, all considered, I think you mean well, and so do I; take care and thank you.

  3. Dear Chris,

    I recently watched your webinar about Reflux in babies, my 5 month old is currently suffering and your comments about the medicine that she’s currently on – a mix of gaviscon and esomeprazole – really concerned me! I am currently breastfeeding and part-weaning, she is taking probiotics within the solids and I am taking probiotics and prebiotics in my diet. I have incorporated a lot of the foods that you recommend in your E-book into my own diet and generally eat a fairly low carb diet anyway, and avoid many foods in order to rule out an allergy. Do you have any advice on what I can give my little one specifically to help get her off the medication without seeing her in agony…? I have started to wean her off the esomeprazole in the past couple of days by 1 tsp per serving (she is taking 5mg in the morning and 5mg in the afternoon), but she had a terrible bout of pain this evening and now I am scared to continue with the weaning…

    • I went to a Holistic Doctor for my daughter that had the same issues from the time she was born. The regular meds were hit or miss with her, mostly miss and she was miserable. The natural remedy they gave my daughter worked wonders! She became such a happy baby once I started them, a complete 180! She didn’t outgrow her GERD until she was 2 years old so I kept her on the natural medication the entire time. She is now almost 7 and is doing well! Good Luck!

    • Hi Clare, my heart goes out to you & your 5 month old. I’m currently trying to find products to heal my Barrett’s. I recently found a homeopathic product by a company called GUNA – called “Guna Reflux”. The company published a clinical study done on young children & the product was effective at curing reflux in children. I’m tempted to try the product because of this study. If you go to their web site, you can download a copy of this study. Hope this helps.

  4. Hi there,

    I have tried your Paleologix supplement line (specifically the adaptagest core and flex). When I inquired about when you would be getting more in, I was told that the product is not going to be made anymore. That supplement has been a huge proponent in my gerd recovery! Do you have any plans to make a different kind of supplement? I’ve tried just plain hcl with pepsin but it doesn’t work quite like you Paleologix line. Help! Are there any other alternatives?

  5. I’m a 40 year old female, vegetarian, cut down on dairy, non smoker, rare drinker, 5 foot 3 and 8 stones in weight….yet I have been diagnosed with GERD.

    Last Thursday I had a GP’s appointment and was told to go and see an Acute Medical Unit as I nearly passed passed out.

    I had chest, eye and head pain and a feeling of being very poorly in general, a white coated tongue from the acid, a feeling of food stuck in my sternum and permanent phlegm at the back of my throat.

    I’m now on a 6 week course of Omeprezole and then will meet with the specialist to see what’s what. I already have constipation, I’m wondering if I need to carry on with the PPI’s that my digestive system will be completely shot.

    I’ve stopped eating citrus and tomatoes but have reduced anything remotely fatty too. My meals are smaller and more frequent so as not to overload my poor stomach.

    I’ve tried HCL with Pepsin followed by Mastic Gum before the diagnosis last week and I found it did nothing for me. I ended up taking way over 18 Swanson caps of HCL and it was costing me a lot of money. I also had warm lemon water before meals and first thing in the morning.

    Any idea what I can do to help myself? Is there a specific HCL/Mastic/Bicarb/Lemon combination I should try?

    Thank you 🙂

    • Hi Silky,

      My wife is also vegetarian with little dairy intake and she had a bunch of digestive issues including slow digestion, heartburns, sore mouth, constipations, low stomach acid, etc. Just as you she also had a hard time to digest any kind of fats. We tried a lot of thinks and at last figured out that her main problem was that she was deficient of B12. Since she started to take B12 supplements most of her symptoms disappeared except a bit of slow digestion and low stomach acid. Now we are trying to fix this with a lemon juice therapy.

      Maybe you could try to use an oral B12 spray and see if it helps. It has worked for us and it is quite risk free.

    • Hi, not sure i can be of a lot of help, only to share my own story. I suddenly had heartburn from nowhere, as a big surprise one night and then for a second night. i am 34 years old, male, about 11st, 5’7″ played football competitively two times per week before getting injured a few weeks before this.

      I have had a whole series of things going “wrong” so have seen a lot of different doctors to try to work out what is going on.

      The stomach, we can definitely say was very gassy and the gases are causing “things” – such as 24 hours per day tight throat among others. We therefore took the approach of trying to find out what was causing the gases. We started with laxatives to flush out my intestines as the doc felt I had a blockage, then he recommended me to take a course of one PPI with a med to make the intestines work and another to soften my poo. After a week of that, we extended the meds by a further month but reduced the PPI from three per day down to one per day and added a new med to put a mucus layer around the stomach – this combo apparently reduces acid, repairs the stomach (in case of ulcer) and helps the liver to flush itself or be repaired. I am two weeks through that and have noticed a massive improvement in my stomach.

      If this fails he would go into my stomach with a camera and light to try to see exactly what is causing the excess gas.

      As a total guess, I would think that there may be many things causing you problems that result in these symptoms and it might be a good idea for a doctor to go through those possibilities with you so that can make a good decision about which medicine to try.

      For me, I have many other weird things going on regarding clicky joints and stiff neck etc, and hope they are related. We are focusing on my stomach first as it is easily definable.

      Before seeing this doc I read a page online that helped me:
      http://untilthethinladysings.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-i-cured-myself-from-gerd-acid.html

      I am confident that you will find a way back to fitness and wish you the very best and hope you recover soon! Good luck!

    • Hi Silky!

      A white coated tonge could be a sign of systemic candidiasis, a common problem with to little stomach acid, hypochlorhydria. Oral thrush — also called oral candidiasis: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oral-thrush/basics/definition/con-20022381

      I cured my GERD by cutting out gluten from my diet. That is, I mainly stopped eating bread or anything made of grains. Then I could quit using PPIs after 15 years. No more heartburn.

      I make my own kefir and sauerkraut. Together with a high quality magnesium it cured my constipation.

      If you can take 18 HCL without feeling pain it is a good indicator you have to little stomach acid. You don`t need to take them forever, they will restart your own production and you can reduce the amount, maybe during a two month period. I used Thorne HCL with pepsin.

      • Sorry Frank, but taking betaine HCL will not ‘restart’ one’s own stomach acid production. It will just replace it.

        In fact, betaine HCL is basically trimethylglycine with a chloride molecule attached, and trimethylglycine in high amounts can cause other problems down the line as it affects methylation and sulfation..

        If you have a reference to back up your claim, then I’ll gladly come back and eat my words.

  6. Hi there. I have used your digize formula with the flex and noticed a difference. When I ran out I switched over to straight hcl with pepsin but it’s just not working very well. I wanted to purchase the flex again but looks like you are out of stock. I’m wondering if you think it’d be safe to take the digize with an hcl supplement that has pepsin in it? Or does it need to specifically be combined with the flex formula? Thanks!

  7. I Dont know if I have GERD. The doctor diagnosed h pylori. But omeprazole, amoxyl and clarithromycin has done little to help. I am having severe difficulty in breathing. I burp a lot which gives a little relief. I feel like I’m having a heart attack when I talk for long or excited. I Dont know what to do and I’m in a region where not much with respect to information and facilities is available. I’m scared.

    • Zziu, after taking amoxicillin + clarithromycin + omeprazole, you need to be very careful in what to eat since your stomach is very sensitive at this point. I found that if I eat too full I will hardly breath. I take PROBIOTIC every day ( 10 strains with more than 20 Billion active cultures). I also take L-Glutamine to rebuild the stomach lining (intake bone broth in a day may not enough). Do your research on these two medicines before buying/taking them. I read comments from consumers elsewhere, they said that good bacterias in probiotic will colonize and overgrow, and it would kill H Pylori but in a long way (instead of taking amoxicillin + clarithromycin + omeprazole). Remember these antibiotics do kill both good and bad bacterias. Mastic Gums used to kill H Pylori as well, but I afraid it would kill good bacterias too.

      Took me more than a year to be able to eat and enjoy my white raspberry cheese cake from Cheesecake Factory and be able to eat two nectarines in a day (I got gastritis).

      Do you eat salad? I would skip it too. I got diarrhea after eating salad; stool with leaves meaning foods weren’t processed. That was how bad my stomach was last year. Nutrition not absorbed into the body. I was very low of iron and not just iron.

      I used to take 1 pill Mastic Gums + 1 L-Glutamine on empty stomach in the morning, 1 pill probiotic at noon, and 1 pill of L-Glutamine before diner and multivitamin after dinner every day for about 10 months or so. Sometimes I take 2 pills of Mastic Gums per day if I don’t feel well. And I chew DGL every time I get hungry (the German chocolate one). In past few months, I stopped taking Mastic Gums because I think in such long time any parasites are gone, and it can kill good bacterias even though I do take high quality probiotic. So far I’m doing fine for now.

      • Hi Tina

        I noticed you mentioned rebuilding the lining of your stomach . Is that possible . After an endoscopy I was told that the reason I have acid reflux is because I have atrophy of the stomach lining . I was told that once it is gone , it’s gone so can you please clarify . Also is this advice good for my illness .
        Many thanks for your help
        Ps :- I was advised by a friend to roast some cumin seeds grind them and mix them with yoghurt to eat before every meal . What’s your opinion on this ?

  8. Hello.

    Bitters do you take before every meal or biggest meal of the day. Can you take bitter and dgl at the same time or take these apart.
    Thanks.

  9. Hello.

    Bitters do you take before every meal or biggest meal of the day. Can you take same time as dgl or take these apart.
    Thanks.

  10. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I believe your methods have healed! Everything you say is true, right down to gastro specialist’s only resolve is to prescribe. I stood my ground and ended the meeting with this specialist in good accord – I was equipped with this knowledge and it helped.

  11. I’ve been taking HCL for 3 days and it seems to be working, however after just 1 pill and a meal my stomach doesn’t hurt but feels a bit irritated. Then at bedtime a still get some heartburn so I took a chewable pepsid. Before I was taking a prilosec
    every day and pepsid occasionaly, so this is better, but I still don’t feel really well. Do I need more? Or is 1 too much? I don’t know what to do and don’t want to make myself sick by taking too much. I really need to quit the prilosec, though!!

    • Hi, I’m no doctor, just another person with Gerd. But I do know this: quitting Prilosec after taking it for more than a few months usually means you have an acid reaction, where the stomach increases it’s acid output twofold after having been suppressed. If you google this known effect, you may decide it’s better to do the HCL after 2 weeks when the stomach’s acid production has normalised, while you gradually reduce the Prilosec to every other day instead of quiting instantly. Just a thought form a non medic.

  12. Hi Chris,

    Much appreciated to yourself and theany others that have had to endured this and found ways in order to combat this disease and share how with the rest of us.

    I have been suffering with this condition for almost a year and I share the sentiments of everyone who are quite disappointed in the medical advances that have been done. I too have had to endure narrow minded doctors who only want to prescribe PPIs at all cost and refuse to see the link it may have with other underlying causes such as Pepsin or Gases caused from Carbs. Maybe the issue is that they can’t resolve/cure it so they chose to ignore it.

    I have done ally of reading on the subject matter and I am almost convinced that I suffer from what you described and too think that the measures you described could be the treatment I have been looking for. Two issues however.

    There have been many studies that have shown that Pepsin is the cause of the irritation and the symptoms that people with LPR suffer from. Once it’s activated in the eosophegous and the Larynx by the acidity it then becomes sensory problem that we suffer from (I specifically suffer from Waterbrashing which is quite a nightmare). Your second step of the treatment suggest that we increase the level of Pepsin in our system to help with the digestion when other people have suggested that we take alkaline water to reduce the acidity in order to stop the pepsin from activating or suppressing it. I am therefore really confused if I should take HCL with Pepsin as per your thoughts and many others or not. What is the true relationship with Pepsin and LPR?

    Secondly, many others are quite contradictory on the use of Probiotics. I am on a low carb diet, about 60 – 100g of Carbs per day, this is to reduce the production of certain bacteria which causes gases and bloating which causes reflux. There have been many that suggested that Probiotics are good but to stay away from a strain that has lacidophilis. You have however suggested that we need the one which has Lacidophilis. Again I am confused of what to do.

    Your opinion would be greatly appreciated and I do understand that we all suffer from different variations of this horrible disease.

    Regards

    • Hi nathan! I am also suffering from the same problem from last 8 years I had tried everything I searched on Google all the time but I hadn’t find any cure for that I do take famotidine pepcid twice a day 20 mg each time it to help me little bit but not the way I want I had tried zantac also 150mg It helps me little bit but not the way I want i was on ppis prilosec for like 4 months it hadnt did me any good I had tried all the natural ways everything failed. Do you have any idea any kind of help for me that will make my life good again as I had used to be please let me know if you have any new idea for beating this LPR

      • Hi

        The problem is that I have not been able to confirm if I have low acid or high acid. My PH manometry didn’t show a significant problem with my esophagus and acidity, maybe marginal.

        I’m not sure if any of you have found a way to determine this. My ENT still insist that I stay on the PPI but on a low dosage, however most people that have suffered from this suggest taking HCL with Pepsin and Digestive Enzymes (which also has additional HCL) to restore your digestion. As I am not getting any answers on this I have stopped both the Digestive enzymes and the PPIs and don’t feel any worse.

        I do feel a lot better than before, prob 50% better with less frequent attacks during the day and much better sleep at night. I just can’t pin point what is making me feel better though.

        Other things I’ve done is I exercise regularly, I have limited the amount of carbs that I am taking and am taking 5mg of Trepiline at bed time and a probiotic for IBS sufferers. I think the probiotic is helping though.

        I am in my mid 20s so I think the excessive partying and the poor eating I did during Tertiary have made me more susceptible to all this horror. I have cut down quite drasticslly.

        Quick question:
        1. Have you done the PH manometry and what were the results?
        2. How long have you been on PPIs
        3. Do you ever feel like you having cramps in your stomach?
        4. What are your main symptoms?
        5. Is there any past or current lifestyle factors that you think has caused this disease?

        I know we all different and maybe having different route causes but it helps to figure out this thing together.

        Nathan

    • Hi Nathan,
      I am in the same boat as you (LPR sufferer) and am confused on the same information. I have found HCI and digestive bitters, digestive enzymes to make my situation worse. Have you found any answers to your questions?
      So appreciated.. this is the worst!
      Best,
      Anie

      • Hi

        The problem is that I have not been able to confirm if I have low acid or high acid. My PH manometry didn’t show a significant problem with my esophagus and acidity, maybe marginal.

        I’m not sure if any of you have found a way to determine this. My ENT still insist that I stay on the PPI but on a low dosage, however most people that have suffered from this suggest taking HCL with Pepsin and Digestive Enzymes (which also has additional HCL) to restore your digestion. As I am not getting any answers on this I have stopped both the Digestive enzymes and the PPIs and don’t feel any worse.

        I do feel a lot better than before, prob 50% better with less frequent attacks during the day and much better sleep at night. I just can’t pin point what is making me feel better though.

        Other things I’ve done is I exercise regularly, I have limited the amount of carbs that I am taking and am taking 5mg of Trepiline at bed time and a probiotic for IBS sufferers. I think the probiotic is helping though.

        I am in my mid 20s so I think the excessive partying and the poor eating I did during Tertiary have made me more susceptible to all this horror. I have cut down drastically though over the last 10 months.

        Quick question:
        1. Have you done the PH manometry and what were the results?
        2. How long have you been on PPIs
        3. Do you ever feel like you having cramps in your stomach?
        4. What are your main symptoms?
        5. Is there any past or current lifestyle factors that you think has caused this disease?

        I know we all different and maybe having different route causes but it helps to figure out this thing together.

        Nathan

    • take a vegan probiotic which is better for you, especially if you are vegan, probiotics come from dairy. also, dexilant is a vegan prescription for silent acid reflux. most other scripts come from animals and honestly does more harm than good. i have been suffering as a vegan with this condition because of my own acidic diet so now i have to change my eating habits and i am taking dexilant and chewing DGL tablets and taking probiotics. will keep u updated.

  13. Hello

    Can you take dgl 20 minutes before meals and swedish bitters after meal for digestive issues.

    Thanks

  14. I have tried every type of diet to absolutely no avail. Even water refluxes back up. I saw two surgeons and both sai they did not recommend surgery as I have poor esophageal motility amd may end up worse off. Inhave tries supplemented and every recommendation here and from various holistic practitioners. Nothing has worked. I am devastated and seriously give up. No idea where to go from here……

  15. I have a seven year old son who was diagnosed with silent reflux when he was five. We saw three different GI docs, an ENT, two allergists, and a chiropractor to come to this conclusion. He’s been on Prilosec for more than two years. But it has never really worked that well, and recently, it stopped working all together. I stumbled upon CK’s work, and my eyes opened. I took him off the prilosec, started 250 mg of HCL and Pepsin at each meal, and have put him on a paleo diet and am giving him probiotics. We are on day seven. Without the prilosec, his symptoms (coughing and throat clearing) have progressively gotten worse. I knew things might get worse before they get better, but my question is what can I do to help alleviate his discomfort while we wait for his gut to clean up?

    • Linda,
      You’re doing all the right things. It will take months before most of the symptoms clear up. Give him some ginger tea or chamomile or peppermint tea. My daughter had it since infancy and is mostly better following a similar path, a long labour of love.

      Good luck!

      Yvonne

    • Hi! I was able to reduce my ppi’s a few years ago after taking fungal defense. I had no plans to reduce my ppi’s….it just happened. Actually I was doing a yeast free diet. I took fungal defense by garden of life. It has garlic, oregano, and cinnamon which all are great at killing SIBO. I had no idea at the time. After being on that for 13 days I just decided I would take away a 15mg of previcid. I was on 30 mg in the am and 30 mg in the pm. I took one away and I had absolutely no rebound what so ever. I wish I would have worked hard to get off those drugs. Whenever my mom would start talking about ppi’s and how horrible they are…I would get mad. I felt like their was nothing I could do. I know how bad they are but I felt trapped. No one teaches you how to get off of them. I’m in this journey alone. I started paleo a month ago and started having burning and gnawing pains. I know it’s low acid. I started on the fungal defense again and I cut a previcid in half this morning and I’m getting OFF these horrible pills. They are making me sick while I’m eating this diet. Lemon juice is helping. It’s so confusing. I take my ppi and then I follow it with lemon juice. So contradicting. I do not want rebound at all. Does anyone educate us how to get off these pills? I just want this burning to stop. When I eat grains I can have acid so bad it causes sinus infections. Its LPR reflux. It’s crazy! I am focusing on killing the SIBO with natural herbs in fungal defense. It’s worth it and sticking to a low carb diet. I’ve never been tested for SIBO but it makes complete sense since the fungal defense worked before. Any other time I tried to get off I got rebound. Drs are clueless about these drugs. My husband sold nexium for years. The drs believe whatever the reps tell them. Go buy the fungal defense!!! It’s worth it!

  16. I’m feeling pretty hopeless. I have severe digestive issues, to the point where I am bloated and nauseous all the time. I’ve been seeing a gastro doctor, who has given me all the basic advice. Take more fiber, take PPIs, drink more water, avoid junk food. Needless to say, my problem has not gotten any better. When I informed them I was drinking apple cider vinegar, they looked at me like I was crazy. “But you’ve already got too much stomach acid.” It’s pretty sad that these doctors aren’t interested in addressing the underlying problems, just the symptoms. I guess it would be bad for business if they actually truly helped people so that they didn’t have to visit so often.

    • I tried cider vinegar and it nearly killed me so its not good for all of us.Your symptoms maybe from irritable bowel which most people seem to have these days.Try to find out which foods may not agree with you,I became totally lactose intolerant after surgery so no milk yogurt or cheese,they give me terrible acid so do oranges and tomatoes,some people cant do wheat,its all trial and error,but I think cider vinegar is a mistake,big one.

    • Hello there everyone I just had an endoscopy today and i get one every 2 years. I am having biopsies done and will have the results in about 2 weeks. I have changed my diet and eat all organic foods and stopped red meat that has helped alot. I stopped taking nexium, prilosec and all that stuff and but I still need to be treated. The organic food definitely stopped me from being bloated and makes me feel a whole lot better. Try drinking organic dandelion tea it is bitter but it taste really good with Manuka Honey 16+ raw organic u can get on amazon. It’s expensive but worth it. The tea definitely helps as well as chamomile, ginger and mint tea. I also bought organic probiotic vitamins which i forget to take but after today finding out my esophagus is red I am very scared. I’m going to drink the tea at least 3 times times day take nexium again for a few more weeks and see what the doc says on December 4th. I just hope nothing serious happens. I am trying my hardest to just eat fruits and vegetables but I end up having chicken too but definitely no red meat. I hope to go vegan one day but has to be with organic only cause there are way to many chemicals in foods we eat that is ruining our Guts!
      Organic may be more expensive but cancer is more expensive. Hope this helps someone.

      • Hi,

        I want to try to be helpful but without boring you of my stuff… I am sure it’s all similar stories. I have only been suffering for 2-3 months and do not really have any pain, although I did have pretty bad heartburn in the beginning. I only took omeprazole for the first week but have had a lot of other (possibly unrelated) things going on too, such as muscle twitching all over my body and shoulder/back/neck problems.

        I read a really great article by a girl who said that she solved her GERD. She said that GERD itself is a symptom of some other problem, which in her case turned out to be a hiatal hernia, that she had fixed by a chiro. She suggested it could also be caused by other things such as various types of bacteria that may be too prominent in the stomach and that it can also be caused by having too much acid OR too little acid in the stomach. The key is to find what is causing that and solve that first, she said.
        http://untilthethinladysings.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-i-cured-myself-from-gerd-acid.html
        She also cites this website in her article.

        My remaining issues are 24 hours per day feeling of a lump in my throat, neck stiffness and a feeling of a trapped nerve that I have been working on (going against advice) by doing gentle stretching exercises for five minutes several times per day and a short routine of [20 push ups, deep breathing, 50 sit ups and 20 3KG lifts on each arm] repeated three times in a row, done every other day. I also had orthopedic massages and the girl said that she can feel “wind” in my body…

        A few days ago I saw a GI who said that my intestines have some stool stuck in there and said that it is possible that this creates gas that causes the lumpy throat feeling and so has given me something to address that (laxatives and others) and also suggested having a series of tests done including iron retention as well as checking for the various types of bacteria that may be causing issues.

        Over the past few weeks I have started to feel better and hope that continues, time will tell. I believe that the stomach stuff will sort itself out, for the other feelings I have a list of possibilities, including sitting in salt-watered-sand at the beach each day for an hour just after sunset. This has apparently cured a lot of people of a lot of ailments in the past.

        I can totally understand how depressing it can be to feel you aren’t getting anywhere, but really, be patient, be determined and keep going. I do not believe that it is unsolvable. You can do it!

        p.s. I’ve had multiple blood tests, ECGs etc, all came back showing me to be fine. I have had three different doctors at the same hospital give a totally different diagnosis from my xray, I’ve had a Barium Swallow scan and been given various medicines that I mostly haven’t taken. It seems that whilst doctors are obviously experts, they do have different experiences and opinions so try several. Keep on, you’ll make it!

  17. hi i experienced bad heartburn as a result of certain mediction that i was taking, i went to hospital an had an endoscope done and the results came back normal. i was prescribed to take nexium but it doesnt make a difference at all, infact it makes things worse, ifeel as if food is stuck in my stomach and not going anywhere, i also burp and feel bloated all the time. I dont know what to do please help guys!!!

  18. I’ve been on 40mg/day Omeprazole for9 months, after having stomach bleeding. Scope showed inflammation, labs came back negative. Have some stomach uncomfortableness off and on, though have dramatically changed my diet, lost 25 pounds — too much, exercising and meditating. How do I get off Omeprazole?

  19. Whenever I eat anything with stevia, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, etc. it feels as if the nerves in my chest are being zapped or burned. Does anyone else experience this? Any idea what is?