In the next few articles, I’ll be writing about the epidemic of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its mismanagement by the medical establishment.
In this first article I will present evidence demonstrating that, contrary to popular belief, heartburn and GERD are caused by too little (not too much) stomach acid. In the second article I’ll explain exactly how low stomach acid causes heartburn, GERD and other digestive conditions. In the third article I’ll discuss the important roles stomach acid plays in maintaining health and preventing disease, and the danger long-term use of acid suppressing drugs presents. In the final article, I’ll present simple dietary and lifestyle changes that can eliminate heartburn and GERD once and for all.
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Heartburn and GERD Are No Joke
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Digestive Diseases, sixty million people experience heartburn at least once a month and twenty five million experience symptoms daily.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a more serious form of acid reflux, is the most common digestive disorder in the United States. Studies show that 10-20% of individuals experience symptoms at least once a week, and prevalence of GERD is increasing steadily.
Drugs for acid reflux and GERD are cash cows for the pharmaceutical companies. More than 60 million prescriptions for GERD were filled in 2004. Americans spent $13 billion on acid stopping medications in 2006. Nexium, the most popular, brought in $5.1 billion alone – making it the second highest selling drug behind Lipitor.
As sobering as those statistics are, it’s likely that the prevalence of GERD is underestimated because of the availability of antacids over-the-counter. This permits patients to self-medicate without reporting their condition to a doctor.
Up until fairly recently heartburn wasn’t taken too seriously. It’s primarily been the butt of bad jokes about Grandma’s cooking. But we now know that heartburn and GERD can have serious and even life-threatening complications, including scarring, constriction, ulceration, and ultimately, cancer of the esophagus.
Problems with the Conventional Theory
If you ask the average Joe on the street what causes heartburn, he’ll tell you “too much stomach acid.” That’s what most of the ads seem to suggest too. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures like the one at the top of this post in ads for acid suppressing drugs on TV and in magazines.
But there’s a big problem with this theory: the incidence of heartburn and GERD increases with age, while stomach acid levels generally decline with age (Fig 1).
Numerous studies have shown that stomach acid secretion declines with age. In one study researchers found that over 30 percent of men and women past the age of 60 suffer from atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little to no acid secretion. Another study found that 40% of women over the age of 80 produce no stomach acid at all. 1
Figure 1. Mean stomach acid secretion from the second to the eighth decade. (from Wright, 2001 p.20)
Just as studies show acid secretion declines with age, it is also well established in the scientific literature that the risk of GERD increases with age.
If heartburn were caused by too much stomach acid, we’d have a bunch of teenagers popping Rolaids instead of elderly folks. But of course that’s the opposite of what we see.
In fact, according to Jonathan Wright, MD of the Tahoma Clinic in Washington state, when stomach acid is measured in people suffering from heartburn and GERD it is almost always low, not high. In his book Why Stomach Acid is Good For You, Wright explains:
When we carefully test people over age forty who’re having heartburn, indigestion and gas, over 90 percent of the time we find inadequate acid production by the stomach.
In Wright’s 25 years of conducting these tests, he found very few people with excess stomach acid. Excess stomach acid is only found in a few rare conditions like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome), and GERD is hardly ever associated with too much stomach acid.
What’s more, Wright and other clinicians have found that giving hydrochloric acid supplements to patients with heartburn and GERD often cures their problem:
In 24 years of nutritionally oriented practice, I’ve worked with thousands of individuals who’ve found the cause of their heartburn and indigestion to be low stomach acidity. In nearly all these folks, symptoms have been relieved and digestion improved when they’ve taken supplemental hydrochloric acid and pepsin capsules.
My own clinical experience confirms this. So far every patient I’ve had with heartburn or GERD has responded well to hydrochloric acid supplementation. We’d expect just the opposite to be true if these conditions were caused by too much stomach acid.
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A Symptom Is Not a Cause
When I explain to patients that GERD is caused by not enough stomach acid, rather than too much, they are initially doubtful. “If that’s true”, they say, “then why do my antacid drugs provide relief?”
I’m not denying that the symptoms of heartburn and GERD are caused by stomach acid refluxing into the esophagus. Nor am I arguing that reducing or eliminating stomach acid with drugs doesn’t relieve those symptoms.
What’s crucial to understand is that any amount of acid in the esophagus is going to cause problems. That’s because its delicate lining isn’t protected against acid like the stomach lining is. You don’t have to have excess acid in your stomach to have heartburn.
The misguidedness of this approach is clearly demonstrated by the use of acid inhibiting drugs to treat heartburn and GERD – problems which are caused by not enough stomach acid!
The Consequences of Ignoring the Cause
As I wrote above, Americans spend more than $13 billion on acid stopping drugs each year. This expense might be justified if antacid drugs were actually curing heartburn and GERD. But just the opposite is true. Not only do these drugs fail to treat GERD, they will make the underlying condition (not enough stomach acid) worse. This virtually necessitates the lifelong use of these medications for anyone who takes them.
While this is a nifty sales strategy for the drug companies, it’s a bitter pill to swallow (yes, pun intended) for those suffering from heartburn and GERD.
Curing a disease means eliminating its cause. When a disease is cured, the symptoms don’t return once the treatment is removed. This of course is not the case with drugs for heartburn and GERD. As soon as the patient stops taking them, the symptoms return. And often they’re worse than they were before the patient started the drug.
Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies aren’t interested in cures because they aren’t profitable. It’s much more lucrative to sell drugs that people have to take for the rest of their lives than it is to promote dietary or lifestyle changes that would cure the problem.
Therefore, although the drug companies are well aware that GERD isn’t caused by too much stomach acid and that low stomach acid causes serious health problems and complications, they continue to sell billions of dollars worth of antacids to an unsuspecting public. Even worse, these powerful drugs are now available over-the-counter with no warnings about the dangers they present.
Note: if you think this sounds strangely like the situation with the #1 selling drug, Lipitor, you’re correct. Lipitor arbitrarily lowers cholesterol across the board, even though evidence clearly indicates that high LDL cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. What’s more, low cholesterol is associated with greater risk of death in the elderly population. Something is definitely wrong with our “healthcare” system when the #1 and #2 medications are actually contributing to the conditions they’re supposed to treat. But I guess if you’re looking at it from the standpoint of the drug companies, who are in business to make a profit, it’s the perfect business model.
In the Part II I explain exactly how low stomach acid causes heartburn, GERD and other digestive conditions. We’ll also look at the primary causes of low stomach acid, and how you can prevent this condition from occurring. Read on!
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- Sharp GS, Fister HW. The diagnosis and treatment of achlorhydria: ten-year study. J Amer Ger Soc 1967;15:786-791. ↩
Hi dr..for about four weeks now i do experience frequently regurtitation of watever i eat or drink..i also feel like somthing is stuck in my throat and oesophugus and feel it more wen i eat or drink and it is always there..also i had upperstomach fullness even aftr little meal but it went off…i feel pain and in the left side of ma chest and ma back….last week u had endoscopy and wat was found is mild gastrits in stomach and duodenal ulcer….was given ant acid and omniprazole and panadol but no relief…am becoming very nervous….what this can be…any remmondation please…..i look forward hearing from you
Chris,
I have been reading over all of this and a bit confused. I am 54 had upper GI yesterday and was diagnosed with a medium sz hiatus hernia with moderate patch inflammation . Diagnosis erosive gastritis and hiatus hernia. Recommended Nexium and misoprostol. No caffeine,chocolate,spicy, alcohol or high acidic food all of my favorites
I was having a routine colonoscopy and thought a good idea to have the upper done. I do not have heartburn. The only symptoms are excessive gas and occasional bloating after a meal.
What would you recommend for my situation? I just need to heal the esophogus and the hernia I think
Thanks,
Terry
I drink apple cider vinegar and straight shots 3 times a day and for 3 weeks now I feel so acidic and gerd like symptoms. Has any one done that or am I the only idiot? Please any advices
I think it’s better to sip it slowly in a glass of water, not drink it in shots. I have never drank it in shots. I have taken tablets, they are OK.
Kudos to you for being a badass! I can shoot jack and bad scotch fine but not ACV lol. This stuff is pretty acidic I would dilute it in water just in case there is a risk to your esophagus. Just my thoughts… I dilute mine and drink with a straw so I don’t ruin my teeth.
This stuff burned my throat even diluting it in water. I would never drink that again…let alone without diluting it. Thats an ER visit for some people with reflux
I never had GERD or any skin rash problems etc., my entire life until after 4 & Half years of water fluoridation -which is in everything we drink and through the food chain and we have to bathe in it also – water fluoridation is the dangerously corrosive hazardous waste pollutants from phosphate fertilizer industries and co-contaminants.
“Physiologic Conditions Affect Toxicity of Ingested Industrial Fluoride,” Journal of Environmental and Public Health, vol. 2013, Article ID 439490, 13 pages, 2013. Richard Sauerheber, doi:10.1155/2013/439490. Available online at: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2013/439490/
Fluoridation = What you are drinking, bathing in and it’s all through the food chain:-
Hydrofluoric Acid – Acutely toxic chemical
http://www-esh.fnal.gov/CourseHandout_Mat/Hydrofluoric_Acid_Safety_Handout.pdf
Explaining the truth about “water fluoridation” and the phosphate mining industry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEZ15m-D_n8&feature=share
FLUORIDATION CHEMICALS
http://afamildura.wordpress.com/fluoridation-chemicals/
Fluosilicic Acid. TOXNET profile from Hazardous Substances Data Base http://www.fluoridealert.org/pesticides/fluosilicic.acid.toxnet.hsd.htm
~~~~~~~~
Fluoride Class Action http://fluoride-class-action.com/what-is-in-it
~~~
Floyd Maxwell Chemical Engineer
Fluoride from a Chemical Engineer’s perspective
http://y2u.be/4_U0A27L1A8
~~
http://www.abilene-rc.com/newsdetail.asp?article_id=1051&HL=News%3ASafety+issue+closes+city+fluoride+room
Hello, I’m a 19 year guy and about a month ago I started getting shortness of breath then a few days later I got indigestion or heartburn. I took some antacids (liquid) and it got rid of it. I still went to the doctor and told him this and he just put me on a month of taking heartburn medication. I would get burning in the back of my throat sometimes too. I just took my last pill today and I’m still having shortness of breath. Not really sure what my next step is I’m just tired of it and want it gone. I’ve never had persistence heartburn neither. Also sometimes ill have to clear my throat and spit up mucus, but that’s it. I haven’t had any sign of heartburn in weeks just shortness of breath and occasionally clearing my throat. any replys would be helpful thanks.
It seems that it is a serious industry under the heartburn condition. I can not belive that there were actually more than 60 million prescriptions for in back in 2004. It makes me think that now there are more than double….
I believe pharm companies are taking us for a ride! My husband & I both got Lyme disease-he had Medicare & I had no insurance so I searched for Doxy on Internet & people were saying to get Bird or fish biotics. Sure enough there was Doxy, ciprofloxacin. Amoxicillin & more. I ordered a bottle & when it came it was identical to my husbands medicine-same color, same 4digit number on the pill, same dosage. Ever wonder why animals like dogs take the same meds? It’s a racket no doubt.
What about LPR? Silent Reflux? Do the same principles apply? I am seeing a naturopath because I don’t want to take PPI’s. An ENT diagnosed me with GERD, (and prescribed prevacid) but my symptoms are more specific to LPR. I’ve been on HGL/Pepsin, and probiotics for about 10 days now. (And since being on them,. have developed the cough, not sure if that is related or what).
This all started with a sore throat, that I’ve had for 2 months now. Initially, I had no symptoms. The throat pain seemed to feel better in the morning and worse as day progressed. Now I have a cough and and throat clearing. It doesn’t seem to matter if I eat or don’t eat, the burning still occurs. My diet has been extremely clean for 3 months (I had cut out caffeine, sugar, chocolate, before symptoms started); have lost around 45 pounds.
It’s only been 2 months of constant pain and I’ve been really down about it all. Especially when I read so very little results with treating silent reflux. I don’t want meds and I don’t want surgery. Any advice? Anyone have any idea about how long a natural remedy may take to start feeling better?
Thanks
Hello, my 16 year old daughter has exactly the same symptoms as you. She’s on omeprazole now 40mg per day but it does not help. Diet totally clean, does not make a difference. ENT wants to continue meds but I am really against it. She on them now 6 weeks! GI doctor wants to do a chest xray and then gastroscopy.
Did you find out anything else?
Daniela
I was on PPI’s for over 10 years. I am now a 35 year old mother and reflux has been my nighmare, but I’ll tell you what. Going grain and dariy free has changed my life!! I have always had a clean diet, but filled with grains and dairy. Chris’ recomendation to go on the GAPS diet for reflux really does work. One of the best life changing books for me was “Breaking the Visious Cycle” – by Elaine Gottschall. This book along with the GAPS book are a must read if you are to really understand reflux. It will not cure refulx over night, but give it a couple of months and you will see a difference. Your daughter is lucky she has only been a PPI for 6 weeks, because 6 weeks will turn into 10 years. (Doctors have not concerns with PPI’s. I have seen many and all will give you a year perscription without any reservation. My GI doctor told me he would like to keep me on them for life. I asked him what about bone damage, he said, “We will give you a bone drug like Boniva to counter the effets.” REALLY – you want to kill me!!) If you can order both books, read them in their entirety and then follow the diets, your daughter will have success. Right now is the perfect time to address this, because if 6 weeks turns into years, the LES valve may become too atophied for such a great remedy and she will most likely have the need for a Nissen. Now is the time to go grain free and dariy free and Elaine’s book will give you a perfect understanding as to why. It is working for me and I believe it will work for your daugher, but you can not make mistakes with the diet. You must do it 100%. Good luck!!
Oh, I failed to mention, I had reflux so severe, I had asthma induced asthma. However, the GI doctor refused to think it had anything to do with my digestion and reflux and the pulmonologist insisted it had everything to do with reflux. The GI doctor told me, “Doctors like to point fingers.” Doctors don’t know anything! My asthma was literally diagnosed as uncontrolled asthma. I was miserable!! I finally took things into my own hands and read the books, began the diet and am finally seeing success with the reflux and the asthma. Do the diet 100% doctors will just drive you crazy. I should know, I have seen the many and the best. Diet will change your life more than anything you could discover from a doctor when it comes to reflux. This is my opinion.
Thank you so much. I will check up on the book. We also bought “Dropping Acid” by Dr. Kaufman which gives a lot of recipes but was not the biggest help since we understand pretty well what types of foods to eat and not eat. Most of the symptoms that she suffers from seem to be related to LPR (silent reflux) more than GERD itself. Therefore, the omeprazole she has been taking for weeks now does not give her immediate relief in that moment because she does not have bad heart burn. She has constant clearing of the throat, slime, a dry cough and a sour taste in her mouth a lot of the time. So, it is clear at this point that the PPIs do not help with this illness – at least not what she has. Did your GI doctor recommend a gastroscopy or pH monitoring? Did you have one? This is what we seem to be looking at in the near future. Let me know and hope you are okay.
Daniela
Yes, the list of tests I have gone through are many. I have had 3 endoscopies, 2 manometry tests, 2 pH Impedance studies, 2 gastric emptying studies, and 4 chest x-rays in dealing with this challenge. I too used to clear my throat and even have a stuffy nose from the severe reflux. What I have learned is that at the end of the day, after going through all of these tests, is that the only help the doctor can give is PPI therapy along with H2 blocker therapy and or the Nissen surgery. So, it is sad, because you go to all of the trouble and expense of these tests and the outcome is really the same as if you had not gone through so many tests, and that is medication.
Because my challenge went on for so many yearrs, I used many natural remedies, including aloe vera, chlorophyll, DGL, HCL, apple cider vinegar, manuka honey, varieties of enzyme therapy, calcium, pro-biotics, etc. I learned how to culture vegetables, make coconut kefir, juiced cabbage, etc. I even called into the radio show of Dr. Jonathan V. Wright and spoke to him about what I should do and he gave me two recommendations, he told me to stop eating anything that may be an allergy food and to take d-Limonene. I found the d-Limonene somewhat helpful, as all of these remedies are somewhat helpful. I was tested twice for H-Pylori, and did not have it, but took a months supply of mastic gum, just incase. Anyway, as you can see, I really tried to find answers and tired everything and still use many of these remedies daily.
However, nothing, not any of these remedies even touched my situation like did diet. Getting rid of grains and dairy for a period of time allows the body to become back in balance. At the end of the day, after all of my efforts, the simplicity of diet has been the best answer. The GAPS diet is not simple, it requires a lot of work and there is a huge learning curve. However, what seemed to be overwhelming at first, such as making bone broth, has now become very easy and going without grains has become easy too.
The root of any reflux problem, silent or not silent will lie in the gut. It really does and the book, “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” and “GAPS” really help us to understand why. For so many years I denied that the GAPS diet would be that effective. I just kept trying different types of remedies and there was small amounts of help with each one, but not nearly the help as removing grains has been. It is hard to see the correlation, but it really has been all the difference.
If the LES valve is loose, or if a hiatal hernia is present, that needs to be taken into consideration. But for your daughter, who is young and probably has fairly descent HC levels, one year on the GAPS diet and she may feel good again and actually have better health at 18 than she did at 16.
I am sorry your daughter is struggling, but it sounds like she has a wonderful mother that is looking for healthy answers, so that she will not become one stuck on medication for life. You will never look at the body and life the same way after reading both books. You will be forever changed and begin to see links to all health problems that begin in the gut and therefore need to be healed in the gut.
Much luck to you on your journey. You will find success, because you are way ahead of others and are searching for truth and help.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Anna,
I have a couple of questions. How long did it take you on the GAPS diet before you felt relief? Did you have a burning throat?
I was off dairy, grains for 6 weeks when my symptom of sore throat appeared. So I do not know if this was something that just popped up, or could acid have been hitting it for a while before the sore throat? Seems to me that not much acid in the throat would cause it to hurt in the short term. I wish I knew when/why this started happening?
I tried Dr. Kaufman’s low acid diet and hated it. No fruit, lots of bread and grains. I have to look into the GAPS. I haven’t eaten much in the way of grains or dairy for the past 4 months….
I’ve tried just about everything you have listed (in the short time that I’ve had this)….
Are you pain free symptom free now? How long was the process? (I know you said you had reflux for 10 years; was it GERD or LPR?)
Thanks,
alanna
Thank you, Anna, for all your good feedback. I’ll await your answers to Alanna, as I would be asking the same questions 😉
in addition, I’d be interested to find out the difference between the GAPs diet and the paleo – I guess I can look that up online.
very best,
Daniela
I’ll try to answer the best I can. It took two months before I started noticing a difference on the GAPS diet; however, after the first month there was enough of a difference to feel excited to continue. Paleo has such a wide range of interpretation. Some people are 100% Paleo and some are 90% Paleo. I have now moved from the GAPS diet to an auto-immune Paleo diet, which is referred to as AIP. I have some auto-immune challenges as well, so that is the route I have chosen at this point. AIP is the strictest form of Paleo, but a healing diet for those who are not in good health. The best way to really get an in-depth understanding of the principles of living this way is to go back to that basic understand in “Breaking the Viscous Cycle”. If people choose to live Paleo, without a deeper understanding of the digestive tract and the influence on our health, I feel they are doing Paleo in the dark.
A few years ago, I worked with Dr. Thomas Cowan and here: http://fourfoldhealing.com/2007/11/08/gerd/ is a good article on GERD that helps begin an understanding. Dr. Cowan puts many of his patients on the GAPS protocol. Some Paleo people focus on organ meats and high pro-biotic foods, but I have met some that do not have a clear understanding of healing foods. That is why GAPS is important, it is similar to Paleo, but really focuses on healing the gut with foods. Large amounts of pro-biotics foods and supplements are critical in GAPS. Bone broth is a must! GAPS eventually can move you toward introducing grains again in the form of properly prepared, such as soaked or sprouted. Paleo is a life-style of a non-grain way of life. There is controversial here, but really I have felt it depends on the over-all health of the person as to whether grains can be a part of the diet again. With my health challenges, I may opt to stay on a GAPS diet the rest of my life, but for my children and family, I believe grains can and should be a part of a healthy diet. That is controversial.
I have never head of the doctor that you all referred to that encouraged grains and no fruit as part of a diet for different types reflux. That absolutely goes against all the science I have read. I don’t know if you have read Chris’ opinion on the pH myth, but another interesting thing that I understand is “…problems resulting in bacteria fermentation are: (1) production of excess amounts of short chain volatile fatty acids (organic acids); (2) lowering of the pH of the blood as these acids are absorbed; (3) over growth of bacteria as the undigested carbohydrates provide food for bacterial proliferation; (4) mutation of some bacteria such as E. coli because of the exchange in pH in their colonic environment; and (5) excess toxin production caused by the overgrowth of some pathological bacteria.” From “Breaking the Visious Cycle”. You see why you need to cut of the food supply to these organisms. That is the only way you can change pH, not by adding grains – that would never work.
There are many blogs out there that are helpful with healing diets. There are many new Paleo cookbooks that have been released this year, which all would help you follow the GAPS diet tastefully. I have ordered cookbooks off the GAPS website and Lucy’s Kitchen has good ones as well. Amazon will lead you to the best Paleo cookbooks and that will lead you to the best blogs about eating and living this way. There are also many GAPS blogs that have been very helpful for me.
Now, depending on your overall health and the root reason of your reflux, my good friend is a naturopath and his favorite remedy for healthy people is just plain old HCL. Dr. Mercola has a good article to help you know how to use HCL or find a natural healer that can walk you through using that supplement. You do need to take it responsibly, but it can be incredibly effective.
I hope this helps. As you begin your search, you’ll be surprised the resources that will come your way. One blog will lead you to another, just take the time to read both the books I recommended first, it will save you a lot of time in understanding the principles.
Good luck on your journeys to health. Healing takes time. This I know from personal experience, but people are changing their health with these healing diets. One of my favorite motivating TED talks is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc by Dr. Terry Wahls. She will motivate you to make huge dietary changes. I love to show my friends and family here talk.
Much luck!!
Anna, Can you share how you came off of the PPI’s? Did you wean yourself? My entire digestive track is on fire and feels raw. I am very leary of trying HCL under these circumstances. Does anyone have suggestions. I have slowly weaned myself from 40 mg nexium to 20 mg OTC prilosec. But the burning continues.
get some DGL – google it
get some DGL – google it – probiotics to start improving health of your stomach and maybe gaviscon to help the transistion
Hi Daniela,
First off, I hope for wellness for your daughter, as this is a miserable condition. So prayers for healing to her. Regarding my condition, it has been 3 months with no improvement yet. I am still seeing a naturopath, as I did not want to take the PPI’s. So far we have tried probiotics and HCL-Peptin, plus digestive enzymes. Now we are trying DGL, and some other herbal remedies. I have also tried a myriad of other tweaks and things I’ve read about. For instance, the Acid Reflux diet by Dr. Kaufman….I’ve read a book (the only book) solely about LPR. In my case, I have not had a diagnosis based on scientific testing; it was just a look down the throat. They will not do further tests, unless you do the drug trial.
LONG Story short, I’ve done a lot of research. What I understand is that GERD, is more responsive to diet changes, and drug treatment than LPR. Also, it seems that what works is varied and individual.
My advice to you is continue to research LPR (and Gerd), and look for alternative remedies. The mainstream medical system at this point is only addressing the symptoms, not the root problem/cure. Taking the PPI’s opens a doorway to more problems and dependence on the drugs (if they work). Other therapies, may be helpful, (naturopath, acupuncture, yoga. diet). I have read accounts of many people curing their Gerd/LPR with diet. (Although in my situation, it does not seem to matter what I eat).
Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your results 🙂
Hello Alanna,
thanks for your feedback. We are on the same page. We also have the book by Dr.Kaufman, we thought it was quite depressing, actually. It made my daughter cry as it pointed out little cure and help for LPR and often leading to cancer etc.
We are stopping the omerpazole as its not helping at all. It seems also, like you said, that diet does not matter, really. She feels the same way after an ice cream cone as she does after a raw kale salad. Same symptoms. Some days better, some days worse. The GI doctor wants a chest X-ray and gastroscopy, which we are considering.
Please keep me posted if you come up with anything that helps!! Its much appreciated.
thanks a lot and blessings to you.
Daniela
Hello Daniela, Alanna –
I have LPR and I was on GAPS for two and a half years. Unfortunately, it did not help with the condition. Or, should I say I was only able to eat vegetables and protein and fat/organ meats and broth.
Perhaps, I did not do that right, perhaps LPR is not only diet, perhaps..something elase or all of the above.
I eneded up depressed from no ability to move forward with anything beyond typical autoimmune protocol. I did are eggs – a lot, but still had some eosinophilia…Any deviation will bring back the symptoms.
The diet worked very well for sugar swings and migraine and some other conditions, but not with my LPR or CC. The diet was very important life journey and learning experience, but…I ended up with a few medications and at least for now chose to be on med and have some dietary releif. Now, should that be someone around who could tell that this is my life, my limits and that is the way to go – and do have certain “cheating”, so move from 100 % diet to 95%. But I was assured that I just need to go to stage 1 and start all over again. Probably. I did. But eneded up with lots of issues. One could say that I stressed myself out for nothing. That could be also true. But ideal world did not work for me…For that cause. But did lot of good things. I am now eating everything, but consider reduce and then, perhaps eliminate grains and dairy. If I could as I do feel worse – body ache, etc. But emotionally i am much better. As far as Dropping Acid…by Dr. Koufman. I know people who eats grains and feels quite fine…I know who is able to find a balance…So it is impossible to say who is right who is wrong here. Diet is very powerful tool but this is only part of the story. It is by the way four fold healing….
Best of health and luck!
Hi Marina,
Did meds help your LPR? Did you ever get any relief? If so, what helped? Thanks 🙂
alanna
Hi. I am able to get my LPR under control by using Nexiam (Nexium) daily. At one point I have also been able to get rid of it entirely, and my GERD, by eating nothing but raw fruit, vegetables and green smoothies for about 10 days. I wanted to transition to a raw vegan diet, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to keep it up, even though it definitely helped!! Right now I’m trying to find an approach that works but is more doable for me. Thought this info might be useful to you and other LPR sufferers out there. All the best,
Tom
Thanks Tom! I am glad diet changes gave you relief. With my situation, diet does not seem to make a difference at all. But thanks for adding your thoughts. Best, Alanna
Hello Alanna,
One more thing I wanted to ask you, are those enzymes working for you? I have my daughter on probiotics as well as Green Vibrance every day. I don’t know what DGL is?
The ENT “diagnosed” her very quickly, even before meds. Looked down her nose into her throat and said she has GERD, put her on omeprazole. That was in May. It has done nothing! ENT keeps prolonging the treatment, promising it will eventually help, just has to be “taken longer”.
What are your thoughts on this? You don’t believe the meds help for this, right? Again, they have not helped in Aly’s case so far.
thanks again!
Daniela
Hi Daniela,
DGL is a licorice extract that is supposed to promote healing. I am not sure about the enzymes…I have not had significant improvement yet. Regarding the meds., they surely help to stop acid in some cases; promoting healing. But I am not an advocate of masking the cause. Not to mention that I am a nursing mom.
MY naturopath thinks I may have a hiatal hernia. The ruling out process going this natural route is a longer path.
I understand what you mean about your daughter getting depressed. The other LPR book I read was the same, (and that was written by a doctor who had LPR). Within this process, though, we have to not believe the label of no cure. This thing came on suddenly and it can go suddenly (as far as I’m concerned).
I am going to see a bodytalk practitioner next week. (More alternative medicine). I have to drive an hour 15 minutes one way to get there.
If you would like to stay in touch for moral support etc., email me at [email protected].
I believe we all need support in this.
Blessings,
Alanna
PS. I was diagnosed the same exact way. This is very common. Then, they try the drug trial to confirm diagnosis.
I can email you the research I’ve done if you want to look at it. I’ve compiled a list of possible causes, and possible cures (that have worked for some)
Thank you so much Alanna, I will email you. What do you think about about a gastroscopy? Have you had one? Her GI recommended doing a gastroscopy and inserting a small pH monitor in her esophogus to see what the pH is for a day or two. We are also most likely getting off the PPI tonight and getting HCL supplements and she is already taking pure aloe vera juice mixed with water every day and following the diet as well as she can. Let me know what you think and hope you are doing okay.
Thanks for your suggestions,
Daniela
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your feedback. I have read just about everything about GERD/LPR that I can get my hands on.; much of it conflicting. I tried HCL-Pepsin, for a month with little effect. Of course, I don’t know if that was enough time, or if the dosage was currect (prescribed by my naturopath). I am eating very clean, juicing – cut out sugar, processed food, coffee, grains. I would say I’m pretty much on a low carb diet. However, I’m vegetarian.
Were you diagnosed with LPR or Gerd? It seems from what I have read that LPR is much harder to treat with diet/lifestyle changes.
I am glad that you were successful. Thanks for your information!
I am not a doctor, just a mom, but I’ll share with you what I have learned. I have been diagnosed with LRP and GERD, if that is possible. I have seen so many doctors in 4 different states over the years, that I have had the opprotinty to have both diagnoses. I have also been diagnosed with a nutcrakcer esophogus, which has been frusterating as well. Really, I have yet to meet anyone who has the degree of health challenges that I have, but there is a possitive story, because healing diets are effective and helping me tremendously.
In the link to the Duke University study that I posted in a previous post, they went on very few carbohydrates a day. Mainly their diet consisted of meat and vegetables. The success in the study was impressive. I repect people’s choice to be vegetarian, if it is for religious purposes, but if it is for health reasons, I feel they are making a big mistake. There are many who have been vegitarian for a decade now, and are coming out and saying it wrecked their health. Most end up with nutrinal deficencies. On the Healthy Home Economist blog, which is a geat blog by the way, she writes a couple of articls on celebrities ditching vegitarism to get healthy, one being Angelina Jolie. Another bloger that writes about vegitarism leaving her nutritionally deprived, is the lady from auto-immune paleo. My opinion is that one of the authorites in nutritional information comes from the Weston A. Price foundation. They would never endorse vegetarism.
Now let me explain what I know about hydrochloric acid and meat. Our bodies are smart, but are lazy, if we allow them to be. Our bodies know how much HCL to produce to digest our foods and close our LES valve. If we do not have enough HCL, the LES valve does not get the message to close properly. This is why HCL supplimentation is so effective for so many. It helps the body retrain to give the proper signals. Quailty meat for example, takes good levels of HCL to break it down and extract the nutrients, if you are eating a vegitarism diet, I am just assumeing your body is not producting proper amounts of HCL. People who suppliment with HCL may need it for quite some time, but I would say the majority of people should try get off of it after 6 months. When you take HCL, you are retraining your body, teaching it how much HCL to make. Your are helping to create that flow of acid that triggers the LES valve to shut. If you have a hietal hernia, there are many chiroprators that work to fix that. That should always be tried before sugery. Taking bitters and cabbage juice 1/2 hour before eating also helps to create more HCL.
People that choose to be a vegetarian rely on beans for protein. Some paleo followers eat beans, but many do not. The GAPS diet categorizes beans as a carbohydrate, which is not allowed, because it feeds bacteria and makes gut dysbiosis much worse, which for some may be part of the reason for reflux. The only beans you can have on the GAPS diet are white (navy) lima beans and then legumes. For someone to successfully do a healing diet, they can not be a vegetarian. I have not worked with the author of this great article, because his waiting list is huge. I do follow his podcasts and read emails. I am assuming that those he works with that are vegitarian, and not practicing for religious purposes, that would be the first thing he would change. If you do produce normal amounts of HCL, try some grass-fed steak and give that HCL something to do.
Like I said, I’m just a mom, but these are my thoughts. Much luck!
Hi Alanna
Your symptoms’ are so similar to mine ive had for 12 months, throat clearing , lump in throat/chest feeling and a cough and then a slight saw throat hoarsness worse in the afternoon. Im on Lanzaprozile and Gaviscon but they don’t work. LPR is usually indicated by high Pepsin levels which I have , I haven’t tried HCL with pepsin as im afraid this is adding even more pepsin so im very confused like you you is LPR (silent reflux) caused by to much acid or low acid or could be one or the other ??? and should I try HCL ???
Ok guys … you need to read this and Chris … I’m curious to see a reply to this question as this has not been asked by anyone else before to which im surprised.
I myself suffer from daily GERD acid reflux ect however here’s the part I dont understand;
If you’re saying that acid reflux is caused by TOO LITTLE stomach acid then why do PPI drugs resolve our problems and cure our symptoms? Surely if the problem was too little stomach acid then simply by taking drugs to REDUCE stomach acid would make the problem worse, right? It’s logical.
This for me flaws this theory. PPI’s are desiged to reduce stomach acid …. so you would expect them to make the reflux worse by further reducing acid?
Also, people on here say tomatoes, coffee and orange juice all contribute to reflux, well, these foods actually spike acid production, so again, you would think that eating high acid foods that promote acid secretion would actually help the problem, not make it worse.
I am still to buy into the whole too little stomach acid causes reflux, think about it using logic.
I would appreciate some feedback and an answer from Chris. Thanks.
John
John – great question but . . . there can be many causes for acid reflux – one is calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure. Blocks calcium which in turn softens or relaxes the tissue around the blood vessels – also the esophagus which then is relaxed and stays open when it should be closed – that is only one cause. There can be more and combined even. Some Dr.s agree that “trigger” foods that are acidic may not be a problem but a hiatal hernia – that allows stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. The hcl with pepsin seems to let you know if you have low acid by doing the simple test. It seems logical that as one ages the production of many hormones and other body functions reduces so that the reduction of stomach acid in the aging makes some sense. The HCL and taking calcium citrate to retone the esophagus after 5 years of damage by amlodapene seems to be reversing my acid reflux issues. The simple solution is of course to take PPi’s and hope they help. I understand for some cases they just make things worse or have no significant improvement. I think if you read as much as you can from as many sources as you can you will find answers to some of your questions.
I’ve been suffering from acid reflux since I was 13 years old, tried all the medications the doctors could think of with unsatisfactory results and an unsustainable drain on my families and my own income after I became an adult. I’m now 28 years of age and I can tell you honestly that the best, easiest and cheapest remedy I’ve found for acid indigestion/reflux/gerd is a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I recommend you just take it like medicine and chase it with some water, it will provide relief for at least a couple hours of not the rest of the day depending on what you eat. If it’s too much for your tongue you can mix the vinegar with some water but to me that’s just stretching out an unpleasant thing rather than just getting it done. It’s cheap, effective and doesn’t cause bone loss like those purple pills the pharm companies have been shoving at us for years. I recommend organic apple cider vinegar from your local healthfood stood as it has so many vitamins and nutrients in it but regular old distilled white or apple cider vinegar from the grocery store is just as effective. Also I’ve found sleeping on your left side
helps tremendously reduce my instances of waking up with fire in my throat and vocal cords. Hope this post helps some people, I know how terrible it is to live in pain and fear your favorite foods.
my mail id [email protected]
i have severe middle chest pain and some times in my back and some times at my upper stomach, i feel my chest is so tight and lots of pain but it not pains continously. i cant concentrate on my works on behalf of this pain. i just confused either it is heart problem or acidity?
Very interesting article!
If I may I’d like to share with you all the hell that has been this past year for me.
I am (or was) an active 32 yr old male, loves the outdoors and just being alive.
Today I can’t work, don’t go out for long periods and can’t make any future plans out of fear of my condition.
It started with a horrible vertigo attack out of nowhere, followed by an ambulance ride to the hospital.
Now 11 months later (to make a very long and hard story shorter) I have been to numerous doctors and specialist (GP, ENT, Optometrist, Dentist, chiropractor etc…) desperately seeking answers with no luck.
My main symptoms are dizziness and extreme fatigue as well as headaches, numb/tingling hands and an overall fog-head feeling. I feel like I have become my own doctor so to say and after putting two and two together I arrived at this website. Before my attack, as well as currently, I had suffered from heartburn for years as well as chronic diarrhea. I never felt like I needed to seek medical attention for these problems and settled for antacids and trying different diets. Now however, I’m wondering if I might be suffering from some vitamin deficiency (B-12). Perhaps I am unable to absorb necessary nutrients due to my constant bathroom trips. I am slightly puzzled however because I have had blood work done without my GP suggesting any problems. (I have read that accurate b-12 tests are a little more complex, but its hard to criticize a doctor :/ )
If you have any insight or suggestions I would appreciate them so very much!
I would like to thank you before hand for answering all the people here and providing answers to those with none.
I have been told for vertigo, etc, to try using an electric toothbrush with the brush replaced by an eraser you can buy for a pencil, running it around the ear (shell) and just barely inside the ear. The vibration on the pressure points will alleviate the problem in due time. I have not needed this,so cannot testify to it working, buy it just might work. It is simple to try.
I felt much better when I was adding a digestive enzyme to my protocol. Hcl or Pritease.
The problem is that I have a small ulcer at the base of my esophagus. Twice after taking the Protease containing enzyme supplement the capsule either burst or merely opened immediately after taking it and I was choking and coughing up blood. After researching, I found that Hcl and/or Protease containing enzyme supplements are best to be avoided if one has an ulcer.
I am taking a digestive enzyme supplement without either currently. But without the Hcl or the Protease my other digestive symptoms are flairing.
I’m gluten free (including all grains), and dairy free (including caisen and whey), and basically eat steamed vegetables, bone broth, vegetable soups, split pea or lentil soups, and organic animal protein. I can stomach raw foods, but somehow they bother my lymph glands and/or thyroid if that’s at all possible, so I cut them out of my diet.
I had a stool test done that showed very low levels of pancreatic enzymes. So I’m currently taking a 15 billion mixed strain probiotic and an enzyme supplement with amylase and lipase, plus I’m taking 2 1,000mg capsules of Glutamine daily. And I have LPR.
Any advice on what to do for the small ulcer at the base of my esophagus as well as the lack of appropriate Hcl levels? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Thanks for your information regarding GERD. This information has helped me, as within the past month and a half, in being able to reverse and control the GERD that came upon me within the past year. I am a 71 year old male that was a bit overweight for my build (184 lbs.) Slouched at the computer and drank more beer and red wine that I needed as well as eating more carbs than necessary. After cutting carbs, gluten free and nearly no grains I am 165 and running 5K’s again – using HCL w/pepsin – 4 caps with early dinner – no late evening snacks and 1 glass of red wine for dinner. Calcium citrate supplement after meals with digestive enzyme most times. Have found unsalted almonds useful as well as high quality sea salt. Using high quality probiotics as well. Had GERD cough and daily acid reflux. I feel that I have it all under control – also have been able to stop calcium channel blocker that I was on for 5 years – caused my ankles to swell and also probably contributed to esophagus disorder – changed to an ace inhibitor for about 10 and saw the side effects-cough is one major one, stopped that and now my blood pressure is better than it has been for 5 years. 122/76 yesterday. I filled the Dr.s prescription for Prilosec as I was feeling awful – so close to taking it but kept reading the potential side effects and just couldn’t take it. I stuck with the HCL and kept increasing the amounts till I reach 4 at dinner. I am so glad that I followed the suggested recommendations that I found here and by other nutritionists. I write this not so much for me but for all of you who suffer from GERD and from taking blood pressue meds that can help but also can really hurt you. I know a friend that has been on Prilosec for over 10 years and claims not side effects or has not been bothered by any. I can’t believe that undigested food in the stomach can be in anyway healthy for long term. I trust I am not speaking too prematurely but for now I am grateful for the may sites that proclaim alternative solutions to the major pharmaceuticals that the doctors are so quick to prescribe. It does take some effort to accomplish this but in the end it is quite doable without resorting to harmful drugs.
Hi Edward, so how are you doing now after following the recommended suggestions? Just curios to know because I have similar problems as you. Your advice will help me get over my daily heartburn. Regards
Not totally well as I had hoped but still following the protocol.My primary issue now is a reflux cough but I am hopeful that continuing to do what has been working will eventually resolve that and the acid reflux in total. A very good paper is at http://www.medicalmasterclass.com/Relux%20cough%20explanation.htm about the cough. I can live with the way I am at this point – I still have times of day that I feel the cough urge more than others. Chewing almonds, some food in the stomach will usually cause that to dissipate. It really is a fairly complex issue as all of the digestive system including the nose and ears is connected and related. . . so patience and keep researching. Best
Ok, so this is how it works.
You get reflux, because your sphincter that opens between the stomach and small intestine is not opening properly. Why, because your stomach for some reason is not producing enough acid. (I think maybe stress for eg, has used up all the acid because you’ve been activating it too much so when the meal arrives there is not enough acid)
It may seem like there is too much acid, this is because it starts going up your esophagus, which is not used to even weak acid in the stomach and you get the reflux pain. It might seem really acidic, but actually its not acidic enough for your stomach and that’s the big problem.
So the solution really is, increase the stomach acid, to make the sphincter open in time, so that your stomach doesn’t overflow.
So what does everyone do, make the stomach more alkaline, either with bicarb soda with chewable tablets or proton pump inhibitors (PPI) or H2 inhibitors. Sure it gives you quick relief, but it doesn’t solve the problem and get you stuck in a cycle that is hard to get out of, unless you need healing for some damage somewhere, but sometimes the reflux is the damage and that’s what needs to be stopped.
So what happens when you use PPI, you make your stomach more basic, by stopping all the acid producing cells, then your esophagus feels better because its not getting burnt all day long with an overflowing stomach.
This is ok for someone who drinks beer and coke all day long and eats rubbish food (which is very acidic) they need this drug because they are probably actually making their stomach too acid as well as overflowing it with acid food.
But for people that have a bit of mild reflux, PP2 messes you up, as you get a short term cure, but then its hard to get off, as if you stop it, your stomach cells are not really working, so you get reflux rebound as some activate, as the stomach isn’t opening into the small intestine properly yet so you start to get reflux again.
So, when I stopped my PP2, since I eat really good food, I found I was getting terrible reflux, a lot worse then before, and also the food wouldn’t go down, it took hours for the stomach to open and release the food it was terrible.
The way I actually fixed it, was to drink Coke! pH of approx 3.4? The way I though it up, was it was 5 hours since lunch and I couldn’t even drink water as my stomach wouldn’t go down with reflux. I drank slowly 600ml of coke, and my stomach emptied. So next dinner, I drank some coke before hand, then drank coke with the meal and then some after and the reflux and the stomach emptying problem began to stop.
So the coke made the stomach more acidic, and this prompts the spincter in the small intestine to open faster as it thinks digestion is complete, this releases the stomach contents into the small intestine, which in turn, stops the stomach overflowing into the esophagus, causing the burn and pain. After drinking the coke and meal, I took a spoon full of Manuka Honey to help the healing process of the Esophagus.
So I think, I’m going to do some experiments now, when eating a really rich meal, my theory is that you get reflux, because it takes too much acid to digest the food, so you run out of acid, and then the stomach doesn’t empty and then you get reflux because its overflows into the esophagus. So maybe a drink of coke can help prevent a heart burn at night time later?
Everyone’s situation inside could be different, and coke might not be good for some people, but I’m just saying what worked for me, as it was really really hard to get off the PPI, but the crazy thing is Coke saved me. So to me all those Bicarb tablets and PPI are stupid as they don’t fix the problem, unless you have a massive erosion somewhere which needs healing, that’s why I’m saying maybe this is not your problem so you should seek pro advice, as I probably have no idea what I’m talking about…
I guess you can use HCL tablets, but that seemed really risky to me, so I tried Coke as I knew how bad it was for you due to the high pH. Funny since I think my problem was that I was too healthy, and got a bit stressed. And eating too healthy just made it worse and worse as my foods were too alkaline and this made my stomach not open and made the reflux worse and worse.
I just read your article on heartburn/GERD and was very surprised,and now,very upset with my local doctor! I have had these problems for quite some time,so I went to my doctor about it….he prescribed two meds (Omeprazole and Ranitidine) for this problem,and told me I would have to take them indefinetely. I have been on them for a few years now,and still have the problems daily…after reading this,I now know why! I have suspected that this ‘cure’ was all about big pharma making money! I would really appreciate any more info you could provide on this subject and any advice you would be comfortable giving!
Thank you!
Rob H.
I am 16 I have heartburn almost everyday and I have modys (maturity onset diabetes of the youth) it it’s getting worse every day. My angroconologysr said stop drinking milk. It’s worse. I need help I feel I can just drink a glass of water and it will spill threw holes in my assofogus. Please help!! Email me at surfer [email protected]
I discovered Chris Kressler’s articles when I was having an episode of too little stomach acid and actually Googled those symptoms. Years ago, when I was a teen, I used to experience bouts of extreme stomach discomfort, where I would be doubled over and my stomach would be distended. A good friend told me that that sounded like too LITTLE acid and suggested orange, lemon or tomato juice. This did the trick right away. In my early 30s I complained to Docs and an acupuncturist that I had very slow, sluggish digestion. I was told that “as we get older our organs do slow down.” Later, when I had chronic heartburn, I was prescribed prevacid, which I took for 15 years. When I read Kressler’s essay on too little acid the puzzle pieces started to come together. What could it hurt, I thought, to go off the prevacid for a short time, and keep drinking sour cherry juice and eating vinaigrette and taking vitamin c. The only addition was that I started taking over the counter acid reducers (cheap store brand) twice a day. That was a few months ago and I have no uncontrollable reflux. The other thing I stumbled upon, by accident, was chia seeds. My husband had read about all the bruhaha– how they were full of EFAs and provided energy etc. So I started taking a large spoonful a day. Unintended benefit: sluggish digestion solved. I haven’t added up all the money we are saving but I do thank Kressler for helping me to get over some really chronic problems. Finally, could Doctors PLEASE stop telling people that their problems are due to age? I was, like 32, for Pete’s sake, when I first heard this. My 80 plus year old friend says she wants to paste them every time she hears this. In my case, the problems really were not age, but a series of digestive troubles that began when I was in my teens. Medicines like Prevacid are one size fits all, very lucrative and not always necessary. BTW, the reason I trusted Chris Kressler and wanted to try his suggestions was that he is not selling anything. I’m glad I did. Cheers!
Hi Chris, I am trying to help my brother sort out his health. He was taking Lansoprazole for about 15 years,(not on its own, but with several other drugs along side to help with severe stress) until September 2011. In December 2011 he started to get symptoms similar to restless leg syndrome, only all over his body at night when he tried to sleep. He has discussed this with his doctor many times and no help has ensued. He symptoms have become progressively stronger, and now feel like strong electric shocks that can make him shout out, his skin, especially on his face, is extremely sensitive, to the point that when the bed covers touch his face or lips he jolts awake. His sleep is now so awful… an hour or two here and there, he is exhausted. Can long term use of PPIs cause such a disruption in the body. The doctor just wants to give him anti-depressants. I’m sure there must be a better route to recovery…..
I would be grateful for ideas to explore. Thank you.
Hi. I am pregnant, 15 weeks along, and experiencing horrible GERD (or so I think). Not a lot of heartburn but a dull pain or pressure in my upper stomach (by breastbone), vomiting, and the most horrible bitter taste in my mouth that I cannot get rid of. The taste is what is literally zapping the life out of me, as well as the nausea, gurgling stomach and vomiting (1x a day-evenings). Food seems to digest very slowly. My doctor has put me on an anti-nausea medication for the time being. I am not interested in the otc/prescrip GERD meds because all my reading indicates they just relieve symptoms. **Any idea if the hydrochloric acid supplementation is ok during pregnancy? Thank you.