Natural supplements for acid reflux?

[Chris in VA]

I can't take the prion pump inhibitors, and wouldn't now anyway because of the new research.

 

BUT--Tums doesn't really keep acid at bay.

 

Besides not eating acid-y foods (and I've given up soda and fizz forever), and eating yogurt (which has really helped, but now it's starting to bother me b/c of lactose), is there a supplement I can take that is supposed to help with acid reflux? something natural, OTC?

[Reflections]

I just saw a GI nurse practitioner and she said this:  some people have lots of luck with apple cider vinegar with mother and some don't.  

 

Besides that, I would go with small meals, eat non-greasy foods, keep your head up for an hour after meals, find your trigger foods and avoid those, and use tums when that doesn't work.  

 

Also, yogurt works because they're a probiotic? If that's it, then there's plenty of "pill" probiotics out there - I like the gummy bears the best.  But I change up my probiotic all the time. After some GI tests, I was on three different ones.   I hear that the liquid ones found in health stores are the best.  

 

Best of luck. Heartburn and GERD is painful.  

[theelfqueen]

When I was pregnant with my youngest my midwife suggested a liquid multivitamin (I can't remember exactly what it was) and it worked beautifully.

[Amy in NH]

Are you drinking enough water?

[DesertBlossom]

When I was pregnant with terrible reflux I started taking digestive enzymes and thought I saw some improvement.

[HSmomof2]

I'm currently on a ppi for GERD but hoping to be off in the near future. For me, I think losing weight will make the biggest difference. Working on that. I've recently been drinking kefir (which is lactose free), and find I prefer it to yogurt. I've also cut out all fizzy drinks, anything tomato or citrus, chocolate, and coffee. (I seem to be able to have a latte once in awhile without a problem). I also find that Gaviscon works much better for me than Tums.

[BrittanyM]

Sauerkraut helps me a lot if I eat a little about 30 minutes before I eat a fatty meal or if I have some as soon as I feel the heartburn coming on.

 

 

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[gardenmom5]

No sugar. Zip zilch nada. No alternative sweeteners either.

 

No heartburn.

[HSmomof2]

No sugar. Zip zilch nada. No alternative sweeteners either.

 

No heartburn.

I've been reading about that, too.....sugar and processed foods seem to be a major factor in GERD.

[lexi]

Digestive enzymes and a probiotic

 

I take Solaray Super Digestaways. It's been helping this pregnancy.

[Chris in VA]

Oh dear. Well , there goes coffee and sugar.

I stopped using artificial OR sugar alternatives, and started using a bit of real sugar in my coffee. And the acid got worse.

It's probably part of what I need to cut out.

[marbel]

Coffee can be very bad for me.  

 

Losing weight has been the best thing. 

[MamaBearTeacher]

Something called bitters could work. it is an herbal liquid sold in some health food stores.

[whitestavern]

Apple cider vinegar works for me. A tbls or two a day.

[gardenmom5]

I've been reading about that, too.....sugar and processed foods seem to be a major factor in GERD.

 

it's also a major factor, at least for me, in elevated liver numbers and cholesterol. I can make my numbers go from high to "very pretty" numbers by cutting out all forms of sugar (and keeping fruit to a minimum.  veggies are better.).  I also don't  eat processed cereals or bread.  (I do eat pasta with my own sauce.)

[Laura Corin]

Husband finds that coffee is a big trigger.  Leaving a big gap between eating and sleeping helps too.

[Seasider]

Coffee is the biggest culprit for me, followed by dairy and green peppers. Changing eating habits is a huge first step. Here are others my GI doc "prescribes," some already mentioned:

 

Small meals/portion control

 

Avoid problem foods, specifically coffee, chocolate, Dr Pepper (yeah that was called out by name!), tomato based and other acidic items, citrus, too much dairy (ice cream kills me)

 

Increase dietary fiber

 

Maintain healthy BMI (lose weight if necessary)

 

Exercise before a meal, or several hours after

 

No eating after 8pm

 

Do not lie down sooner than 2 hours after eating

 

Elevate the head of your bed by placing some sort of riser under the bed frame at the head.

 

I have gotten off ppis and feel much better...when I comply with these recommendations. 😉

[ebunny]

DH has had acid reflux in the past that would lead to incessant coughing at night and sore throats.

 

What worked best without a radical diet change :

 7-8 hrs of sleep, gap of 3 hrs between meals and bedtime and  1 tsp of amla (gooseberry) powder taken with water twice a day. Sometimes he would alternate the Amla powder with Triphala.

The biggest gain was from the amla /triphala regimen.

 

What worked but was difficult to stay on consistently-

cutting out caffeine, sugar, spicy, greasy food.

 

ETA: he has a moderate intake of caffeine (3-4 cups of tea) and spice.

Edited March 19, 2016 by ebunny

[G5052]

For me, weight loss, exercise, staying hydrated, and eating lightly at dinner are the key.

 

I've cut back quite a bit on my doses of PPI, and hope to be off completely by the end of the year.

 

A family member was able to cut back and then go on Zantac, which is considered a safer drug.

Edited March 19, 2016 by G5052

[TianXiaXueXiao]

Aloe Vera juice. Papaya enzyme. Dgl licorice. Probiotics. Elevate the head of your bed. Do not eat for at least 3 hours before bed. Drink lots of water. Carafe is a safer rx if you need one. I went off ppis for a year and ended up with really bad gastritis, so I've been back on for the past year and I'm trying to wean off again. Best of luck to you!

[BarbecueMom]

I can handle cold-brewed coffee in the AM, but absolutely no citrus, tea, or tomatoes. Reducing stress helps, but that's dumb advice because who goes around thinking, "Gee, this stress is awesome! I think I'll keep it!"

 

One of the oddest triggers for me is brushing teeth. I can't brush my teeth at night anymore because of the reflux. I'll just end up vomiting and stuck in a vicious brush/barf cycle, which is probably worse on my teeth than waiting until morning.

 

I'm off/on Protonix and take Zantac when I absolutely have to eat at night, but I haven't found any OTC supplements that affect it one way or another. Keeping sinus drainage to a minimum helps a bit, too.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

 

One of the oddest triggers for me is brushing teeth. I can't brush my teeth at night anymore because of the reflux. I'll just end up vomiting and stuck in a vicious brush/barf cycle, which is probably worse on my teeth than waiting until morning.

 

 

Oh dear! How dreadful!

[kbutton]

Sugar and carbs in general will kick mine into gear. Going GF helped tremendously, but I didn't go GF for that reason. 

 

Priobiotics seem to help. I imagine digestive enzymes would as well.

 

Once it's triggered, I might have to cut out other stuff temporarily until it gets better.

 

I also found that keeping asthma and allergies under control leads to less heartburn. There is a relationship there that has not been explained to my satisfaction, but if I have a high histamine day (I have seasonal allergies and oral allergy syndrome), it's not unusual for me to have heartburn afterwards (sometimes quickly, sometimes delayed for a day or so). Part of keeping this stuff under control for me is a good multi and good fish oil (I use Shaklee, but other brands have a good reputation too).

 

I do have a couple of herbs/spices that bother mine--some dilate the sphincter muscles, so I think it's a losing battle with those. I just go light on those.

 

Green tea gives me fabulously bad heartburn (like worst ever!), but I don't know why. Black tea and coffee do not unless I've already been in a flare for some other reasons.

[SharonM]

chewing gum helps me. It stimulates saliva and that calms the storm. I have tried to go off so many times, no matter what I have tried it doesn't work. So I try to skip a day and just eat less. I never can tell what will set it off.

[Seasider]

There is some connection between allergic rhinitis and gastric upset. My doc suggested using Zantac when my seasonal allergies were flared, as it is both an antihistamine and an antacid.

[Deee]

Cutting out all sugar (including the hidden stuff in crackers, pasta sauce etc) fixed mine. If I eat anything with sugar in it, its back to reflux land. Giving up sugar isn't fun (I had a big sweet tooth), and you will have to cook more and read the labels on everything, but it is absolutely worth it. No reflux and no brain fog.

D

[sparrow]

My dh has cut out OTC meds in favor of baking soda and water. At first, he was taking it often, but now the baking soda seems to have reduced and balanced the acid production and he takes it twice a day, at most. He mixes about a 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a few ounces of water. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Are you drinking enough water?

 

Oddly this makes it even worse for me!

[SparklyUnicorn]

Wish I had some magical suggestion.  Without Prevacid oh man I'd be a miserable *itch.  Even worse than I am now.  :laugh:

 

When I was pregnant with my first they said no to Zantac, but then with my second they said yes.  I found that worked very well.  But with the first they used to have this antacid gum I chewed like it was going out of style.  I am so bummed they stop making that. 

 

Anyhow, is Zantac in the category of what you can't take?  I thought that was different than Prevacid or Prilosec.  I know, not exactly what you asked for. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I did recently buy a wedge pillow from Walmart.  That thing changed my life.  It really helps at night. 

[Entropymama]

I had awful, awful heartburn with my pregnancies, that lasted for almost a year after. For me dairy was a big trigger, not yogurt but cream, milk, etc. So no coffee, sugar, tomatoes, or dairy. Nothing spicy, few carbs. Super fun. Lots of water was bad for me, too. The only thing I did that hasn't been mentioned was take marshmallow root. You can buy it on Amazon for about $5. I took 2 in the morning and 2 at night for about six months and it really helped, so much that with the diet changes and that I quit my Prilosec and Zantac (yes, I was on both) and now I'm back to eating normally with only occasional flare ups. I sometimes forget to take it now and it's okay. It really helps healing.