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Not directly related to creating an "anti-inflammatory environment," but I've suffered from GERD for years and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. No
by sverige 8y ago
Not directly related to creating an "anti-inflammatory environment," but I've suffered from GERD for years and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. None of them worked, some even caused internal bleeding.
A few years ago I was told to try a little baking soda solution when the reflux came on strong. It worked very well, and is now my go-to solution when I wake up with tasty hydrochloric acid in my mouth while sleeping. (Yes, I could go on and on about diet, exercise, chiropractic cures for hiatal hernias, etc., but if you suffer, you'll find your own path, and if you don't, undoubtedly I've already disgusted you with too-graphic language.)
It's simple: counter the overactive stomach acid with a weak base. It works. Not sure I agree with the idea of making an entire diet out of it, though.
- deskamess 8y agoWhat is your baking soda to water mix ratio? Or do you take it straight?
- sverige 8y agoI use about a half teaspoon in a half cup (4 oz.) of water.
- leephillips 8y ago"and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. None of them worked" But sodium bicarbonate is a standard medical treatment for acid stomach or reflux. They even have it in pill form.
- stouset 8y agoAKA, Tums.
- kahirsch 8y agoTums is calcium carbonate, not sodium bicarbonate.
- trentlott 8y agoThe bicarb is what really matters
- sizzle 8y agoSo is Tums safe since it isn't bicarbonate? I take it every day to counteract acidic foods.
- yial 8y agoThe excess calcium can greatly increase your risk of kidney stones.
- mattrices 8y agoThis is myth, Ca actually can reduce kidney stones while Na increases the probability they will develop. Ca could have negative cardiac effects above 1200mg per day though. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kidney-stones/eating-diet-nutrition https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseas...
- yial 8y agoI’m uncertain which is correct now. My own healthcare provider warned me of the correlation... And it’s also listed as a(n) (albeit rare) side effect here. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000198.htm https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000198.htm
- mattrices 8y agoCaCO3 and NaHCO3 effect pH in similar ways, Calcium Carbonate is the stronger alkaline buffer though because it can pick up 2 H+ where as bicarb alread has an H+. Both can form bicarbonate ions depending on the pH. lawr.ucdavis.edu/classes/ssc102/Section5.pdf
- melbourne_mat 8y agoDon't make calcium supplements (ie Tums) a regular part of your diet: https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/03/22/if-calcium-supplements-arent-safe-what-about-calcium-in-food/ https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/03/22/if-calcium-supplements...
- taurath 8y agoIt’s literally alkaselzer I thought.
- sverige 8y agoI guess the doctors I saw didn't know that. I heard about it from a fellow sufferer.
- dragonwriter 8y ago> I've suffered from GERD for years and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. AFAICT, there are no such things; GERD has standard treatments, none of which are cures. > It's simple: counter the overactive stomach acid with a weak base. Yes, but that's a standard GERD treatment: antacids. While sodium bicarbonate doesn't seem to be particularly commonly preferred, calcium carbonate and other antacids operate by exactly the mechanism you describe.
- DenisM 8y agoParadoxically I found that drinking a glass of diluted (#) vinegar extinguishes the reflux for me. My rationalization is that a sudden punch of vinegar causes the esophagus to slam shut in response to increased acidity, as it is designed to do. By contrast a slower drip of stomach acid was not sufficiently strong to trigger the same reaction. (#) I dilute it to the point where it's still strong but already drinkable.
- wolco 8y agoVinegar is a base not an acid. It will counter high acid. For acid issues raw ginger is powerful.
- fiddlerwoaroof 8y agoIsn’t the active ingredient in vinegar an acid, namely acetic acid?
- cyphar 8y agoVinegar is literally an acid (acetic acid in particular). You can test this yourself at home by mixing it with baking soda.
- wolco 8y agoPlain vinegar is while apple cider vinegar is a base. For some reason did not picture someone drinking plain vinegar.
- colechristensen 8y agoVinegar is made by first fermenting sugar into alcohol with yeast and then a bacteria converts the alcohol into acetic acid. White vinegar is distilled so it contains to a certain level of purity only acetic acid and water. Apple cider vinegar uses apples as the source material and isn't distilled so it contains some apple flavor. Apple cider vinegar is just white vinegar with a little flavor. It's also a favorite of health wonks. It don't mean the opposite of everything the crazies say is true, but you get a lot of people with virtually no information "teaching" each other about apple cider vinegar which leads to the silly idea that apple cider vinegar is a base.
- gilbetron 8y agoBe careful, from my understanding if you keep doing that, your body cranks up the acid production in response. My wife's father died just before we started dating from esophageal cancer and he had gerd and ate lots of tums. Zantac is what works for me, with maybe Prilosec every now and then if it gets bad. That and don't eat for 3-4 hours before bed.
- sverige 8y agoI control my diet pretty well these days, so it only happens maybe three or four times a year. Both Prilosec and Nexium caused internal bleeding in my case. Zantac was ineffective.
- ianai 8y agoHave you tried “crazy” things like going low fat or easy to digest foods? I used to have to take nexium, but stopped after having my gallbladder removed and, more impactfully, going vegan. I used to have full on esophageal spasms. They led me to the ER twice out of the pain. In hindsight, dairy’s fat content (amongst other things) was really irritating my stomach.
- sverige 8y agoYes, foods with high amounts of fat are on the long list of things I avoid. I ate a vegan diet for over a year, but have added some meats and eggs back more recently. Dairy fat is irritating to me too.
- raarts 8y agoFunny, high fat used to be on my list too, but on a keto diet my Gerd has disappeared almost completely.
- 55555 8y agoAm I right to infer that taking 2g of baking soda in 250ml water (as done in this study) to fight my autoimmune issues might lead to me having a higher risk of esophageal cancer?
- e40 8y agoI used to pop Pepcid AC's like candy. Having nothing to do with my reflux I started doing IF with a low carb diet, and about a month in I realized I hadn't popped a single Pepcid. It's been over a year and I've had like 2 or 3 of them, when combinations of foods just provoke the reflux. I can't say for sure, but I think both were important factors for me. Btw, the IF I do is called 4:3, I think. Basically, 3 24-hr fasts a week. The rest of the days are regular. That's it. I don't really hold to it strictly anymore. I didn't do any full 24-hr periods in the last week, but it definitely trained me to eat a lot less, and that's what really helped the reflux. Just passing this on, in case it helps you.
- eip 8y ago> chiropractic cures for hiatal hernias This is the best solution to prevent the problem. Going to the chiropractor is impractical though because of how often you need to do it. Learn to do it yourself. Learn to identify when you need to. Literally saved my life. Although the baking soda definitely helps when you get a mouthful (or sometimes lungful) of wretched hot stomach acid. Also not eating at night.
- Fjolsvith 8y ago> Learn to do it yourself. I use a lot of stretches, my hot-tub, and the side of my pickup bed. The hot-tub has an extended vertical feature that is about 4 inches wide that I can stretch my back over while sliding down it, and it pops almost my entire spine back into place. I use the pickup similarly when traveling.
- eip 8y agoThat probably feels pretty good but it's not how to treat a hiatal hernia. It's probably making it worse. To treat a hiatal hernia stand with your back against a wall, bend over slightly, and relax your stomach muscles. Then with both your thumbs press in on your solar plexus like you are trying to touch your spine with your thumbs. Then slowly slide your thumbs down towards your navel. As you approach the navel push down to the left. Repeat two or three times. You should feel immediate relief. Eventually you will be able to tell when you need to do it.
- godzillabrennus 8y agoBeen on this awful GERD ride myself for a few years. Found that CBD Oils have been able to not just treat but also prevent the symptoms. If you aren’t trying them it might be a good time to start.
- leoreeves 8y agoHow do you take the CBD?
- manmal 8y agoI've been vaping it for 3.5 months now, paid €30 for the vaporizer, and €30 for 10ml liquid with 100mg of CBD (quite low concentration, others might need more). 1-2 puffs per day are perfect for me (there seems to be an individual optimum dosage; I feel quite anxious after say 10 puffs), and I think the bottle will last 6 months in total. It's a godsend, seriously recommend it to anybody. I'm slowly getting sharper every month, to the point that difficult programming tasks and musical pieces don't bother me at all anymore. I can/could work 30% longer every day without feeling terrible at night, and my musical hearing has improved SO much. I also have my first healthy tan since age 18 or so, and way more freckles (lost those over the years) - people keep telling me how healthy I look. Regarding GERD - I don't have it, but the reason why it helps might be that it suppresses acid production a bit. Or maybe because it's anti-inflammatory (GERD has been linked to increased cytokine production lately).
- godzillabrennus 8y agoI consume edibles and oils. It’s been a miracle for my GERD & anxiety. From what I’ve read it treats inflammation, reduces anxiety, and acts as a pain killer.
- assblaster 8y agoYour risk of esophageal cancer does not decrease with antacid use, in fact it often hides the problem, when you should get evaluated by a gastroenterologist. Esophageal cancer is a mean beast.
- rbrcurtis 8y agoHave you ever tried just chewing gum when you have reflux? From what I can tell it causes you to continuously generate and swallow saliva which keeps the reflux down until you've digested. I have a heital hernia and this works well for me (and got my wife through some tough episodes during pregancy).
- hbk1966 8y agoI always just downed a bottle of water which usually helps raise the ph level enough for me to feel better.