Acid Reflux / Gerd / Indigestion

Status
Not open for further replies.

dw1256

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Messages
14
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
02/2021
Country
US
State
NY
Hi All,

I have been battling acid reflux for the last 20 years. My doctor said there is a correlation between reflux and fibro. I am curious who else suffers from this and what type of symptoms you experience. Some of my symptoms replicate a heart attack, which as been ruled out, but still disconcerting at the very least.

Anything you find that works to relieve symptoms?

Just curious if there are any common themes out there.

Thanks.
 
Apparently many people subsume reflux etc. under IBS, and IBS is something often seen as a typical fibro symptom. Also the 2016 ACR criteria and others just say "abdominal pain" as one of the severe symptoms to diagnose it, so that puts it right in the midst, too.
My reflux is definitely hyperacidic. So I was surprised when Murphree in one of his own talks in his Fibromyalgia summit last week said it's often hypoacidic, caused by taking acid blockers. He said something like "tumbs" (it sounded like for an acid blocker), anyone know what that might mean?
Well my #1 for mine and as recommendation is one or several of the many kinds of elimination diet, to find food groups or single foods that trigger the acidity. Unhealthy stuff, like simple sugars/carbs, coffee, alcohol etc., but also everything acidic / sour (incl. fizz), spicy (incl. everything onion-like), etc.
Aside from that I now seldom need something additional, but no meds or supps work for me anyway, just almonds / drinking almond milk.
When I got heart attack symptoms it was once diagnosed as "Roemheld", but have also got them from costochondritis, overstressed rib muscles. May be a combination. As ever I tackled each singly.
 
Last edited:
he said something like "tumbs
I assume he is referring to antacid tablets. I took these for many years, but it is very short term relief.

Thanks for all the info you provided. Unfortunately for me, allergic to almonds, so I can't try any of that.
 
Good Morning dw,

I have been battling acid reflux for the last 20 years.
Oh I feel bad for you, 20 years with reflux, it’s horrid.
I have really had a bad struggle with reflux, though only five years. I’d be woken by the acid coming up through my nose, I started having dysphasia in January and that can be frightening when your food won’t go down or come back up.
To eat and drink at times was a struggle and still is, I have really lost the joy of eating.
I have now stopped eating after 3/4 pm and it has helped even with some weight loss too. but I still need to be vigilant on what I do after eating or drinking.


My doctor said there is a correlation between reflux and fibro. I am curious who else suffers from this and what type of symptoms you experience. Some of my symptoms replicate a heart attack, which as been ruled out, but still disconcerting at the very least.Anything you find that works to relieve symptoms?
Just curious if there are any common themes out there.

Thanks.
I was hospitalised with worsening reflux, I really thought I was having a heart attack, well I had gastritis, and have tried to be so careful with the times I eat or drink now there’s not much more I can do, mine doesn’t seem to just be caused by certain foods, it can be any food or fluid that will worsen it. The meds to help only worked for short periods and I personally think mine is caused my spinal injections. As the reflux appeared as I started them 🤔.
 
I assume he is referring to antacid tablets. I took these for many years, but it is very short term relief.
Thanks for all the info you provided. Unfortunately for me, allergic to almonds, so I can't try any of that.
duckduckgo when I put in antiacid tum suggested "tums", clicking I found Tums is a US OTC antacid.

What Murphree said is similar on the clevelandclinic-org page about hypochlorhydria. Cleveland Clinic has a functional dept. since 2014, directed by Mark Hyman (had CFS, recommends pegan diet), so the webpage may be a combination of functional and mainstream.

Murphree railed how "potentially dangerous" antacids are for intestinal infections, SIBO, pneumonia, bone fracture and stomach cancer. About reflux he said/wrote: "Are antacids the answer? NO! The esophageal sphincter is stimulated to close by the release of stomach acids. When there's not enough stomach acid present-the esophageal sphincter may not close properly. This allows acid to travel back up the esophagus and cause heartburn." Consequences are "indigested protein (leaky gut), amino acid deficiencies, vitamin B12 deficiency, can't absorb minerals, SIBO, Leaky Gut and reflux". No stomach acid is achlorhydria.

One of the possible solutions from both sources is taking HCl, so replacing the missing acid - and thus helping the sphincter close. What Murphree adds is: digestive enzymes if erosion, replacing good bacteria, and testing for and treating leaky gut. Cleveland Clinic has pepsin as enzyme.

To see if our stomachs are hypo- rather than hyperacidic the DIY test Cleveland Clinic suggests is taking a bicarb with water on an empty stomach. "Then time how long it takes you to burp. If it takes longer than three to five minutes, the theory goes, you don’t have enough stomach acid." In which case you should get exactly that checked with proper tests.

This is making me unsure if I am really hyperacidic. But I've hardly ever taken antacids, even OTC bicarb didn't work well for me, caused indigestion, and everything acidic I eat severely increases my problems.
 
Cleveland Clinic suggests is taking a bicarb with water
How exactly do you do this? What does bicarb refer to, I am not familiar with that. Thanks.
 
Unfortunately for me, allergic to almonds, so I can't try any of that.
No reason to give up, that was just my example! Many other foods, up- and downsides well explained: GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn) on hopkinsmedicine. And there are more.
How exactly do you do this? What does bicarb refer to, I am not familiar with that.
The details of what I referred to are on the clevelandclinic-org hypochlorhydria page mentioned:
"The baking soda test
The theory behind this at-home is that baking soda combined with stomach acid produces carbon dioxide (C02), which will cause you to burp. For the test, you’ll drink half a glass (4 ounces) of cold water combined with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, on an empty stomach. Then time how long it takes you to burp. If it takes longer than three to five minutes, the theory goes, you don’t have enough stomach acid."

Types and names
"bicarb" is short for bicarbonate. "Sodium bicarbonate" is the most common form of it, the form used as baking soda (= bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda, but not the same as sodium carbonate, washing soda).
The Tums Murphree mentioned contains calcium bicarbonate.
Another alternative that some functional therapists prefer is potassium bicarbonate.
Magnesium carbonate can also be used.
As can magnesium oxide, however as the carbon is missing: no CO2, no fizz, no burp.
(The article cited above wrongly writes the 0 as the number, but it's the letter O = oxygen.)


Names continued: "Why is "soda water" acidic, but baking soda alkaline?"
Fizzy drinks called "soda" actually contain some of these to offset the acidity of "carbonated" water (water with CO2 pressed in).
Usually and first came
sodium, by idea of a Mr. Schweppe (a German-Swiss watchmaker).
The tastiness of a mineral water from the German town Selters let it also be generally known as "seltzer water".
Adding sodium salts tried to mimic that.
Perrier is naturally carbonated.
Cola drinks have phosphoric acid added, which makes them more acidic, until they go flat.
Baking powder contains baking soda, but also an acid or two, so is only slightly alkaline/basic.
 
Last edited:
"Tums" are an antacid tablet, but just a note of caution on taking them. I was eating them like candy when I had heartburn and acid reflux (before I determined that I might be gluten intolerant, which I was after testing) and ending up in the hospital with emergency surgery for a severe kidney stone blockage. I had no history of kidney stones until then. My doctor and I both felt it was due to the constant consumption of the antacids so limit intake drastically just to be safe.
 
"Tums" are an antacid tablet, but just a note of caution on taking them.
Just in case it got lost in the length of the post above: it was saying that antacids are not only damaging, but also may well be actually increasing the reflux if we don't realize it is caused by too little acid.
 
Just in case it got lost in the length of the post above: it was saying that antacids are not only damaging, but also may well be actually increasing the reflux if we don't realize it is caused by too little acid.
Totally agree with this JayCs, my tablets that were supposed to help . Which they did in the first few weeks but then everything just gets worse. Well for me it did. They say on pack not to take them long but then you go back to gp and get prescribed an even stronger dose. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤔
 
my tablets that were supposed to help ...did ... first few weeks but then ... gets worse. Well for me it did.
Interesting! Do you think your stomach acid is deficient then? Do you have problems with spices etc.?
 
Interesting! Do you think your stomach acid is deficient then? Do you have problems with spices etc.?
Don’t know never thought about it. I used to get the worst reflux after I ate fruit loaf. But can’t eat it any more because of my coeliac. But don’t have trouble with spices at all.
 
I was diagnosed with mild GERD. I avoid certain foods, and I find that OTC famotidine works best for me, as needed.
 
"The baking soda test
I tried this. Had a baby burp within 10 seconds, but that was it. I guess that meets the criteria.
I was hospitalised with worsening reflux, I really thought I was having a heart attack
Happened to me as well. The pain at times can be pretty intense. Also get strange sensations in my left arm. All of this just adds to everyone thinking I am crazy with all of the other aches and pains.
it can be any food or fluid that will worsen it.
Same to this as well. I feel bad telling my daughter no, but I can do very little for an hour after eating or I am going to have a rough night. I envy these kids that can eat pizza and do gymnastics, unbothered.
 
Same to this as well. I feel bad telling my daughter no, but I can do very little for an hour after eating or I am going to have a rough night. I envy these kids that can eat pizza and do gymnastics, unbothered.
I’ve just got to bend down to dust pan up some mess off floor ( down fall of a fire place) . Will kick of reflux for the day.
I envy my grandson’s, they can eat a full meal then lay on floor playing .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top