Need help with reflux

[Gloria L]

14 minutes ago, trents said:

I tried famotidine when I was weaning myself off of 18 years of PPI therapy. It did not seem to help at all. But the issue may have been that it was not gluten free. I ditched it an went with Kirkland (Costco) extra strength calcium carbonate as a bridge. Some formulations of Pepsid/Pepsid AC are not gluten free so maybe you need to check on that. And as well, some Tums-like antacids are not gluten free either.

Same thing happened to me with the one I was taking before, the one I'm taking now is the CVS version of famotidine, different inactive ingredients. I think is OK. For 18 years? was that before or after diagnose?

[trents]

37 minutes ago, Gloria L said:

Hi Trents, I'm taking famotidine, it helps a little. Did you have the same issue? Did the GERD or reflux go away after a while?

Famotidine is not a PPI. Just wanted to make sure you realize that. 

Taking the PPI was for 18 years after celiac diagnosis. I started the med about the same time as the diagnosis so I can't say I gave healing a chance to take care of the GERD before I started the PPI.

Edited January 28, 2021 by trents

[Gloria L]

1 minute ago, trents said:

Famotidine is not a PPI. Just wanted to make sure you realize that. 

i know, it is a H2 blocker, but the famotidine I was taking before had gluten, that's why I said that it happened to me too.

[trents]

See my edit in the previous post in answer to your question.

H2 blockers are recommended ahead of PPIs because of they produce less side effects than to PPIs and because of PPI dependency issues but they are not as effective in controlling GERD. But the H2 blocker may be enough for some people.

[Gloria L]

11 minutes ago, trents said:

See my edit in the previous post in answer to your question.

H2 blockers are recommended ahead of PPIs because of they produce less side effects than to PPIs and because of PPI dependency issues but they are not as effective in controlling GERD. But the H2 blocker may be enough for some people.

I know, I'm praying that I don't need the use of PPIs again, I tried omeprazole for 3 months and it made me more sick, this was before being diagnosed. Auch, you probably didn't need to take it for so long, but you don't have it any more right?

[trents]

9 minutes ago, Gloria L said:

I know, I'm praying that I don't need the use of PPIs again, I tried omeprazole for 3 months and it made me more sick, this was before being diagnosed. Auch, you probably didn't need to take it for so long, but you don't have it any more right?

No, I weaned myself off of the PPI last year. It was not easy.

[Scott Adams]

For well over 20 years now prescribing PPI's was the "go to" for many doctors when dealing with almost any digestive issue. I was prescribed them during the worst part of my pre-diagnosis time period. The scary thing was that they did mask some of my symptoms, but I quit them after a short time because they were not the cure to my issues. However, many people with celiac disease and other food intolerance issues probably take them forever, and never figure out what is really going on with themselves. This is a huge issue, especially now that the many negative health effects of long-term PPI use are being revealed. 

I'm sure that there is a legitimate use for them for many people, but they are probably one of the most over-prescribed, and now they they are OTC, overused meds on the market.

[Posterboy]

On 1/28/2021 at 9:01 AM, Gloria L said:

Yeah, I'm hoping the same too. I never had Gerd/acid reflux until I started having symptoms of celiac disease. I wish there was somebody who had the same issues with GERD or acid reflux and could tell us if they got rid of those once the celiac disease was no longer active. My GERD symptoms are horrible, pain, burning, indigestion. It's really bad. 

Gloria,

Going LOW CARB will help.....

CARBS ferment......FATS delay stomach emptying making BOTH in the same meal lethal for heartburn!....think PIZZA!

I have tried to share my experience to help others.....

Go back and read the Posterboy blog posts I  linked before....I wrote them so I wouldn't have to continuously type everything out again and again....

See also this research entitled "The effect of life stress on symptoms of heartburn"

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15184707/

STRESS in the 6 months prior can trigger heartburn because IT lowers your stomach acid.

I wrote a Posterboy blog post about this connection.  I wrote an "Open Letter to my Fellow GI sufferers including Celiac Disease" but most people either didn't read it or understand it....

WE too often  hear heartburn is from TOO high stomach acid instead of too LOW stomach acid....

I actually wrote 2 Open Letters about it....the 2nd one did better than the first....because the first one educated them....

As I am found of saying "To Educate is to Truly Free".

Just search for the Posterboy on Celiac.com and many threads will come up about this topic.

From my Posterboy blog posts about this topic of heartburn/acid reflex/GERD I summarized it this way...

Quoting

"Timeline is important in any diagnosis.

IF your stomach acid was HIGH as you often hear (everywhere) you hear take a Proton Pump Inhibitor aka acid reducer’s for heartburn/GERD

(medical name for heartburn) then eating food (carbs, greasy things) wouldn’t bother you.

The acid would cut it up but if it is already low/weak then even a little acid can burn your esophagus which is not coated like the stomach to protect you from high acid.

BUT if it is low to start with then food will WEAKEN our/your acid so that you lose the food fight your in and things (carbs/fats) become to ferment, rancidify and cause heart burn."

Here is the Posterboy blog post about this topic for easy reference so you don't have to go back and find  the link again....

Because IF you think about it logicially.....IF your stomach acid was TOO High to begin with....then simply eating MORE food would lower it.....not cause heartburn!

This happens when your Stomach Acid is ALREADY not strong enough to digest the food you have just ate!

You can test this theory with the "Baking Soda Test"

This online article by Dr. Jockers explains how to do the Baking Soda test on yourself to test this theory...

https://drjockers.com/5-ways-test-stomach-acid-levels/

Read down to the bottom of the article.....or scroll down to you see the part about the "Baking Soda Test"

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

2 Timothy 2: 7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,

[Wheatwacked]

Try Dr. Fuhrman's 6 week plan. Six-Week-Nutritarian-Quick-Start.pdf (hubspot.net).

My go to for heartburn is Alka Seltzer. If something is causing GERD, you don't need it.

[DJFL77I]

Only thing I'm noticing with this gaviscon is that it's causing my stool to be very soft ..

[Gloria L]

On 1/29/2021 at 8:01 PM, Posterboy said:

Gloria,

Going LOW CARB will help.....

CARBS ferment......FATS delay stomach emptying making BOTH in the same meal lethal for heartburn!....think PIZZA!

I have tried to share my experience to help others.....

Go back and read the Posterboy blog posts I  linked before....I wrote them so I wouldn't have to continuously type everything out again and again....

See also this research entitled "The effect of life stress on symptoms of heartburn"

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15184707/

STRESS in the 6 months prior can trigger heartburn because IT lowers your stomach acid.

I wrote a Posterboy blog post about this connection.  I wrote an "Open Letter to my Fellow GI sufferers including Celiac Disease" but most people either didn't read it or understand it....

WE too often  hear heartburn is from TOO high stomach acid instead of too LOW stomach acid....

I actually wrote 2 Open Letters about it....the 2nd one did better than the first....because the first one educated them....

As I am found of saying "To Educate is to Truly Free".

Just search for the Posterboy on Celiac.com and many threads will come up about this topic.

From my Posterboy blog posts about this topic of heartburn/acid reflex/GERD I summarized it this way...

Quoting

"Timeline is important in any diagnosis.

IF your stomach acid was HIGH as you often hear (everywhere) you hear take a Proton Pump Inhibitor aka acid reducer’s for heartburn/GERD

(medical name for heartburn) then eating food (carbs, greasy things) wouldn’t bother you.

The acid would cut it up but if it is already low/weak then even a little acid can burn your esophagus which is not coated like the stomach to protect you from high acid.

BUT if it is low to start with then food will WEAKEN our/your acid so that you lose the food fight your in and things (carbs/fats) become to ferment, rancidify and cause heart burn."

Here is the Posterboy blog post about this topic for easy reference so you don't have to go back and find  the link again....

Because IF you think about it logicially.....IF your stomach acid was TOO High to begin with....then simply eating MORE food would lower it.....not cause heartburn!

This happens when your Stomach Acid is ALREADY not strong enough to digest the food you have just ate!

You can test this theory with the "Baking Soda Test"

This online article by Dr. Jockers explains how to do the Baking Soda test on yourself to test this theory...

https://drjockers.com/5-ways-test-stomach-acid-levels/

Read down to the bottom of the article.....or scroll down to you see the part about the "Baking Soda Test"

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

2 Timothy 2: 7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,

Hi Posterboy, thank you. The only high carb food in my diet is a piece of sweet potato. I've been taking (as per my naturopath doctor recommendation) betaine HCl+pepsin since December 1 but she also told me to take the famotidine if the GERD is bad which has been everyday lately but it doesn't help much. I also do daily guided meditation. I started my gluten-free diet on January 7 so far I don't see any improvements in my health. I wish I knew what's causing the GERD. The naturopath doctor ordered a micronutrients test, we just waiting for the result. 

[DJFL77I]

Jan 7.  I'm gluten-free for 6 months and still not 100%. 

[GFinDC]

Another thing to try is eliminating oats and dairy from your diet.  They both can cause problems for some people.  Cola type drinks can have phosphoric acid in them.  That's a bad thing for stomach linings.

You can also try peppermint tea for relief from gas/bloating in the stomach.  And Pepto Bismol can help with some symptoms.

Zantac has lawsuits against it for causing cancer.  So I would not take that one.

[trents]

Be careful with peppermint. It tends to relax the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and can exacerbate GERD.

I think Zantac (ranitidine) has been pulled off shelves for sometime now, at least in the USA.

[knitty kitty]

Gerd is a symptom of chronic subclinical thiamine deficiency.

 

"When SIBO & IBS-Constipation are just unrecognized thiamine deficiency"

https://www.objectivenutrients.com/insights/when-sibo-ibs-constipation-are-unrecognized

 

And....

"Thiamine Deficiency - A Potential Cause of SIBO and other Gut Dysfunction?"

https://www.eonutrition.co.uk/post/thiamine-deficiency-a-major-cause-of-sibo

 

[Scott Adams]

5 hours ago, Gloria L said:

Hi Posterboy, thank you. The only high carb food in my diet is a piece of sweet potato. I've been taking (as per my naturopath doctor recommendation) betaine HCl+pepsin since December 1 but she also told me to take the famotidine if the GERD is bad which has been everyday lately but it doesn't help much. I also do daily guided meditation. I started my gluten-free diet on January 7 so far I don't see any improvements in my health. I wish I knew what's causing the GERD. The naturopath doctor ordered a micronutrients test, we just waiting for the result. 

Sweet potatoes, although they are a very healthy complex carbohydrate, also contain a lot of fiber, which can cause gas/bloating in some people.

[knitty kitty]

1 minute ago, Scott Adams said:

Sweet potatoes, although they are a very healthy complex carbohydrate, also contain a lot of fiber, which can cause gas/bloating in some people.

 

Sweet potatoes also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys thiamine ( vitamin B1).  Sweet potatoes are high carbohydrate.  You need 0.5mg per 1000 calories.  You need more to combat the thiaminase and the large amount of carbohydrates.  

Ppi's will cause malabsorption of thiamine.

Antibiotics, like those given for SIBO, can precipitate thiamine deficiency.

 

[Posterboy]

On 1/28/2021 at 10:35 AM, Gloria L said:

I know, I'm praying that I don't need the use of PPIs again, I tried omeprazole for 3 months and it made me more sick, this was before being diagnosed. Auch, you probably didn't need to take it for so long, but you don't have it any more right?

Gloria L,

Here is the issue with PPIs....

This was discovered 8+ years ago but they are as popular as ever.....

Sadly......people get locked on them and can't get off of them!

Which ironically makes for a good "Medicine"......it is called attachment rate.....

Which you will see from the article only helps about a 1/3 of those who take them (PPIs)...I would call that a high failure rate IF up to 70% get worse taking them!

quoting form the article....

"They are also about 20 percent to 30 percent less likely to get relief from acid-blocking drugs. But their episodes of heartburn are just as frequent, just as severe and just as disruptive of their quality of life, studies show."

Here is the article read it all when you get a chance....

https://www.foxnews.com/health/gerd-or-nerd-new-type-of-heartburn-doesnt-respond-to-drugs

Luckily H2 Blockers are easier to get off of....

Take more of the BetaineHCL with at least 2 glasses of water.....

4 to 6 capsule with a meal is about the right amount...

Your body produces around 2,400mg to 3,000mg Stomach for each meal you consume....(or maybe it's that much in a day)...

Either way.....you need to take more of the BetaineHCL and less of the H2 Blocker....

IF It from low stomach acid.....the more you take (always with water and a meal ) will improve your digestion.....

Since the H2 blocker is blocking 80% of  your stomach acid.....no wonder you feel horrible!

They also note quoting

"Another guess is psychological stress. A 2004 study of 60 patients conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that those with severe, sustained stress in the previous six months were more likely to have heartburn symptoms during the next four months."

And we all know this year has been a very stressful time for many people....

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice.

Posterboy,

[Wheatwacked]

On 1/28/2021 at 8:26 AM, JamesDelaney said:

I don't think just eating gluten-free will make it go away.

Gluten causes the villi to shrivel, causing malabsorption of  certain essential minerals and vitamins. Then secondary problems, like diahrrea and anorexia  cause loss or malabsorption of other essentials. Then also consider the ones deficient in the general population: potassium, iodine and lithium. Add these together and you have malnutrition; even though you are getting plenty of food. The road to recovery requires ensuring that you are getting more than the minimum RDA's. It requires replenishing all those vitamins, through food and supplements, that you have become deficient in. Each individual symptom may have a unique vitamin/mineral as its primary clinical signature, but they all have functions and interactions, some duplication of function. If you are deficient in one, assume you are deficient in all of that group. They are all critical in recovery. If your nutrition is in deficit all the medicine in the world won't heal you. Maybe mask the symptoms, but not heal. 

[trents]

It also needs to be pointed out that many with GERD have a hiatal hernia as a contributing factor. Changes in diet and supplements will not make a HH go away.

[DJFL77I]

Endoscopy would see that 

[Wheatwacked]

So would a barium x-ray. "Doctors don’t know why most hiatal hernias happen". To me, that is code for nutritional problems and doctors don't do nutrition. I've had two hernias. The first, in 2014 was an umbilical hernia, from coughing while lying on my back while bloated with Biafra Baby Belly, just like my son had as an infant. He was biopsy diagnosed celiac in 1976. It was the final straw for me in 2014 to try GFD. The second was inguinal hernia right side in 2019, caused by the persistent cough still with the bloated belly, as a result of 6 months of Lisinopril to control high blood pressure. It turns out that although my serum potassium level was fine, in my "healthy" diet I was only getting 50% of the current RDA 4700 grams a day. While tracking daily potassium I found my diet was deficient in 16 other vitamins and minerals. After a year of eating a diet of 5000 g potassium daily and supplementing the others I am approaching "normal". My BP as I write this just after my 70th birthday is 87/65. My meds are down to 10 mg Buspirone for anxiety and 2.5 mg prednisone for adrenal insufficiency. I was started on 30 mg prednisone in  2012 for fibromyalgia, it worked the best with the least side effects. Down to 10-15 a day after GFD and soon to be off it (I hope) with the daily vitamins and minerals at >100% RDA. Loosely based on Fuhrman's 6 week plan (at week 4) my current diet is an attempt to get my familial hyperglycemia under control. 

B Complex,C,Choline Bitartrate,D3,DHEA,Iodine from Nori,Iron Bisglycinate,Lithium Orotate,Lutein,Magnesium,Zinc Gluconate,Cod Liver Oil,vitamin K from 10 grams fresh parsley, vitamin E from 60 grams almonds and 5000 g potassium from various food sources. 100% pasture fed milk and lots of coffee (ADHD) are good potassium sources.

[trents]

1 hour ago, Wheatwacked said:

So would a barium x-ray. "Doctors don’t know why most hiatal hernias happen". To me, that is code for nutritional problems and doctors don't do nutrition . . . 

Hmm. Can you sight any research that connects nutritional problems with hernias and in particular, hiatal hernias? 

[Wheatwacked]

No, I don't remember reading any. I do know that, with the excess pressure in my gut which at the time looked like a 1970 Biafran baby's, then the additional pressure from the cough, caused an umbilical hernia to pop out like a bazooka bubble gum bubble. My response at the time was "this can't be good". The inguinal hernia, I noticed pain in the inguinal area after coughing one day, that persisted. The prostate surgeon while trying to convince me to have a biopsy pointed out that I have a hernia. The swollen prostate, was already shrinking on the GFD diet, so I declined the the biopsy, and it has since become a non-issue. So, between the swollen belly and swollen prostate, with the sudden cough, (all improved with nutrition) hernias happened.  Although I suspect being folic acid free may have had a part. "Men Taking High Doses of Folic Acid Supplements More Than Doubled Their Prostate Cancer Risk, Study Shows", Folic Acid May Raise Prostate Cancer Risk (webmd.com).  Research that connects nutritional problems with hernias just would not be profitable. It has been noted that pregnancy and obesity can be implicated.

[GFinDC]

On 2/2/2021 at 4:54 PM, Wheatwacked said:

So would a barium x-ray. "Doctors don’t know why most hiatal hernias happen". To me, that is code for nutritional problems and doctors don't do nutrition. I've had two hernias. The first, in 2014 was an umbilical hernia, from coughing while lying on my back while bloated with Biafra Baby Belly, just like my son had as an infant. He was biopsy diagnosed celiac in 1976. It was the final straw for me in 2014 to try GFD. The second was inguinal hernia right side in 2019, caused by the persistent cough still with the bloated belly, as a result of 6 months of Lisinopril to control high blood pressure. It turns out that although my serum potassium level was fine, in my "healthy" diet I was only getting 50% of the current RDA 4700 grams a day. While tracking daily potassium I found my diet was deficient in 16 other vitamins and minerals. After a year of eating a diet of 5000 g potassium daily and supplementing the others I am approaching "normal". My BP as I write this just after my 70th birthday is 87/65. My meds are down to 10 mg Buspirone for anxiety and 2.5 mg prednisone for adrenal insufficiency. I was started on 30 mg prednisone in  2012 for fibromyalgia, it worked the best with the least side effects. Down to 10-15 a day after GFD and soon to be off it (I hope) with the daily vitamins and minerals at >100% RDA. Loosely based on Fuhrman's 6 week plan (at week 4) my current diet is an attempt to get my familial hyperglycemia under control. 

B Complex,C,Choline Bitartrate,D3,DHEA,Iodine from Nori,Iron Bisglycinate,Lithium Orotate,Lutein,Magnesium,Zinc Gluconate,Cod Liver Oil,vitamin K from 10 grams fresh parsley, vitamin E from 60 grams almonds and 5000 g potassium from various food sources. 100% pasture fed milk and lots of coffee (ADHD) are good potassium sources.

Hi Wheatwhacked.

A couple other nutrients to consider are selenium and boron.  Selenium is found in Brasil nuts in good amounts.  Boron is involved with vitamin D and calcium use in the body.  Selenium can affect adrenal fatigue in a good way.