Heartburn cure that works

[l2ridehd]

I have had really bad heartburn for a few years. When I go to bed it is even worse laying down on my left side. I have been taking Prilosac and a few other medicines for it and they work when taking them, but it comes back soon as I stop.

Not being one to like pills, I sought an alternative. Found two that work really well and have all but cured the problem. Eat an apple soon as you recognize the problem. Also natural cider vinegar, 2 tsp in a glass of water along with 1 tblsp of honey. The apple is instant the cider vinegar long lasting.

My brother has the exact same problem and it cured him as well. Have told several people and they can't believe the results. Cheap, easy, natural, and works better then the medicines.

Mom was right, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"

 

[GregLee]

Also natural cider vinegar, ...

So acetic acid cures acid indigestion? Interesting, if rather counter-intuitive.

 

[easysurfer]

I had heartburn when sleeping. Ended out the cure was to use a book or wood to prop the bed up (between the box spring and matress) a bit by the head area. Worked like a charm.

 

[donheff]

Cider vinegar with "the mother" cured my post nasal drip. I guess it is a miracle drug.

 

[haha]

Cider vinegar with "the mother" cured my post nasal drip. I guess it is a miracle drug.

Can you buy this in a supermarket? I remember my Mother and Grandmother always had some growing in the pantry. Kind of a weird concept to a little boy.

Ha

 

[travelover]

Can you buy this in a supermarket? .........

Yes, I buy it a regular supermarket. Use it to clean the dog's ears.

 

[donheff]

Can you buy this in a supermarket? I remember my Mother and Grandmother always had some growing in the pantry. Kind of a weird concept to a little boy.

Ha

I pick it up at an organic market. I don't even know what "the mother" is.

 

[tmm99]

Can you buy this in a supermarket? I remember my Mother and Grandmother always had some growing in the pantry. Kind of a weird concept to a little boy.

Ha

I use BRAGG brand of apple cider vinegar (It's raw, with "the Mother" in it. It must be raw vinegar, or the mother would be dead ). You should be able to find this at Whole Foods or any health food stores.

 

[GregLee]

I pick it up at an organic market. I don't even know what "the mother" is.

Mother of vinegar[1] - also called Mycoderma aceti (a New Latin expression, from the Greek μὑκης (fungus) plus δἐρμα (skin), and the Latin aceti (of the acid)[2] - is a substance composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, which turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air. It is added to wine, cider, or other alcoholic liquids to produce vinegar.
Mother of vinegar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[tmm99]

BTW, E A R T H . C L I N I C - Folk Remedies and Holistic Cures lists ACV as folk/home remedies for many health issues. The only thing I've tried is ACV with baking soda. I can't remember what that was supposed to be good for, but this site probably says it's good for everything.

I use ACV mainly for salads in place of regular (dead) vinegar.

 

[ohyes]

Another thing that might work - 2 oz of aloe vera juice in the morning and again in the evening. Get the inner, rather than whole, leaf.

I have been prone to ulcers over the years and recently developed gastritis - at least, i think that is what it must be. (from Googling). Fairly constant pain in the upper stomach area.

I started with a probiotic (Walgreen brand) and the 4 oz. of aloe vera juice on the same day and - WOW, what a remarkable difference. This was after Zantac and a few Rolaids here and there were no longer effective. Totally sold on this. It has been a little over a month with remarkable results.

.....thinking this supposedly works for heartburn, also.

 

[donheff]

This thread got me thinking. I used to get indigestion fairly often and kept a bottle of Tums on the bed stand to be ready. About a year and a half ago I started to use a nasal rinse and a tablespoon of vinegar to treat a decade long standing problem with coughing from nasal drip (drugs never dented it). The nasal drip/coughing problem cleared up (and returns if I run out of vinegar). But, now that this thread mentions it, I also realize that I rarely have indigestion anymore. I haven't thought to evaluate whether the few times it has cropped up correlate with periods when I wasn't taking my daily vinegar.

Maybe these old home remedies have something to them. At least it isn't homeopathic. There is real vinegar and real "mother" in that tablespoon.

 

[happy2bretired]

I had heartburn, GERD for quite a few years that I thought I had under control with Prilosec. Then after reading about alkaline foods and the possible dangers of using Prilosec, I modified my eating habits (along with Glycemic Index foods). A good portion of the food I was eating were acidic, so I began to make sure I always ate some alkaline types foods with each meal. For quite a while, I was eating only green smoothies for lunch and over time that changed to large salads. Over time, my heartburn disappeared - I also lost weight.

I have a book The Amazing Acid Aklaline Cookbook by Bonnie Ross that talks about the ph in foods and how they affect your body. I really think I have another book on this subject, but, I can't find it right now. I do remember reading something about apple cider vinegar though. The book that I mentioned above does show apple cider vinegar as being "low to medium" alkalizing (good acid balancer).

Anyway, that's what worked for me.

 

[Focus]

I had a particularly bad bout of acid reflux about a decade ago -- thought it was going to be the end of me. I tried the apple vinegar "cure," since it was recommended on various websites, but I thought it made things worse. Subsequently, I took a prescription Prilosec equivalent for a number of months. Then I weaned myself off the medication (despite my doctor's trepidation) by doing an elimination diet. That helped me determine the triggers so I could avoid them. I've kept acid reflux at bay ever since through diet alone.

Our bodies are all different, but these are the conclusions I came to.

• Avoid all mint. (For some reason, I don't usually see this mentioned when acid reflux is discussed, but I think it's one of the worst triggers.)
  
• Avoid coffee, particularly on an empty stomach. Tea is less problematic.
  
• Avoid alcohol, particularly in combination with any of the above. Irish coffee is poison!
  
• Consume tomatoes sparingly, particularly in cooked form. Forget tomato soup and V8.
  
• Avoid eating too many grains, particularly without vegetables.
  
• Eat green vegetables with every meal.
  
• Don't combine uncooked acidic fruits with dairy products or meat.

Hope that helps. By the way, some people consider chocolate a trigger; I don't.

 

[eytonxav]

I had gerd for many years and was on Prilosec. Began to exercise and lose weight and no more gerd.

 

[SteveR]

Agree with the health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. I try to have some every few days; usually on salads or cooked spinach. There are a number of enzymes in it that are purported to be beneficial to gastric health. The fact that it is acidic does not have much to do with reflux. Your stomach has much stronger acid (hydrochloric) so adding a weaker acid has no effect on stomach acidity; but might add some if you are taking proton pump blockers like Prilosec,Prevacid etc. These slow down the secretion of acid in the stomach so adding a LOT of additional acid might create some reflux but who really knows.

My reflux was so bad I had esophagitis and almost cancer. It had eroded my lower esophagus to a dangerous degree. Medication and eating habits helped relieve the GERD. I have dropped way back on the meds. since I switched to a very low carb. diet. It makes a huge difference with my GERD. I seem to be sensitive to most grains and refined starches so I avoid them now.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Threads on reflux, heartburn and the like make me nervous. I (along with other primary care docs) have seen many cases where "heartburn" turned out to be angina or a heart attack.

While it is true that occasional heartburn is overwhelmingly self-limited and due to acid reflux, it is a symptom which can be something more serious. Folk remedies, antacids, acid blockers, etc. all have their place but, especially if you are over 50 or have other coronary risks, I suggest at least a contact with your primary doctor once at the onset of symptoms.

 

[donheff]

Threads on reflux, heartburn and the like make me nervous. I (along with other primary care docs) have seen many cases where "heartburn" turned out to be angina or a heart attack.

While it is true that occasional heartburn is overwhelmingly self-limited and due to acid reflux, it is a symptom which can be something more serious. Folk remedies, antacids, acid blockers, etc. all have their place but, especially if you are over 50 or have other coronary risks, I suggest at least a contact with your primary doctor once at the onset of symptoms.

One problem is knowing what the symptoms are. I occasionally get an acid taste in the back of my throat that is easily treated with Tums. I assume that is acid reflux (or "heartburn" or "indigestion" or "GERD") and that is what cider vinegar with "the mother" seems to have helped. I also occasionally experience another problem that doctors have told me was also GERD/heartburn/indigestion -- this one occurs when I eat too fast. I get a painful cramp in my throat (I would describe it as like a bolus/cramp in my throat - definitely not an acid burning) coupled by hiccups. If I stop eating it passes in a few minutes but it happens when I am still hungry so it irritates the heck out of me. That sure doesn't sound like the same acid issue that calls for Tums but people keep telling me it is. What gives with these oddball symptoms?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Reflux can cause esophageal spasm which can radiate to the back, arm, chest, neck just like angina.

Reflux (GERD) can induce hiccups, arm pain and jaw pain.

Nitroglycerine can improve angina but also relieves esophageal spasm.

Eating can worsen or induce angina in people with coronary disease.

Having reflux doesn't mean you don't have angina.

Exertion can induce reflux and/or angina.

So, as you can see it gets confusing, with a lot at stake. In my practice I advise at least an initial visit, perform a routine exam, a risk factor analysis, then infrequently a coronary assesssment. Lifestyle, diet, and occasional medication counseling might be added; endoscopy for serious symptoms (again, infrequent). It is very much a patient-by-patient situation, and I try to be very conservative in my approach. Still, every year or so, a patient comes in with "GERD" or "heartburn" who turns out to have angina. I use risk stratification to determine who gets coronary evaluation.

 

[donheff]

Thanks Rich. I have had thorough cardiac workups because of other issues related to orthostatic hypotension and got an all clear. I will make sure to mention the GERD/Angina like stuff again at my next physical which is coming up.

 

[SteveR]

Rich, can't agree more with your suggestions.

I had a severe reflux attack about 15 years ago at w*rk and had most of the symptoms of a heart attack and with my family history of heart disease I thought I should have the local clinic check it out. Long story short...they sent me by ambulance to the ER for a full cardio workup. Nothing showed up while in the hospital. Two days later I had a stress test where I showed abnormal blood flow in the heart. They scheduled me for a arteriogram and possible angioplasty. During the procedure the Doc got a bit excited and said "well look at that.." not what you want to hear when you have a tube shoved up your groin into your heart. Turns out I have a missing coronary artery since birth. My coronary blood flow is abnormal for most folks but is normal for me. No issues beyond that, so far.

My GERD is under control but I never would have found out about my heart without the coronary tests to rule out a heart disease. Of course the issue now is if I do ever have a significant blockage in the coronary arteries it will most likely be fatal because of the missing artery...at least that is what the Cardiologist said at the time. Another good reason to try to stay healthy.