Coffee & Acid Reflux...

M

mykidslovedogs

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Is it me, or does anyone else think the producers of Nexium are in Kahootz with Starbucks and vice versa to keep people addicted to coffee and acid reflux medication..? heehee.

But seriously, has anyone noticed that the acid reflux epidemic seems to line up along the same timeline as the Starbucks craze?

I've been struggling with acid reflux for sometime now, and I've noticed that coffee is the big culprit for me. As soon as I lay off the coffee for a few days, the symptoms begin to disappear, but I LOVE coffee and it kills me not to have my morning cup. Sad thing is, it only takes one cup a day to cause a flare-up in my acid reflux. :(

Just for grins, I tried the apple cider vinegar remedy too, and it really seemed to help. I was skeptical at first, but within just a few minutes after drinking the apple cider vinegar/water mixture, the pain was gone. It seemed to work faster and better than any antacid I've ever tried...Does anyone know of any negative side effects I should be wary of from using apple cider vinegar for acid reflux (other than the yukky flavor?).
 
in college i used to love drinking tequila all night long but then my body would go into dry heaves for the next 36 hours.

as a rule, you're better off when you listen to your body then when you try to force the issue. unless of course you really think you can fool your body into ignoring the coffee by feeding it some vinegar.

i would consider what my body is trying to tell me and go with that.
 
I've almost entirely replaced coffee with Diet Coke or its ilk. Only when the sweet bitter smell of coffee overcomes me do in indulge.
 
I switched to decaf and lately have been drinking the decaf that's supposed to be easier on the stomach. It seems to help but I also take a script for my acid reflux.
 
I have pretty much given up coffee at this point. I've had only a couple of cups in a month, decaf. Dang, it's hard to do without it and I love Starbuck's coffee. I really do believe that there is a relationship with reflux and coffee. Just too much acid.

In June I had a bout of pancreatitis a couple of hours after I drank a terribly strong, terribly strong, cup of coffee. The doctor's said...no, caffeine doesn't cause pancreatitis. Maybe caffeine doesn't but I still say that triggered my attack...so, maybe too much acid does.

I have a book, The Acid-Alkaline Diet and it calls vinegar a "weak-acid food". Quote from the book:"This group consists of foods whose alkalizing or acidifying effect depends on the metabolic capacities of the person who eats them." It pretty much says that some people cannot metabolize these "weak-acid foods" and some can. For those that can, those weak acid foods "contribute to the alkalization of the body". So, there might be some truth with the vinegar remedy for some people.

This books goes into the PH value of the urine. That's a little further than I would want to go at this time, but, the book is interesting reading.
 
Decaf is a little better than regular for me, but it still gives me problems. I've found I can still drink coffee like, maybe, once a week and I'll be OK. It's strange, but it seems like it has a building up effect, so if I drink one everyday, I'll be dying by the end of the week.

It's so hard, 'cuz my husband makes a pot every morning and I have to sit there and smell it, but try not to drink any. It's like torture!
 
happy2bretired said:
It pretty much says that some people cannot metabolize these "weak-acid foods" and some can. For those that can, those weak acid foods "contribute to the alkalization of the body". So, there might be some truth with the vinegar remedy for some people.
Click to expand...

Hmmm - Maybe I'm one of the "lucky" ones.
 
Re: Coffee & Acid Reflux

I had a problem with acid reflux for years - and coffee did seem to make it worse. What I found out, much later, that sleep apnea was causing the majority of my reflux. When someone snores and your airway get's blocked it causes a rush sudden reflux from the suction. Since my cpap treament began (cpap machine) - I have not had a nightime reflux episode in two years.

Anyone else experienced this?
 
Are you sure it's reflux?

Isn't vinegar counter intuitive - you have too much acid, so you pour more acid down? if the acid is helping you, then it might be indigestion.

I have REALLY bad indigestion - reading a lot of various remedies over the years, having had an endoscopy and then getting prevacid prescribed (and not doing any good for me)...there was a wealth of info on indigestion i got from the more natural health people...if you swallow some lemon juice and your belly hurts, you have too much acid, if you feel better, you need more.

i needed more (thanks for the prevacid doc, which reduces your acid)...i also learned to not drink water before or right after eating...eat smaller meals, chew more, etc. also, reed's ginger brew is like drano and helps tummy aches/indigestion when you're in a pinch.

you might still be able to have your coffee yet...i do!
 
Last edited:
Eating less and eating slower has reduced my heartburn occurances significantly.
 
bright eyed said:
Are you sure it's reflux?

Isn't vinegar counter intuitive - you have too much acid, so you pour more acid down? if the acid is helping you, then it might be indigestion.
Click to expand...

I have no idea why the vinegar helps. It just does. If you read any of the homeopathic books, they recommend to sip diluted apple cider vinegar with your meals instead of water if you have acid reflux. It works for me...but not sure why. It does seem to be counter intuitive, though.

Hmmmm...never thought of sleep apnea as being a culprit. I rarely get accused of snoring at night, either.

But, when I wake up in the morning, my sternum somtimes feels like I got punched in the chest. My throat also gets hoarse sometimes - I assume from the acid reflux. I've been taking the Prilosec OTC for a while now....it worked for me before, but now it doesn't really seem to help much anymore. I've stopped drinking coffee...:(, and I am already feeling a little bit better today.
 
Try the Aeropress device. Invented by a geek/engineer who
loves coffee but coudln't stand the acid. Best cup of coffee EVER.
 
JohnEyles said:
Try the Aeropress device. Invented by a geek/engineer who
loves coffee but coudln't stand the acid. Best cup of coffee EVER.
Click to expand...

Really?! Never heard of it. I'll check into it. Are you serious or just joking?
 
JohnEyles said:
Try the Aeropress device. Invented by a geek/engineer who
loves coffee but coudln't stand the acid. Best cup of coffee EVER.
Click to expand...

Why would it have any less acid? Looks like a variation on the old press pot makers (which I love).

Anybody do a pH test on a cup brewed like this vs a drip or press pot cup made to the same strength? I don't doubt that it makes a good cup of coffee, just not sure I buy the low-acid line.


-ERD50
 
ERD50 said:
Why would it have any less acid? Looks like a variation on the old press pot makers (which I love).

Anybody do a pH test on a cup brewed like this vs a drip or press pot cup made to the same strength? I don't doubt that it makes a good cup of coffee, just not sure I buy the low-acid line.


-ERD50
Click to expand...

Read the spiel at the website. I think the main reason for the low
acid is the very short amount of time (30 sec) that the hot water is
in contact with the coffee, and the very uniform exposure of the
grounds to the water. And the unorthodox lower temp of
water recommended - although of course one can experiment
and use whatever water temp you choose.

The pH test would be very interesting.
 
Is the Areopress kind of like the infamous plunger coffee ?? I believe this is also known as a French Press coffee maker.

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JohnEyles said:
Read the spiel at the website. I think the main reason for the low
acid is the very short amount of time (30 sec) that the hot water is
in contact with the coffee, and the very uniform exposure of the
grounds to the water. And the unorthodox lower temp of
water recommended - although of course one can experiment
and use whatever water temp you choose.

The pH test would be very interesting.
Click to expand...
googling I did find some references to pH tests (but by the inventor, I'd like to see an independent test. But, I suppose the combination of those things could have an effect.

I'm curious if I'd like the coffee though. Some acidity is part of the coffee experience.

I've also had some cold press coffee that seemed very smooth/mild. Maybe that is low in acid also?

As far as press coffee and chol, I don't drink it that often (drip every day though), and there are bigger things to worry about, IMO.

Glad you found a coffee system that works for you. Sure beats going w/o!


hmmm, wonder what he means by 1/5th the acid? pH is on a logarithmic scale IIRC ....

-ERD50
 
According to my spiffy book I mentioned earlier, it says the ph of the food isn't always the ph of how your body metabolizes it...it's the ph of the urine after your body metabolizes it. Anyway, it says coffee, tea and chocolate are acidifying because of their "purine" content. What the heck is purine?
 
I just looked it up in wiki...tooo deeep for me. I'll just read around all those big words!
 
purine is what comes out after you have eaten some cat food and a bowl of milk. This is a common syndrome for under capitalized ER's :)
 
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