Low stomach acid help

[liaratsoni]

Hi everyone! I have posted before about my digestive issues and I have taken the wonderful advice on here from so many helpful people about taking a good probiotic and am now coming up to about 2 weeks into the 3 month course of symprove and its already been making a difference with the burping and constipation and allowing me to eat slightly bigger amounts of food. I still however have the fermenting, burping and gurgling in throat and stomach and I have noticed the worst problems come from eating fish and meat - they just sit heavily in my stomach and seem to worsen silent reflux and so I've cut them out for now until I can raise stomach acid levels which has also helped. Today I felt improved enough with silent reflux issues from where I was to finally try the acidic drinks. I took 1 tsp of acv in half a cup of water before eating once before breakfast and once before lunch and I while I still experienced the random fermenting feeling i went from burping and gurgling in my throat and stomach 3/4 or sometimes more times an hour to about twice in about 7 hours so it clearly helps with my digestion - the only problem is that yesterday (before trying the drinks) I started getting a sensation of a 'burny' like almost hunger sensation in my stomach and a little heat and sometimes tightness in my chest - its not really painful just noticeable and a little uncomfortable and today seems heightened. I have also experience a similar sensation usually after eating meat in the past and I am also tremendously bloated and have been the last few days. It could just be a coincidence - I didn't have the acv before dinner and the sensation is still present now this evening (though milder) but as such I am a little at a loss of what to do. The reprieve from the burping and gurgling was amazing but it would appear my stomach and oesophagus are pretty inflamed? Does anyone else have any experience with this or could offer any advice? Many thanks

[fbirder]

Don't take the ACV before eating. You want to try to emulate what happens naturally.

When you eat something it switches on the production of gastrin. This does various things, including telling the parietal cells of the stomach to make acid. The acid powers the pH and this acidification stops gastrin production.

If you have low stomach acid then the pH isn't lowered and gastrin production isn't stopped. That leads to high levels of gastrin.

As well as promoting acid release gastrin is also a contributing factor to increase gut motility.

Taking your acid after a meal simulates what happens in normal people. You switch off gut motility when it needs shutting off. Taking it before a meal doesn't have the desired effect.

[liaratsoni in reply to fbirder]

Ah that makes a lot of sense thank you! Would it also work to include it in the meal as a dressing or such?

[fbirder in reply to liaratsoni]

Yes, that should do.

I take about 30 mL of lime juice in tonic water. I drink half of it during the meal, then knock back the rest at the end.

Unless I'm eating out, when I take the lime juice neat with the last mouthfuls.

[liaratsoni in reply to fbirder]

Thank you again! If I may ask do you just have the lime juice with main meals?

[fbirder in reply to liaratsoni]

Yup. I don't bother taking any with my breakfast as that's just weetabix and yoghurt.

[Nackapan]

A family member has had terrible reflux and digestive issues. The only thing that's really healed is eliminating groups of foods. Again this varies from person to person. It's taken nearly a year to do. Gluten free fructose free diary free and red meat and fish free . Then as too restrictive introducing foods over a 2 day test. Fodmap was used loosely to understand groups of foods. 'Deliously Ella recipes csn be adapted. Regular small meals. Almond milk soya milk and that is fortified. Plain soya yoghurt . I'm pleased symprove has helped you. I think it takes time to work out what works for you.

[liaratsoni in reply to Nackapan]

Thank you nackapan! I am hoping I continue to see improvement from symprove. I agree trying to work out whats going on specifically for you is a long and difficult process

[natcap1 in reply to liaratsoni]

Hi,

I had/have digestive issues very similar to yours. Have done for years but the got worse suddenly when I developed PA due to autoimmune atrophic gastritis. I have not been able to eat gluten or much dairy for near on 30 years. So when I had the gurgling, burning, reflux symptoms I eventually tried the Low FODMAP diet. It works very well for me. I started reasonably strictly and then reintroduced foods to find out which ones were the culprits. So my diet is now more varied with probiotic foods included. If your gut is irritated by a couple of things it will feel like everything is irritating it. So this process helps to calm the gut down first. I saw a coupe of dieticians about it and they were very helpful. There are other approaches to try first though as this is quite a restrictive diet initially, but a good option if all else fails.

Good luck with it.

[liaratsoni in reply to natcap1]

Thank you for the reply! Unfortunately I am already gluten and dairy free for over a year and also low fodmap. currently im eating about 10 foods a day because of the discomfort and its getting quite debilitating. The gastro i saw a while ago said he'd refer me to a dietcian but haven't heard anything yet!

[molson74]

Aloe Vera juice identically mimics hydrochloric acid. Usually, 3 ounce before meals aids with digestion. That is all you need plus it is inexpensive. Walmart carries organic for about $6.00.

[fbirder in reply to molson74]

No it doesn't. In fact it does the exact opposite - desertharvest.com/physician...

" the effect of Aloe vera juice administration is to increase the pH of the

intestinal contents by, on the average, 1.88 units."