Bi Carb of Soda

[Slosh]

I just saw this - and know it has been discussed before - anyway thought we could pick up the subject again:

medicalxpress.com/news/2018...

[SnazzyD]

Interesting. I wonder does it mean anything that increases the pH of the stomach acid would have the same effect or does it have to be sodium bicarbonate? Also, they don’t say what concentration of sodium bicarbonate they suggest. Too strong could cause other problems.

[Slosh in reply to SnazzyD]

Yes too strong would definately cause other problems.

[benhemp in reply to SnazzyD]

The medical paper referenced at the end of the article said that human subjects were given 2 grams of sodium bicarbonate in 250 ml of water.

[SnazzyD in reply to benhemp]

Thank you; I was too rushed to check further.sounds like a more sensible amount.

[Slosh in reply to SnazzyD]

Should be a 1/4 teaspoon

[jinasc]

Used bi-carb a teaspoonful in as little water as possible, the minute I get the symtoms of a UTI. Handed down from Grandma and the my Mother and all the Aunts.

I think this is were you might have seen it on this site before.

The article was interesting.

[Slosh in reply to jinasc]

Yes lots of people seem to use it for UTI’s.

No I definitely saw it being discussed for autoimmunity / inflammation or PMR.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Slosh]

It was - 2 years ago when it was first mooted.

[benhemp in reply to PMRpro]

Has anyone here tried this as a therapy for PMR in the two years since it was first posted on this forum? If anyone did, I'd love to know what they learned.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to benhemp]

Not that I know of.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

Think it was me who raised it

[SnazzyD in reply to jinasc]

Ekk! I expect that would make me throw up and then give me acid rebound!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SnazzyD]

If it weren't for the aspirin component - it seems to be like starting your day with alka seltzer ...

[SnazzyD in reply to PMRpro]

Oh yes, I’d forgotten that used to be a common thing to start the day.

[Louisa1840]

Hmm - when I was first diagnosed with PMR nearly 3 and a half years ago, I went to a naturopath who recommended a daily dose of Bicarb. Think I'll go back to it even though it's rather vile!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisa1840]

Did it help at the time?

[jinasc in reply to Louisa1840]

Like PMRpro, interested to know and how much per day?

[Louisa1840 in reply to jinasc]

See my reply to Pro but I took it once a day- a flat teaspoon in a half glass of water.

[benhemp in reply to Louisa1840]

This is a far bigger dose than was used in the experiments mentioned in the paper in the Journal of Immunology. They only gave the subjects 2 grams in 250 ml of water. (I think the 2 grams is what matters; I doubt that the amount of water matters other than to make the solution more palatable.)

[Lookingforideas]

Hi there,

I read this article with interest but then vaguely remembered reading something about there being cautions about baking soda in relation to leaching calcium. I’ve just trawled though old Files and found this article with the caveats about calcium depletion. I don’t agree 100% with this but it does have some points worth considering - the main calcium bit is at number 6...

Aargh .... after all that I can’t seem to paste the link in here🤦‍♀️ - trying again - Now I’ve managed - I think😜

holisticprimarycare.net/top...

[Slosh in reply to Lookingforideas]

Well that was super helpful - espescially in light of my recent osteoporosis diagnosis.

Thank you.

PS - I very rarey take it.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lookingforideas]

Well yes, maybe. But many of us are taking calcium supplements in the form of calcium carbonate - same ingredient as Tums as an antacid for indigestion. Or are on a PPI which changes the pH of the stomach because it prevents secretion of acid in the first place. Most of the body has regionally very different pH levels - so I am very sceptical about most of the claims about the "alkalising diet".

[Lookingforideas in reply to PMRpro]

I know ... I spend hours reading loads of stuff and usually end up being paralysed by indecision on what’s best 🤷‍♀️🙄

[benhemp in reply to Lookingforideas]

The underlying medical article in the Journal of Immunology also mentioned that taking sodium bicarbonate caused a reduction of serum potassium levels. It did not say whether it was a major concern or not; I was left wanting to know more about that.

[Lookingforideas]

It’s inevitable isn’t it? Every reasonable sounding article has an equal sounding and opposing Rebuttal - I often get lost in the rabbit hole of opposing arguments and end up in a mire of indecision 🤷‍♀️🤪

[Slosh in reply to Lookingforideas]

Absolutely!!

[Theziggy]

Does PMR and/or Pred cause stomach problems which can be cured by Bicarb?

Forgive my ignorance.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Theziggy]

No - have you read the article that is linked? Some research suggests that a small dose of bicarb may modify autoimmune disease.

[Slosh]

Which is a 1/4 teaspoon