LOW STOMACH ACID OR HIGH STOMACH ACID? Confused!

[samnidhi]

I'm new here and have a question...I belch a lot, especially after eating food. I have now get chest pains in my solar plexus - starting at 2a.m. Pain is huge by 4a.m and lasts till 6/7 a.m. I have a 2-3cm hiatal hernia tear on my left side. I have been given OMNEPRAZOLE but am resistant to taking it long term. I want to find out if I have low stomach acid or high stomach acid, so I can control my diet. e.g. I have been drinking lemon juice water first thing every morning and also have a glass of apple cider vinegar with water during the day. Today I did the bicarbonate of soda water test. I didn't belch. I only had stomach pain. So what does this mean? low or high stomach acid?

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Samnidhi.

I don't think you should be taking lemon juice and ACV to raise stomach acid at the same time you are taking Omeprazole to lower stomach acid.

scdlifestyle.com/2012/06/hy...

scdlifestyle.com/2012/03/3-...

[Angel_of_the_North]

You are right to hesitate. PPIs are implicated in kidney disease, dementia and all sorts of other nasties. Generally, the pain is from a "lazy" sphincter muscle that doesn't close off the stomach properly and nothing to do with stomach acid levels at all (can be caused by low acid not clearing the stomach contents fast enough). Apparently, the best remedy with least side effects is a chewable calcium and magnesium carbonate tablet (perhaps with liquorice extract), which raises Ph in the oesophagus, where it hurts and is dangerous, without changing stomach acid. After that, cimetidine (taken for no longer than 60 days at a time) is not shown to cause kidney disease etc. Can also try raising the head of the bed and not eating after early evening.

See anh-usa.org/acid-blockers-c...

and lifeextension.com/Protocols...

[lindajrst]

Apple cider vinegar gives me a lot of stomach pain. Also might be worth trying low fodmap diet (Google to find out foods to avoid) it made a huge difference for me. Just starting to introduce some fodmap foods back in and doing quite well at the moment. Hope this helps. ... hasn't answered your specific question I realise