Managing acid reflux naturally tips please - Thyroid UK

I have a hiatus hernia and reflux and like you am I unable to take ppi’s. I have found sleeping on a wedge so my head is higher than my stomach has helped enormously, it took several weeks to get used to it. I also take gaviscon advance last thing at night which acts as a barrier and reduces reflux into the oesophagus. I reduced the amount of coffee I drank and cut out most alcohol. I noticed it got worse again over Christmas when I had a few glasses of wine. Small regular meals.I have also lost weight which although slow has reduced symptoms.

I am optimally medicated but am hypothyroid due to a TT for cancer so don’t have hashimoto’s so don’t think that is a factor.

Foggyk in reply to cjrsquared3 years ago

Thank you for your reply

Anthea553 years ago

I'm glad to see that you don't want to take PPIs. They try to reduce the acid in your stomach which is not a good idea - they should only be used short term anyway. You need acid in your stomach and many of us have low stomach acid so need to increase it.

It was on this forum that I first heard about low stomach acid. Most doctors don't know anything about it. When the hospital diagnosed my hiatus hernia they sent me a prescription for Omeprazole without knowing whether my stomach acid was high or low. I looked up the patient information sheet online and decided not to take it.

Here are 2 links which tell you more about low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria)

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hypochl...

healthline.com/health/hypoc...

Personally, I have a hiatus hernia and low stomach acid. I take a teaspoon of apple cyder vinegar in fruit juice with breakfast, so I'm boosting the acid in the morning. When I have my evening meal I don't want to increase the acid, because of the hiatus hernia, so I don't have puds or fruit or anything acid after my main course. If I feel as though I might have reflux I take a spoonful or 2 of plain greek yoghurt which calms it down (I tried several to find one which I like to eat plain). I sleep with my head raised with extra pillows.

I hope that helps.

Foggyk in reply to Anthea553 years ago

Yes thank you very muchI did try PPIs but only for a week.

Have you had any success with digestive enzymes?

I'm trying apple cider vinegar.

Thanks for your advice

Anthea55 in reply to Foggyk3 years ago

Sorry, I can't help you with digestive enzymes.

WildDeer3 years ago

I find that Aloe Vera helps. Either as a liquid, or in capsules. I also take Betaine with Pepsin with any protein -based meal. I have Hashimotos, and it does seem to cause low stomach acid-as well as low lots of other things!

Foggyk in reply to WildDeer3 years ago

Thank you. I'll try aloe Vera.

humanbean3 years ago

Some links on the subject :

healthygut.com/articles/hyp...

healthygut.com/articles/3-t...

healthygut.com/articles/how...

healthygut.com/articles/4-c...

Another longer source of info, which is well worth reading and helped me to understand how a healthy stomach and gut works, is this one :

chriskresser.com/what-every...

Part way down the page on the above link is an option to download a free e-book. It is worth it. You can get the same info in the e-book online but it is spread over six pages on the chriskresser.com website.

Foggyk in reply to humanbean3 years ago

thank you very much, Ill take a look

serenfach3 years ago

I use cider vinegar as I have low acid, which of course the GP thought was high acid and gave me antacids. I had times when I thought I could be a Welsh dragon and breath fire!

Put about a pudding spoon of vinegar in a glass, add a teaspoon of honey and about two tablespoons of warm water and mix well. This makes it easy to take, does not burn a line of fire when you drink it, and works pretty well straight away.

Foggyk in reply to serenfach3 years ago

Thanks, I'll try that too.

frankaspergilus3 years ago

Hi.

I've had acid reflux for years and ppi's don't suit me at all. What keeps me off them are the following.

Like others have said, raising your head above the level of your stomach when you're in bed is very important. But, you can give yourself a much better chance of eliminating reflux if you lift the head of your bed by about 8 inches or so. This way the whole of your body is still lying on a flat plane and so there's no bunching up of your digestive system like there is when you just put a couple of pillows under your head. Raising your head alone still means your body is "bent" and you'll probably still be squeezing up undigested matter. Your body needs to be straight.

Never drink with a meal. Let your stomach digest your food without a load of liquid diluting your digestive juices. Let them do their work. Adding liquid to your stomach alongside solid foods just means it'll be more fluid and easily rise back up into your throat as acid reflux. Avoid drinking an hour before and an hour after a meal unless it's to take meds. If you need to drink, just take a few sips at a time. In fact, it's best to drink that way all the time rather than fill your stomach with liquids that'll easily move up on its own.

Eat about half a red apple afrer every meal and before you go to bed.

The reason is that the fibre will act like a sponge and absorb any liquids in your stomach keeping it there and making it less likely to come up again. It's not usually solid food that gives you reflux but more often than not the liquids that are pushed up so much more easily. The more liquid in your stomach, the more reflux you'll have.

Don't ask me why a red apple works better than a green one but you'll probably find info online about it. I know it works for me.

All the above you'll notice are really just logical and rely on keeping your food firmly in your stomach until your natural, undiluted digestive juices have time to break it down.

Hope that helps.

Frank

Foggyk in reply to frankaspergilus3 years ago

Thank you Frank, appreciated. Will try an apple.The cider vinegar people suggested is helping

Fruitandnutcase3 years ago

You’ve got lots of good suggestions here, I was prescribed omeprazole a few years ago and I was very surprised to read on the patient information leaflet that they are only meant to be used in the short term - yet as far as I can see a lot of people are taking them forever and they can have all sorts of nasty side effects.I decided to clean up my diet - out went chocolate, ‘junk’ foods like my favourite McDonald’s, sugary foods and fizzy drinks such as Diet Coke etc.

I went totally gluten free to try to reduce my thyroid antibodies- I have Graces disease in remission ) at around the same time - I’m not sure whether or not that helped or whether it was cleaning up my diet that helped most, but I’ve not had any more problems with reflux.

Foggyk3 years ago

That's good news well done