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It sounds like you've got some work to do.    I would try Betaine Hydrochloride while your working on what works for you.   I do use cider vinegar.  My mother had several books on the good things apple cider vinegar could do for you.  I do think Betine Hydrochloride helps adjust the ph in your stomach.  The acid level (ph) has to be  right to digest food.    Going GF was a very big improvement,  then after that  taking hydrochloride was a big improvement.  It's very mild.   It will take a few days to gradually buildup to what helps your digestive system.  I get mine online.

 

I like www.manukahoneyusa.com go to their website and read. I use their honey and I know of another person that used it and cured her h-pylori when antibiotics wouldn't. PS: I guess if you don't get this try honey home grown in the us and see if that works.

 

I've not used the apple cider vinegar method, but I do use ABCD yogurt (live bacteria in the yogurt).  Eating about 3-4 ounces per day until my stomach feels better is how I started.  Now I eat yogurt every 2nd or 3rd day, again how I feel.  Haven't had stomach cramps in about 6 months and am feeling great.   I started out with vanilla flavored until I read how many calories I was eating.  Obviously, now with the every other day routine, I'm consuming less.  Also found that I could mix plain (tastes a little sour to me) and flavored until I got a pleasant taste.  This cut the calories still more.

 

You sound like our daughter.  You may need the specific carbohydrate diet www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info and a lot of probiotics like iFLORA powder (www.sedonalabs.com) or DDS+ Gold formula or Megaflora that
has a broad mix of good bugs.  DDS helped a friend and Megaflora at whole foods appears to have similar strains to iFLORA though we have not tried it.  She is dairy intolerant so cannot use the yogurt on the SCD diet but used iFLORA instead.  The SCD diet is a little boring but it gave her such relief from the reflux and gas.  She started gaining weight again and her digestion stated to improve.  After a course of Augmentin for bronchitis, she developed diarrhea and bleeding.  The iFLORA got rid of the diarrhea  and bleeding, taking 1/4 tsp. 3x a day for a week.  Then a lady on this celiac list suggested 500mg of L Glutamine amino acid each morning on an empty stomach 1/2 hr before eating, and on that she has improved  again plus is able to eat several foods that previously gave her trouble after about 2 months on the glutamine.  None of the acid blocking pills like Prevacid, Prilosec, Aciphex or Nexium did her any good.  They, Maalox and antiacids made her worse.  The acid is meant to be there to digest food and kill bad bacteria.  We are not medical people, just parents who had a very sick daughter.
Good luck; if we can help, please write.



There has been a lot of discussion in the past on “heartburn” and antacids.  A good portion of those that have “heartburn” have low stomach acid and possibly allergies/sensitivities.  I have both and I can attest that if one has a food reaction it can very much resemble “heartburn” since the sphincter, esophagus and stomach (plus probably more) become inflamed and it feels like heartburn.  I have had the good fortune (or not) to feel what it is like to have too much acid (via acid supplements) and an inflammatory reaction.  The two reactions are quite similar.  If I hadn’t had so much experience with the inflammation, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.  

There is the Heidelberg test that you can have done.  See www.heidelberg.com  (or is it heidelburg?)  This tests one for stomach acid levels.  Then there are tests for food sensitivities (not allergies).   IgA and IgG antibodies (sensitivities)  IgE antibodies (allergies)  Antacids are bad news.  You are probably very nutrient deficient because of them.

 

 

You might want to check the pH of your saliva and urine before deciding whether you need to acidify or alkalize your diet with either apple cider vinegar or baking soda.  (You get pH strips made for this and, on waking in the morning, dip one in first urine and another in your saliva.  Take the readings per directions.)  You can also get a book called "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing" by John and Phyllis Balch (make sure to get the most recent edition) which will give instructions on self tests for this and also lots of info on alkalosis and acidosis.  In one of the editions it also had directions for making an old timey remedy using the juice from the outer skin and pulp of a potato.  This remedy did wonders for me when I was having those problems of which you speak.  

Also, what I found ultimately was my problem was bad gut bug proliferation.  Celiac disease (due to gut damage which allows toxins to pass to the blood stream) allows gut bugs to proliferate in both your digestive tract as well as in body tissues.  It is interesting to note that candida albicans attaches to the digestive tract with a gluten component which is indistinguishable from wheat gluten.  No wonder celiacs have so much pain in connection with gut bugs--our bodies would be attacking this gluten component in candida colonies non-stop, just like it does glutens we eat.  I found that THIS was why I had ongoing food intolerances and digestive problems after going gf.  

 

Have you tried probiotics? A lot of reflux and stomach trouble comes from bacterial overgrowth. My gastroenterologist recommends Culturelle, which is available over the counter from CVS pharmacy and drugstore.com

 

NOT WISE TO DO THE VINEGAR FIX YOU'LL GET WORSE DO YOU HAVE A YEAST PROBLEM?

 

I tried it and felt much worse. Worse than before I took Aciphex. I went back to it. The apple cider vinegar felt like burning when it went down. Not worth it for me. Hope this helps. Don't ask for trouble. I've been on drugs like this for years and graduated to aciphex which seems to be still working for me, but I do have a few breakthroughs.

 

A friend of mine was having arthritis like pain in her hands and her holistic doctor told her to take 1 teaspoon of vinegar in a little bit of water a half hour before every meal.  She did this and the pain is completely gone.  It has to be Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.  Braggs is a good brand to use.  I've heard of it being used for acid reflux and I figure it can't hurt you to give it a try!  I, too, would want to get off the Prevacid if I was you.



Thanks again for all the replies.

Rita

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