What if everybody is wrong?

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neddyflanders

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Here's another idea I've been thinking about. Remeraber, I've been wrong on everything so far on trying to figure out how to stop reflux so take it with a grain of salt. Anyway, most of us as we got reflux, first gave up dairy, then a bunch of other food groups, then went on PPI's etc. The cause of our reflux is a muscle that leaRAB to the stomach weakens (at least the medical profession knows that much). What if when we eliminate these fooRAB (containing Calcium, protein etc.) were taking away what our muscles need? Then we take PPI's and our body can't absorb Calcium. Yes, the acid is reduced but the muscle weakens further, so we up the dose of PPI, acid reduced, even less Calcium absorbed and over and over again. If you've read my post I'm back off PPI's again (yes it burns) and am starting to drink milk again (with nutrient shake). I'm only drinking one a day but will up it to two and then three (as long as stomach doesn't go crazy). Will see what happens.

I know, I'm probably on another wild goose chase but I can't accept that I will "just have to live with it".
 
I wouldn't go so far as to say they're wrong but everybody has different reactions to different things. If you've "behaved" on the proper diet, there's nothing wrong with experimenting with things to see how you handle them. When you eliminate everything, there's no way to know which one of those things were your triggers. You've got to add things one at a time to identify your reaction to each individual thing.

I got sick of this BS bland nursing home diet and decided a few days ago that I was going to put my beloved hot sauce on some eggs. And I was fine. No heartburn (as usual) and my cough did not worsen. Same thing with caffeinated diet soda. Some people drink coffee, I drink coke. My mornings have been lovely again. But we went to a restaurant a few days ago and the smell of the pasta sauce gave me a little heartburn and I totally lost my appetite. So I won't be eating anything red ever!
 
How about try taking that milk with a prokinetic agent. Prokinetic agents like mosapride citrate hydrate will improve the motility of the LES and esophageal peristalysis as well. I'm planning on cutting PPI's and using prokinetic agent coupled with an anxiety reliever just so I'm not letting stress or anxiety affect my body's ability to function normally.
 
I think it's great to try things that could help. I know in My experience in the past Losing weight and eatting Lower carb helped me soo much. I say that as I sit here Way over weight and eatting junk. :( Not good. Let us know how it goes
 
Middle age doesn't help with losing weight. I use to be able to lose my gut with very little effort, now, one bad weekend of eating and I gain 8 pounRAB. It then takes two months of trying to lose those same eight pounRAB.
 
I don't think you're on a wild goose chase.

PPI's clearly have drawbacks. They make us more prone to food poisoning, illness in general, nutritional deficiencies, etc.

Personally I never cut out dairy products. My doctor never suggested that do that, and I haven't ever noticed that dairy products make my AR worse.

What does make it worse is fatty fooRAB, salt, acidic fooRAB and drinks (wine, tomato sauce), alcohol in general, coffee, eating too close to bed time.

I recently started taking a new multivitamin that I picked up at a health food store. It's a raw vitamin and I seem to be absorbing it better.

My goal, eventually, is to get off my PPI's. I know they are bad for me, but I don't know how to control my AR without them. Still, PPI's over the long haul are not good for us and I've already been on them for about 8 years. I'm on the big daddy- Prevacid- because the other ones don't work for me any more.
 
I'm now about 6 weeks off of PPI's and I can honestly say things aren't to bad. I have about 1 bad night a week, and I eat what I feel like eating. My main issue now is that I'm gaining alot of weight so I have to cut down my eating in general. I limit myself to nothing. I use to have IBS also which went away. I had to speak in front of 30 people and got really nervous, guess what came back. Thats right the IBS, my IBS is caused by nerves. you know what? I don't care. I don't give a damn, if it hurts, it hurts. I'm through with all this reflux, if it doing any damage, then let it do it, I don't care (though every test is always normal). I'm going to do whatever I want whenever I want and the only reason I'm going to limit my food is so I don't have a big gut when I go to the beach.
 
Have you ever wondered if they have a relationship? I have begun to wonder if my hypothyroidism is related to my acid reflux, or perhaps they have the same root cause. Does that sound crazy? It just seems like I was so healthy, and then I got acid reflux, and since I got acid reflux my cholesterol went up, my weight ballooned, I got hypothyroidism, I get sick often, etc. It just doesn't seem like it's a coincidence.
 
I am with you Neddy, though I don't seem to be able to get off the Zantac. I have stopped the restricted carb diet because it is nearly impossible for me to follow. I am not overweight and, other than omitting coffee, alcohol and spicy food, I am now eating everything else I want. I think the stomach neeRAB food to work on. I am staying on my supplements, eating a healthy diet, not stuffing myself, etc. I have my phases or days when I have more heartburn and discomfort than others. I sometimes find something that really bothers me. For example, I had orange jelly on a piece of toast two days in a row and both days experienced the heartburn about an hour later.
This disease is an enigma, though. Maybe it is best to not obsess so much about the nuances because I am not even sure what goes on on a day to day basis.

Rose
 
Try magnesium supplements. I read about them on this board and decided to give it a try:

http://www.healtrabroadoarRAB.com/boarRAB/showthread.php?t=41225

I started taking 500mg daily and went off Prilosec at the same time, and so far I feel literally "cured" of my problems.

My acid reflux was very sudden, and started about 3 months ago. So I wasn't on Prilosec for very long, but it definitely could be that Prilosec is exacerbating a deficiency you might already have had that caused all this to begin with. Read up on Magnesium, you'll be amazed of its importance to muscle function and digestion, all of which tie into these problems. Anyway, it worked for me thank god. I still eat like crap, which isn't good I know, but no longer suffer ANY acid-related problems as a result.
 
I'm sure I am on a wild goose chase but I also notice that many people seem to be affected by their reflux differently. Some people I know were cured by losing weight, they gain it, it comes back, they lose it, it goes away. maybe for some it's muscle weakness, others it's the pressure on the muscle, and others, just eating to much fat and their stomach not digesting it fast enough?
 
It does tend to set off a whole bunch of ailments, I'm not sure if it's the acid reflux doing it or all the medications we take trying to stop it. My thyroid is fine but I did get high blood pressure. Not sure how that fits in. I guess in trying to control the burn we knock out systems out of whack.
 
Well in my case I was thin when I got acid reflux and have since gained (!) nearly 90 lbs. I also have been recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and no matter what I do I cannot seem to lose a single pound. Part of me wonders if the weight gain isn't actually related to the PPI's- like maybe I'm eating more to compensate for the nutritional deficiencies. I don't know. I'm approaching my hypothyroidism much the same as you approach acid reflux- I'm researching and trying to learn about it before I go on medication I'll have to be on for life.
 
I don't think you are on a wild goose chase Neddy. I suspect reflux is caused by different factors in different people. I am not overweight and did not have reflux the two times in my life when I was overweight due to pregnancy. I do not have hypothyroid. I don't smoke and never did, and my only true vice before this darn thing hit me was coffee. This is why some people swear by apple cider vinegar, others by taking magnesium, others by probiotics, others by D-Limonene, etc.

In addition to the two Zantac, I take calcium supplements, vitamin D, magnesium, fish oil, B complex, vitamin E, Align and a multivitamin daily. I drink almond milk rather than cow milk and I am trying to eat healthy and cut on carbs. I still have episodes of heartburn daily even with all these modifications.

While I took the PPI (which I am still very tempted to get back on daily), I could eat whatever and not have reflux or symptoms of any kind. It's hard for me to imagine a life without coffee when I am still experiencing this darn burning daily.

I am probably one of those people with a weak LES that does not work effectively no matter what I do and how many remedies I use or supplements I take.

I too hate the thought of being stuck with this symptom for life.

I want to stay off the PPI's for three months as I said but feeling pretty discouraged right now. I feel all the effort I have put into beating this thing sans PPI has not worked.

Rose
 
I have been taking calcium and magnesium pretty regularly for three months. I take 1200 mg of calcium citrate and 500 mg of magnesium citrate split into two doses morning and evening. I am glad it worked for you. I take it because I know it is good to take for bone health as well, but have not found it particularly effective for my reflux. I am always a bit sad when I read these success stories, and the particular supplement/remedy does not appear to work for me.

Rose
 
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