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Do most of us have too much acid or NOT enough acid?? both have the same symptoms

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 12/28/2010 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
Good morning everyone :)

 

Ive been doing some research, and it says that not having enough acid can cause the exact symptoms as if having too much acid. If those of us who are taking PPIs are actually suffering from low acid instead of too much acid, we are doing more harm than good.

 

I have an upper endoscopy a few months ago. Did the results assure that i do have too much acid??

The website

 http://www.puristat.com/coloncleansing/lowstomachacid.aspx

.... says

"Since our entire digestive process depends upon food being doused with a healthy amount of hydrochloric acid (HCL) when it gets to the stomach, it is difficult to exaggerate the potentially catastrophic results of a condition marked by an abnormally small amount of stomach acid.

Without HCL, the digestion of protein, carbohydrates, and fat cannot be properly completed. The stomach needs hydrochloric acid in order to protect the stomach from bacterial and fungal overgrowth (bacteria and fungus cannot thrive in an acidic environment). Hydrochloric acid also helps the body to properly absorb essential vitamins and minerals."

Let me know if you have any knowledge in this area.

Thank you!

Posted 12/28/2010 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
looks very interesting...I am waiting to see what anyone may have to say...
Posted 12/28/2010 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
The way to find out if you suffer from too much acid you need to have a 24 hr ph test done. It will tell you if the acid is coming up into the esophagus thus reflux.
Posted 12/28/2010 7:03 PM (GMT 0)
I will look into that.

Thank you!
Posted 12/28/2010 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
I have heard the too little and too much acid argument.

Personally I think PPI's are prescribed far too quickly over here in the UK. I wish some doctors I saw would have done a diagnostic test such as a PH test before just assuming I have too much stomach acid, when basically all I told them was that I feel sick all the time.

Considering that most of the time, I don't get burning, reflux or heartburn anymore, but a feeling of fullness, bloating and basically that nothing is moving down my stomach, I'm not convinced that taking PPI's or other typical popular meds that neutralise stomach acid is the best thing to do.

Having said that, I once overdosed on loads of acidic stuff in a desperate attempt to get rid of the bloated full feeling and I made my stomach sore and had the burning feeling again tongue

Always do your own research, never take a doctor's word for anything. I trust them a lot less than I used to.

Welcome to the forum by the way! :-)

Post Edited (judy02) : 12/28/2010 12:55:22 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/29/2010 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Iwillbe -  

so very glad someone else also doing research on this subject.  I actually posted a thread that Low stomach acid can also cause Gerd . or should I say reflux.  Happened to me, although I was treated for high acid, got worse so decided to do research, and found what you did.  Ditched my PPI and invested in some digestive enzymes.  After only three days saw dramatic improvement.    I think when we think we have high acid we take all kinds of antacids .. Tumms and the like .. and they are calcium based - calcium counteracts acid .. so we just make matters worse.  Apparently, even if you have low acid,  Tumms will give you a tiny bit of relief for a short time, so you think its working .. you take more, and a viscious circle starts ...    There are some internet sites which actually give you advice on how you yourself can test whether you have hi or lo acid.   I use the coffee test.   Coffee is supposed to give you heartburn as it causes the stomach to manufacture more acid .. and guess what ... I can drink cups and cups of coffee without heartburn .. but I never had heartburn in the first instance anyway ...  my reflux was sticky phlegm .. which I think came straight from my stomach = it having too much phlegm to handle seeing it didnt have enough acid .. ehehehe ....Good luck with your further research .. I find it so interesting ...

Cecelia

Posted 12/30/2010 8:56 AM (GMT 0)
Judy02: I agree with what you say about doctors.. They dont bother to look at the entire picture and go with their first instinct or what is the easiest. We have to be very active in our health and not always agree with what doctors say if you feel they are wrong. I will look forward to getting the ph test done just to make sure. Ive been taking ppi's for a few years now and sooner or later my acid reflux always gets bad. I have to find relief some how.

Thank you :)

Cecilia: Hi there! ive heard about digestive enzymes before. Which ones do you take?

That is great that you took your health under your own hands. I stopped drinking coffee drinks a long time ago, they did not settle well in my stomach.  I will ask my doctor to do a ph test to see what the results are and  i wll keep researching and posting it here for all of you to read :)

Thank you!

Posted 12/30/2010 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
Jip, I was forced to take matters in my own hands so had to do a lot of research. Horrified at all the side effects of all the medications, also the interactions with other, ordinary medicines ... My own dr was away and the locum after just a brief exam. prescribed omeprazole (when I actually had too little acid ..), Crestor 10 mg (when I should have been started on 5 mg .. - too many side effects, ditched that, now controlling cholesterol by diet, honey, cinnamon and turmeric ...), and also overdosing me on Prexum Plus ... had to start with 4 mg, double the dose I needed .. ended up nearly fainting with extremely low blood pressure!!

To come back to the enzymes ..  notice that the "Bio-enzymes for Life". made in SA, not sure whether you will be able to get this brand name where you are - but they are called "Superior digestive enzyme blend with Bromelain" , also containing the following :  Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase, Sucrase, Malt-distase, Lactase - website: 

www.bioharmony.co.za.

Hope you get your stomach ph test results soon ...  must be stomach ph results,  not blood tests -

Cecelia

Posted 12/30/2010 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have been reasearching this for days now and I am convinced that I have low acid and not high acid.  I have been reading over my latest EGD tests and it says everything was normal. It showed esophagitis and gasritis.  LES/ UES functions normally............ The only thing was my motility test was a little abnormal.  I AM KICKING MY SELF FOR NOT TAKING MORE CONTROL OF MY LIFE.   I had a 24hr bravo done 2 years ago but it only says "Ph study 2 years ago revealed reflux almost exclusively while in upright posistion" HUH? 

I am going crazy!  I have been off PPI's now for 4 days and not doing to well.  I don't know what to do. I recently posted my symptoms and problems.

I have been on various PPi's for almost 10 years! I have all ALL the symptoms of low acid. (I have been wondering why my fingernails became so brittle). I mean ALL of the symptoms.

Is it to late for me?

I am desperate for answers and my doctors offer none.

DD

Posted 12/30/2010 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi DD -

wow, 10 years on PPI's ! -  Have followed some of the remarks made by the "regular clan" who has really gone thru the mill ...  and I get the impression one cannot just ditch a PPI out of the window all at once .. you have to wean yourself off slowly ...  so take heart ... it will be some time before you see results.  I ditched mine after only 10 days due to all the side effects ... and once I started taking the digestive enzymes saw a dramatic turnabout.   Apart from also taking Tumms etc, ie the calcium also diminishing the little acid I had left, I took calcium supplements as well! No wonder I hardly had any stomach acid left ...

I believe that prunes are high in acid ... and it also lowers your cholesterol, so I chomp them by the dozen .. killing two flies at once!

Also eat a lot of dates,  apparently contains natural enzymes .. 

So keep on doing research ...  we will soon be better qualified than the "prescription mad" doctors we have these days!!

Cecelia

Posted 12/30/2010 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Cecilia: Thank you so much for the website. Are there any side affects with enzymes??

Oh gosh thats horrible how sometimes doctors do us more harm than good =(
Posted 1/3/2011 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, re enzyme side effects -

In the leaflet they mention:  "Enzymes may theoretically increase bleeding risk and caution is advised in people who have bleeding disorders ..." and enzymes should not be used with warfarin or any other anticoagulant except under practitioner supervision."

Have tried to use "natural" enzymes ...  ie.  pineapple juice, papaya (also known as paw-paw) as well as dates.    After a week not taking my enzyme capsules however I had one or two  coughing spells due to sticky phlegm reflux, (but really not as bad as in the past, when I coughed day and night, about every half an hour at night!!) - just didnt want my cough to get out of control, so am back to taking the capsules, but now only once a day, instead of 3 times a day, will soon again try to do it the natural way, I HATE PILLS!!

Wishing you all good health in the New Year,

Cecelia

PS - As an afterthought,  I think I started coughing again due to phlegm, maybe not because I didnt take my enzyme capsules ... but thinking back, I just had too many big meals over the festive season!!!!

Post Edited (Cecelia) : 1/3/2011 11:29:41 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/3/2011 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
I wonder with me whether I have a combination of too little and too much stomach acid at different times. Sometimes more alkaline foods help, sometimes more acidic foods helped. I have to try and strike a balance between acidic and alkaline.

Grr...not once has ANY doctor (I've seen 3) ever advised me on dietary changes. And diet has made the biggest difference above anything else. It's taken me a long time to learn what upsets me, my diet has never changed so dramatically! How can doctors spend years in medical school and yet ignore the importance of a healthy diet. Considering how much of an affect it has on so many health conditions...rant over! :)

Unfortunately, I've never really gotton any relief from digestive enzymes either or PPI's, but everyone is different.

Posted 1/3/2011 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Judy02

I know what you are going through ... not knowing whether you have too much acid, or too little ...

I suppose if one has reflux, ie.  due to a faulty LES, or as I like to call it, my valve .. this is due anyway to too little acid, or too much ...  I dont get heartburn at all, but my stomach seems to reflux sticky toffee=like phlegm which sticks in my throat,  causing coughing, or sometimes even problems swallowing .. or breathing when it lands in my bronchial tubes ...

I find that I have to:    eat very small meals .... and  wait about 2 hrs after eating before I can go to bed ..  I cannot sit on a straight backed chair for long,  I think this puts pressure on my stomach ... ie more gunk being pushed up through the faulty valve!  Must also stay away from spicy foods like curry. No fizzy drinks either.  So I eat most veges and even meats .. but very plain, and I eat very slowly, and chew and chew and chew!!

Then of course if you do have a faulty LES, you cannot have peppermint or menthol products, whether in something to suck, or in medications - or chocolate as all these products causes your LES to relax and open up.

And of course you guessed:   No doctor told me these things ... found it out thru research and all the postings on HealingWell.

So good luck ... and good wishes

Cecelia

 

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