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GERD Solutions? Could it be candida?

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Posted 11/4/2011 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry this is a bit long but I tried to make it easy to navigate. Just wanted to be thorough with my questions. I have recently been diagnosed with GERD (possibly). This is mostly a self diagnosis from lots of reading that my doctor agreed with. But my form is very mild so far. I'm only 25 but I've felt this way for a couple years now. Basically when I wake up my stomach is very sensitive which incurs dry heaving or sometimes actually throwing up. Although throwing up is very rare. Basically lots of gas in my stomach which make me feel like burping a lot. Through the day this subsides. By night time or late night (10, 11, 12, etc) its practically gone. But the cycle repeats of course no matter what. Below I will kind of bullet point symptoms and solutions and what I'm doing currently to manage the condition.

Symptoms

Bloating (quite often and usually extreme in the mornings)
Nausea (kind of in the morning but not really nauseous as much as just discomfort from bloating)
Burping (all the time really)
Heartburn (very rare, this seems not to be related to much in the sense that it doesn't coincide with the other symptoms)
Gas (not really, just normal occurrence from gassy or greasy foods)

That about covers it. Now what I've done to counter these symptoms so far. I've only been treating it a couple months.

Solutions

Prilosec - Doc prescribed the standard 30mg prescription version once daily. Def has helped but not really a solution either.
Diet - Eating more naturally and less fast food tends to help although doesn't really eliminate issues in any way. But this is good to do regardless so why not.
Alcohol - Cut back since this tends to be one of the biggest triggers for me. Caffeine as well but alcohol is the worst. Although I won't feel any occurring symptoms until the next morning regardless of the trigger. I never feel worse after eating a more or drinking or anything.
Probiotics - I took one yesterday (one specifically recommended for GERD by users). And thats it. I immediately felt quite bloated. Which I read is a side effect. Should I continue taking them and I may be less affected in time and see more positive effects or what? Last thing I want to feel is more bloated so if they will make me feel that every time I'm out. Not to mention they focus on the intestinal area not so much stomach. But I've read from several people that they can help.
SLEEP - I put this in all CAPS because I find this is my number one factor in how bad or good by GERD is. If I get 7-8 hours of sleep or more my symptoms are practically none existent in conjunction with the prilosec. Even before the prilosec this made a huge difference. Anything less than 7 hours makes the GERD more present. The less sleep the more severe the symptoms. I find this extremely odd and no one can explain it. Sadly while this is an easy and free fix being busy I find it hard to always get this amount of sleep. But I try and when I do its great.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Apple Cider Vinegar - this was recommended upon feelings of bloating. Haven't tried it yet. Any success?
Sleeping Position - haven't tried this nor will I due to not being able to sleep that way. Plus I have feeling it would have little or no effect on my symptoms considering the above sleep paragraph.
Probiotics - see above. Not sure if this is the route for me.
Yogurt - related to probiotics treatment.

Some of these come from the idea of that I could possibly have candida. From everything talked about above what do you think the possibility of me having Candida is and should I take the acid that is recommended for absolving candida despite the toxicity expulsions?

I realize this is very long. But if people can touch on different things and answer some of my questions I'd appreciate it, thanks.
Posted 11/4/2011 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
I had all of these symptoms, as well as very bad diarrhea, food staying in my stomach way too long, constant GERD, leaky gut syndrome, constant lower stomach pain (to the point where I couldn't bend over) and other aliments caused by poor vitamin / mineral absorption. I was a real mess and it was having a huge impact on my personal life and work. A few years ago my doctor prescribed Prilosec, over time this only made things much worse. Unless you have a condition that is causing your LES to stay open, or its badly damaged, I would say try what worked for me. Basically, your whole GI track needs your stomach to do its job and digest the food properly, if it doesn't all subsequent GI processes are messed up. In order for the stomach to digest its food correctly you stomach acid. For many people with GERD (if not most) their body produces to little stomach acid, not too much. The problem is the stomach acid gets past the the LES and in to the esophagus, where it doesn't belong. This is because of poor food transport (from poor digestion). When the food sits in the stomach it ferments, producing gas, and what stomach acid you do have gets blown past your LES (weakening it) in to your esophagus. Read the book mentioned below. The Candida and/or bacterial imbalance (you probably have both, but this regime fixes both in most cases) starts all of this and causes inflammation of the stomach lining and small intestine. The inflammation causes the stomach produces less acid (and actual damage) which only promotes more bad organisms. Adding a PPI to this scenario only makes things worse. I recommend reading the book, taking it to your GI, and then get his/her OK on the following:


Here is what I took (you can search for these on Amazon or Vitacost, etc):
$11 Vitacost Probiotic 10-20 - 20 Billion CFU - I took two, twice per day, between meals
$14 Jarrow Saccharomyces (yeast based probiotic) - I took 1, twice per day, between meals (with above)
$14 Nutribiotic - Gse Liquid Concentrate, 4 fl oz liquid - I followed the bottle instructions on dose and took once per day
$17 Now Foods Candida Clear Formula, Veg-capsules, 180-Count - I followed the bottle instructions
$12 Super Enzymes 180 Tablets - I take one with every meal and one with protein / fiber containing snacks. Large protein / fiber containing meals I take two. You may have to do this for life if your stomach doesn't completely heal. But believe me, its worth it!
$0 a no sugar, low carb diet for 2 weeks

I recommend you read all of the product reviews on Amazon for these products.

All of this helps GERD. Bad bacterial in the lower intestine prevents digestion, this causes fermentation of food both there and in the stomach, as well as causing food to stay in the stomach far longer than it should. With too much food in the stomach and fermentation you get stomach acid bubbling up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) under pressure. We all know what happens after that. Digest the food properly with the HCL/Enzymes, kill the bad bacteria / yeast that slows food transport and causes fermentation gas, replace the bad bacteria with the good stuff (probioitcs) so that the lower intestine moves food properly (and addresses IBS) as well as fights bad bacteria / yeast. It all makes since, your GI won't disagree, he/she just won't prescribe it, ask them (I've asked 3 of them).

I also highly recommend the book "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD" by Jonathan V. Wright, $11 on Amazon. It also discusses Candida, gastritis, SIBO, but not in great detail. According to the author (who has been writing about this for years) HCl actually helps strengthen the LES. I think just getting rid of the reverse pressure (bubbling acid / gas from the stomach) probably helps the most!

If you try this please come back and let us know how it worked!
Posted 11/4/2011 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
I will definitely look into all of that. A couple of updates/concerns.

You talk about probiotics in your post. Well for me I was immediately more bloated after taking them. As such unless there is a period of adjustment that you have to endure, say a week, I won't take these again. The last thing I need is more bloating. I took Jarrow Jarro EPS Probiotic. This was highly recommended for GERD. I do agree that I think one issue I definitely have is food sits way too long and results in fermentation and by extension gas and bloating. I've felt that ever since reading about GERD a few months ago.

I did try Apple Cider Vinegar a couple times when feeling upset stomach and bloating. I've found that it doesn't have much effect on the bloating but it definitely help settle my stomach down and make me feel less inclined to burp to relieve pressure. So I guess that's a small plus. Although I'm wary of ACV merely because I know if you take it too much it more or less seeps out of you in the sense you then give off the scent of ACV wherever you go which is disgusting. This happened to a friend of mine who had some rather severe health issues and was trying to cure them in various homeopathic ways.

Lastly after I look into the things you've mentioned should I just start taking them together at the same time. Or should I follow some kind of schedule. Start with this supplement or that supplement intitally then as things improve add this etc. That would help. One of the things I wonder about when reading about that is since there are two probiotics how they would affect me. I know probiotics are good but I'm wondering if there is something I need to fix first with another supplement before taking probiotics so I don't get the severe bloating. Or if that is simply just how my body reacts to probiotics. Thanks for your excellent suggestions and advice.
Posted 11/4/2011 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I had the same problems with the probiotics and had quit taking them before. When you add probiotics you end up killing off bad bacteria, this is called a herxheimer reaction, this releases toxins that cause some symptoms to get worse before they get better. Going no sugar / no carbs for a couple of days first really helps (you slowly starve them), and staying no sugar for at least a couple of weeks (I use to eat sugar all the time, which was part of my problem. Now I may eat a desert with a meal once or twice per week, but thats it).

The vinegar can help a little, same concept as HCl tablets, just not nearly as good. The HCl / Enzymes tablets have no smell and also don't damage your teeth (don't split them or chew them!).

If you have any stomach or intestinal inflammation you should fix that first. That is the anti-candida / bacterial part. Do everything but the HCl / Enzymes for 1-2 weeks (until the stomach pain is gone). An inflamed stomach has little to no mucosal barrier left and adding acid to it hurts! I know because I had tried just HCl tablets before and I thought the pain was going to send me to the emergency room. After I fixed my stomach (I only waited one week) adding HCl was not a problem. I've now been taking it for 4 or 5 months and have never had a problem with it, and don't expect to. HCl actually kills candida and bacteria as it enters the stomach, and it also digests the food and moves it out so bacteria have nothing to feed on, this should keep it from getting reinfected. Until you know how well your stomach is, take the HCl after eating about 1/3rd of your meal, this will give it some food to buffer it a little.

I took the probiotics at 3pm (2.5 hours after lunch, and 2-3 hours before dinner) and in the middle of the night (hey, I'm over 50, I get up at least once during the night tongue ). I still take the probiotics (less of it, and only the night dose). The GSE is magical stuff, read all the reviews on Amazon, its amazing. I've never had any side effects from it and if you're on a tight budget you might could skip the Candida Clear and just take GSE (I would definitely take both if you can). If I do get stuck at a social even with lots of deserts I just take GSE when I get home and I know it will take care of those bad microbes for me. But I suspect it also kills a lot of good ones (that is disputed by many people that take it regularly), so be sure to take the probiotics at least 2 hours after taking the GSE (which can be taken with food, e.g. after a meal).

I suspect if you follow this exactly you won't have your gas issues much longer!

Today for lunch I had a 1/3lb hamburger, with onions, cheese, mustard, as well as a large side of french fries. I pretty much eat like this every day for lunch now. I just take my little pill and I know I'll be fine. Never any problems (and it may sound weird, but I really enjoy having good poops, after probably 10 years of bad ones!! My IBS was killing me!) I do watch my sugar intake, I avoid soda pops, I'm still a little lactose intolerant (though that has improved a lot) and try not to eat things toooo hot spicy (though I still like them from time to time I'm too much of a coward to try the ultra hot things of my Texas / Southern heritage). Otherwise I just eat what I want, when I want.

 

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 11/7/2011 7:35:59 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/4/2011 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
So if I understand you correctly start taking everything but the enzymes. Give things a week or two before your stomach has adjusted to the probiotics and then start with the enzymes as well. Also do you have to take all of these things indefinitely or some things just initially til you feel better and then go to a lower dosage or just manage with a couple of them and good dieting practice?

Also any thoughts on why sleep has such a huge and soothing effect when I get plenty vs not much? Just curious.

And if we're being graphic. I have always had good poops per se. Ever since I was a teenager I would have stool that tended to be quite hard and was usually the diameter of a cucumber. I know this sounds graphic and unusual but for the sake of full disclosure there it is. Only when I would have unusual things in my diet or was sick or antibiotics etc would I have softer stool. I have always presumed this to be unusual but never given it much thought. And I still don't necessarily think it means anything. Although being harder and larger would indicate it spends more time in my intestinal tract than waste does for most people (the more time waste spends being processed by your body the more moisture and nutrients that are extracted which is why when you have diarrhea it is super liquidy since your food "goes right through you" per se).

As far as dietary I have definitely made some changes over the last 6-12 months. But even before that I tended to eat rather healthily. I'm not a big sugar person. Never have been. My downfall in the sugar category would probably be pop or diet pops. Outside of that I'm not a big desert, candy, chocolate guy. I like these things but I don't necessarily crave them. I tend to lean towards salty snacks and foods. I don't have lactose intolerance. I actually find it generally soothing for my stomach. Over the last years I have been more health concious for sure. Just trying to eat more naturally and healthier. More greens, more lean meats, etc. I've eaten strictly turkey (no beef besides fast food) for probably 4 years now. Partially because its cheaper but also because its much healthier. And then I've done other things like that as well in my diet. I have always felt the more natural you can eat the better. I'm not a nut I still do fast food more than I should and eating out it is hard to control how they're prepared or the ingredients involved. But I always try to be concious of things and be mindful.

Lastly what I believe ultimately caused my condition. Since I was young, like 12 probably (25 now), I've always liked spicy foods and have always been one to push the boundaries. One time winning a contest among friends for putting 32 jalapeno slices on a single nacho chip, lol. Now granted I didn't always live that dangerously with spicy foods and as I've gotten older I've reeled that in to one degree or another. but I have always loved spicy food and eat it fairly often. Ironically even with my current condition I feel no different after something spicy. It could be spicy or it could be bland and it doesn't affect my stomach any differently. No additional bloating or heartburn. Honestly I rarely get heartburn. Also I worked at Coca Cola for awhile. Which kind of resulted in drinking pop in excess every day for a good year or so. It was hard to avoid. Combine the acidity of that with me turning 21 and starting to drink and you have issues. I had hemmroids briefly before cutting back on pop and alcohol. I never really drank much or heavily but alcohol has always been aggravating for my stomach the next morning. Never affects me then but always after. So yeah I think between spicy foods in great excess, and then average pop and alcohol intake with high spikes here and there. I think these all brought upon my condition by causing my stomach much trouble. But this is just a theory I suppose although I think it to be well founded considering what these various factors do to your stomach over time not to mention all together. Thanks for your help. Hopefully I can beat this thing. But I am not excited about doing probiotics for a week and feeling miserable but oh well.
Posted 11/4/2011 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
I think if you can still handle the jalapenos you can probably handle the HCl. I had a very bad reaction to a few jalapenos and some tequila (sounds like the start of a joke) a few months before I found this "cure". Again, it was because I had no stomach lining. It sounds like your situation isn't as severe. My guess is this will be easy for you, you may want only wait 4-5 days before starting the HCl; the goal is to get the food digesting and on its way properly, that's what it does. But I would still try the anti-candida and the probiotics, just in case and because all of that is good for you anyway.

Hopefully other people, that are much worse off, also read this.
Posted 11/7/2011 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
I was still just a bit curious on the supplements. I was wondering how long I should take this combo of supplements and how long should I expect the bloating reactions to occur?

Also which super enzyme is it on vitacost? There are 3 different 180ct packs. Thanks.
Posted 11/7/2011 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
I've cut way back on the anti-Candida meds. As soon as I run out I'll just rely on the Grapefruit Seed Extract 3-4 times per week. I'll keep taking the probiotics because they're good for me anyway. I would say take everything for at least 3 months and then start cutting back, you should be feeling better long before that.

The Now Super Enzymes have "Tabs" and "Caps", I've been buying the Tabs myself because they're a little cheaper, but people seem to like the caps because they say they're smaller. It probably doesn't matter as I'm sure both would work. I bought mine on Amazon.

 

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 11/7/2011 7:37:18 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/7/2011 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Lovamelin,

First of all please remember the forum is for sharing info and supporting each other.  We are not professionals and any advice posted here is from personal experience.  

From our guidelines:   4. Use good judgement.  NEVER rely on information or opinions exchanged via the forums or chat rooms to replace necessary, personal consultation(s) with qualified health or medical professionals to meet your individual health or medical needs.  Remember that what's right or has worked for one person may not be what's right for you. 

 

I am wondering if you have ever seen a GI physician re GERD ?  There are a variety of tests that practitioners use to diagnose yeast overgrowth, that may include stool tests, blood tests, live blood cell tests.

I am sorry to read of your issues.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 11/7/2011 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
I'm fully aware of that. But I figure try these things. I'm extremely certain I have GERD or possibly Candida. Even if I have Candida as opposed to GERD they are treated nearly the same. I have practically no acid reflux or pain which kind of rules out ulcers. The symptoms of bloating and mild nausea point at only Candida or GERD. Or possibly just underactive intestines that let my food sit too long, which is also a symptom of Candida. As such all things point to those two things and I can't really go wrong by treating either with probiotics and other supplements. I figure it is worth trying and see how it goes. But thank you for your concern.

I have not seen a GI specialist but I have seen my physician about it who prescribed Prilosec. Which has helped but its effects seem limited. As such why I'm looking into additional treatment. Who knows I could well replace the prilosec with these more natural routes.
Posted 11/7/2011 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
Lovamelin,

I am glad to know you are advocating for yourself which is very admirable. As a moderator it is my duty to remind people to be their own best advocate as many members are not and will often use the forums for their medical treatments and ask for dx. 

HealingWell is open to everyone and that draws spammers who have the magical cure so from time to time I remind members that we are a peer support group and not a substitute for the medical professionals.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 11/7/2011 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
I myself did see a GI, three times in fact. First a colonoscopy to diagnose all of the diarrhea / IBS, they found nothing. Then a endoscope for the GERD and constant lower stomach pain (I could not bend over even), they found inflammation and damage to the esophagus (though not yet severe). Then a 3rd visit the GI after I told my GP that I had started taking HCl and the anticandidas, the GP thought that was "dangerous" and that I was going to "destroy" my esophagus! Luckily for me my GI was more intelligent than my Harvard trained GP; my GI told me that if my GERD symptoms were gone (and they were) then I wasn't experiencing acid reflux, thus I couldn't be damaging my LES or esophagus, finally a doctor with some common sense! He told me that what I was doing "made sense" but that he was "classically trained" so he really hadn't received much training on "alternative therapies". Of course I'm trying to figure out what is "alternative" about stomach acid replacement!?!?! Oh yea, drug companies can't make a profit off it and doctors / hospitals can't profit from surgery. Never the less, he told me that if it was working to keep doing it and that my GP was "overly nervous about nothing".

I wouldn't recommend to anyone that they skip the "classically trained" medical doctors (especially if you're insured), do what I did, get all the tests done (although they generally do not do a very good job of testing for stomach bacteria, only testing for a couple of strains. What my GI told me was "we don't test for a lot of them because we don't have treatments for them"!! And they never did test me for candida (or other yeasts) even though I told them that is what I suspected was wrong with me). So dual track it, go to the GI, but at the same time try those "alternative therapies" that will do no harm. (I'm still puzzled about how HCl is "alternative"!!)

btw: I still think PPI's (I too was on Prilosec) for most people do more harm than good. They throw off your entire digestive system and gastrointestinal track. In my case I think it would eventually have let to my death (from heart disease related to severe magnesium / nutrient deficiency). I can't even keep track of the number of symptoms they caused me, that I am now totally free of! Depression, brain fog, GERD, muscle cramps, severe neck pain, high blood pressure, severe stomach pain, very poor food transport, diarrhea, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. Though PPI's didn't start all of these (e.g. GERD), they eventually made them worse or masked the real problem. But hey, I'm no doctor, and as the moderator pointed out, your situation might be different. So get your doctor involved, at least to advise you and monitor you. Oh, and read the book "Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You".

And I'm obviously not a spammer, buy any brand you want, from any source, and buy the book used. I'm not connected to any of these products.

Post Edited (GERD_Free) : 11/7/2011 8:20:53 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/7/2011 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
I currently like my GP. Although I'm not sure how up she is on alternative treatment. I wouldn't say she's a shill for drug companies but who knows.

I have heard of the dangers of PPIs in the past. I have a friend who takes it and she is a pharm tech. She says she takes supplements to offset any deficiencies that the PPI could cause. I've always taken a multivitamin so hopefully that is offsetting any deficiencies caused by the PPI. But I would like to be off of it personally though.

Until I start feeling effects from this regimen I imagine it is recommended that I continue taking my PPI since it does make some difference. Although when I don't get enough sleep it makes little different. The effects were more notable when I started taking it. Now I generally feel bloated as much as I did before. Still a decrease in unsettled stomach and dry heaving in the morning. Although I find one of the best solutions for a nervous stomach is apple cider vinegar so far. Doesn't do much for bloating but definitely helps any feeling of wanting to throw up or what not.
Posted 11/7/2011 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
I've always liked my GP's too, and my GI. Great guys that really did want to help. I also don't think they get any kickbacks (or other compensation) from drug companies. But that's all they know, how to write prescriptions, or refer someone for surgery. I've never been a proponent of natural anything. I figured it was just supported by a bunch of hippies or hipsters because it was trendy and anti-corporation. But after years of frustrations with prescriptions I finally started trying some other things. Some of these things, like HCl, use to be prescribed by doctors (back in the day), and worked very well for a lot of people. But doctors no longer prescribe them because that isn't what they're taught in medical school, they're too old fashion, out of date, and not trendy enough. Also in our litigious environment no one wants to prescribe something that was around 100 years ago when there is a modern drug they could prescribe, even if the older one is many times better. Besides, the patient will sue the drug company, not them, if they end up with cancer of the esophagus after years of GERD or some side effect. Best not to chance it. Thus we're some times relegated to substandard treatment.

Apple Cider Vinegar is simply a weak version HCl, if it works for you with no discomfort than HCl will work even better. Chances are you have some SIBO or candida as poorly digested food and low stomach acid is the perfect breading ground for them. This can also cause gas and bloating (rotting / fermenting food can also cause it).
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