anyone tried fasting?

If you try it, let me know. I can't go a few hours without eating or the acid gets really bad!

Acid Storm  said...
What I want to know is WHY the evening (not sleep or laying down) is such a problem, even when I skip dinner. Does the motility of the stomach just shut down at a certain time? Or does the LES get tired from a long day?

It seems to me there are two issues: (1) too much acid production and (2) stomach pushing acid and food up into the esophagus.

Good Morning,

These are some technical questions that may be best addressed with your GI specialist. 

However re fasting, I would not choose this method for dealing with your GERD unless you are closely supervised by your physician.  Just my 2 cents worth today.

Take care and stick with us.

Kitt

refluxman,

You're lucky you can get away with jogging. Sometimes running is not well tolerated by GERD sufferers. Hard exercise makes the esophagus and LES valve relax, and combined with the up and down/abdominal squeezing of running, it can throw some acid up into the esophagus.

Maybe you have the type of GERD where your LES valve only opens when your stomach is distended by food, and it is closed when your stomach is empty. That might explain why you only get problems when eating.

speden

I've been thinking about trying fasting myself. I used to fast occasionally a long time ago, and it seemed as though my stomach would always shrink a little, and things would basically tighten up around my gut. And I'm thinking that might not be a bad thing. I had always heard that fasting gave your digestive organs a rest and an opportunity to heal. I wonder about the acid production though.

Having said that, fasting can do more harm than good if not done properly. The biggest risk seems to be setting up a sense of deprivation that results in overeating or bingeing at the conclusion of the fast. I think if you are going to fast you need to have a precise plan for the transition from fasting to normal eating again. For instance if you're going to fast for three days, plan for a gradual return to a normal diet for three more days. Therefore, it's a six day process (and discipline), not just three. It's better to do a shorter fast with a good transition than a longer one that leads to bingeing that ultimately does more harm than good. Other alternatives are doing some sort of a simplified diet, such as just brown rice, steamed vegetables, fruits or juices. The book 'Healing with Whole Foods' by Paul Pitchford has an excellent section on therapeutic fasting.

In general making gradual changes in diet (and meal size) over time may be more effective than the all or nothing approach of fasting. Fasting can be a powerful tool, but it can be difficult and somewhat dangerous in terms of setting up cycles of deprivation and overindulgence that can lead to disordered eating. The author Geneen Roth always says 'behind every period of deprivation lurks an equal and opposite binge.' There are some people who can fast successfully and some for whom a more gradual approach is better.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

I have had acid test my gastero doctor said, a meter down inside esophagus, I am in 95% worst acid producters. I considered surgery, declined as I am also long term type 2 diabetic. I desire to do fasting to drop pounds to help my diabetes, but am always treating my acid reflux with some mix of two 40 mg pantoprozole ( PPI) and/ or two 150 to 300 mg ranitidine pills a day. My body seems to rely on some food to come to stomach after acid treatment with pills. I tried a little intermittent fasting before, it was limited help but I stopped without very much trial. Other type 2 have both long term chronic ills and use fasting?

Welcome to HealingWell, cityjimmy. Sharon is right. It's always best to discuss something like this with your doctor. Losing weight will certainly help with blood sugar control and probably with gerd symptoms as well.

Fasting or intermittent fasting might help for a short time but it's hard to know the long range effects on the body. As a diabetic myself, I found that eating a low carb diet with some protein and lots of vegetables and greens is best for blood sugar control. I am not talking about keto or fad diets but a food plan that you can actually live with and have good results. For instance, a piece of meat/chicken/fish with several cooked and raw veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and greens (cooked or raw) will help you lose weight. A small amount of dairy like plain yogurt, cheese and a small amount of fruit like berries will give you a nice food variety. Please talk to your doctor about a food plan like this to see of he/she approves.

If you would like more info about blood sugar, you can click on the link in my signature.