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Alternatives to PPI's Part 2

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 5/22/2014 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
For an update on my sprouting, I think the alfalfa sprouts helped out as I didn't experience any problems when eating them with my meals. I am almost out though. Just enough left to get me through today. My next set of sprouts which should be ready today or tomorrow consists of Red Lentil, Green Lentil, French Lentil, Green Pea, Adzuki, and Mung beans. The mixture contains a variety of nutrients and vitamins plus plenty of amino acids and enzymes. I tasted a few that had sprouted a little and they don't taste bad at all. Something that I think I will like about this mixture is that they have quite a bit more protein than the alfalfa sprouts. I think this will help out as I won't have to eat so much meat which gives me the most problems with my digestive system at the moment. I think I may start to substitute the sprouts as my vegetables for some meals so I would just have a small serving of meat and then the sprouts and see how that goes for me. I also like that this mixture of sprouts only takes 2-4 days to be ready. I think I may order another sprouter container so I can have more on hand. I think it would be nice to grow more so I can have some on hand for snacking on as well. I think it would be a lot better to snack on these than scavenging through the cupboards and eating things that don't help. I think I might also pick up a pack of the alfalfa sprout seeds and possibly get a 3rd sprouter and then eat the mixture with some of the alfalfa mixed in.

As for an update for my blog, I don't know how much posting I'll be doing for now as my work schedule has went up to 50 hours a week which gives me even less time to do other things. I think it will look like this for the rest of the summer and possibly into the fall. It is by choice to help with the finances and I think it will be better in the long term of things. I will try to post new things as I can find the time though.

I hope all of you are having a good week so far and hope you have a great memorial day weekend! I don't have much planned myself but will enjoy the 3 days away from work.
Posted 5/22/2014 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
I am reading fast through everything because i am a bit desperate. Does juicing really help? I honestly don't know what to eat. Carrots and kiwis are good, right? I thought i should avoid fruits because they don't digest as fast..
Posted 5/22/2014 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hello ConstantinRa and welcome.

Are you currently on any medication for GERD? Have you had any tests to determine what the cause may be? In most cases GERD can be caused by the digestive system not working properly. In order to get it back on track you need to eat the correct foods in order to get the nutrients your body needs to get everything working again like it is supposed to.

I would say along with my diet change, juicing was one of the best things that helped me. Carrots and kiwis contain a lot of nutrients that are very good for you and help with the healing process. All fruits and vegetables when eaten raw contain enzymes that help break them down which is easier on your digestive tract. When you cook them it destroys the enzymes and then makes them harder to digest as you need more acid and your body needs to produce more enzymes on its own. If you have a build up of bad bacteria, fruits may be a problem due to the sugars they have. I sometimes get some bloating and gas on raw fruits but never seem to have the problem when I juice them. Juicing takes away the fiber so it goes through the digestive system much faster.
Posted 5/22/2014 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hello javery and thanks for answering.

I was diagnosed in the ER last week when i arrived with huge chest pains and thought i was having a heart attack. I also developed some anxiety since it all went down.

I just finished a week of domperidone and sucralfat. I am still taking nexium 40mg once a day and magnesium 500mg 3 times a day. I cant really say that anything has improved.

I tried changing my diet, but i really dont know what i should be eating. I'm just eating boiled potatoes now and some boiled cereals. Also, I try and eat a soup once a day with toast.

How often should i eat? I am currently trying to eat 3 meals a day, but they're pretty small and i'm losing weight. I cannot seem to notice when i am hungry or when i've eaten enough..
Posted 5/22/2014 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
ConstantinRa,

Take a look at this blog post that I have written. It will give you an idea of different foods that should give you no problems.

One thing that I have learned is that doctors are good at diagnosing things and giving you drugs to counteract the symptoms, but most of them don't do a good job and fixing the problems when it comes to our digestive system. What will help you the most is to get the proper nutrients your body needs through fresh fruits and vegetables. The longer you stick with this type of diet the better your body will feel. Without getting these nutrients over a long period of time you can start to feel many different symptoms and it is hard to determine what is actually causing it specifically.

I would suggest eat 1-3 full servings of raw fruits or vegetables for breakfast, 1-2 servings of meat and 1-3 servings of vegetables for lunch, 1-2 servings of raw fruit in the afternoon, and 1-2 servings of meat and 1-3 servings of vegetables for dinner.

If you are interested in juicing then I would suggest to juice first thing in the morning and once in the afternoon if time permits. This will help give your body a boost of nutrients to help with healing and getting you back to normal.

If you need carbs then what has worked for me are bananas, white jasmine rice, or white potatoes.

As far as the nexium, the longer you are on it, the more rebound you may experience when you get off. It is up to you if you want to keep on it or try to quit it now. It may be easier now than later, but that call is up to you as I can't tell you what you should do. If I were you though, I'd stop the nexium.
Posted 5/22/2014 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks javery.

I am almost done reading that blog post. I will try and eat what is on that list and hope for the best.

I honestly can't say if the nexium works or not because i havent felt a significant change since taking it. I am going to another doctor tomorrow and i hope he's gonna help me more than the others..

I'm gonna snack on some kiwis now and a banana. Let's see how this goes.
Posted 5/22/2014 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
A couple of hours have passed since i ate the fruits and i only got a very light heartburn. Overall i am satisfied with this and i will continue to eat more fruits in the future.

The biggest problem i have is with anxiety. I never had panic attacks, but since going to the ER last week i have had probably 5-6 panic attacks. Every time i get the lump in my throat or some mild heartburn, i panic. It accentuates everything and i feel horrible. I keep thinking i'm gonna die, even though i've had 3 ECG's and 2 cardio consultations which turned out fine. Even though i KNOW nothing bad is gonna happen, i still panic and think "what if" . What if something happens.

From what i've read, it seems like gerd goes hand in hand with health anxiety and there isnt much that can be done about it.

Who knows.. Maybe if i'll eat all these fruits my panic attacks will go away just as fast as they came.
Posted 5/22/2014 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
There are a lot of people who are taking the acid reducing drugs such as nexium who are trying to get off but having a difficult time. You are lucky to have found this forum before already being on them for many years as if you make changes now and continue down that path, you'll be less likely to run into the problems that many others are facing.

If you think about it, what you eat and give your body is what it has to work with to create new cells to replace the old ones. If you don't get the proper nutrients, then your body doesn't have much to work with. The healthier you eat, the better your body rewards you with more energy and feeling much better. I wish I would have thought this way many years ago when I was just eating whatever I wanted not thinking about what my body needed, but what I wanted. If you don't get the proper nutrients, your organs have to work harder and eventually they start failing due to not having what they need. In most countries, society has made us no longer in surviving mode on the foods we eat, but more in a luxury mode where we can get all sorts of foods that are harmful for us, but taste good, so we continue to eat that way. By understanding what our bodies need and how to give it what it needs to function properly, then we can enjoy our lives much more.

I hope that you will be able to prevent any worse symptoms by eating properly so you don't have to suffer like others do. I was 23 when I got put on medication but after many years of being on it, it stopped working and has opened my eyes as to why and what I need to do to fix it. I am now 31 and wish I would have known more at 23, or sooner, so I wouldn't have to be going through what I am now.
Posted 5/22/2014 6:13 PM (GMT 0)

ConstantinRa said...
A couple of hours have passed since i ate the fruits and i only got a very light heartburn. Overall i am satisfied with this and i will continue to eat more fruits in the future.

The biggest problem i have is with anxiety. I never had panic attacks, but since going to the ER last week i have had probably 5-6 panic attacks. Every time i get the lump in my throat or some mild heartburn, i panic. It accentuates everything and i feel horrible. I keep thinking i'm gonna die, even though i've had 3 ECG's and 2 cardio consultations which turned out fine. Even though i KNOW nothing bad is gonna happen, i still panic and think "what if" . What if something happens.

From what i've read, it seems like gerd goes hand in hand with health anxiety and there isnt much that can be done about it.

Who knows.. Maybe if i'll eat all these fruits my panic attacks will go away just as fast as they came.

 

Hi Constantin,

 

Welcome,

If you can read my posts I have one about Stress and Reflux.

It seems that stress and anxiety affects greatly the Reflux.

 

I am packing and leaving tomorrow, so I can not write as much as  would like, but if you read my posts, I hope they will help.

Big hugs to everyone, and wishing all  are having a good day.

 

Posted 5/22/2014 6:16 PM (GMT 0)

javery said...
There are a lot of people who are taking the acid reducing drugs such as nexium who are trying to get off but having a difficult time. You are lucky to have found this forum before already being on them for many years as if you make changes now and continue down that path, you'll be less likely to run into the problems that many others are facing.

If you think about it, what you eat and give your body is what it has to work with to create new cells to replace the old ones. If you don't get the proper nutrients, then your body doesn't have much to work with. The healthier you eat, the better your body rewards you with more energy and feeling much better. I wish I would have thought this way many years ago when I was just eating whatever I wanted not thinking about what my body needed, but what I wanted. If you don't get the proper nutrients, your organs have to work harder and eventually they start failing due to not having what they need. In most countries, society has made us no longer in surviving mode on the foods we eat, but more in a luxury mode where we can get all sorts of foods that are harmful for us, but taste good, so we continue to eat that way. By understanding what our bodies need and how to give it what it needs to function properly, then we can enjoy our lives much more.

I hope that you will be able to prevent any worse symptoms by eating properly so you don't have to suffer like others do. I was 23 when I got put on medication but after many years of being on it, it stopped working and has opened my eyes as to why and what I need to do to fix it. I am now 31 and wish I would have known more at 23, or sooner, so I wouldn't have to be going through what I am now.

 

Dear  Javery,

 

I appreciate your valuable info about nutrition. When I arrive home I will try it.

 

Hugs.

Posted 5/23/2014 8:43 AM (GMT 0)
Hi ConstantineRa!
Javery and pazshalom are right. Stress and anxiety do have a big effect on gerd, and other illness as well. At first, it's hard to ignore. But keep on doing the right thing, like the healthy diet and avoid foods that triggers gerd. Juicing really helps, not only heal us, but also prevents other illnesses. Raw veggies and fruits are very effective, and cheap! They are the best option if you really want to heal your gerd issue. Sooner or later, you'll feel better.
And Yes, there will be times of relapse--days of symptom attack and pain--where you will panic again (like I did), but if you continue the diet, the pain and discomfort will eventually get lesser and frequent. And soon, the anxiety will also disappear. Just stay focused on your healing. Remember that you are on the right track.

Mouche,
i'm sorry to hear about the bad news. But there's still a good news! It's early and easy to treat. Just continue to eat healthy! i also admire your strength!! I pray for your fast healing! ;)

To all,
I'm happy to say that I have no SOB, lump in my throat or heartburn anymore. No more bloating and burping! The only thing that stays is a little dry cough and little back pain which comes and goes. My anxiety is lesser! Though there were times that I get upset, it became less frequent unlike the past few weeks where all I do all day is to worry. I'm so much convinced that we will all be healed, we just have to continue our healthy diet and positive outlook. We can do it.
I hope we all get better, everyday! I will pray for everyone! Hope you have a good day. :)
Posted 5/23/2014 11:01 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you Dear Angel. I will follow your info about nutrition when I get back.

I can see that the calmer you are , your symptoms have become lesser! I am so happy for you. Today I go on a trip and it has been stressful preparing, but I will try to relax more in the trip. I like that you have the faith that we all be healed! Just keep dieting and positive outlook. Thank you, Angel. for your prayers.
What is SOB?

I hope and pray that everybody gets better and better each day.

Hugs to each one of you.

Mouche my friend, you are in my prayers daily, as well as everybody. Everything will be alright.

Have a peaceful and restful day, Hugs
Posted 5/23/2014 3:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi pazshalom! Im sorry i didnt make it clear, what i mean is Shortness of breath.
You know, all of you and everyone's posts have helped me a lot. I always read every posts and articles you suggest and little by little I learn and educate myself, leading me into a lot of comfort! I thank God I found this forum!
I also became aware of the possible side effects if I take medication for a long period of time. I Really didnt think of that until I joined here.

I am always tuning to all your tips and advice!

God bless everyone!
Posted 5/23/2014 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Eveyrone. I haven't posted for a couple of days although I have read all the posts. I still have a bad day every now and again which is hard to deal with. Still waiting for the doctors office to call regarding the biopsies and then I have lots and lots of questions for this guy. I only hope he has a few answers for me. I have been juicing and really enjoy it first thing in the morning. Because my instructions were to add more fiber into my diet I added a little bit of the pulp from the juicing which I hope is going to help. I eat lots of veggies and fruits anyway so not sure how much more fiber I can eat.
Javery where did you get your sprouts and how did you know what sort of mix to get. I am very interested and would like to see what they look like before and after sort of thing. I am glad they seem to be working for you. I don't have a 'green thumb' so I don't know if I would be able to grow any. Do you eat them raw? Mix them in your food? I imagine they would also be considered fiber as well wouldn't they? I hope you will still be able to post on here despite your busy schedule. I think you have helped a lot of people including myself. I have panicked many a time as you know, and you have really been a calming influence for me along with passing on so much information that is helpful.
constantinara - welcome to this group. You will learn a lot here if you continue to read. When I started on a PPI many years ago I would say it took around 3 months for me to start feeling better. I also went to the hospital for pains in my chest thinking it was a heart attack. I have been on several PPI's over 10 years eventually being on Nexium for around 5 years. I did no research into the medicine and just did as the doctors told me to do 'keep on taking the medicine'. They did me no favors at all and I was just dumb thinking I had to take the medicine to keep me well. In January I thought the medicine (nexium) had stopped working as I was having bouts of nausea and pain in my chest again. To keep a long story short. I ended up seeing a GI doctor who advised that I alternate the 40mgs nexium with 20msgs omeprazole then switch to the omeprazole which I did. however, I have gone through some really really bad days with awful acid rebound. This group of people kept me sane and on track as many times I just wanted to go back to the nexium and feel somewhat better than I was feeling. This has now been 3 months and I am somewhat better ready to start reducing the omeprazole. I have found eating a bland diet with fruits and veggies the best. I kept a food log for months and could rarely pinpoint things that made me sick. One time I would eat it and I would be fine sick the next. Stick with fish eggs and chicken with veggies (fresh) snack on fruits. Like Javery says add some white rice and white potatoes. I found them to be very acceptable. Deep breathing helps as well and trying to relax the whole body if you can. I hope you can find some help and comfort on here.
I hope everyone has a lovely week-end.
Posted 5/23/2014 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Lily,

I am happy you are doing good for the most part. I hope you are able to get the answers you want from your doctor.

The sprouts I got I ordered off of Amazon from The Sprout House. They have a lot of different mixtures so I just picked one to try out. I ended going with Holly's Mix which has a variety of beans in it. They do have fiber along with a lot of other good stuff. It's not hard to do at all as you don't have to deal with dirt or anything else. The sprouter I went with is very easy to use. All you do is soak the seeds in a bowl of water for 4-12 hours, depending on the size, and then spread them in the trays of the sprouter. Then you just pour 2 cups of water in the top tray 2-3 times a day, rotating the trays each time, and then empty the water collection tray when the water makes it through all the way. Really simple to do and I spend literately less than 1 minute total to take care of them each day.

There's also a lot of information on the Sprout People website. If you go under the Seeds menu and look at a page they have images of the different sprouts and what they look like at different stages of growth. The alfalfa I grew first took about 4 days to grow and the beans I'm doing now were done yesterday at 2 days, but I haven't been able harvest them yet. They are easy to harvest to as all you need to do is rinse them off then dry them and put them in a container in the fridge. Or you can just put the lid on the sprouter and put them in the fridge. I eat them plain or mixed in with food. I wouldn't suggest cooking them as it destroys the enzymes. I've only eaten them raw so far. They taste like normal vegetables for the most part so that shouldn't be a problem either. You can order a variety pack with trial size packages of different mixtures. I think I may do that to try to find something I like the most and probably go that route.

By the way, if you order seeds from the same company that I do and have Amazon Prime, or order $25 or more, then the shipping is free for most of their seed products.
Posted 5/23/2014 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for that information Javery. I am certainly going to look into this. For the time being I am not going to be changing much about my diet until after I have had a consultation with the doctor (whenever that might be). I am continuing to juice however. I watched the video 'Fat Sick and nearly Dead'. It was an eye opener. Not that I need to lose any more weight but the nutritional value of juicing fruits and vegetables makes so much sense. I think I would like the sprouts as I like lentils and beans. Thanks again for the info.
Posted 5/23/2014 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
javery I have a question for you. I haven't had that 'something stuck in the throat' feeling for a couple of weeks now. However, this afternoon I ate a couple of chestnuts and now it is back. Any thoughts on that and why. Would it be the chestnuts or something I ate earlier and why now after a long time or not having it? Thanks.
Posted 5/23/2014 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Lily,

The only thing I can think of is that the 'something stuck in the throat' feeling must be the throat constricting due to an allergic reaction or something. So my guess would be that that is what is happening but I haven't done any research on that particular symptom to understand what it may be. I'll be gone for the weekend but maybe next week I'll try to see what I can find about what may be causing that. I would say to avoid anything that gives you that feeling after eating it as I would think it has to do with the food.

Have a great weekend!
Posted 5/23/2014 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Javery, I will try the chestnuts again and see if the same thing happens. I was so happy it had gone away as it is a stressful symptom.
you also have a great week-end
Posted 5/27/2014 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Good afternoon everyone, I pray everyone had a great long weekend,

@Lily I hope you get your results soon and I'm so happy things are going better for you.

@Angel, thank you so much!!!

Well things for me are going well, the lower 20mg dose of Nexium is going well, I have great days and then so so days. I think I will do another month of 20mg before reducing again, I see where Nexium is coming out on June 1st as an OTC ppi. Had a thought of maybe trying to switch to OTC brand, but not sure after that last really rough switch.

What I'm doing seems to be working so maybe I shouldn't rock the boat huh. :) I'm still loosing weight and I KNOW that has been a big help in reducing my symptoms, I'm down from 190lbs to 173lbs, want to get to 150- 155 and then I will stop loosing. My better postures at work has helped also I sit at a desk all day and over the years I let the slumping get out of control.:)

Eating smaller more frequent meals has been a blessing and it has taken some getting use to but I am adapting really well.

Well I guess that's it for my update, oh!!! as far as the anxiety goes, it is a work in progress for me, but my prayer time has really help to ease those feelings and I pray away the stress daily.

Have a great day everyone!!!

Post Edited (Mouche) : 5/29/2014 7:07:25 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/27/2014 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Mouche,
Glad you are doing good. I hope it continues to go good for you and you'll be able to get down to an H2-blocker then off of that just fine.


As for me, I had an ok weekend. I find that I've been having a hard time trying to get back down to 1 pepcid a day. I think it's mainly from all the temptations out there. My wife made cookies yesterday and I had 2. Wanted more but stopped myself. I think it just need to say no to everything that is not natural and try that for a month and see how I am. Sprouting has been going good. Wasn't able to grow another batch of sprouts right away and I used up what I had on Saturday so I'm on day 3 without sprouts and have some that might be ready tomorrow. I'm going to stick with my juice and fresh fruit in the morning for breakfast and then meat and vegetables for lunch and dinner. I'll then eat some sprouts with the meals as well as snacking throughout the day. I'll just have to make sure I have enough sprouts on hand. I haven't been eating much of any jasmine rice lately so I'm thinking about eating more of that. My goal is to go long enough with just eating things my body needs vs. eating things that I want so that I will hopefully not cave in to eating the bad stuff anymore. When I was eating the sprouts I enjoyed them. I want to get a variety of them but will just take it slow until I get everything figured out as to how much I need to grow at a time and how I'm going to store them.

Hope everyone is doing good!
Posted 5/27/2014 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thought I would also mention that I've been doing some testing with pineapple and acid reflux. If I can, when I start to feel some heartburn, I'll go and eat a few pieces of pineapple. So far it helps and makes the heartburn go away. Because of this I always make sure there is fresh cutup pineapple in the fridge. I wouldn't use the canned stuff as through the processing phase it's probably not the same as fresh pineapple.
Posted 5/27/2014 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks javery, you will be off that 1xday Pepcid in no time, I have a hard time resisting the temptations too. :) it seems like your pineapple has the same effects that my watermelon has. If I start to feel the burn in my throat it takes it away immediately, I wish I liked pineapple because I would give it a try. I worried how I will do when the watermelon season is over, they have really been good this year.
Posted 5/28/2014 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
How are you guys?
I hope everyone is feeling better!
Have a wonderful sleep later and a wonderful day tomorrow!

-angel
Posted 5/28/2014 9:38 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Lily, Mouche, Angel and Javery and everyone else-I'm glad you are doing well!

Javery, thanks for the pineapple tip. I cannot wait to try that as I love pineapple but haven't had it for years. Mainly because it is difficult for me to prepare but now I am motivated to try it again.

Mouche, I bought some watermelon and am looking forward to trying that too. Thanks for the recommendation.

As for me I have had a tough few days. Not sure what is going on with me as I have been doing everything carefully. Eating small meals, taking digestive enzymes (rotating the brands with each meal) and probiotics and DGL. Not eating 3 hours before I lay down but still burning and discomfort. Something is off.

I guess my main concern is that since the doctors seem unsure as to what I have exactly maybe it isn't acid reflux/GERD/Digestive issues? It feels so uncomfortable- the burning I get in my neck and chest and back. Worse than when I get just the arm burning. Just a general sense of malaise. Anyway, sorry for venting and I hope everyone continues doing well!
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