It started 4 years ago. My baby turned 30, my mother died, and then my stomach broke.

For 30 some years, I had the same issues as everyone else: some food gave me heartburn (eat some TUMS), some caused diarrhea (stay close to home for a few hours), and some caused minor nausea (well, just puke). All easily dealt with.

This was different.

I thought – no, I BELIEVED – that I was having a heart attack. The pain was intolerable. It was constant. It was accompanied by severe stomach pain, unbearable nausea and extreme diarrhea. Day after day, week after week. Non-stop.

Only people that have experienced it will understand. Everyone else will think, “Yeah, sure, I get heartburn, too. Eat some TUMS.”

This is different.

I started seeing doctors. Lots of doctors. I had blood tests, CAT scans, ultrasounds and scopes. Everything came back clear. So, the doctors put me on Nexium (which my insurance company refused to pay for, but that’s a whole other blog!) and Prilosec and other “prazoles”. They gave me a script, told me to give up smoking, coffee, and alcohol and pat me on the head before sending me on my way.

The “heart attack” feeling (and everything else) went on for years. Some days were better then others, but it was always there. I started scheduling my eating (never eat within 2 hours of actually leaving the house and never eat while you’re out). I started eating fewer and fewer types of food (everything affected me except peanut butter, some crackers and boiled chicken). If I did go somewhere, I made certain the first thing I did was scope out the layout and locate the bathrooms immediately. Then, I just stopped going out (it was too embarrassing to tell people I may have an accident). It got worse and worse. I stopped eating. I went back to the doctors.

Every time I saw a doctor the result was the same. They increased the dosage for meds to stop acid from being produced. They told me to give up smoking, coffee, and alcohol and pat me on the head before sending me on my way.

This made no sense to me. I was getting worse and they weren’t concerned. I couldn’t eat. I was horribly sick all of the time. One doctor told me that as long as I drank fluids, I could go 30 days without eating. “Food makes you sick? Well, don’t eat!”

Don’t we NEED acid to digest our food? If the pills were stopping the acid from being produced, was it any wonder food gave me diarrhea? If gas was causing the constant “heart attack” feeling, shouldn’t they figure out WHY my stomach was making all that gas? I asked the questions but didn’t get any answers.

I started researching. I figured out a few things that helped me.

This blog isn’t for everyone. This blog is not going to give you a diagnosis based on similar symptoms. I am not a doctor nor do I have ANY experience in the medical field. This blog is to share what I found helped me with acid reflux. There are lots of us out there. More than you know. In fact, children as young as 7 are being put on Prilosec! I mean, really?

There may be some things you can do to alleviate your symptoms. Some of these are fast and easy; some need an investment of time.

GET TESTED FOR H. PYLORI

According to WebMD and Mayo Clinic, about two-thirds of the world’s population has the bacteria H. Pylori in their bodies. For most people, it doesn’t cause symptoms. For some, it attacks the lining of the stomach, which protects you from the acid your body uses to digest food. Once the bacteria have done enough damage, acid gets through the lining, which leads to ulcers. These may bleed, cause infections, or keep food from moving through your digestive tract. Symptoms of ulcers can include bloating, burping, nausea, vomiting and a dull or burning pain in your belly. It may come and go, but you’ll probably feel it most when your stomach is empty, such as between meals or in the middle of the night. It can last for a few minutes or for hours. You may feel better after you eat, drink milk, or take an antacid.

According to John Hopkins, 80% of gastric ulcers develop because of an H. Pylori infection and it’s treatable with antibiotics. A simple blood, stool or breath test is used to identify H. Pylori and probably runs about $50.

BUY SOFT PEPPERMINT

Something about peppermint helps soothe the stomach. It calms the muscles of the stomach and improves the flow of bile. (It also helps the breath and believe me, with THAT stomach, your breath smells more like a corpse than roses!) Any peppermint will help, but I’ve found that the soft, porous type alleviate gas, bloating and pain quicker. When you feel that heat in your stomach, or that pressure on your chest, suck on soft peppermint.

(CAUTION: Some websites say that peppermint should not be used for Acid Reflux or GERD. Use your judgment or speak to your doctor if you are concerned.)

My personal favourites are Porous Peppermint Sticks from Vermont Country Store, Bob’s Mint Sticks from the Cracker Barrel, or King Leo Soft Peppermint Stick Candy which is available at Amazon.

TAKE ACTIVE CHARCOAL

Again, I’m not a doctor and recommend you speak with your physician or pharmacist, but none of the doctors I visited knew what it was or had used it (which surprises me since it was commonly used to treat poison). When I think of Active Charcoal, I think of the stuff that we used to put in fish tank filters. It filtered out all of the bad stuff and kept the water clean. It seems to have the same effect on my stomach.

It can filter out good meds, too, so speak with your doctor but, there is nothing bad in it. The ingredients on the bottle read: Activated Charcoal and Gel Capsules. That’s it. That’s all. It’s not a med and can be purchased over the counter. For me, it was a miracle! It will turn your stool black, so don’t panic. I don’t overuse it. I use it on particularly bad days.

There are a few brands out there. Nature’s Way and Charco Caps are just two of them. Speak with your pharmacist or order them online at Amazon. They run about $5-$7 a bottle.

CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES TO PPIs

Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Omeprazole, and Lansoprazole, are Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), medicines that work by drastically reducing the amount of acid your stomach makes. This may work well for some, but for me, it made me get sicker and sicker as time went on. Especially when they increased the dosage a number of times.

I’ve switched to an H₂ antagonist (Zantac, Pepcid AC or Tagamet) with great results. During bad episodes, when I wake up in the morning, I immediately eat 2 TUMS, wait an hour and then take my Zantac. Only one doctor mentioned (casually) that it matters what time of day you take it, and that it “helps” to eat 2 TUMS an hour before taking it. It may not work for others, but it made a huge difference for me.

Additionally, my doctor seemed confused at some blood test results. He was astounded that I had no vitamin B. None. Not even a trace. That was after a few years of taking the PPIs he had prescribed. According to every medical site I’ve been on, these drugs have been associated with an increased risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies (vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, iron and magnesium). You know that acid that your stomach produces? It’s necessary to absorb vitamin B12 from the foods you eat. When you stop the acid, you reduce your ability to absorb vitamins. Consider taking supplements.

By the way, there is far less damage to the kidneys when taking an H₂ antagonist (Zantac) then there is taking a PPI (Nexium and Priolsec) for long periods. And yes, they hurt the kidneys. Especially the PPIs.

AVOID PROCESSED FOODS

Although everyone is probably tired of hearing it, you are what you eat. Avoid processed food. Look at ingredients. I know when I’ve eaten processed foods. I can tell because I get sick 15-30 minutes after eating it. Read labels and if there are ingredients that end in “ite” or “ate”, or if it has high fructose corn syrup, get something else to eat.

• Many peanut butters made me sick. I had to choose one that was all natural. Kroger’s has a great natural peanut butter. The ingredients are roasted peanuts and salt.
• I can’t eat Campbell’s soup but organic soup (like Pacific) doesn’t bother me.
• White sugar bothered me for a very long time. I had to use honey as a sweetener for everything from a jelly substitute for my sandwiches, to sweetening my coffee.
• White bread made me ill for over a year. I could eat homemade bread or bakery bread, but not Wonder bread (or anything like it).
• I could eat tuna filets but not canned or packaged tuna.
• I can eat most cheese without any problem, but had to give up American cheese slices.

What you eat matters.

DOCUMENT WHAT YOU EAT

Start a journal, create a spreadsheet, or get an app for your phone. Document what you eat and drink, when you eat or drink it and how you feel. Start looking for patterns. After journaling for a year, I discovered a few bizarre things about how food affects me.

If I fry an egg in butter, I get violently ill when I eat it. But I can eat the same egg scrambled and cooked using the same butter and frying pan without getting sick. Go figure!

The doctors all told me to stay away from tomatoes (acidity) and cucumbers (hard to digest). I have no problems with either.

Document what and when you eat and learn what works for you.

TAKE A DIGESTIVE AID

Remember my earlier questions: WHY does my stomach make so much acid and gas? No one ever answered me. Then one day, we went to a bourbon distillery for a tour. As the tour progressed, we arrived at large open tubs with mash bubbling away.

The tour guide told us to touch it. I hesitated, thinking it was boiling but it was stone cold! I asked why. She explained that it was fermenting. Here was this mash bubbling away, and if you leaned over it, you could pass out because it was giving off tons of gas.

What if part of my problem was that I was an extremely slow digester (which was confirmed by a gall bladder ultrasound)? Is food fermenting in my stomach? That would explain the excessive gas being produced (which sits on my chest causing that “heart attack” feeling). In that case, if I could digest better, I would be less likely to make all that gas. So, how could I digest better?

I discovered Digestive Enzymes. In a nutshell, your liver, pancreas and gall bladder makes digestive enzymes. These enzymes break down food into nutrients so that our bodies can absorb them. Digestive enzymes help you digest your food. But, if the enzymes aren’t working well, or there’s not enough of them, you digest slower.

I have found that taking Digestive Enzyme supplements has helped tremendously. Talk to your pharmacist (You and your pharmacist will be best friends by the time you’re done. My pharmacist, Diana, is coming for supper tomorrow.) They can be purchased over the counter or ordered online at GNC and many other sites.

TAKE PROBIOTICS

In addition to digestive enzymes, there is good bacteria (and bad bacteria) in your body that helps digest food and do a million other good things. Without the good bacteria, your immune system can be compromised. The bad bacteria destroys the enzymes you need to digest your food. You get sick. Eating soft cheeses, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, and yogurt can repopulate the gut’s good bacteria (Now you know why Jamie Lee Curtis eats Activia).

Probiotics (the good bacteria in pill form) is another choice. You can get them everywhere, but know that they’re alive, so check the date. Good bacteria that’s dead won’t help.

DRINK MORE WATER

It aids digestion. Need I say more?

DEVELOP A ROUTINE

When you find what works for you, it’s important that you stick with it. Establish a routine, and for the most part, stick to it!

I have found that it’s best for me if I drink a glass of water immediately after waking up (it gets all my organs awake and working). Then, if needed, I take 2 TUMS and an hour later my Zantac. I eat either a bowl of oatmeal (NOT instant!) or peanut butter toast. Every two hours I eat something small (crackers, a spoonful of peanut butter, some cheese). Every two hours! Don’t skip! When I do eat a meal, it consists mostly of salad (of course, add kale or spinach or other good healthy stuff) and some protein. I don’t eat red meat or processed food. Not that I’m a health nut. I love bacon and burgers and a good steak. But they don’t like me! So, I stick with eggs, cheese, REAL fish or chicken (not fried). Another glass of water before going to bed.

RESEARCH LEAKY GUT SYNDROME

Recently, I came across a few articles on Leaky Gut Syndrome. I don’t know a lot about it yet, but if you suffer tremendously, it may be worth your while to do some research on it.

One article (Leaky Gut Syndrome in Plain English) states that:

“Multiple Food Sensitivities can be a sign that your immune system is developing antibodies to everything you’re eating. Nutritional deficiencies are a sign of lacking vitamins and minerals from the improper breakdown of food in your intestines. Chronic diarrhea and constipation are signs of inflammation of the intestinal walls from Leaky Gut. Skin rashes are your body’s way of trying to dump the toxins through the skin perforations. A poor immune system will result from your body trying to wage war on itself and ignoring all the virus and bacteria we encounter on a daily basis, allowing you to get sick more often. Headaches, brain fog, memory loss, and excessive fatigue are a result of the inflammation of tissue and toxin build up. Yeast overgrowth (Candida) will cause cravings for sugar and carbs, gas, bloating, and anxiety. All of these things add up to a host of symptoms with a myriad of explanations… all leading back to one thing: the constant river of foreign objects being allowed to enter your bloodstream.”

I’ll certainly be checking into it!

I would do it now, but I have to run. There’s a bathroom with my name on it!

How do you handle the symptoms of Acid Reflux? Are there tricks I don’t know about? Please share your comments so that we can all benefit. We’re anxiously waiting to hear from you.