Low Stomach Acid Vs Acid Reflux

Looking back I can see it was a progressive onset and at the time, I was very naïve about nutrition. For my children, who were quite young at the time, I followed the 4 food groups and was very conscious, but I wish I could say I was as diligent for myself!

I made well balanced meals, and then ate what I felt like…before…during…and after meal times. Rolaids had become a staple in my diet as I adhered to my many cravings for such a long period of time. In particular, chips, bread, dips, meat, rice, chocolate, donuts, pizza, Chinese food, but rarely any fruit or veggies. And the sad thing is I never thought anything of it. I could go days without having a bowel movement and actually I was never an overweight person so I was never really concerned. Well I should have been very concerned!

If I began to feel the least bit of indigestion, I would reach for the Rolaids. I never gave it a second thought, until eventually indigestion turned into full blown heartburn. Not long later, the heartburn would linger longer and longer, and I popped more and more Rolaids. The heartburn then never left me. The worst time for me was in the middle of the night. The burning sensation I felt pierced me like a knife in the centre of my heart. Literally I felt like I was having a heart attack, it hurt that much.

I began to eat very little as everything felt like a large rock sitting in the middle of my stomach. When it started waking me at night and keeping me up for hours I would purge what little I had eaten just to get some relief. EVERYTHING I ate was giving me heartburn. I thought I was dying.

Finally I could wait no longer. The pain became too unbearable, and my self help of sodium bicarbonate was not getting me anywhere. I went to my GP for help. After a number of tests, including a Helicobacter Pylori (H-Pylori) test everything came back clean.

The Dr. concluded I had Acid Reflux, my oesophagus was enlarged and my stomach lining was stripped, and then she prescribed some strong antacids for me.

“Great,” I thought, I’ll be all better. I was not all better. I got considerably worse. What was I going to do now? I wasn’t sleeping at night and active all day with my children, I was exhausted. I quit taking the antacids and I felt there must be some other alternative.

One day, I went to the local heath food and vitamin store. There was a girl who I was friendly with and trusted her opinion and her knowledge. From here on, her advice changed my life forever, and in more ways than one.

After telling my friend in great despair what was happening, she informed me that it is possible to have the same symptoms (heartburn, ingestion and constipation) as a result of Low Stomach Acid as well.  As a test she recommended for me to take 2 Apple Cider Vinegar tablets, and if the heartburn eased itself then I had Low Stomach Acid and not Acid Reflux. At first I was concerned about taking something else and it not working for me as with the antacid pills that my doctor prescribed, but really I was very desperate.  My friend explained to me that Apple Cider Vinegar promotes your body making Hydrochloric acid on its own; it would not be harmful to me even if that was not my true problem.  Use it like a supplement. So I did, and it worked!  But then the heartburn returned about 1 hour later.  So I took two more.  Essentially I needed to take 2 Apple Cider Vinegar tablets 6 times a day.  It took a good year or more to reverse the damage to my oesophagus and to my stomach.  I gradually could reduce the dosage and I took 2 tablets when I woke up and 2 tablets before bed, until the time came when I no longer needed them.   I did a lot of research online about nutrition and my digestive system, and learned how to eat better.  That was more than 10 years ago, and at times if I feel the sensation returning, I know to reach for the Apple Cider Vinegar tablets rather than the Rolaids.

I believe that people jumping on the Acid Reflux band wagon have never heard of Low Stomach Acid, and as well there are lots of well advertised drugs that are supposed to cure Acid Reflux.  Instead of teaching people to eat healthy it promotes eating deep fried foods or the like and then popping a pill to allow you to indulge in something clearly non healthy.  One of the best websites I have found to educate people on Low Stomach Acid is http://www.bodyecology.com/07/09/20/low_stomach_acid_symptoms.php, http://www.puristat.com/coloncleansing/lowstomachacid.aspx,

&  http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-hpy.html

Check them out, they are very informative, or type in Low Stomach Acid in your Google search and see for yourself what else is out there.