All prescription medicine has it's side effects that, in some cases can be worse than the condition itself. Good for anyone who can avoid some conditions or treat them naturally. However, I don't think that is the norm. I have bad reflux- endoscopies every 5 years. All the vitamins and what- not don't help. Nexium is my friend. I don't want Barrett's Esophagus or esophageal cancer.
There may , yes, be damage that routine natural helps can't fix. Looking back, did you try apple cider vinegar, or enzymes, or distilled water, or a walk around the block ? All simple helps that almost always work, as published since around a hundred years ago and confirmed countless times . Also need to avoid the bad things - foods and drinks often eaten or consumed that cause continuing problems no matter what else is done.
I'd rather not be miserable. I really don't like to take meds but sometime you have to do what will help you feel good.
Nexium is not one's friend... My neighbor who is 94 now and as long as I've known her has talked about gerd, reflus etc etc and has TRIED and some with success products from our health food companies we buy from. The latest product that helps her with nausea and gerd stuff is Oscillococcium (30 dose boxes) is what she buys and takes is a vial daily. I'm doing a search of another one she's used with success and will post it if I find it...she could not think of it. This is another product DGL both she and I take over many years...I'm not now but could help you too with your issues: https://www.iherb.com/pr/natural-fa...MIhMD60Zy19gIV6B-tBh3emgvHEAQYASABEgLymvD_BwE
Yes, that's exactly how I see it. Throw in the chance of an Alzheimer's link with those PPI's, and I'll stick with my baking soda. I'm still PO'd that the gastro guy I recently saw went ahead and put through a prescription for Prilosec for me that I never asked for. It was a prescription only 40mg. pill versus the 20mg., available OTC. I never picked it up or paid for it.
The nerve and I left allopathic docs starting in the 80's....have no desire to return to any of them if I can help it.
Some have a fear of baking soda, and I'm thinking as I've gotten older, the low dose am/pm is OK for me, and some days I may skip one dose.....what do you think T.G.? I just suggested this for a health friend who is 77 and said it could help him.....
I think the issue is that you can take too much and mess with your body's Ph level. Wasn't this an issue a while ago with some folks eating antacids like candy? I have no idea what the threshold might be. I don't know if the same is true with folks taking vinegar.
I don't think vinegar is an issue, and small amount of sodium bicarb probably isn't either. No expert on this front, but some of the homeopaths and chiropractors recommend alkalinized water for their patients. I would also think that monitoring urine pH might be a good thing, as the kidneys should rid the body of acids, so if the urine pH rises above 6.5 or 7.0, it might be time to re-evaluate things. also, be aware that raising the pH of the stomach retards protein digestion and encourages H.pylori growth.
I was just pointing that out. H. pylori appear to the the "PPI" equivalent in third world areas, but causes ulcers in much of the Western world, perhaps because of the more abundant diet. I don't know that the small amount mentioned above would affect it long term.
Like so many of these threads, I've been inspired to go off to read more. I had no idea that alkaline water was a thing you could buy, nor did I realize you could buy an ionizer (for several hundred dollars) to make it at home. My well water has a ph of 7.3 so it's pretty neutral, compared to "most" tap water, which is claimed to be in the 4.3 to 5.3 range...that's more acidic than vinegar!
One tums, one antacid, can increase the risk of actual health problems and rarely is addressing the actual cause of discomfort which almost always is stomach acid that is too weak and is floating on the contents of the stomach thus causing pain by being where it is not supposed to be. When the needed food, water, enzymes or vinegar is consumed to get the too weak stomach acid stronger to mix with the contents of the stomach, then the actual issue is taken care of and the pain or discomfort of gerdetcetcetc goes away in five to ten minutes. If per chance , and vary rarely may occur, someone's stomach acid is actually too strong, then instead of being helpful and relieving the condition, acv would aggravate it instead of relieve it.