Terrible reflux!

GrammyLou · Post by **GrammyLou** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:46 pm

So it's been a couple of weeks since this started and I just can't get rid of this horrible reflux! I have eliminated ALL my supplememts for now (except for topical mag) but it's been a few days and last night was the worst reflux ever! I'm wondering if it might be all the olive oil I've been using to cook...or my thought this morning was perhaps it's nuts? I haven't been eating a lot, but have added some to my diet. I have resorted to drinking a bit of apple cider vinegar a couple of nights, which seemed to help some. I hate to resort to PPI's because I know they are not good for you. I'm thinking of trying digestive bitters or digestive enzymes. Any thoughts?

Post by **tex** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:14 pm

H2 antihistamines are safe to use if you need them. They don't cause the side effects of PPIs. There is a chance that it could be the olive oil.

Tex

carolm · Post by **carolm** » Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:13 pm

Hi Louise,
I recently titrated off of Dexilant (a strong PPI) to 300 mg of ranitidine without any trouble. To echo what Tex said you may want to try ranitidine or another H2 antihistamine for a short term and see if that helps. It makes a big difference for me. Upper GI issues and nausea are a primary feature of my LC.

I also take 400-500mg of magnesium and 10,000 of D3, as those are supposed to also help with reflux.
Carol

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:45 pm

I can't do olive oil often, a little bit is ok, but too much bothers me................

When I was having reflux, I heated a cup of hot water, added a little bit of honey and some apple cider vinegar and it helped me tremendously. Once I got my diet under control, I didn't have to do it anymore.

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:22 pm

I suspect the Olive oil....when you say "cook" with it...I hope you meant cold food only, as literally cooking will change the composition and it becomes volatile and not good to ingest.....

I like Jari's idea of the water, honey and ACV....

A histamine during the day and a benedryl for a few nights helps nausea/reflux

Eating small meals many times throughout the day has helped too

I also agree with Carol the mid range Magnesium and hearty dose of D is good while healing.

Don't stress about this either...that can give me reflux if I'm not careful.

Ares · Post by **Ares** » Mon May 14, 2018 3:55 pm

jlbattin wrote:I can't do olive oil often, a little bit is ok, but too much bothers me................

When I was having reflux, I heated a cup of hot water, added a little bit of honey and some apple cider vinegar and it helped me tremendously. Once I got my diet under control, I didn't have to do it anymore.

I suffered for a long period of reflux and burning! I read so much until I felt lukewarm water and apple vinegar and honey saved me! but with the colitis both have sugars! with me it worked! and I was very bad!

Ares · Post by **Ares** » Mon May 14, 2018 4:00 pm

Olive oil if extra virgin "burn" is heavy! Often even those who have no problems avoid it because they find it bitter!
but do you take antihistamines? but how much do they help? I ate almonds today and I have acne again !!!

GrammyLou · Post by **GrammyLou** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:29 am

So it's been a while since I've posted... I just wanted to tell you all about my experience regarding the reflux. I went through a period of just being miserable between the reflux and the D. I finally decided to try a 48 hour bone broth cleanse. I made my own broth - a big pot of chicken broth and another pot of beef broth. The chicken seemed more appetizing to me, so I started with that first thing in the morning. Drank nothing but chicken broth all day till about 4 pm and was feeling pretty good. Then I decided to switch to the beef broth. Within probably 30 min of drinking the beef broth, the reflux started up! My EnteroLab results had actually indicated a 1+ reactivity to beef, but I had always eaten lots of beef and never thought it bothered me, so I ignored the EnterLab results. I guess that was a mistake! Now that I've been off beef (and also got off most fruit and honey, since I'm pretty sure fructose is getting me) I have not had any more reflux! My stools are also much better, but I still am having issues with off and on stomach cramps, and lots of muscle cramps in legs. Also still off and on fatigue and slight dizziness. I feel like I'm on the right track, but still a ways to go. Plus I am still losing weight, though very slowly now. I am now within 2 lbs of my high school weight! I really don't want to get any lower, so am hoping I continue to heal...

Post by **tex** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:25 pm

Hi Louise,

Thank you for sharing this. It reminds us that little things can be very important, expecially when our digestive system is acting up.

Regarding the symptoms: You may have them (and be losing weight) because you need more time to heal, or there's still something causing a problem with your diet; however, I can't help but wonder about your magnesium reserves. One of my big concerns when I had a chronic magnesium deficiency was that I steadily lost an average of about 2 pounds a week. That went on for months and months, no matter how much I ate, and I was already taking a magnesium supplement, but obviously not enough. The problem instantly resolved when I doubled my magnesium supplementation rate, and I promptly gained back all the weight I had lost.

Note also that cramps and fatigue are very common symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency is also associated with gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), which can cause dizziness or nausea. But be careful if you take an oral magnesium supplement, because too much of the wrong kind of magnesium will cause diarrhea. I resolved my problem by increasing (doubling) my daily dose to about 600 mg of magnesium glycinate for a few months (in order to rebuild my reserves). But I saw results by the next day.

But there could be other causes. Are you by any chance taking Imodium? Only a few of us have this problem, but even a half-tablet of Imodium makes me noticeably dizzy. A whole tablet makes me so dizzy that I have trouble standing without losing my balance.

I hope this helps.

Tex

GrammyLou · Post by **GrammyLou** » Tue Jul 24, 2018 9:08 pm

Thanks, Tex. It's again been a while since I've posted. I'm still off beef and most fruit and honey, in addition to gluten, dairy, soy, and most grains. I find I can handle some maple syrup as a sweetener, and have indulged in some "Free 2B" brand allergen free chocolate. It's quite a treat for me and seems not to cause any ill effects! My leg cramps are also much better. I have doubled my B12 supplements, and rather than increasing my mag supps, I have been doing Epsom salt soaks every other day. I'm not sure which is making the difference, but the cramps are definitely better. I still deal with the woozy head, though. It seems to hit me after I eat anything with sugar/carbs. But all things considered, I do think I am slowly getting better. I have also recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis (ugh!). I have started seeing a naturopathic doc who recommended OsteoPrime Ultra supplement which contains (among many other things) vitamin K2. I've read good things about this supplement, so hoping I can get this under control as well.
My weight seems to have stabilized finally. I am not taking Imodium regularly. Only occasionally when I eat something that sets the D off. This has been happening less and less frequently. Maybe once every 2-3 weeks now?
I'm hoping I will continue on the path to healing!! I am thankful for all the great advice and support from this group :)

Deb · Post by **Deb** » Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:43 am

Louise, acid reflux was a big problem for me too. I do routinely drink ACV with a bit of local honey now and that seems to help. When things were really bad a teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a small glass of water helped immensely. Deb

GrammyLou · Post by **GrammyLou** » Wed Jul 25, 2018 10:36 am

Thanks, Deb. I had resorted to ACV a few times when my relux was bad. I am sooo thankful that it has gone away. Once I stopped eating beef, it was immediate...no more reflux!! The naturopah that I just started seeing wanted to do some more food sensitivity testing (IgG this time). If that doesn't identify any other foods, I may try the dreaded elimination diet! I'm not sure if there are still foods aggravating me, or if I just need more time to heal. My BM frequency is not a problem...usually 1-2 times per day, but stools are definitely not normal looking. Maybe my colon just needs more time to heal? Time will tell, I guess. I'm just so thankful that my energy level is so much better than it was 6 months ago.

Deb · Post by **Deb** » Thu Jul 26, 2018 4:10 pm

You might find that the elimination diet doesn't have to be dreaded. When you feel so bad it is a relief to find ANYTHING that makes you feel better. Deb

Pam V · Post by **Pam V** » Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:44 am

Hey, Louise -

I hope that you are continuing to feel better. I wanted to ask if you are having any reaction to taking Osteo Prime Ultra. I also have been diagnosed with Osteoporosis and my PCP keeps mentioning taking Fosamax. I am reluctant to take it as things have been going well for me and I don't want to upset the apple cart by taking a medicine that is known to be hard on the GI tract. He seems to think that it is in the upper GI where people have difficult but I don't want to risk it.

Thanks so much -

Pam

Post by **tex** » Wed Aug 01, 2018 12:24 pm

Hi Pam,

I realize you didn't ask for it, but here's my opinion of Fosamax and all other bisphosphonates (from pages 211–212 of Understanding Microscopic Colitis):

The bisphosphonates increase bone density by preventing the body from resorbing old dead bone cells.233 This deceives the tests that are used to measure bone density, because old dead bone is harder than normal, living bone. So based on test results, both the patient and the doctor mistakenly believe that the drug is helping to make stronger bones.

But the sad truth is just the opposite. The most dangerous effect of the bisphosphonates is the fact that new bone cells cannot be formed unless dead bone cells are removed first. So after a few years, the bones of bisphosphonate users become more and more brittle as dead bone tissue accumulates, while the formation of new bone cells continues to be blocked.

This is the reason why taking bisphosphonates is now limited to approximately a 5-year period — if patients use the drugs for a period of time much longer then 5 years, so many of them begin to have hip fractures that the drug companies become sitting ducks for lawsuits. By labeling the use of the drugs for a limit of 5 years, they hope that this will keep the cost of lawsuit payouts down to a level where the drug is still profitable for them.

Here's reference 233 from that quote:

233. Papapoulos, S. E. (2008). Bisphosphonates: how do they work? Best Practice & Research: Clinical Endocrinolology & Metabolism, 22(5), 831–847. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19028359

Like PPIs, it's another iatrogenic drug that causes additional health problems and doesn't actually provide any real benefits.

If you take vitamin D to allow your body to absorb the calcium in your diet, and you take magnesium to work with insulin to transport that calcium from your blood to your bones, you will actually build new bone tissue and strengthen your bones.

If you use a bisphosphonate, your bones will just become old, dead, and brittle. You will be able to fool the medical tests, all right, because they will show that your bones are getting harder. But you will be ruining your bone health because old, dead bone is harder than new, healthy bone.

Tex