Hi Friends,
Well, I took the stomach acid test this week. It was not painful but very unpleasant. First I swallowed the battery/transmitter (size of a large vitamin) that had a string attached to it. I proceded to gag for five minutes until the string settled to the side of my throat. Then they give you baking soda water to bring the stomach to a neutral ph. Then they time how long it takes for your stomach to return to an acid state. They do this timed test 5 times and it usually takes between an hour to an hour and a half. Well, I was there three hours and barely completed 4 of the tests as my stomach simply took way too long to return to an acid state.
So, I'm not producing enough acid. They gave me Betaine HCL 648mg with pepsin. I am supposed to start with taking one with every meal. They cost 6 bucks for 100 capsules.
So I've been thinkin a lot about whether I'm comfortable with this. There are no actual studies that I can find to prove this theory but it seems to make intuitive sense to me, especially in my case sense I took prilosec for so long. In my case, my body is feeling so much better getting rid of the gluten...but I am still experiencing bloating even with doing a very restrictive Paleo. I believe that given enough time my body will try to heal itself....but I think I am dealing with a bad bacterial overgrowth problem caused by the prlosec....so I am going to try this. I'll keep you all posted as to whether I find it helps or not.
Love,
Cristi
Acid Test
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Cristi,
Since you are now sure that you are low on stomach acid, the Betaine HCL, shouldn't carry any risk of adverse effects, and it should help to kick-start your digestion after each meal. Also, Betaine HCL in that general dosage range, is available OTC at virtually any Health Food Store, (HFS), so that provides further evidence that there should't be any significant risk involved. That's the dose I took in the past, when I was reacting, and was having digestion problems, (600 mg, actually), and it definitely helped me to feel better after a meal.
If your pancreas is working correctly, then the pH in the small intestine will be increased to about 6.5, (barely acidic), so that the HCL supplement probably won't be much help to kill any existing bacteria that are already established, but it will certainly help to prevent any additional inflow of bacteria, which in itself, may eventually shift the balance to the favorable side..
I'm optimistic that you will definitely benefit from the Betaine HCL, and I hope that you can see results promptly. You should certainly gain some nutritional benefits, due to the improved digestion.
Love,
Tex
Since you are now sure that you are low on stomach acid, the Betaine HCL, shouldn't carry any risk of adverse effects, and it should help to kick-start your digestion after each meal. Also, Betaine HCL in that general dosage range, is available OTC at virtually any Health Food Store, (HFS), so that provides further evidence that there should't be any significant risk involved. That's the dose I took in the past, when I was reacting, and was having digestion problems, (600 mg, actually), and it definitely helped me to feel better after a meal.
If your pancreas is working correctly, then the pH in the small intestine will be increased to about 6.5, (barely acidic), so that the HCL supplement probably won't be much help to kill any existing bacteria that are already established, but it will certainly help to prevent any additional inflow of bacteria, which in itself, may eventually shift the balance to the favorable side..
I'm optimistic that you will definitely benefit from the Betaine HCL, and I hope that you can see results promptly. You should certainly gain some nutritional benefits, due to the improved digestion.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Cristi!
I am following your progress with this with great interest. I know how you feel about no scientific studies to show efficacy; However, you DO have documented low stomach acid and the only possible treatment side effect I could find was burning in the stomach - nothing serious. I would have made the same decision! Please keep us posted.
Love,
Polly
I am following your progress with this with great interest. I know how you feel about no scientific studies to show efficacy; However, you DO have documented low stomach acid and the only possible treatment side effect I could find was burning in the stomach - nothing serious. I would have made the same decision! Please keep us posted.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi Friends,
Unfortunately went to bed with a burning stomach and woke up to massive D. I don't know if I need to give my system a chance to get used to this. I also started going off clonazapam last Friday. I have taken a quarter of a .5 mg tablet twice a day since my surgery last november. I cut it down to taking it just once a day....so was already feeling yucky. After reading about how bad and addictive this stuff is I really want to get off it. When you are sick in the hospital you just take what they give you. Has anyone here used this stuff and tried to taper? Would love any advise.
I am going to try to continue with the acid pills ...just pour out all but a quarter of the capsule and see if I tolerate any better. Wish me luck....I'm getting tired of this.
Love,
Crisri
Unfortunately went to bed with a burning stomach and woke up to massive D. I don't know if I need to give my system a chance to get used to this. I also started going off clonazapam last Friday. I have taken a quarter of a .5 mg tablet twice a day since my surgery last november. I cut it down to taking it just once a day....so was already feeling yucky. After reading about how bad and addictive this stuff is I really want to get off it. When you are sick in the hospital you just take what they give you. Has anyone here used this stuff and tried to taper? Would love any advise.
I am going to try to continue with the acid pills ...just pour out all but a quarter of the capsule and see if I tolerate any better. Wish me luck....I'm getting tired of this.
Love,
Crisri
Hi Cristi,
Sorry to hear about the setback. The contents of one of those Betaine CHL capsules should be pretty insignificant, compared with the amount of acid that your stomach should normally produce, so I kind of doubt that they would be the problem, but one never knows.
On the other hand, I'm not aware that withdrawal from the clonazepam should cause any gastric side effects, either, though it could certainly cause nervous system problems, which, I suppose, could affect other parts of the body.
You might need to check with your doctor about withdrawing from the clonazepam. I wonder if they might be affected by the Betaine HCL. Are you taking any other meds that could be involved?
Love,
Tex
Sorry to hear about the setback. The contents of one of those Betaine CHL capsules should be pretty insignificant, compared with the amount of acid that your stomach should normally produce, so I kind of doubt that they would be the problem, but one never knows.
On the other hand, I'm not aware that withdrawal from the clonazepam should cause any gastric side effects, either, though it could certainly cause nervous system problems, which, I suppose, could affect other parts of the body.
You might need to check with your doctor about withdrawing from the clonazepam. I wonder if they might be affected by the Betaine HCL. Are you taking any other meds that could be involved?
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
That's interesting Tex,
I hadn't thought about those two not getting along. Other than those two I introduced a probiotic last week . I took one last Mon. and last Thurs. I've been on clonazapan the whole time and really want off. I'll check with my Doc. As always...thanks for your help.
Love,
Cristi
I hadn't thought about those two not getting along. Other than those two I introduced a probiotic last week . I took one last Mon. and last Thurs. I've been on clonazapan the whole time and really want off. I'll check with my Doc. As always...thanks for your help.
Love,
Cristi
-
artteacher
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 731
- Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 11:13 pm
.
Hi There,
I'm reading this with a lot of interest, too. Thank you for being a test subject for us. I experimented with taking Betaine H., and it seemed to make my poops really acidy and burny, so I stopped. I had a blood test for H. Pylori last year which was negative. Of course, that doesn't mean my stomach acid is low, or high, just that I don't have that bacteria. The couple of times I've tried it (13 years ago and again in the last year) it didn't help me get any better, though.
That's neither here nor there: you do have low stomach acid, so I hope you stay in touch with the person who administered the test.
Good luck with it! Marsha
I'm reading this with a lot of interest, too. Thank you for being a test subject for us. I experimented with taking Betaine H., and it seemed to make my poops really acidy and burny, so I stopped. I had a blood test for H. Pylori last year which was negative. Of course, that doesn't mean my stomach acid is low, or high, just that I don't have that bacteria. The couple of times I've tried it (13 years ago and again in the last year) it didn't help me get any better, though.
That's neither here nor there: you do have low stomach acid, so I hope you stay in touch with the person who administered the test.
Good luck with it! Marsha
Hi Marsha,
Well, as you may know I was on Prilosec for a long time, so I thought this all made sense to me as well. But so far My D has gotten worse and I have had an upset stomach as well as burning and acidy stomach. My heartburn issues had gone away when I stopped eating gluten.....so its return is not welcome. I would put up with the discomfort if my poops were staying the same or getting better....but I've gone from 1 or 2 softly formed bms to 3 or 4 completely unformed bms. So, I'm not sure why...but this does not seem to be helping me..in fact seems to be making things worse. sigh.
Love,
Cristi
Well, as you may know I was on Prilosec for a long time, so I thought this all made sense to me as well. But so far My D has gotten worse and I have had an upset stomach as well as burning and acidy stomach. My heartburn issues had gone away when I stopped eating gluten.....so its return is not welcome. I would put up with the discomfort if my poops were staying the same or getting better....but I've gone from 1 or 2 softly formed bms to 3 or 4 completely unformed bms. So, I'm not sure why...but this does not seem to be helping me..in fact seems to be making things worse. sigh.
Love,
Cristi
Hi Cristi,
I've never been in favor of punishing myself, (or anyone else), simply because a cause is just. IOW, if you're getting worse, rather than better, maybe it's time to reconsider. Did your doctor mention that you might get worse before improving?
Personally, I don't see why the Betaine HCL should cause those symptoms, but it might be a good idea to stop using it for a few days, to see if the problem goes away.
You definitely need a big dose of good luck to help out with your treatment program. There's a key here somewhere that we're overlooking.
Love,
Tex
I've never been in favor of punishing myself, (or anyone else), simply because a cause is just. IOW, if you're getting worse, rather than better, maybe it's time to reconsider. Did your doctor mention that you might get worse before improving?
Personally, I don't see why the Betaine HCL should cause those symptoms, but it might be a good idea to stop using it for a few days, to see if the problem goes away.
You definitely need a big dose of good luck to help out with your treatment program. There's a key here somewhere that we're overlooking.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Tex,
I haven't taken any today and I have no burning sensation in my stomach today. I met with my Naturopath today who is not the person who gave me the acid pills and she said people like me (sensitive to everything) should start out differently. She suggested cooking some greens in water until very soft and then blending in the blender. Then before meals to just put a few drops on my tongue as the taste of something bitter will stimulate my stomach to start producing my own acid. So, once i feel stabilized I think I may try this...maybe.
Thanks for the good luck.
Love,
Cristi
I haven't taken any today and I have no burning sensation in my stomach today. I met with my Naturopath today who is not the person who gave me the acid pills and she said people like me (sensitive to everything) should start out differently. She suggested cooking some greens in water until very soft and then blending in the blender. Then before meals to just put a few drops on my tongue as the taste of something bitter will stimulate my stomach to start producing my own acid. So, once i feel stabilized I think I may try this...maybe.
Thanks for the good luck.
Love,
Cristi
-
artteacher
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 731
- Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 11:13 pm
.
Hi Cristi,
Did you get a hold of the original doc who prescribed the Betaine?
Secondly, I like the idea that the naturaopath gave you. And I have a similar situation to share: I know I'm anemic. Of course, iron pills of all type disagree with my stomach "big time". But eating foods high in iron don't. The same with vitamin C: taking the pills can be really bad, but I eat bags of grapefruit with no problem. Can't explain it, but I'm sure you understand. So maybe it's better for you to approach this issue another way.
Also, what is the base that the pills come in? Are there other ingredients, like dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin, etc? Maybe that has something to do with it?
Love, Marsha
Did you get a hold of the original doc who prescribed the Betaine?
Secondly, I like the idea that the naturaopath gave you. And I have a similar situation to share: I know I'm anemic. Of course, iron pills of all type disagree with my stomach "big time". But eating foods high in iron don't. The same with vitamin C: taking the pills can be really bad, but I eat bags of grapefruit with no problem. Can't explain it, but I'm sure you understand. So maybe it's better for you to approach this issue another way.
Also, what is the base that the pills come in? Are there other ingredients, like dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin, etc? Maybe that has something to do with it?
Love, Marsha