I went to the doctor today, and it was like a western standoff.
Did you do what I told you to do?
yes, half of it.
Why only half, cause that's what I wanted to do.
Ask not how much you hate doctors, ask how much doctors hate you ! - KFJ
Not a huge fan. There are some amazing doctors, but it seems like there are far more incompetent or doctor's that could care less than good ones. Maybe it's just the healthcare system that is overly bad. I think you need to find a good doctor and try to stick with them, even if they move throughout the state. People need to shop around because I've certainly ran into some terrible doctors.
shareA lot of them seem to be non-critical thinking drug pushing greedy bums.
But some are alright.
Saw two doctors for heartburn. Both prescribed Nexium. Neither mentioned apple cider vinegar or diet alteration.
Guess which one worked best?
Yeah, I'm also on an apple cider vinegar regimen to deal with my acid reflux. It's healthier, more affordable and definitely effective. And, I recommend chewing on a small piece of raw ginger root. It's a great digestive aid. Last night, I calmed it down with, believe it or not, a teaspoon of mustard.
shareMy step father uses ginger and I pickle it for him every now and then.
If you take the extra ginger bits, boil them, you get a strong ginger liquid and if you add some ice tea mix, some lemon juice and some apple cider and you got yourself a tasty little drink.
Yeah, that sounds like a really gut healthy tonic.
shareElevate the head of your bed. Mine went away after I did that.
shareCompletely?
Yeah, my worst attacks occur in the middle of the night, throw me out of bed. I have implemented that strategy but maybe it's not high enough. What I usually do is swig some fat free skim milk and sit up for awhile. That tends to neutralize it enough to where I can go back to sleep.
Mine is 4 inches higher than at the foot and I had a long history of heartburn. It did the trick.
shareCan I ask you how you take the apple cider vinegar for the reflux?
shareI often start my day with a tablespoon of acv diluted in a tall glass of cold water. When I miss that for some reason, I will take a half tablespoon straight, later in the day, about 30 min. before a meal. The consistent recommendation I've encountered in all of my research is that one shouldn't exceed 2 tablespoons per day.
On some days, something as simple as a half teaspoon of baking soda in a small glass of water is also effective.
So you take it on an empty stomach before a meal, then? My reflux is due to a hiatal hernia due to pregnancies, so an anatomical issue. It doesn't always bother me, but some things can aggravate, like caffeine. I can't take Pepcid or Nexium, bad reactions for me.
I read that melatonin can help and it doesn't have the permanent side effects proton pump inhibitors can do to the body.
https://www.wjgnet.com/2150-5349/full/v1/i5/102.htm
I had to get off of melatonin, though, because of daytime tiredness and may have even potentiated sleep apnea as a few times I'd wake up feeling I needed air. All that's resolved. I was only on 3 mg, though.
Yes, always on an empty stomach.
"...bad reactions for me..."
Which is exactly why I won't even consider any of that highly advertised and pricey stuff. As I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I have a serious disdain for and distrust of big pharma.
I also take melatonin regularly and had no idea it was beneficial for acid reflux. Btw, YouTube is loaded with informational videos on the subject.
You can get Pepcid and Nexium over the counter, too, it wasn't anaphylactic, but other reaction that I didn't see coming as it was out of nowhere. I did some searching, other people have experienced it, too. One doctor finally said an anticholinergic effect that might trigger it. But I've wondered how well you digest food if you're suppressing the acid anyway.
Any particular channel(s) on youtube you think is good?
Here's a recent one I watched :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJWaChLEc70 As you no doubt know, once you watch it, you'll quickly be inundated with similar videos in your 'Recommendations'. Seems like I keep learning new tips for dealing with it.
shareThank you, what has puzzled me about the apple cider vinegar, is that it's obviously very acidic. How does that work for GERD??
shareIt's because GERD is actually about low stomach acid, which creates an imbalance in the PH system of the gut. You would have to watch a number of these videos to understand that paradox. It still confuses me at times. All I know is that it works. Mine was acting up today, I ingested a teaspoon of mustard and that calmed it down quickly, supposedly because mustard contains vinegar.
https://www.mypanier.com/blogs/food-trends/5-home-remedies-for-heartburn-relief#:~:text=Swallow%20a%20teaspoon%20of%20yellow,of%20acids%20in%20your%20stomach.
I don't hate doctors at all. I think living in a country with a not for profit medical system may help with that? I don't know. I feel really lucky that I have a great team. I will be really sad when they retire.
sharei think canadians see the health care system more positively. i have never had a doctor try and push a drug on me. i guess that what happens with a for profit system.
shareI don't like how there's no such thing as private practice, at least around where I am. All doctors' practices are part of a corporate medicine conglomerate and follow a script on whatever the hospital system wide approved treatments.
Are you taking magnesium? If your BP is only mildly elevated, you might try that. Magnesium bisglycinate shouldn't affect your bowels and it needs to be taken at bedtime because it can make you sleepy. 200 mg is usually the lowest dosage. Some have written books about the benefits of magnesium supplements, especially cardiovascular. I looked over one a couple years ago from the library, but now I cannot remember the author's name. But just look around the internet for more info if needed, some come up under "magnesium book". Also, sometimes BP can be elevated some in the doctor's office due to "white coat syndrome". If you already have your gander up in being there, it can elevate your BP. You could try closing your eyes and take slow deep breaths in and out and see if it comes down. Do you have your own BP cuff at home?
Just so you know, many doctors do not get into supplements. My last doctor said straight out, they don't train us for this. It's only pharmaceutical. They might recommend a multivitamin. But after digging in deeper into this, you find out some vitamins and minerals are best taken either with food or without, and taking Vitamin C and B12 together cancels each other out. So, basically some elements of a "multivitamin" I take is divided up for best benefit.
Edit: I was able to find my checkout history, the book I read over was The Magnesium Miracle, by Dr. Carolyn Dean
I have hated primary doctors after moving across country and moving back to the shire, realizing how spoiled I was and it not being the same