Acid reflux Disease

Assalamu Alaikum:

I am wondering if any of you know of a natural way to control acid reflux? I have GERDS and have been taking Prevacid, but I am tired of taking the pills, I'm not sure what side effects they are having after so long, and they cost $200.00 a month. I have been looking for natural remedies that REALLY work, but have not found any. I have tried almost everything...

Any help would be appreciated.

Assalamu alaikum,

Sis Zea, acid reflux is when contents of your stomach come back up your esophagus (sp.?).  It can cause heartburn, and cause much damage to the tissues of your esophagus, among other things.

Sis Mishmish, I don't know of natural remedies, but here are some pointers that might be helpful:

• eat more and smaller meals (rather than 3 large meals a day)
• don't eat within at least 4 hours before bedtime and don't have a big meal at supper time
• prop up your upper body in bed by putting blocks under the feet of the head of the bed or by using a triangle shaped foam under yourself
• chew sugarless gum after eating (the extra saliva it makes your mouth produce is quite helpful)
• avoid caffine, chocolate (O.K. enjoy your chocolate and then chew lots of gum and Tums!!!), spicy food, and other things you know make your stomach worse
• drink lots of water

The gum thing really works, though of course it won't rid you of the disease.  If you feel like doing some reading, just "google" acid reflux and there is tons of information out there.  It seems to be a very common problem and it seems that once you have it, you always will.

When my stomach is really bad, I swallow a tsp. of baking soda disolved in luke warm water, then drink tons more to rid the salty taste away.  This really helps when things are quite bad, but, I don't know how good it is to swallow that much baking soda!

I do hope that you can find some solutions to ease your problems with your stomach and may Allah give you much patience to deal with this more than pesky problem!

Peace, ummziba.

Assalamu alaikum,

Sis Mishmish, I have also suffered as you for many years - as I said, once you have it you have it forever.  I totally understand the good days/bad days scenario and that sometimes even crackers or bread or even rice can make life unbearable....

I've never tried sucking on a slice of apple, though I eat apples all the time (but always remove the skin, it irritates my stomach).  I'll try it next time (in five minutes or five hours or five days???) and see if it helps me or not.  It probably works on the same principle as chewing gum, it makes your mouth produce extra saliva, which helps your stomach.

Doesn't it drive you nuts when you've done everything right, eaten the right foods and small portions and out of the blue ~ BAM! acid?   It is even more discouraging to wake up on occassional nights with (warning: grossness to follow, don't read if you dislike being grossed out!) a mouth full of vomit and a stomach on fire.

I worry about taking acid reducing pills for years upon years, wondering what other problems doing so has caused, but, what else is there to do?  Like you said, even when we do everything right we can still get the problem.  I've gone off the pills in the past but end up taking so many antacids I'm afraid of growing an extra set of bones from all that calcium!

I wonder, have you had your gall bladder removed?  All my acid reflux problems started after I had that surgery about 18 years or so ago.  First my pyloric valve started having spasms, then the heartburn began, and it's been down hill (or up esophagus ) ever since.

Maybe someone else will read this thread and have something that worked for them, but I am not hopeful.  Sis, I'll think of you and say a prayer for you everytime my stomach is on fire (that will be lots of prayers, and they never hurt!).

Peace, ummziba.

SAALAAM

thank you so much sister ummziba ,may Allah reward you.ameen.