HELP: My son has ACID REFLUX and is in pain!

[eachpeachpearplum]

I am posting this here instead of the kids bit in hopes of a wider audience.

My son is 3.5 years old and has been complaining about a tummy ache and sore throat for the last six weeks off and on. It finally got bad enough two nights ago at a BDay party that he cried through the entire party. . .untill he ate something.

He is mostly raw and has been since birth and goes through a 1/2 a VM of very green smoothies every day. He is not constipated as he eliminates approx 3 times a day!

I had been treating his systoms as two different maladies. The doctor yesterday went down a list of sysmptoms he would have for acid refulx and he had ALL of them.

-sore throat from acid coming up
-sore upper tummy
-pain soothed by lots of very cold water
-pain worse on an empty tummy ie upon rising in the morning
-inherited from family member; yes my husband has it too

She has recommened a slew of over the counter meds :eek: which I have no intention of giving to him however she did say that andything with a bicarbonate of soda base will help. My scientist husband then said oh you just want something alkaline and a lightbulb went off as I can relate to that!

So here I am asking for help in identifying ALALINE FOODS to soothe him and what acid foods to avoid. Any links to lists would be most appreciated. I can look myself a bit later but her is curled up in a ball on the sofa crying right now and I need to go to him! :(

Thanks for all your support and advice; you were the first place I thought to turn to for advice!:o

Cheers,

EPPP

[JennaBoBenna]

Apples are known to help stuff like this. I take a couple bites of apple whenever I get heartburn and it goes away. I think that could work for AR also.

[Ginger]

My brother just healed his by going raw and juicing lots of cabbage.

[wantsandwishes]

I was just sent an email touting the benefits of bananas a few days ago and one of the items it listed was how it helps digestion disorders. It mentioned that urns an acid state to an akalinized state in the stomach and helps to soothe it by coating it because it is smooth in texture. I use bananas frequently with my stomach problems and find relief a great number of times. You could try this. Plus try to do the cabbage juice. You must have him drink it immediately upon juicing however because the benefits of this only last a few minutes after you juice it. Also try to have him eat more frequently in small portions to keep the tummy from getting too acidic. Hope this helps you. Give him a hug for us.
Lisa

[spirulina28]

I'm so sorry to hear about your little boy! As a mother I know how distressing it is when they are in pain/ crying.

I think smoothies are a great start.
If you're looking for acid/ alkaline information:
http://www.snyderhealth.com/printable_pages/foodash1.htm
Dr Robert Young's work is concentrated on acid alkaline although he is not 100% raw and believes in eating fish http://www.watershed.net/pH_miracle_dr_young.aspx
but his focus on alkalinity I feel is spot on.
http://www.raw-summit-2.com/DR_YOUNG_transcript.pdf

David Jubb and Annie Jubb have also written a book on acid /alkaline. As I'm just starting to read it I don't have much to say about it...

http://www.phenomenews.com/nov2005/archive_set.htm
F Batmanghelidj work is quite interesting too...

aloe vera, slippery elm powder for the membranes, and I'm a big fan of celery juice
I don't know if what I've written makes any sense. I just put down what came to mind...Hope you can find something that helps your little boy...

[eachpeachpearplum]

Thanks you all! I shall make a list of all the suggestions and keep it on the cupboard!

I'll combine the suggestions and do apple/cabbage/banana juice/smoothie! I dont think I can get straight cabbage juice down a three year old!:rolleyes:

Thanks again :)

Cheers,

EPPP

[Raspberry4]

Good luck to you - there is nothing worse in the world than when one of your children are in pain like that.

I was just curious if your son has been to a Gastroenterologist (pediatric preferably)?

Also, does he drink alot of acidic juices at all (grapefruit, orange, etc.)?

Let us know how he is doing.

[eachpeachpearplum]

THANKS Spiulina28! Thats just what I was looking for. I will get right on it. Hmmm, celery juice; I will add it to the above cabbage/apple/banana drink!:D

Thanks again, great brain storming!

EPPP

[eachpeachpearplum]

Good luck to you - there is nothing worse in the world than when one of your children are in pain like that.

I was just curious if your son has been to a Gastroenterologist (pediatric preferably)?

Also, does he drink alot of acidic juices at all (grapefruit, orange, etc.)?

Let us know how he is doing.

Thank you for your concern :o . We have not been yet. I must admit I am a bit aprehensive as we spent a LOT of time with pediatric GI Dr's, about FOUR YEARS, with my daughter digestive issues only to be told there was nothing wrong with her. This was a three year old who had intestines measuring FIVE INCHES in width and was in constant pain. Turns out (my diagnosis) she is unable to process any "processed" foods. She is what lead me to Raw. After raw she is a changed and pain free little girl!

What does he eat? Yes he does eat lots of green smoothie and has done since birth. The winter recipe consists of:

fresh apple/cucumber juice
peeled oranges (whole)
frozen mixed berries or tropicle blend (whole)
lots of spinach/ kale / chard / parsley (whole)
coconut oil
probiotic power

He downs about 4-6 sippy cups a day in addition to his reg food of whole finger food, no recipes.

Cheers,

EPPP

[Raw Mom]

Good for you for listening to your own intuition and your children. Sorry for your son's discomfort. I just read something about avocados helping that symptom. Check that out!

[RawHeaven]

Ginger root (chew on), ginger root tea, peppermint leaves (chew on), peppermint tea, lemons, bananas, avocados, chamomile tea to calm his nerves. I know the teas are cooked, but perhaps you can just warm the water up a bit in a dehydrator. The ginger root will have to be boiled however to create medicinal tea.

My heart goes out to your little one. I hope he feels better and you both get some peace.

[eachpeachpearplum]

Ginger root (chew on), ginger root tea, peppermint leaves (chew on), peppermint tea, lemons, bananas, avocados, chamomile tea to calm his nerves. I know the teas are cooked, but perhaps you can just warm the water up a bit in a dehydrator. The ginger root will have to be boiled however to create medicinal tea.

My heart goes out to your little one. I hope he feels better and you both get some peace.

Cheers,

Actually both kids drink teas (not black) so i'm not to fussed about "steeping". I dont think I can get a three year old to chew on the ginger & mint leaves but the tea & the rest will do! I shall add your great recommendations to my list. Thanks a bunch!:)

EPPP

[RawHeaven]

Cheers,

I dont think I can get a three year old to chew on the ginger & mint leaves but the tea & the rest will do! I shall add your great recommendations to my list. Thanks a bunch!:)

EPPP


Yes I thought about this after I typed it...about a 3 year old patiently chewing on ginger or peppermint leaves when he doesn't feel good especially. LOL. You're welcome and hope he feels better!

[EZ rider]

I like to put a little fresh raw ginger root into my juices, especially in the winter. I liked the idea of giving him a banana to eat or an avocado. Possibly try that the next time he has stomach pain and see if it helps. Hope he's feeling better soon.

[Nurse in the Raw]

Organic Raw Manuka Honey. You can get it from Living Nutritionals. One tsp a day should do it. If he won't take it straight, put it into some warm liquid like fresh squeezed apple cider.

[rawstrawberry]

Sorry to hear your little guy is in pain!

I would hands down say lemon or apple cider vinegar like mentioned above.

Also DGL (licorce root) it is chewable and tastes like black licorce.

Lemon is touted to be the most alkanizing...

RS

[juliebove]

I suffer from it as does my friend. For both of us, certain foods are triggers. She can not eat onions, peppers or spicy foods. These things do not seem to bother me, but chocolate and peppermint do. Alas, I love both but learned the hard way that so much as a bite of them set me off. My friend can have chocolate sometimes and not others. We were talking about it tonight and she also said she found it helps her to eat frequently and small amounts. If she eats too much at one time it sets her off. I tend to eat smallish amounts at one time so I don't have to worry about eating too much.

One thing that seems to help me is lemon juice in water or on my salad. I tried all the GERD meds and they gave me horrid side effects. I do take Maalox now. Wish I didn't have to take it but mine has progressed to Barrett's Espophogus and the Dr. said I have to do something to keep the damage at bay.

[raweater]

eachpeachpearplum: Sorry to hear about your son's pain, but I'm glad you're a smart enough parent not to poison him with toxic drugs! If only all parents were that smart, the world would be such a better place with much less or no disease. Congratulations on not believing the quack doctor!

I don't know much about acid reflux but as another said I think lots of water helps. I also read that cooked things like pasteurized juices can also cause this due to the lack of enzymes, is he 100% raw?

[FloridaPatty]

I am posting this here instead of the kids bit in hopes of a wider audience.

I had been treating his systoms as two different maladies. The doctor yesterday went down a list of sysmptoms he would have for acid refulx and he had ALL of them.

-sore throat from acid coming up
-sore upper tummy
-pain soothed by lots of very cold water
-pain worse on an empty tummy ie upon rising in the morning
-inherited from family member; yes my husband has it too



EPPP
I have the same problem but my stomach does not produce acid. Another thought - is you son overweight a lot? And lastly, if could be a physical problem that is keeping the stomach valve open. A camera probe after the stomach test would see if there is a physical problem.

[goodbeets]

Dear each peach,
Oh, poor guy, I want to hug him!! What about cold almond mylk? Almonds are alkaline, and the creamy cold might be soothing. I too have heard great things about manuka honey, though I would start with a little at a time as the sweet might be too much. I so hope one of these ideas help.
If this is a genetic disorder, could he be going through his own detox?
Just wondering.
I hope is is better very very soon. Do tell him that all these people are sending him love.

[Smoothie]

I'm so sorry to hear about your little boy! As a mother I know how distressing it is when they are in pain/ crying.

I think smoothies are a great start.
If you're looking for acid/ alkaline information:
http://www.snyderhealth.com/printable_pages/foodash1.htm
Dr Robert Young's work is concentrated on acid alkaline although he is not 100% raw and believes in eating fish http://www.watershed.net/pH_miracle_dr_young.aspx
but his focus on alkalinity I feel is spot on.
http://www.raw-summit-2.com/DR_YOUNG_transcript.pdf

David Jubb and Annie Jubb have also written a book on acid /alkaline. As I'm just starting to read it I don't have much to say about it...

http://www.phenomenews.com/nov2005/archive_set.htm
F Batmanghelidj work is quite interesting too...

aloe vera, slippery elm powder for the membranes, and I'm a big fan of celery juice
I don't know if what I've written makes any sense. I just put down what came to mind...Hope you can find something that helps your little boy...

Thanks for the link to the great articles.....they were awesome....;)

[maui_butterfly]

i developed AR as a kid and it was APPLE JUICE that triggered it. i can drink it now, but back then, no.

[EZ rider]

i developed AR as a kid and it was APPLE JUICE that triggered it.Was it fresh made raw apple juice or cooked apple juice that triggered it ?

[eachpeachpearplum]

EZ Rider & Nurse in the Raw: I made him a warm agave/lemon/ginger drink last night and I was please he loved it! I will get some Manuka although he is not a big fan of honey. Yes he will eat banana & avocado but the timming has to be right and when he is having pain he just wants to drink.

Rawstrawberry: thanks, the lemon went down well so I will try ACV neat as I actually give this to my daughter. I LOVE licorce; where would I locate just the root??

juliebove: I'm so sorry to hear you to suffer from this. Yes my husband has trigger foods but my son does not eat those foods. He is still too young to make that connection but I will try and trin him to understand what food work or not. I liked the several small meals idea. it's odd, in the summer we have no set meals we all just graze on the bounty but when winter hits the lack of chioce that a three yr old will eat narrows mealtimes down a bit.

raweater: Thanks, yes my son is high raw in winter and 100% in summer and has been since birth. He has never had a juice I did not make myself at home.

FloridaPatty: No my son is not overweight as he has been raw since birth he actually is underweight by standard measurments. Yes my husband has had the prob test. I just hate to put him through that at such a young age; but I may need to if it gets worse and I cannot remedy it with dietary changes. Thanks.

goodbeets: I would LOVE to give him nut mylk but as he has never had ANY dairy or mylk substitute he has never developed a taste for it. He just does not like it. BUT I will try again, perhaps very cold as you suggest! I dont believe it's detox as he is only three and has been raw from birth. Thanks!

maui butterfly: Wow, thanks. yes I have been pressing apple juice for his smoothie since he was one. I add it to he very green smoothie which he drinks EVERYDAY!:rolleyes: Now that is something I can action right away!

EZ Rider & maui butterfly: Excellent question as I press my own every morning. . .

Thank you so much EVERYONE for you ideas and concern - you have been a lifeline!
Cheers,

EPPP

[spirulina28]

thank you smoothie. Great that you enjoyed the links. I LOVE learning and keeping myself informed. There is another talk with Robert Young where he talks about greens and the cell being immortal but I didn't want to detract for the subject.

eachpeachpearplum:
I'm just reading an article ( "healthy options" by Eric Bakker BHSc, ND, RC Hom dec 07 - jan 08) about Heatburn, reflux, burping where the author talks about the possibility of the helicobacter pylori bacterium. I quote:

How do you know if you have the HP bug?
- nausea, or a low grade feeling of being queasy; could be vomiting
- avoidance of chilli, garlic or a spicific food which doesn't agree with your tummy
- bloating, worse after meals; feeling worse after meals or certain foods
- recurring abdominal pain, intestinal cramps.
- peptic or duodenal ulcers ( over 90 % of all cases have HP)
-burping, this can be pretty bad
- heartburn
- diarrhoea or constipation
-disturbed sleep
- symptoms worse at night or worse lying down
- vitamin B12 deficiency
- altered appetite, sometimes you may feel like eating, other times you don't
-after several years of infection you may have developed mineral deficiencies which can lead to a myriad of health problems
- migraind headaches ( 40 % )
- acne rosacea

1 in 5 New Zealanders have HP!

diagnosis has traditionally involved endoscopy with biopsies of the stomach's mucosa

3 ways in NZ to test for HP:
- the urea breath test method relies on the urea reaction being present. 90 - 95 % successful in picking up the HP bug
- blood tests measuring HP antibody levels have been developed (85-79%)
- Stool tests for antibodies

Natural Treatment: persist with treatment as recurrence rate are high. 6 weeks on, 2-3 weeks off then another 6 weeks:
- manukau honey which has high levels of hydrogen peroxide, active against HP
- Propolis really work well for some, but is dismal for others
- Vitamin B12, get this checked in your blood
-DGL(de-glycyrrhizinated liquorice) capsule or liquid
-Aloe Vera helps to heal the mucous lining of the GI tract
- berberine is found in the herb goldenseal, natural herbal antibiotic
- grapefruit seeds, for some it is very effective long term. extract is even better
- digestive enzymes especially with achlorhydria ( low stomach acid)
- Gum mastic effective in protecting the digestive system, healing peptic and duodenal ulcers and eradicating H. Pylori from the gut. 2 caps with meals
- bismuth is anti- inflammatory also acts as an antacid and mild antibiotic.
can cause black tongue and black stools but absotutely harmless.

Sorry for the long post but if this info can help then it's worth it!

[eachpeachpearplum]

spirulina28

Damn girl :eek: that would have taken me days to type out; I do hope you cut & pasted!!! Lol:p

Thank you SO much for the additional info. Very interesting; he had a 24hr bug this weekend throwing up all over the place poor thing. Again he is so young it is almost impossible to determine some of the items in the article as it would require being able to discuss fairly indepth things with him HOWEVER I will keep trying and to apply all the suggestions. I do like the remedies in this article.

I will also print out your articles and bring them with me when I go to the ped GI. I cant say when that will be as when my daughter needed to go I had to wait EIGHT months to get in as he is THE ONLY ped GI in the state of WA. . . . I may just wait to take him to a specialist when I go home to the UK in April, hmmm. :rolleyes:

I look forward to any other insightful links you come across!.

Thanks again,

EPPP

[jessirose]

Hi EPPP,

My daughter suffered from severe reflux from birth to 2.5, which is when she needed a g-tube b/c her digestion was so off. What set her system straight was green juices, particularly celery juice, b/c it has an organic form of sodium in high amounts, not available in sea salts, which is an inorganic form. For proper production of stomach acid, sodium is a very key element, and those who suffer from reflux are usually deficient. I know, who would've thought, deficient in sodium:confused: This info is from David Wolfe (one of my favorite raw food superheros). I know what a nightmare reflux can be, my baby threw up everyday b/c of it. I hope you all get it under control soon!

Jessica

[eachpeachpearplum]

Hi EPPP,

My daughter suffered from severe reflux from birth to 2.5, which is when she needed a g-tube b/c her digestion was so off. What set her system straight was green juices, particularly celery juice, b/c it has an organic form of sodium in high amounts, not available in sea salts, which is an inorganic form. For proper production of stomach acid, sodium is a very key element, and those who suffer from reflux are usually deficient. I know, who would've thought, deficient in sodium:confused: This info is from David Wolfe (one of my favorite raw food superheros). I know what a nightmare reflux can be, my baby threw up everyday b/c of it. I hope you all get it under control soon!

Jessica

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will try this tomorrow. How did you get the celery juice down. The few times I have tried in a smoothie he say's "yucky"; go figure and this from a kid who LOVES udo's Oil! Perhaps I will try it neat on a spoon.

He has been on very green smoothies from day one are you suggesting green juices instead/also? This smoothies do have oranges and apple juice.

How is your daughter now and how old is she now?:)

Thanks!

EPPP

[EZ rider]

How did you get the celery juice down.One of my favorite juices is Celery/Apple Juice. In addition to celery other foods high in natural sodium are kale, dandelion leaves, spinach, chard, and seaweeds.

http://www.geocities.com/vhlw1994/drink3.gif

[Tiffany]

Dear Eachpeach,

Severe acid reflux is the reason I went raw. I had it so bad I was in the emergency room with IV because I couldn't drink water. While still essentially on a totally SAD diet of fast food (none of which I was really eating at the time b/c I couldn't swallow) this was literally cured overnight by drinking aloe vera gel mixed with apple juice.

The experience scared me so much I went raw! That was almost ten years ago. Haven't been 100% the whole time, but no more acid!

Hope the little one feels better soon:(

[Tiffany]

I should rephrase the part about being "cured" I mean I was able to get food and drink down because the membranes were soothed. After doing a juice cleanse and being raw the acid was cured. Sounds like previous posters have some good ideas about actually curing the cause of it, rather than soothing the symptom. Something probably more complicated when dealing with your little guy.

[jessirose]

Hi EPPP,

You're welcome! I also want to add, I forgot about the aloe! We used aloe with the green mixes, it was just later on in the game. That does taste bad, but if you can get a little fresh aloe in w/apple/celery juice that would be ideal. But I sympathize trying to get new stuff in a little kid:confused: . I was lucky to have a g-tube for all feedings... We had a pump with a continuous feed, b/c she was so amount sensitive. She started eating on her own about 2 months after green juices, kept the tube around for supplements, and as soon as I could disguise greens well enough, we took the tube out. Now we give her straight wheatgrass and E3Live by the syringe, then other super berry concentrate powders mixed in juice. She couldn't be better now, she's actually growing finally. She has a genetic growth disorder which can cause a lot of problems, but everything is under control b/c of raw, even her growth has picked up, she'll be 4 this weekend :D

[eachpeachpearplum]

Dear Eachpeach,

Severe acid reflux is the reason I went raw. I had it so bad I was in the emergency room with IV because I couldn't drink water. While still essentially on a totally SAD diet of fast food (none of which I was really eating at the time b/c I couldn't swallow) this was literally cured overnight by drinking aloe vera gel mixed with apple juice.

The experience scared me so much I went raw! That was almost ten years ago. Haven't been 100% the whole time, but no more acid!

Hope the little one feels better soon:(

Thank you VERY MUCH for the tip. Could you expand on the brand type of Aloe; where you bought it. Is it dirctly from the plant or in the chiller section of the market etc. How long until you saw a difference and how much did you use at a time?

cheers,

EPPP

[jessirose]

Broad fat aloe leaves are best, if you can find one at a nursery. Aloe is very highly regarded for lots of reasons, everyone should have some in a smoothie! The plants are also sold on ebay, but last I checked they were too small and thin, there used to be an aloe farm that sold large plants out of Florida, if that pops up again. Sunfood.com also sells the fresh leaves, but costs more, b/c it's a lot, 20lbs, they keep well in the fridge though.

Hopefully Tiffany will pipe in and say how long she was on aloe to heal her acid reflux.

Also, lots of water is very, very good for reflux.

[Tiffany]

The relief was absolutely immediate. I used the organic aloe gel that comes in a brown bottle and it is carried in almost all health food stores. I mixed about 2 tablespoons with apple juice and did that for a week or so. I will say that I had better results with the gel than with the leaves. Don't know why, but sometimes the fresh leaves would give me more heartburn. Maybe the gel is easier to digest?

I have to say the aloe was absolutely a revelation for me. I had developed this acid reflux after being really sick (total sad SAD diet at the time) and had bruised my esophogas. I was going to doctors, emergency room, etc. for a month and was barely eating. It was BAD. Finally, I opened the phone book and looked up natural doctor or something like that since nothing was working. He recommended the aloe, and sure enough it soothed the burning so fast I could eat and drink within that day.

Now, I always keep an aloe plant growing wherever I am because it is a miraculous plant.

[SarahSA]

Hi, my daughter (20 months) also suffered from reflux, but after many visits to the doctor, i decided that i didn't want to give her any more Prevacid. I started looking for natural options to help with the reflux and found this product online called siberian pine nut oil. it is safe to use on children over 10 months. it worked so well with my daugther, we had very few sleepless nights after i put her on the oil. here is a link to the website that i ordered from: http://www.theotheroption.co.za/LeftNav/babiespregnancy.aspx. i'm not sure where you live. I live in south Africa, but i'm sure they can deliver overseas.
Sarah