OUCH! Need help healing GERD (acid in esophagus)

[sunnylisa]

Dear All,

Thank you for ANY HELP you can offer me with this situation! I am very hopeful that a raw food program can heal my digestive tract. I am new to raw foods, for a couple of weeks doing a high percentage raw with green smoothies, and now I am on my 3rd day 100% raw.

I can't do citrus, anything acid, or much fat at all right now. My esophagus is very inflamed at present due to the MEDICATIONS my doctors have prescribed, which I could kick myself for taking,which made it WORSE THAN IT EVER HAD BEEN. I stopped taking the meds against their advice three weeks ago. I've been all over the web, and am so impressed with raw foods and with this website.

Is there ANYONE OUT THERE that has healed their esophageal problems and heartburn? I have to take this seriously, because I actually have Barret's Esophagus, which is a precancerous condition due to GERD.

Thank you, thank you, for any help and encouragement you can provide.

sunnylisa

[rawviveyourself]

yep. green juices are wonderful for this.

[sunnylisa]

Thank you for responding, Rawviveyourself!

So you did heal yourself from GERD? Were you not able to eat citrus for a while and now can?

I've been juicing celery and cabbage with my Champion juicer. The cabbage seems to burn my stomach and throat, but I had read that it is good for ulcers so was going ahead and juicing it. Sometimes I leave the cabbage out, because the burning causes me some concern. I will follow your suggestion and start adding more greens to my celery.

sunnylisa

[rawstrength]

I find that cucumber juice is very soothing to a sore throat.
I hope you feel better soon!

[sunnylisa]

Thank you for the idea, Rawstrength.

I am actually a bit afraid to try it right now, because this food is on the GERD trigger list, which contains all of the following (and more!):

black pepper, citrus fruits, cucumber, curry powder, garlic, onions, tomatoes, as well as nuts and fats, including avocado.

I am not fond of this list, as it contains many of my favorite foods. I have looked in the Archives, and found a posting by Thuang, who had terrible acid reflux. I wonder what happened with her health? Was she able to beat taking medication? I would rather have surgery than take proton-pump inhibitors for the rest of my life, which can contribute to being low in B vitamins and osteoperosis.

Thanks for responding!

sunnylisa

[rawstrength]

I don't know much about GERD, so I didn't know cucumbers were off limits.
I do know that all disease can be cured naturally, if you have the right approach.
I don't know what happened to Thuang.

[michigan roman]

david klein healed himself of chrons going on the raw diet years ago ,
he wrote a book on stomach problems thats VERY popular amongst people in raw / vegan circles . and though this book isnt about your gerd per say the guys totally into healing the g.i. tract , and has been for over a decade and thusly he and or his book may have good info for you . besides his book he does phone consultations or email consultations i think . i'll bring a link back when find .


and pineapple juice is anti inflammatory .

[michigan roman]

link to kleins site =
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7zc_jJJiuEAeCVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEydmVnZm5 hBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y2NTRfODU-/SIG=11sese84i/EXP=1228165212/**http%3a//www.colitis-crohns.com/about.html ..

[michigan roman]

also at the global juice feasting site below you may be able to dig up some info , link =

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.mTADNJ9iwAUVdXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEydmVnZm5 hBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y2NTRfODU-/SIG=11hivlntj/EXP=1228165651/**http%3a//www.juicefeasting.com/ ..

[michigan roman]

and when dealing with tract ailments ones water source should always be reveiwed imo .

and many say that slipperly elm bark is healing to the tract , its sold in powdered form .
and a good herb source in my dealings with them has been www.mountainroseherbs.com

[michigan roman]

BINGO :D = check out what mountain rose herbs says about
slippery elm bark =

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/slippery_elmbark.php ..

[michigan roman]

my best raw foodist , the late dr norman walker , LOVED spinach as a tract healer . said it contains everything gut needs to rebuild . its very dark green and contains A / CALCIUM / IRON / C , while still being mild .

and im in same boat with cabbage juice = BLECH :p , its very irritating for my gut .

[michigan roman]

and i notice you just signed up here so wanted to say that dont be put off if theres not a ton of responses at first (though you only needed mine because the case is already solved with my posts :D) because theres many people on this forum thatll have great advice / links / experience with gerd , and theyll eventually see your thread if you keep bumping it at key times like 10 pm when everyone checks in before bed .

your SOOOOOOO in the right place because gerd is nothing to raw :cool:

[sunnylisa]

Thank you Michigan Roman!

I appreciate so much :) the information, encouragement, and tips about this site!

I have taken slippery elm sporadically for relief, but I was surprised and impressed when I read the link and realized how specifically this herb fits my particular problem. :D I am going to change my approach to use it much more therapeutically to help heal.

I'm looking forward to checking out the other information as well. I love the thought that "gerd is nothing to raw!"

sunnylisa

[rayofsunshine]

Hi Sunnylisa,

I have been diagnosed with Gerd. My Gerd was 24/7 and I felt there was acid in my mouth all the time. I got to a point where I was depressed, nauseous, and in pain all the time. I did go on nexium for 3 months, but still had symptoms, though not as sharp. I started eating raw during this time and am doing much better. I have been off the nexium for a month now. I am not completely healed, but I am not 100% raw yet either (not through lack of trying).

Even though I know some of these foods are on the "Gerd do not eat" list, I find that they are good for me in their raw form...

Green juices are great. I have cucumber and celery in almost every one I make, along with apples and a variety of leafy greens. I feel the green juices are one of the best things we can injest to help our bodies heal.

I use lots of spinach in my green smoothies and always include bananas. The bananas are good for my digestion and help with IBS. Although I do not find bananas to be a problem if they are ripe, unripe bananas can be(throat). I even add clementines and sometimes oranges.

I made a smoothie of bananas, fresh squeezed OJ, and strawberries and that really bothered my throat. You just need to try combinations and see what works for you.

I have avocados in blended soups and quacamole all the time and they are very easy on me. I do not use raw onions and garlic though.

Almond milk is very soothing. I make shakes and drinks out of it all the time. You can find many recipes on this site. I try to include raw ginger in my drinks.

I don't tolerate many of the dense gourmet foods well, but that could be part of my IBS issues. If I make them, I eat them in small quantities and take an enzyme capsule with them.

My IBS has really improved on this diet.

If I start to feel Gerd symptoms in my chest or throat, I eat a spoonful of raw honey. It can really soothe the symptoms.

I think drinking a lot of water helps too.

When I do feel symptoms of Gerd it is ususally after eating cooked food or raw food that bothers my body personally. I do find I am tolerating more of these raw foods the higher percentage raw I am.

I agree with Michigan Roman about David Kleins book. I have read in many places that acid reflux/ Gerd is the result of week digestive juices in the stomach, aka poor digestion.

Good luck with all of this. I think raw food is the best way to go. I have tried many "natural" remedies and they did not touch my symptoms like sticking to this diet.

Good luck!!

[MelissaO]

I did a search with the banana up at the top of the screen and found this thread that talks about aloe vera gel and apple juice followed by a master cleanse. Master clease is said to heal stomach ulcers.


http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=38210&highlight=gerd

Hope you feel better soon.

[juliebove]

I have GERD to the point of Barrett's Esophogus. I usually don't have symptoms so it's weird. One thing that gets me is chocolate. I can not even have a tiny crumb of it. So I avoid that. And I bought a GERD wedge for sleeping since I can't raise the head of my bed. I have a leg vein problem and must sleep with my legs elevated.

[leeleelocs]

I had GERD and was on Nexium which made it worse. I started green smoothes and taking psyllium in water when I felt the burn and I was able to wean off the Nexium. I was 100% raw for 2 years and the acid reflux only comes back when I start back eating a SAD diet.

[sunnylisa]

Dear Rayofsunshine,

I appreciate your posting so much!:) A fellow GERD sufferer, and you had it BAD!:( I find my anxiety getting way too high as the pain level in my esophagus rises past a certain point. I also have esophagitus and gastritus, and a couple symptoms of IBS. What's been so frustrating for me also about all this is that I have been very committed to eating a whole foods, often vegetarian diet and exercising FOR YEARS, and I've still developed these problems!:confused: What I have learned so far studying raw foods, though, does provide an explanation that seems logical to me.

Thank you for all the tips! It's very encouraging that you've been healing as you have been eating mostly raw. I'm going to try a new community acupuncture center that just opened and provides more affordable treatment. I hope that will help me stay on the raw foods without taking meds.

Thanks again!

sunnylisa

[sunnylisa]

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE POSTS!!:D

Juliebove, it makes total sense that you don't get many symptoms with Barrett's esophagus. That is very common with Barrett's, many people don't get much in the way of symptoms. Dr.'s say, of course, that we develop Barrett's because of long standing GERD, and that the body protects our esophagus by putting stomach cells up there to deal with the stomach acid. The only problem is that those cells can turn precancerous, etc. But - this raw foods program is SO anti-cancer! And, of course, chocolate is a huge GERD trigger. I use a wedge, too. I developed the glamorous :rolleyes: varicose vein problem when I went through my two pregnancies for my two sons, and could not elevate my bed either!

MelissaO, what a great thread you found for me!:)

Leeleelocs, so Nexium made it worse!! That is so interesting! But then, you had to wean yourself off of it! I found one website where people mentioned that there is an awful acid rebound that occurs when you stop taking these proton pump inhibitors. That is very encouraging that you beat GERD! :D Did you have triggers, such as citrus, and can you eat it now? I'd love to hear more of your story.

I appreciate the support!:

[namllets]

I've heard to drink as much celery juice as you can. My wife pretty much healed herself of this by drinking celery juice tons of it, 3x per day!

[annavon]

I see you have lots of replys, but I want to respond because I had problems with GERD before I went raw. Drinking green smoothies has helped. I also try to not eat too late. Nothing after 7p.m. if I can. I try to make my evening meal light. Don't drink anything at least a half hour before going to bed. I have also raised the head of my bed up a couple of inches by putting telephone books under the mattress. I belive that the raw diets has really helped with my digestive tract problems. I not only had acid reflux, but I had a gastric ulcer and a type of colitis. Green juices and smoothies really help. I don't know if bananas bother you, but they give me problems if I have them late in the day, so I only have a half a banana in the morning (usually in a smoothie) Make sure you chew your food very well. Hope this helps.

[rayofsunshine]

happy to have helped!

I have recently been Oil Pulling and that really helps with tongue issues from Gerd. There is a long thread on that here.

[rawviveyourself]

Hi again sunnylisa-
Yes, I am a success story for healing all of this with raw foods. The greens are the key. Maybe look into chlorophyll, spirulina, chlorella, E3live, etc. to help get you through this period. I'm sorry for your drug experience, but you are here now - among friends! So try to drink lots of water and get your greens in as much as possible (rotate them, too).
Raw oatmeal in a smoothie can help. Some herbs to research for healing are goldenseal, marshmallow, plaintain, and slippery elm. Also, Irish Moss is used in preparing raw food and a great demulcent that helps to heal mucus membranes. Aloe Vera juice is another.
Be patient - you'll get there....Keep us posted!

[michigan roman]

ide also like to throw out my opinion that dish soap residue is a real big factor in all our modern day tract ailments .

thusly im suggesting replacements . vinegar ? tea tree oil ? etc ?

[sunnylisa]

Thank you all for your kind posts!:D

I will be working on applying your greatly appreciated suggestions! I haven't received Alissa's book yet, and perhaps have been a little premature in going 100% raw, in that I'm still trying to figure out :confused: what to eat for meals. Sometimes I get sort of desperate to figure out how to eat something palatable from what I have in the house, and then eat something that is raw but not too smart for GERD. I put some commercially dried minced onions in my warmed up (I checked the temp with a candy thermometer to make sure it didn't get too warm) unpasturized miso soup with raw veggies, which probably was not too smart, because now my heartburn is worse than its been all day. I ran out of dried, not toasted, nori, which was helping me stay raw. Green smoothies are wonderful! I'm looking forward to getting a Vitamixer soon, which will be a great improvement over my blender, I think.

It is great to know that others have been successful in recovering from GERD, and other gastrointestinal issues. It is so good to know I can come back here and read these replies to spur me on. What a terrific warm-hearted support group this is!:)

[sunnylisa]

:confused: still struggling. . .

I haven't been able to stay 100% raw, I'm still waiting for Alissa's book and DVD; any ideas for GERD friendly, super quick and easy meals?

I'm still having struggling with awful burning in my esophagus, and a sore tongue. The most frustrating part about this is how much worse the proton pump inhibitors made it, and now my doctor wants me to try other types.

I don't know what else to do but try another one to get this knocked down some, since this is so nerve-wracking to feel like acid is on my esophagus, which is not supposed to be happening that so that cellular changes towards cancer do not occur. Maybe I'll try one as was mentioned, and then try to go off later.

Thank you.:confused:

[SimplyRawesome]

Lisa,
Have you tried aloe vera? A friend of mine used to sleep sitting in a chair because she had severe acid reflux. I suggested she try my liquid vitamins that included aloe vera. It cleared up her acid relfux and she was able to sleep in a bed for the first time in years. Whenever I have acid reflux, I take a tablespoon of the aloe and it clears it up.

I don't know much about gerds, but if aloe would help with the acid reflux, that's got to provide some relief. The aloe I use tastes like peach. Straight aloe can be tough to swallow, but if you add it into a smoothie or juice, you may not notice the taste. I would suggest going to a health food store and asking for a high quality aloe and see if that helps.

http://luvmychief.googlepages.com/hugs.gif

[annavon]

Green Smoothies are very easily digestible. Search threads for recipes. I make one with frozen mango, cucumber and spinach and I add water and to thin and sometimes some hemp protein powder. You could experiment using different fruits and see what you can tolerate. What kind of acid reducers were you on? My dr. gave me Aciphex which I took long enough to heal my ulcer (a couple of months). Really try to make your evening meal as early as possible and make it the lightest meal of the day so it can digest before you go to bed.

Have you considered going to a Naturpathic Dr. (if they hve them where you live)? They approach acid reflux/GERD in a different way from conventional doctors. They actually prescribe MORE acid to get the stomach/esophogus spincter muscles to close properly.

Also get Victoria Boutenko's book Green For Life. It is about green smoothies. They have helped people with stomach acid balance issues. I also recommend reading Paul Nison's book "Healing Inflammatory Bowel Disease". Even though that is not your problem, many of the suggestions in the book are helpful for GERD as well (I had both). My poor digestive tract was a total mess!:eek: But it is well on the way to healing now. Stick to raw, it helps. And remember to take the CHEW, CHEW train ;)(most people don't chew well enough).

One final thing, relax when you eat to enhance digestion.

Sending you (((hugs))) and best wishes.:)

[rayofsunshine]

When I went off the nexium, I did get that acid stuff back too. It is just something you slowly work through - doesn't go away overnight, but gets better. I think I have seen all of the best suggestions on this thread to help you work through it, but I know how worrisome the symptoms can be.

If you would like professional help without going on meds, I would see a natural health professional, preferably a raw foods one. Could you contact Alissa, or a raw foods health "center" for help? This could give you a good confident and comfortable start.

[sunnylisa]

:)Thank you all for your continued support, excellent suggestions, and warm encouragement. I appreciate it so much. I have had some times recently with subtle improvements, so I am still holding off taking another medication. (The medications I have taken include tums, zantac, prevacid, and for the longest, prilosec and carafate. They made my acid reflux and esophagial pain much worse, but it was even scarier misery when I went off them!:()

I'm applying most of your suggestions! I would love to be able to take aloe vera, but one of my acid reflux triggers is citric acid, which is in most of them. I just found a few with potassium sorbate, but I'm worried about that preservative setting off my acid reflux, also. I found an aloe vera a long time ago that did not have any preservatives in it, and it was helpful. I've got to try to find it again.

The green smoothies, slippery elm, and celery and green juice all have been helping. I can hardly wait to get my Vitamixer when it comes to Costco next week!

Thanks again!:)

sunnylisa