The recommendation to discontinue all benzos such as diazepam (Valium) Lorezepam (Ativan) Rivotril (Clonazepam) and similar “pams” is because they actually cause reflux by weakening the LES as many things do. In this case stomach acid, too much or too little, has nothing to do with heartburn and reflux symptoms as it is purely a function of the Lower Esophageal Junction receptors being affected by the benzos that act upon the GABA sites (benzodiazepine receptor sites on the post synaptic nerve endings) so if a person is having what they think is an over acid condition and they are taking benzos it is likely from that. Chocolate and caffeine seem to have a similar affect but I don’t know why and sometimes alcohol as well.

However, benzos are not to be prescribed for more than 2 weeks and are a controlled substance in many countries with some of them having been banned over the years.

For those on them for many months and years it is very dangerous to stop them cold turkey. The free Ashton Manual on benzo.org.uk explains how to get off them safely and with lesser withdrawal symptoms. Don’t let a doctor convince you that you need to be on them for life as this is untrue. They just don’t want to deal with the rebound anxiety and withdrawal symptoms their patients exhibit when coming off them.

I hear countless instances of people being told they need to take medication for the rest of their life without being given an alternative. It’s such a shame! Although it’s easy to blame the doctors, I think many of them sincerely want to help their patients as best they can. I think the drug industry and the influence it has on what these doctors are taught during medical school is where the problem really starts.

I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the site!

I became a vegetarian, eating mainly whole foods and have been off meds for 2 1/2 yrs. now. I avoid most processed foods, eat lots of spices and even hot peppers sometimes and never have heartburn any more.

Years ago gerd was unheard of, now it seems that everyone has it. What has changed? For one thing the food people eat has changed. It is so highly processed that most of it is nutrient devoid, and it’s full of chemical additives and gmo ingredients. The medical community will not tell you to change your habits, there is too much money to be made on drugs and tests.
I was told I would need to be on acid reflux meds for the rest of my life, and to get an endoscopy every 6 months to 1 year. After changing my diet, none of that is necessary.

I am glad to have found your blog, it is very interesting.

One of the great things about holistic health is that when you treat your body as a whole and establish a foundation of good habits that promote optimal health, a variety of complaints will often disappear without addressing them directly. Perhaps this was the case for you. It’s always nice to know the exact cause and solution of a problem, but you certainly can’t complain about it being resolved without knowing why.

In regard to protein types, dark meats are recommended because of the purines they contain which slow down oxidation. I’m a protein type too, or a Fast Oxidizer in Metabolic Typing terms. Purines are important for people like us who burn through carbohydrates and light meats too quickly. Salmon is considered to be a high purine food and should be fine for a protein type, but there’s no point in eating it if it causes you discomfort.

Congratulations on finding a natural and healthier alternative to your acid reflux! The comfort you gain from eggs is quite interesting. I’ll have to look into that to see if I can figure out why. Chewing thoroughly is a great way to improve your digestion, even for people who don’t suffer from acid reflux.

As long as you’re still experiencing heartburn, you may very well be incurring damage, or at the least, preventing recovery from existing damage. I think it would be a great idea to find a doctor that can administer the Heidelberg test to get a better idea of what’s really going on. You can use the link provided in the article to help you find one.

Since going off the Prilosec about 2.5 years ago, I’ve managed to not go back on it. I still have acid reflux, and occasionally under stress the pain from (assumed) ulcers returns. But, it’s gotten somewhat better, and I’ve found a secret weapon which I will share with you – perhaps someone else will find it helpful. Sometimes I can’t avoid having a big meal with people and end up overeating/underchewing – the result is an ‘acid’ stomach with some indigestion and reflux. I wait a little while, and then eat a raw egg. (I can now down a plain egg lightly beaten, but started out with the delicious version: free-range farm egg + raw cream + vanilla extract + small amount of natural sweetener.) It immediately cuts the acidity, and relieves the pain!

I couldn’t really find any mention of this anywhere online as a treatment for acid reflux – it seems to be completely unknown. I did find one mention of raw egg being used to treat some stomach problem in an old medical book on Google Books (sorry, don’t remember what it was) that said the protein bound with the acid in the stomach. That makes sense to me – and I use this trick any time I have a problem. It’s a great quick fix, and the rest of the time I try to eat well and chew well to prevent the problem from happening.

Yes, stomach acid is dangerous to the small intestine and needs to be neutralized to prevent damage. This is why dehydration can cause acid reflux. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body would typically not allow a solution of digested food that is too acidic to enter the small intestine anyway.

In his book, Dr. Wright says that adequate stomach acid production is needed for proper nutrient absorption in the intestines. In other words, a specific pH range, which is obviously less acidic than stomach acid itself, needs to be established for proper absorption to occur. Without enough stomach acid in the solution of digested food that enters the small intestine, this range won’t be reached.

The recommendation to avoid those medications is also directly from Dr. Wright’s book. While I am by no means suggesting that people who are currently taking these medications should stop them without talking to their physician, I can see how the wording could be misleading and I changed it. Thank you for your suggestion.

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that by no means am I attempting to treat or diagnose medical conditions through this website. Rather, my goal is to help educate people so that they are better equipped to make informed decisions.