Acid Reducers

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:59 pm

Hi All!
Have a question for those of you that suffer with heartburn or acid indigestion.
Do you take an OTC brand or a script??
Have no clue, as to why out of the blue, (Gee! I'm a poet and didn't know it!), I have developed indigestion and can feel it behind my breastbone, only after my largest meal during the day, which is dinner. Boy, sometimes it really hurts!
Nothing after breakfast or lunch.
Hmmmmm!!
I can't remember what is safe for us to take.
Thanks!

Dee~~~

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:34 pm

My G, C, S Free Grocery Shopping Guide (Cecelia's Marketplace) says Mylanta- Maximum Strength Gas Mint Tablets. I just bought some but haven't tried them, yet.

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:57 pm

I've had heartburn problems for many years and am now on Nexium (apparently for life) due to Barrett's Esophagus, but I have no idea if it is "intolerance free".

I hope you find something that helps and, yes, when it gets bad it REALLY HURTS. I'm surprised you have it that badly without having prior symptoms.

Love, Shirley

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:22 pm

Hi Shirley,
I have never ever had heartburn or indigestion.
This just came on out of no where.

Love
Dee~~

Post by **tex** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:36 pm

Hi Dee,

Since you only have the problem after your largest meal, I wonder if you might be having the opposite problem, namely, insufficient stomach acid. When a patient complains of heartburn to a doctor, they almost always automatically prescribe an antacid. However, consider this:

It is estimated that 80 percent of patients with food allergies suffer from some degree of impaired hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach.
Unfortunately, one of the difficulties associated with hypochlorhydria is that it is often misdiagnosed as the opposite—as having too much stomach acid.

The pain may come from incompletely digested food, and/or gas produced by rotting food, (due to insufficient acid, which allows the wrong type of bacteria to thrive). This comes from the following site, where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about stomach acid, (there are links to many other articles, there):

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Stomach-acid

I would assume that this whole acid deficiency issue is why some of us find calcium citrate to be so beneficial. The calcium citrate is designed for people who have insufficient stomach acid, whereas calcium carbonate, (such as Tums), on the other hand, is an acid buffer.

You can buy HCL supplements OTC, but if you try one, start out with a minimum dose, and then work up, if needed. If it makes your symptoms worse, then stop the acid supplement, of course, and try a buffer, instead.

Love,
Tex

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:01 pm

Well!! Guess What???
Remember when I stopped my calcium, vitamin D and my probiotic?????? Because of the red blotches?
After about 3 weeks without them, this problem started.
So, should I start taking my Citracal , D3 and probiotic again and see if it resolves the problem???
I sure hope this is the answer.

Love
Dee~~~~

Post by **tex** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:12 pm

I would think that it's worth a shot. I would at least try the Citracal and D3.

Did you ever figure out what was causing the red blotches? If it's one of those three, the most likely suspect would be the probiotic, but that's a pretty long shot, anyway.

I hope it works - I'm thinking that the Citracal will make a difference.

Love,
Tex

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:35 pm

Tex,
Still haven't resolved the red blothes.
When I went to get my shower tonight they were on the inside of my thighs, under my breasts,
and the area between my belly button and breasts. Sorry for being so blunt on this topic, but I have no idea what they are or the cause.
I know that my mail order prescription carrier changed the manufacturer on my Remeron and what used to be a round tablet, with a reddish brown color is now a white round tablet . I don't know if there could be something different in the filler with this new one or not. I talked to a pharmacist at Medco and she said that my doctor can request a change of manufacturers, and I don't see that doctor until next week.
If these are hives, some itch, some don't. Some are raised, some aren't. They are all of different sizes.
I haven't taken any of the Allegra, being hesitant to take another darn med..
I might take one tonight, just to see if I wake up with them tomorrow.
Hope your drive to Florida is going well.
If you have time please let us know how everything is going on your trip..

The worry wort
Dee~~~~~~~

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:40 am

Good Luck Dee!!!!

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:26 pm

Tex,
What kind of the HCL do I look for at the pharmacy, I think they have some with pepsin and something else in them, and what milligram to start out??? Will they work pretty quickly?
The feeling went away for about a week and now it's back again!! ARGH!!!!!!!

Love
Dee~~~

Post by **tex** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:38 pm

Hi Dee,

I can't find my old bottle, at the moment, but it was Betaine HCl. I'm thinking that it contained around 300mg, (more or less), per capsule, and I only used one capsule at the beginning of each meal. If that doesn't seem to be enough, you can take two, but I don't believe that it's advisable to take more than two with each meal. If you notice a burning sensation in your stomach afterwards, though, discontinue using it, unless you get a test from your doc proving that you definitely need it. I don't believe one capsule will cause any problems, even if it should turn out that you don't need it.

Here are a couple of sites with information about it:

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy ... ine-hcl-hn

http://www.vitaminevi.com/Supp/Betaine_HCl-F.htm

Yes, they work very quickly - in a matter of minutes, I believe. They help the stomach to produce more acid, when, for some reason or other, it just isn't able to produce enough for optimum digestion.

Note that it is sometimes used to treat/prevent hives, according to the first site.

Love,
Tex

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:58 pm

Dee

Hope you can find a book called “Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You” by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Lane Lenard, Ph.D.

It is a very informative book on digestion, stomach acid, how and when and where and at what time stomach acid comes in the whole process.

This book is a very straight forward comprehensive look at how suppressing acid may be the the worst thing you can do for reflex, heartburn.... on and on.

One of the best I have found

I hope you can find it.

My best

Love

Matthew

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:47 pm

Thanks Tex & Matthew!!
I'm in my mid 50's and I have NEVER ,EVER , had indigestion, heartburn, etc..
Whatever this is just came from out of the blue!!!
Tonight I had it after my dinner and now it is gone..

Love
Dee~~