Acid Reflux Natural Remedies – Help or Hurt?
Posted by admin on Jan 19, 2010
While it may seem that nearly everyone is seeking some sort of natural remedies for acid reflux, it is important to realize that it should be done with the knowledge of your physician. Some natural remedies have been shown in clinical studies to interact with antidepressant medication, for example, and others can decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs taken for cardiovascular disease.
In acid reflux, the first line of defense often is medical treatment. Think pills, potions, and prescriptions and you are thinking medical treatments. Medications can be altered by their dosage and have a transient effect without creating lasting change to the body. They can be changed when they do not work to expectation or added to achieve the desired result. The reason that surgical intervention is seen as a last resort is because such treatment involves anesthesia, cutting, pain, long healing times, possible complication, and greater costs, consequences that may possibly be avoided by simply swallowing a pill or more a day.
Like medications, acid reflux natural remedies usually have some intended action in the body, as you will discover below; some example, act as anti-inflammatory agents on a scorched esophageal mucosa while others are intended to soothe a nauseous tummy. Unlike medications, however, acid reflux natural remedies dosage and strength can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, from batch to batch, from bottle to bottle. As a result, your benefits may also vary.
Below are different herbs that may provide relief of certain symptoms:
Barley grass. Usually a concoction made from juice extracted from young barley grass, this substance is rich in amino acids and in chlorophyll. It has natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Chamomile and fennel seed teas. Given to babies in a weak tea to settle a case of colic, these acid reflux natural remedies, best prepared in the tea form, are soothing to the gastrointestinal system in that they reduce gas and cramping. Beware, however, some individuals find that they are sensitive to these properties and experience a worsening of their symptoms as the LES also relax. Be careful if you take sedatives or blood thinners since the herbs can magnify those effects.
Meadowsweet. With properties that are consistent with aspirin, one might think that these natural remedies for acid reflux are simply a pain reliever. However, teas and extracts made from the flowers of the plant have also been found to have anti-inflammatory and antacid qualities, making this herb a choice for some people with symptomatic acid reflux.
Clive Chung
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/acid-reflux-natural-remedies-help-or-hurt-292478.html
I need a natural remedy for acid reflux and headaches/migraines..?
Im nineteen years old and i get migraines and headaches all the time. i am on birth control but its not from that. i have tried lavender bath bubbles and sprays but i dont find much relief.. infact, i think it causes my head to hurt more! I also have been diagnosed with GERD and acid reflux disease and i am looking for alternative medicine. i am currently taking prevacid and pepcid perscription versions. i am sick of taking sooo many pills, please help. only serious responses please….
Jesus Christ. I am absolutely serious.
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I think you should continue your medication, but you may want to ask your doctor if it’s necessary for you to take two different meds.
Prescription medications are regulated by the FDA and have the most official studies to show effectiveness and side effects. Natural remedies, at best, can be "iffy", and at worst can be dangerous, and gestational problems like GERD should be taken care of or some serious problems could occur later on.
Peppermint is effective for some people with mild GERD or heartburn, either in tea form or candy form. Some changes in behavior could help, too, like not eating or drinking an hour before laying down for bed.
I would suggest, whether you decide to go with prescriptions or with natural remedies, you keep your doctor informed and keep your appointments.
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I have GERD and stomach ulcers
Both of your conditions are caused and/or worsened by stress so you must address that. If the lavender was all natural and made it worse, you may also be suffering from allergies. Investigate these to see what the culprit is. This could take weeks or months, so in the meantime try eating a cup of yogurt with active cultures to help with the reflux. You need to eat it before breakfast in the am and before bed in the pm. You should also avoid foods that tend to increase acid. Chew your food thoroughly. This is where digestion begins and it will reduce the acid your stomach produces for this purpose.
Fenugreek helped to reduce the severity and frequency of my son’s migraines. You could try adding it to meats, fish and sauces.
here is some info on other natural treatments.
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http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/headachemigraine/a/Migraine.htm
Melatonin has been shown to offer relief from migraines and cluster headaches. It’ll also provide you with a good night of sleep which can help with the old stomach (will be able to handle stresses more effectively).
I’d suggest starting with the 1mg of melatonin first instead of the 3mg to see how you’ll tolerate it. If no relief then you can move up your level to what the link below suggests. Better to start low and work you way up in my opinion.
As for the stomach, clove teas have been shown to provide relief from stomach problems. Not only that, but it has a relaxing effect as well. You can just buy the whole cloves (not ground) from the grocery store. Boil about a teaspoon of them in a cup of water and sip on the warm tea. Will make your mouth a bit numb. Catnip is suppose to help with stomach problems, but I haven’t used it myself.
Check out the link for more information on melatonin and migraines as well as cloves for stomach infirmities.
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http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/488935
http://www.naturedirect2u.com/Essential%20oils/clove.htm
There is a new product out that helps to regenerate your red blood cells, that will then clean your blood. You may want to try this. It has helped for many many different illness and symtoms. Usually people are not eating healthy and their body accumilate alot of toxins. Everyone should detox and take Goji juice. Here is a site you can get it from.
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http://www.goji-life-juice.com/
http://www.gojihealthstories.com/stories.htm
reiki, reflexology, and acupuncture or seeing an herbalist or homiopathic doctor may help. If you dont want to see a typical doctor.
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Acupuncture works really well and fast for both those things!
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A lot of times your health problems can start with your teeth. Go to the dentist and make sure everything is OK. Take out and silver fillings you have and the root canalled teeth. Trust me this will work. After you do this detoxify your body by going to a natural pathic doctor. If you do this you won’t even need to take any pills. You should always do what is natural our bodies are not use to man made chemicals.
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For acid reflux, drink 1/4 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.
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I advise that you seek the help of a naturopath or other holistic practitioner. There could be a dozen things affecting your health and no way can we advise you effectively without asking lots of questions.
For instance: you could have food allergy. Migraines, mysterious though they are, are often linked to ingestion of certain chocolates, aged cheeses and wine. There are other triggers for sensitive people. Some people get headaches from the food additive MSG; some from aspartame (Nutrasweet). I know a couple of women who’ve had to stop taking estrogen because it gave them headaches they couldn’t live with.
Some tips: if your lavender bath product didn’t come from a natural food store, it’s probably not pure lavender. Pure lavender oil comes in a dark brown bottle and says "pure essential oil" on it. You may be having a reaction to the chemicals put in the soap to make it foamy. Try the real thing. Starwest, Frontier, Aura Cacia and Now Foods make reliable products in the aromatherapy line. Put 3 to 5 drops in the bath, or on a cloth to inhale. Can even be used directly on the temples, base of neck – just keep out of eye area.
Also note that acid blockers, if taken for more than just a few weeks, can cause a deficiency of calcium and other minerals, leading to osteoporosis and anemia, among other things. You are right to want to get off them.
You might try taking DGL, a form of licorice root, available at the natural food store, for the acid. Get totally off caffeine and all soda pop. Eat 5 very small meals a day & avoid sugar (which is acid forming) while your system heals itself.
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I have worked in the natural foods industry for about 10 years. Link to read about lavender: http://www.theherbsplace.com/Lavender_Fine_AOC_100_Pure_Essential_Oil_p_35.html
http://www.neurologyreviews.com/feb04/nr_feb04_foramen.html
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Your talking about my past symptoms. I started taking enzymes and the headaches went away. Then I took acidophilus and golden seal with the enzymes. Now the reflux is gone too. A good colon cleanse will help get things moving.
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