Pickle brine and gerd symptoms...

Trying to make it simple...GERD indicates reflux disease. The reflux is caused by a defective or non-functioning lower esophageal sphincter valve between the stomach and the esophagus. When the valve is not working stomach acid can escape and travel up the esophagus and raise havoc with the esophagus. If the valve was working properly acid would remain in the stomach where is is supposed to be. The only way to permanently resolve a non-working sphincter is with surgery or one of the newer non invasive procedures. Meanwhile reducing the amount of acid that is produced by your body by the use of meds or any home remedy may keep acid reflux at a tolerable level. If reflux has been a problem for a long time you should be checked periodically with an endoscopy. Severe reflux often can cause barretts esophagus which can be a pre curser to esophageal cancer.

avi123 wrote:

flyingwithoutwings wrote:I took Prilosec & Nexium for years. I finally went to a DO recommended by a friend, and he said to drink 1/4 cup of celery juice every morning (on an empty stomach) and follow with 16 oz of water 10 minutes later. He explained that the acid reflux meds deplete the salt in the lining of the stomach and the celery juice replaces it, usually takes around 6 months. I would also drink a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, as needed. Works great!! And you're right, acid reflux is caused by lack of acid in the stomach, according to my DO.

Reply,

What is a DO? Why don't you go to a Gastro Doc to do an upper endoscopy? If you screw up the cells in your esophagus and they become cancerous then it easily could become terminal b/c of metastasizes.

Why don't I see any of above theories here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gerd/D ... ION=causes

DO = Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
I went to a gastroenterologist. He did an endoscopy, on two separate occasions and found nothing wrong but still prescribed Prilosec which eventually starting causing stomach pains. Once I went to the DO and started drinking the celery juice my stomach issues went away, no acid reflux, no heartburn. I have not taken Prilosec, Nexium or anything of the sort for 15 months now.

DreamDiver wrote:I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but has anyone ever tried pickle brine for GERD symptoms? A couple of nights a month, I get GERD symptoms as chest pain. I drink just less than two ounces of pickle brine, and the symptoms seem to resolve for the rest of the night. It's supposed to have something to do with the vinegar re-establishing proper pH in the belly. It sounds weird, but it seems to work. Has anyone else tried this, or am I just a victim of the placebo effect?

Yes, it's commonly mentioned on a list for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Stomach-Acid- ... 0871319314 is one reference.

If you can stand to do it, eliminate starches from your diet. Quite a few people on SCD find that after some months, the GERD goes away.

see below

Will sauerkraut work? I love sauerkraut!

Anyone who is on PPIs should get an endoscopy regularly.

My dad was on them for years. Never had a single endoscopy (we didn't really know about them then). He got esophageal cancer and he wasn't a smoker or drinker. If he had just *once* had an endoscopy, they could have caught it before it turned cancerous. The PPIs didn't stop the GERD, they made it worse.

As I've written before, as others have too, GERD can quite often be from too little stomach acid rather than too much. I keep mine in check by taking Betaine HCl, and keeping away from sugar. And I get an endoscopy every 5 years.

chunkyfrog - sauerkraut is great! All those fermented foods are supposed to be great for the gut.

If it gets bad in the middle of the night, a glass of room temprature water will settle it down for me.

DreamDiver wrote:I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but has anyone ever tried pickle brine for GERD symptoms? A couple of nights a month, I get GERD symptoms as chest pain. I drink just less than two ounces of pickle brine, and the symptoms seem to resolve for the rest of the night. It's supposed to have something to do with the vinegar re-establishing proper pH in the belly. It sounds weird, but it seems to work. Has anyone else tried this, or am I just a victim of the placebo effect?

Reply,

I am surprised that such a smart poster as Dream Driver would resort to old fashion remedies to treating his GERD. Most of the none current methods of treating GERD, mentioned in this thread, belong to the more than 75 years ago medical practices at that time. At that time the expected life expectancy of the average American born in 1920 was less than 55 years. But these days, those who were born in 1950 it's 70 years and those who were born in 2000 it's 80 years. Medical treatments sure have advanced too.

I myself had GERD from 1975 when I was at age of 45 years old till about 1995 (at age of 65) when I started to go to the following Lab at UNC Medical School, Chapel Hill, NC. In between I been doing all the recommended instructions such as avoiding French fries and other fried food and also tilting the bed mattress to raise the head, etc., but did not drink that brine, vinegar, etc. See here how I have been lucky to treat my GERD the most up--to- date advanced methods. Since 1995 I have been undergoing routine both lower and upper endoscopies at the UNC Lab.


Report of my Upper Endoscopy in 2011:




Last Rx, after 2011:



I take only one Prilosec tablet daily. Taking two tablets would not be good b/c it might reduce the stomach acid too much.

I don't have GERD any more.

I had an Upper Endoscopy at the beginning of this year and I am due for another one in 2015

note that this thread is 3 years old.

echo wrote:note that this thread is 3 years old.

Echo, I am sorry to read about your Dad who died of esophageal Cancer . It must have been terrible to deal with that cancer. As I mentioned in my post above, my friend (Joe Robertson, originally from West Virginia) was an unbelievable nice fellow. Ten years ago he died at an age of mid 60s from the spread of his esophageal cancer. Once the cancer spreading was diagnosed then it took less than 3 month and he was gone. Nothing could be done to stop it. He had GERD for many years (like I did). After his death I became panicky about that damn GERD that I was having. After hearing the Gastro Doc whom I mentioned above (he later did my Upper Endoscopies) talking on the local public radio show named "the People Pharmacy" about such a disease, I immediately perused this Doc relentlessly. How lucky was I to find a nice, sweet, and knowledgeable physician as he happened to be (now a full professor at Chapel Hill, NC, School of Medicine, in Gastroenterology). This Doc is now running a large lab assigned to doing only upper and lower endoscopies. He has about 6 physicians under him and the place is clicking like a Swiss clock. When I go there my only problem is to make certain that I have this Doc (who is the boss there) carry out my Endoscopy.
Thanks for your contribution!

chunkyfrog wrote:Will sauerkraut work? I love sauerkraut!

There's a REASON they call it "sour cabbage". It's soooo easy to make, and provides great probiotics besides.

wlenz wrote:I was on Prilosec and Nexium for years and they worked. I am now taking Plavix because of a mild heart attack and can no longer take these meds.

Huh???????

My cardio put me on Prilosec (omeprazole) BECAUSE he put me on Plavix after my first stent. Plavix can cause an increase in stomach acid hence the omeprazole to knock it down.

As I read this thread several questions come to mind.

Is it possible that, even more than a defective lower esophageal sphincter, that stomach spasms cause the stomach contents to seek an exit?

Is it possible that there are bacteria or other microbial life involved? I know that what causes disease from many bacteria is not the bacteria itself but rather the toxins they produce as they live.

So what if some of that toxin producing bacteria does not like something in the brine? Or perhaps the brine or the environment created by the brine enables the growth of a competitive bacteria or other microbial life which keeps the toxin producing bacteria in check?

Perhaps getting rid of GERD and similar should be more a question of how to properly manage the microbial environment of the stomach rather than all of the other stuff we are trying to do that does not appear to work.