Pain, Depression, and Reflux

Freddie Said:

What are treatments for infants with acid reflux?

We Answered:

How was your baby diagnosed with reflux? Were tests run, or was she diagnosed based on symptoms only? Was she having difficulty with weight gain?

Technically, the only way to officially diagnose reflux is a GI probe test, which is extremely invasive, especially for an infant, so most doctors make a unofficial diagnosis based on symptoms. Here's a list of reflux symptoms in infants: http://heartburn.about.com/od/infantschi…

Be aware that excessive spitting up, or spitting up in general, is *not* the same as reflux. All babies spit up at some point or another, and some spit up a lot, but reflux is not always the cause. Reflux, or GERD, occurs when the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus doesn't close completely after a feeding, causing stomach acids and food (or, in a baby's case, milk) to come back up. This often causes damage to the esophageal wall as well, as stomach acids are extremely corrosive. This is why true reflux or GERD can only truly be diagnosed by a GI probe test. The probe searches the esophagus for damage and checks to see if the valve doesn't close properly.

Spitting up is sometimes a symptom of reflux, obviously, since milk will come back up if the valve doesn't close completely, but there are many other possible causes of spitting up: oversupply or overactive letdown, excessive swallowing of air during feeding, pyloric stenosis, allergies (sometimes food allergies or sensitivities, such as a dairy allergy), or sometimes overeating/overfeeding. Many of these issues are mistakenly diagnosed as reflux, when they're not reflux at all. Often, they're easily fixable with dietary changes, altering feeding methods or positions, or, in the case of pyloric stenosis, surgery would be required.

Personally, I think it's best to try solutions for some of the problems listed above before resorting to prescription medications for reflux. If the baby is breastfed, block feeding, eliminating dairy, and altering feeding positions can help eliminate the issues. If the baby is formula fed, sometimes changing formulas can help, specifically if it's suspected that the baby has a dairy allergy or sensitivity. You might consider talking to your doctor about testing for allergies as well, before trying any more reflux medications.

Chiropractic care is also shown to help reflux, or other issues that mimic reflux. Chiropractic adjustments help body stay in proper alignment, which can aid in proper digestion and help reduce the symptoms of reflux, colic, allergies, and other issues. Here's more info on chiropractic care for reflux: http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/forum… This is a very detailed report on how chiropractic care helped infants with reflux and similar issues: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles…

If you do continue to use medications, it's important to make sure you talk to your doctor about adjusting the dose as your baby grows. That's why medications may work at first, and then they stop working as well. As baby gets bigger, they sometimes need a greater dose to achieve the same effect. You can talk to your doctor for more information. Personally, I would try chiropractic as well. She may not need the medication at all if the adjustments help her. Is she seeing a pediatric gastroenterologist?

Here's a good page on reflux. A lot of the information is directed toward breastfed babies, but most of it will apply to formula fed babies as well: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/ref…

Bill Said:

Who knows of the best treatment for acid reflux condition or "Gerd"?

We Answered:

You try giving your stomach a rest for a week. Cut out all acid type foods. This would include orange juice, grapefruits, tomatoes, carbonated beverages, coffee and chocolate.

Eat Oatmeal everyday. It seems to coat the stomach and lessen the amount of acid that is regurgitated. Don't eat large meals--instead eat several small meals a day.

Do not eat a large meal as your Dinner. Often the large meal is a major culprit when you lie down for bed.

Peppermint and Ginger are also natural remedies that can give you some relief.

I've had GERD for years. It acts up when I eat the wrong foods or too much food. When I start the oatmeal diet, the symptoms definitely lessen.

Elizabeth Said:

Sensitive Teeth Caused By Acid Reflux?

We Answered:

well if you can't get off the drugs that cause the acid reflux the best you can do is try to treat the acid reflux at the root of the problem

but do not treat it with more drugs that will cause more side affect. try some natural remedies that will not cause anymore side affects.

apple cider vinegar a couple spoonfuls a day unto the reflux goes away. is just one natural option there are also several herbal options that are very affective at treating the problem at the source

Marilyn Said:

acid reflux treatment without medication?

We Answered:

Papaya enzyme - 2 tablets 3x daily
Zinc - 50 mg daily
Vitamin A - 20,000 iu daily
Vitamin B complex - 100 mg 2x daily
Vitamin C - up to 1500 mg daily

Aloe Vera juice - 1/4 cup morning and night
(promotes healing of the intestinal lining)

At the first sign of heartburn, drink two glasses of water.
Avoid fats and processed foods.
Consume a diet of at least 50% raw fruits, vegetables, juices, nuts and seeds, to improve digestion and elimination.
Do not eat within three hours of bedtime.
No heavy lifting.
Do not smoke.
Eat several small meals throughout the day.

This works quickly- generally within two weeks, at which time the supplements can be decreased. However, symptoms will return when the individual resumes old eating habits.

Evelyn Said:

I have G.E.R.D./acid reflux. What foods should I not eat?

We Answered:

I hope this helps. A lot of problems come from how/what we eat and combine our foods together. Let me explain.

It was the first time I cooked dinner for my then-boyfriend. I didn’t know it back then, but my own cure began with a question from this man who would later become my husband(Mike)

Shortly after we met, I made dinner for him and he asked if it would be alright if he didn't eat one of the foods I had prepared. He said it all looked wonderful, but that the combination would give him a stomach ache. I didn't know what he meant, since nothing was fried and no hot spices were used.

It was then that he asked me the question that literally changed my life forever!

Mike asked me, “Have you heard of food combining?”

My immediate answer was "no" I hadn't heard of it. Even though it wasn't anything new, and had been endorsed by many health experts, peak performance experts and celebrities and more - I really had never heard of FOOD COMBINING.

After hearing about how "mis-combining" leads to acidosis, acid-reflux, heartburn and a host of other digestive problems, I had my first "properly combined" meal...

And I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO SYMPTOMS WHATSOEVER!

NO PAIN! NOTHING!

That’s right...

NO cramps
NO bloated stomach
NO excessive gas
NO ‘IBS’
NO acid reflux
NO constipation
NO running to the bathroom
NO horrendous pain

Can you imagine how relieved I felt after all those years? If you have ever suffered any of these symptoms, even mildly, you will understand why I was wild with joy!

Sherry Brescia

Jeremy Said:

Is there a natural cure for a small dog that has acid reflux reaction after eating?

We Answered:

my dog had that i used human anti acid but cut it in half so it wont be such a big dose it really helps she hasnt trhown up in months