# Acid Reflux/Bloating/Gastritis



## OregonMommy (Mar 3, 2010)

I get so darn nervous that I'll get acid reflux, most days, bloating, some times will turn into gastritis, very uncomfortable and painful.

I've taken tums, pepto-bismol, prilosec. Yogurt some times soothes the stomach.

Any one else dealing with this? What do ya do?


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## OregonMommy (Mar 3, 2010)

^ Yeah, it will help you even if you swallow down a granola or protein bar or keep some thing in your stomach.
Yogurt--probiotics, good for digestion.


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## RosieApple (May 10, 2010)

I had similar problems, and the doctor told me it was my anxiety. Then someone else asked me if I was lactose intolerant because alot of anxious people are apparently. I could not believe the difference it made!
If you are not sure, try cutting it out of your diet completely for at least 2 weeks. A day or two will not work. Be careful with those convenience food they often have lactose or milk products added.
http://www.lactofree.co.uk/am-i-lactose-intolerant/


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## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

Losing a lot of weight made an incredible difference in my case. Less pressure on the stomach, I suppose.


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## KittyGirl (May 14, 2010)

I get acid reflux and heart burn pretty much every time that I eat.
Haven't really found anything that helps- med wise... and I don't do yogurt since I'm also lactose intolerant XD

Still looking~
although I've gotten so used to it that I don't really care anymore. I know it's coming every time that I eat something ><


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## Falcons84 (Feb 8, 2010)

Yep. Prilosec has been working for me though.

but I cant be on it my whole life. And it just comes back when I dont take it


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Yes I get this in a way, usually intense anxiety makes me have severe reflux to the point where I actually throw up. Nothing helps apart from anti-amxiety meds for it though, I pretty much have to calm my nerves for it to pass.


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## movingforward80 (May 6, 2010)

OregonMommy said:


> I get so darn nervous that I'll get acid reflux, most days, bloating, some times will turn into gastritis, very uncomfortable and painful.
> 
> I've taken tums, pepto-bismol, prilosec. Yogurt some times soothes the stomach.
> 
> Any one else dealing with this? What do ya do?


I definitely can relate to this. I actually started to get stomachaches when I was about 14 years old and would take tums, charcoal, Gas X, and pepto-bismol. I'm 29 now and I feel like I have an acidic stomach which doesn't allow me to eat that much. I'm kinda use to the symptoms now, but will see a gastroenterologist to see if there's any damage done.


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## OregonMommy (Mar 3, 2010)

Some one just directed me to acidopholus which is supposed to include healthy bacteria for the stomach and good for the digestive system in general...I don't know about keeping acidity down though...gonna give it a try.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

I take rolaids or Tums with me everywhere. Paradoxically, medications like benzos that are given for anxiety can cause heartburn by relaxing the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), allowing stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus.


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## xtina (Jan 3, 2010)

i have acid reflux so bad sometimes it makes me cry.
my stomach also makes noise ALL the time. people used to laugh about it in school.
i had pre-ulcerous tissue in my stomach when i was 10 or 11 or 12.


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

xtina said:


> i have acid reflux so bad sometimes it makes me cry.
> my stomach also makes noise ALL the time. people used to laugh about it in school.
> i had pre-ulcerous tissue in my stomach when i was 10 or 11 or 12.


Yeah at work when everyone is sitting quietly working away on their computers suddenly all you can hear is what sounds like a baby goat attempting to escape hell from my stomach.

Oh the embarrassment xD


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## Ash09 (Apr 27, 2009)

I have acid reflux however omeprazole completely alleviates the symptoms.


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## CeilingStarer (Dec 29, 2009)

I think I have a type of reflux called LPR. My digestion is terrible, and my throat is always raw and full of phlegm. If I eat heaps of spice and drink lots of beer, I end up burping it (with some added hydrochloric acid) back in to my mouth which is always fun.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I have been on omeprazole/prilosec for over a year now and it helps greatly although I take it as needed. I have had IBS symptoms for almost three years with little to no resolution from the doc. I guess I have to just suffer.


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## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

I only get acid reflux when I eat certain foods. Lettuce is the main one. I've never taken anything for it, I just avoid the foods. 
I had acid reflux bad when I was pregnant. No matter what I ate. I never really had it till a couple years ago when I was pregnant. Before this I could eat lettuce.


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## TheDaffodil (Jun 20, 2009)

When I get very anxious my stomach does act up. I drink peppermint tea to calm it down and it's really comforting (for your symptoms peppermint isn't an ally, though - I think it would make it worse - but maybe another kind of tea would help?). I also lay on my stomach. Laying on your stomach supports your digestive system's flow. At first it feels funny because you're not comfortable but after a while it does help, at least for me. I do eat yogurt every day. I eat regular yogurt 3 times a week and then the other 4 days is Fiber One yogurt. I try to keep myself hydrated, too. Fiber + hydration = very important.
I do get acid reflux symptoms every now and then (not sure I would tie it to anxiety in my case) and I take a pill for it. It usually helps. I have a prescription for Prevacid but it's easier to just by acid relief medicine from the drug store. Less expensive and the pill is very small and cute. ^__^


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## ladybug3 (Mar 22, 2010)

I've had stomache problems for a few years now. Eventually, they got bad enough that I actually went to my doctor. He did test after test, and finally wrote it off as my anxiety problems. 

The last week, I've been having really bad stomache problems, and I've been feeling really weak. I thought I had a flu, but it's been a week now, and hasn't really gone away much. I was just searching for the symptoms, and found that everything I've been feeling (even extra thirsty, where nothing seems to quench my thirst) are all symptoms of anxiety. And, I haven't been emotionally feeling too anxious, but I have been in a lot of normally anxiety provoking situations, where it tends to act up most...

The website says, for what I've been feeling, that if I don't give it credit, and it is anxiety, it should just go away on it's own. But I'm an anxious person, haha, terrified it's something worse, and that I might have to get blood work again (I was seconds away from passing out last time they took blood, when my stomache was really acting up...) Finding this made me feel a little better. I'm trying to distract myself (obviously, that's not working lol) but, seriously, why does anxiety have to encompass every aspect of life? Ahhhh!


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Well you are at the right place
most of us have been there or are still going through it
i have very bad stomach problems, cramps and bowel issues
The acid reflux is a pain, but i think that started when i began taking antidepressants. any kind, whether SSRI or SNRI or even those awful Antipsychotics, they all give me acid reflux and heart burn.

Anxiety in my teens before I received treatment played havoc on my stomach, i ate only when i was relaxed which would be the weekends and evenings and i never ate at school or had breakfast during the week. I did lose weight from the anxiety and being too scared to eat, and only being able to drink water.
However years of yo yo dieting, anxiety and gastrointestinal problems has now caused me to have severe pain, i think its Inflammatory bowel disease or colitis, but the surgeons will assess that next month.

I can only suggest seeing a specialist about this and having a gastroscopy and it may sound gross but a colonoscopy is also a good way to go as they can check the intestines for any inflammation or polyps 

hope i could help


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## hatepickingnames (May 14, 2010)

I too think meds cause a lot of it. I never had it until I started taking prescriptions regularly. It also got a LOT worse when I had a scope shoved down my throat to look at my stomach. Of course they say "it's impossible" but I know what my body feels like and I know before that it wasn't so bad as now.

I control it with diet as much as possible. It sucks because it removes a LOT of tasty foods but the acid medicines made me feel weird and didn't help much.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium and Pariet work well for GERD for me.


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## Will1 (Apr 19, 2010)

Yeah, I've had gastroesophageal reflux disease (I don't just have acid reflux, or need to lose weight, there's something wrong with the opening of my stomach) since I was an infant, but the anxiety makes it so much worse. I get medication for it, it helps some but I think I need a higher dose. I'd recommend getting the medication, I don't think it'll be hard to get.


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## sickofthis (May 28, 2010)

OregonMommy said:


> I get so darn nervous that I'll get acid reflux, most days, bloating, some times will turn into gastritis, very uncomfortable and painful.
> 
> I've taken tums, pepto-bismol, prilosec. Yogurt some times soothes the stomach.
> 
> Any one else dealing with this? What do ya do?


Yeah, I've been dealing with all that for years. Lately, its got worse. I feel like certain foods, more so dairy bothers me. Have you ever tried drinking a few tsp of raw apple cider vinegar. It doesn't taste good but it will kill the acid reflux and help with bloating etc. You have to mix it with like 8 oz of water though, and the only kind to buy is this one : 
http://www.vitacost.com/Bragg-Organic-Raw-Apple-Cider-Vinegar

I try to drink it once a day, but guess what haven't for 3 days. Anyways, the acid is really what you need, although usually people think they should take supplements to control acid. That's not a good thing to do because in long run makes it worse. I also notice dairy, especially milk makes me much worse. It's just hard to cut all dairy out plus I'm scared of calcium loss. Also taking probiotics, and digestive enzymes can help.


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## theCARS1979 (Apr 26, 2010)

ok , hey i used to get heart burn , indigestion, stomach problems some years ago. Acid reflux disease really doesnt exist cause it has to do with being upset. I used to take Tums, rolaids, and pepto bismol . All that stuff does is harm you and leave side effects. Yea it helps and just covers it up. Google Acid Reflux Disease as a hoax and see if reveals the real truth about it. As said by Kevin trudeau" its not a disease" 
Steve


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## No-Sturm-und-Drang (Jan 21, 2009)

Wow I am so glad to see other people have this problem. I can never stop it totally but whenever I am going to a social event or gathering that i know i will get nervous about I will not eat any spicy or acidic foods such as oranges, tomatoes, pizza. I just eat foods that are easy on the stomach. Also I drink water before I am going because it can cut down on the acid. The last thing I do is eat 1 piece of bread right before I go to the meeting.

PS I dont get heartburn myself but i do know that baking soda has directions on the box for heartburn.


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## SeekingHappiness (Dec 14, 2009)

i had LPR and different variation of acid reflux back 2 years ago, but I cleared out my diet and it went away. It was pretty bad, like I felt my throat was constantly tight all the time due to the infllamation of the area from acid. Anyways, I just started eating really healthy, (lots of veggies/fruit, go easy on the meat and other nutrient dense foods like nuts, but the thing that helped me the most is avoiding processed foods) I've been eating like this for years now and my reflux is pretty much non existent. 

At first they put me on nexium which made me have indigestion ( no acid for digestion of protein... woohoo way to go...) then they told me to use tums or other similar products (again no acid..) which also caused more indigestion.

so I started to read up on this particular problem and a theory suggests that it may be due to LOW stomach acid which causes indigestion and thus fermentation of food in the stomach which leads to gas, and this gas causes pressure on the sphincter between the esophogus and stomach causing it to open and acid being spewed upwards causing inflammation. 

anyways, my 2 cents, but it helped me so it might also help you


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## sickofthis (May 28, 2010)

SeekingHappiness said:


> so I started to read up on this particular problem and a theory suggests that it may be due to LOW stomach acid which causes indigestion and thus fermentation of food in the stomach which leads to gas, and this gas causes pressure on the sphincter between the esophogus and stomach causing it to open and acid being spewed upwards causing inflammation.


Yes, this is why I suggest the vinegar, but I doubt many people would even consider it. The vinegar will balance out your body. I was having bad acid reflux, and my throat felt swollen, and like within minutes of mixing 2 tsp of the briggs apple cider vinegar with 8 oz of water, my throat felt much better and not swollen. Also, the indigestion stopped. It might be hard to drink, but its worth it. It can also help with a lot of other things. I was trying to drink it daily but that already fizzled out, but as soon as I get bad indigestion I drink it. It works immediately.


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## suril (Feb 7, 2011)

I haven't been to the doctor, but in the last 3-4 months, I've had symptoms very similar to either IBS or GERD. I mostly get the hard to breathe thing (from what I read it's due to stomach acids trying to rise towards lungs or something). And of course anxiety makes it worse.
The first time I thought I was having an asthma attack, and the clinic doctor said my lungs were expanded. I was given an inhaler and typical asthma meds, but they weren't effective. Pepto-bismol, activated charcoal, and anti-nausea meds were ineffective or made the matter worse.

I find that supplements and diet change help. I'm basically living off a bland, mostly vegetarian, mostly gluten-free, low sugar diet...(though it's tough since I do love carbs and desserts). I take probiotics, digestive enzymes, DGL Licorice, MSM, PepZin GI, and Calcium-Magnesium (with vitamin D). The calcium-magnesium helped the most and instantly too (well maybe within an 1-2 hours...but at least I don't have to depend on over the counter stuff like Prolosec). Calcium-Magnesium also helps me feel more relaxed, and I'm able to sleep earlier (I've had insomnia most of my life).


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

I hv been suffering from acid reflux since about 6 years ago, and it only start to get worst recently. 

Just yesterday the nausea-ness came back again.... the sharp discomfort in the area between upper stomach all the way to the throat is really giving me a hard time, and I have to swallow something in order to prevent myself from throwing up. 

Until now it still doesn't go away, so I went to see a doc, and he told me it's acid reflux, but i kinda doubt it though..... 

This is quite possibly the worst thing to happen to me, because I have a horrible phobia of throwing up.


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

Does anyone know if yogurt helps in relieving the nausea? I have this thinking that yogurt is acidic due to it's sour taste.....

So far I went in and out of the A&E twice within these few days due to nausea and discomfort in the stomach to esophagus. 
Underwent xray, blood, urine tests, all came out normal, this could only mean that I hv a bad acid reflux. 
Now i'm taking all kinds of medicine for gastric such as, magtasil antacid, chlordiazepoxide, domperidone, famotidine...Didn't work much :|

This problem keeps bothering me after meals. It's like whenever I ate something, there's always this feeling that the food is stuck on the espohagus, and not going down, makes me kinda scared to eat though......


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## Shoelaces (Dec 30, 2011)

Have had it, and have gotten mostly rid of it. It can be an individual thing but here's what worked for me and what didn't.

Avoiding:
- Too much bread. Makes you bloated aswell.
-Alcoholic beverages. Especially strong liquor.
-Fatty foods. Chocolate, cakes, pastries, cookies, greasy bacon/other meats, most fast food (pizza, burgers, fries...). These take a very long time to digest and thusly create massive heartburn.
-Acidis beverages and foods. That means less orange juice, cranberry juice, *coffee* and tea. And by _GOD_ do not combine these with the greasy foods listed above.

I used to take proton pump inhibitors and stomach-acid neutralizing meds, and sometimes those worked, but the overall best and most effective way to avoid indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux is to not eat and drink the foods/beverages that give you symptoms.


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## Shoelaces (Dec 30, 2011)

tensedboy said:


> Does anyone know if yogurt helps in relieving the nausea? I have this thinking that yogurt is acidic due to it's sour taste...
> --
> This problem keeps bothering me after meals. It's like whenever I ate something, there's always this feeling that the food is stuck on the espohagus, and not going down, makes me kinda scared to eat though......


If you keep the yoghurt low fat so that it's easy to digest, it should be okay for consummation. For me, low fat milk products even alleviate symptoms of acidity.

The latter issue might be a case of nerves. You say that you have a fear of throwing up, and that might be resulting in you tensing your throat and causing the roughness.

Other scenarios might be the acid reflux reaching your throat and causing erosion in the upper digestive tract --> causing discomfort, pain, a hoarse voice and phlegm. Or you might have some type of hernia that makes swallowing more difficult.


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

http://www.naturalnews.com/019756.html

True enough.....
About 5,6 days back, I was told to increase the dosage of omeprazole to 40mg, and I did, 
but until today, i still can't feel the effectiveness of the medicine(maybe slightly less nauseous than usual, but not much difference), and i get stomach bloatedness with more gas instead.


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

Shoelaces said:


> Have had it, and have gotten mostly rid of it. It can be an individual thing but here's what worked for me and what didn't.
> 
> Avoiding:
> - Too much bread. Makes you bloated aswell.
> ...


Yea,
I started adjusting my diet during the past few weeks until I almost ran out of food to eat...but until now there aint much improvement.

Guess this means there is too much acid in my stomach, but even if so, why some antacid and gastric medicines doesn't work? 
At times I get very frustrated trying to figure out what works and what not.


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## Shoelaces (Dec 30, 2011)

tensedboy said:


> Yea,
> I started adjusting my diet during the past few weeks until I almost ran out of food to eat...but until now there aint much improvement.
> 
> Guess this means there is too much acid in my stomach, but even if so, why some antacid and gastric medicines doesn't work?
> At times I get very frustrated trying to figure out what works and what not.


Might I ask what you eat and drink daily, then? And how often do you take your meds?

Avoid large meals, strenous activity after eating and if you pack extra pounds, lose some weight. Stress alone can also cause heartburn. But most of all you should visit the doc a second time.


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

Was diagnosed with mild gastritis after EGD in December. Told me to continue to take the Zantac. Now I had to go off it Monday due to having allergy testing this coming Monday. I had to really watch what I ate this week. Glad when next Monday comes to get this done. Still have issue with this severe post nasal drip. Caused me to throw up a little a couple of times this week due to going into a gagging coughing fit. I also find that scents are really bothering me. At work I about die from all the perfume those women coworkers wear. I have been going in at 6 am so I can get out of there at 3 pm to limit my exposure. I am going to ask the ENT about this.


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## artynerd (Sep 3, 2011)

peppermint tea helps soothes the belly.. 

i think u should get a scan.. could be something serious. esp if u notice black stool.


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

Shoelaces said:


> Might I ask what you eat and drink daily, then? And how often do you take your meds?
> 
> Avoid large meals, strenous activity after eating and if you pack extra pounds, lose some weight. Stress alone can also cause heartburn. But most of all you should visit the doc a second time.


Yeah, I felt okay after cutting down the portion of my meals. I also tried to eat slower than usual which also helps abit too.

As for my diet,

Breakfast: Bread like sandwich, or porridge with some side dishes. As for drinks, warm milo/horlicks/powdered milk.

Lunch & Dinner: Mostly rice with veggies/egg/fish/potatoes(sometimes fried), nothing too oily or spicy, except for pepper.

Used to consume coffee, soft drinks and some junk food last time, but I already eliminated all those from my diet. 
I don't smoke, don't drink, not overweight but i'm a type 1 diabetic.

Been regularly taking my medicine since I first visited my doctor.

So far my condition seem to be stabilized(not fully), except at times the symptoms might come back when I start to think/worry about it, and my stomach seem to be bloated easily and feeling less hungrier than usual.


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## OldSchoolSkater (Jun 3, 2011)

I had seriously bad acid reflux when I was younger - probably due to anxiety? Anyways, for years I took Prilosec before it was OTC. It definitely helped. I ended up not taking it anymore when I took myself off of the effexxor and zoloft. I didn't like how the meds made me feel and when I started college I wanted to be able to drink without the side effects - I should have stayed on Prilosec probably as I have some heartburn/similar issues to you still, but it's usually manageable. 

I'd recommend going to see a doc about - Prilosec OTC is a good option if you refuse to go to the doctor though. See if it works or not.


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## bluec91 (Jan 20, 2012)

For the past few months I’ve had trouble digesting pretty much everything. Can one get an ulcer in the intestine or stomach from stress and anxiety?


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

bluec91 said:


> For the past few months I've had trouble digesting pretty much everything. Can one get an ulcer in the intestine or stomach from stress and anxiety?


Go to your doctor, don't self diagnose. But it is possible.

To the OP,

Generic omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole are what I'd ask for first for reflux, if they didn't work then go for more expensive ones like esomeprazole. Fat heavy diets, regular alcohol, late meals and a general lack of strength in your esophogeal sphincter muscle are typically to blame.


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## ryobi (Jan 13, 2009)

I take nexium for GERD. I've been having terrible Naseua for a few months. so much so I can't workout. Coffee makes it worse. I can't even have a sip of coffee without throwing up but the caffeine in coffee helps with depression.I drink green tea that seems to be OK.


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## reliefseeker (Jul 21, 2010)

Its kind of weird that the heartburn and the nauseousness feeling has faded away ever since i've took stelazine which was originally prescribed for paranoia symptoms, and I also tend to feel better when I keep my mind busy on other things.

This sort of makes me wonder if acid reflux can be triggered by psychological behaviour? 
I scratched my head thinking whether is it really GERD that's causing all this or my mind is playing games on me.


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## Cassabell (Dec 14, 2011)

Apple cider vinegar! works a treat for me, tastes disgusting, needs to be watered down, but after one day it worked, gotta take it at least every two days tho i found.


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## sleepytime (Feb 18, 2011)

Cassabell said:


> Apple cider vinegar! works a treat for me, tastes disgusting, needs to be watered down, but after one day it worked, gotta take it at least every two days tho i found.


Yea, ACV is better than anything I've ever gotten from a pharmacy when it comes to acid reflux. I got immediate results with it, I just put a tablespoon of it in a pint of water twice a day and I'm GERD free always.


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## tea111red (Nov 8, 2005)

Seems contrary to providing relief, but some lime juice in warm water helps me somewhat. It could just work for my system, I don't know.


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## Alex Lim (Mar 12, 2013)

*Cure for Acid Reflux and Bloating*

Hi all,

I was suffering with acid reflux and bloating of the tummy which is quite bad for 2 months,visited a few doctors whom all claims that it is due to stress and issued the same medication which works wonder for only a few hours.

Until finally,I came across a friend who suffers the same episode and recommended "propolis", which u can purchase at any GNC stores.
Remember to buy it in drops,not capsules as it works better.
Drop 5-10 drops into yr mouth and wash down with water,it works in 30mins.
After 3 days,u should feel much better.
But keep taking it as it will heal the condition completely.
It taste bitter and smells awful,but it works!

I am gals that it works for me and hence,sharing it with everyone here.
This is one wonderful remedy,believe me,just try a bottle and u will agree,


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