grandma has acid reflux

[Guest guest]

Everyone in the family is concerned about grandma. She is 90 and

lives in an assisted care facility. She has suffered from acid reflux

for many years and was traditionally treated by a regular MD. He had

her on previcid, and various other proton uptake inhibitors, which

took away her heartburn but left her with terrible constipation. He

then prescribed her amitiza, which just made matters worse - they

think it caused macular degeneration to worsen. The family was at a

loss. I was able to convince them to let a naturopath make a visit

and do some recommendations.

 

Now, grandma is off all prescriptions and takes probiotic, flax seed

oil, cod liver oil and a lutien supplement. I've convinced her to

start using real butter instead of rancid vegetable oil and keep

yogurt and buttermilk in her fridge. She is supposed to visit the

dining room twice a day to get breakfast and dinner - which I'm not so

sure she's doing. Her constipation has let up, but she is still

having heartburn.

 

She forgets when I tell her not to take Tums as a way to relieve her

heartburn. At one point, mom told her to " just drink a glass of water. "

 

Twice per day, nurses visit her to make sure she takes her

supplements, flax and eye drops. She does not remember much, which

makes it difficult to add anything else that will help her. I know

that her acid levels are low and quite possibly has leaky gut. The

thought of taking apple cider vinegar mortifies her. She said

kombucha aggravates the heartburn.

 

Does anyone have any have any recommendations for helping heal her?

Please keep in mind, she is 90 and has a hard time remembering what

day it is, let alone what she should eat/not eat. It's possible to

add/subtract supplements/food twice daily when the nurses visit.

 

-vanessa

[Guest guest]

Some people have very good luck with a tincture made from the Peach tree. You

use the leaves and flowers and a good brandy to make the tincture. It has a

wonderful almond flavor and works well on acid. One half dropper twice a day may

be helpful if it is a constant problem. I use it when needed and a half dropper

will take away the acid after the fact. Used it last night after eating some

acidy food and had relief with in 5 minutes. I have also made the tincture from

just the leaf and it has been strong enough, the leaves where collected in

August so no blossoms. Be sure the tree has never been sprayed with pesticides.

 

Katu

 

 

[Guest guest]

Vanessa

 

I think you are off to a good start. Have her do digestive enzymes.

Also something like blueberries/bilberries and lutein for her eyes.

Green food is best.

 

GB

 

,

" Vanessa " <vandalsem wrote:

>

> Everyone in the family is concerned about grandma. She is 90 and

> lives in an assisted care facility. She has suffered from acid

reflux

> for many years and was traditionally treated by a regular MD. He

had

> her on previcid, and various other proton uptake inhibitors, which

> took away her heartburn but left her with terrible constipation. He

> then prescribed her amitiza, which just made matters worse - they

> think it caused macular degeneration to worsen. The family was at a

> loss. I was able to convince them to let a naturopath make a visit

> and do some recommendations.

>

> Now, grandma is off all prescriptions and takes probiotic, flax seed

> oil, cod liver oil and a lutien supplement. I've convinced her to

> start using real butter instead of rancid vegetable oil and keep

> yogurt and buttermilk in her fridge. She is supposed to visit the

> dining room twice a day to get breakfast and dinner - which I'm not

so

> sure she's doing. Her constipation has let up, but she is still

> having heartburn.

[Guest guest]

As we grow older one of the problems which causes GERD is that in over

90% of the cases the cause is not too much acid in the stomach but not

enough. If there is not enough acid produced by the stomach any

protein eaten will not be properly digested. I suspect that if the

protein intake is not digested then this could be one cause of

constipation. One way to eliminate this problem is taking Betaine

hydrochloride. Taking a tablespoon of ACV before a meal can help test

whether or not a person needs the betaine hydrochloride or not. If

digestion improves then there is a real good chance that low stomach

acid is the problem. I am including some information on the net that

describes the effects of Betain hydrochloride. Another thing that can

help GERD is inclined bed therapy. Do a search for it on the net.

There are several articles on it on the net.

 

Betaine hydrochloride

Description

The digestive process takes place as food passes through the

gastrointestinal tract, which consists of the mouth, stomach, small

intestine, and large intestine. Betaine hydrochloride (C5H12NO2Cl) is

a source of hydrochloric acid, a naturally occurring stomach acid that

helps break up fats and proteins for further digestion in the small

intestine. Gastric (stomach) acid also aids in the absorption of

nutrients through the walls of the intestines into the blood.

Gastric acid also helps protect the gastrointestinal tract from

harmful bacteria. A normal level of gastric acid in the

stomach—100,000-1,000,000 times more acidic than water—is sufficient

to destroy bacteria, but a low level increases the likelihood and

severity of certain bacterial and parasitic intestinal infections. One

study showed that fasting people with normal gastric acid levels in

the stomach had almost no bacteria in the small intestine, while

individuals with low levels of hydrochloric acid had some bacterial

colonization in the stomach.

Betaine hydrochloride is a synthesized chemical, and is not obtained

from any plant or animal source. Gastric acid is produced by stomach

cells, and is not available from any food source. Occasionally,

betaine (C5H11NO2) is recommended to reduce blood levels of

homocysteine, which is associated with heart disease. This form of

betaine is different from betaine hydrochloride, and is available only

with a doctor's prescription.

General use

Some research suggests that individuals with a wide variety of chronic

disorders, such as allergies, asthma, and gallstones, do not produce

adequate amounts of stomach acid. Many people with rheumatoid

arthritis are deficient in stomach acid and other digestive factors.

Taking betaine hydrochloride with meals can aid in protein digestion

and possibly reduce food sensitivities through improved digestion.

Naturopaths have long held that low stomach acid is a widespread

problem that interferes with the digestion and absorption of

nutrients. Betaine hydrochloride is one of the most common

recommendations for this condition. It helps make some minerals and

other nutrients more absorbable, and may be especially helpful with

nutritional supplements, which are often taken in tablets or capsules

that may not be easily digested.

Based on naturopathic theories about the importance of stomach acid,

betaine hydrochloride has been recommended for a wide variety of

problems, including anemia, asthma, atherosclerosis, diarrhea, excess

candida yeast, food allergies, gallstones, hay fever and allergies,

inner ear infections, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid conditions.

Many naturopathic physicians also believe that betaine hydrochloride

can help conditions such as ulcers, indigestion, and esophageal reflux

(heartburn). Conventional treatment for those conditions involves

reducing stomach acid; according to one theory, however, lack of

stomach acid leads to incomplete digestion of proteins, which causes

allergic reactions and other responses that lead to increased ulcer

pain. In keeping with this theory, some doctors might recommend

animal-derived pancreatic enzymes for patients experiencing allergic

reactions to food. Vegetarians may wish to take betaine hydrochloride

as an alternative to pancreatic enzymes, since it is not an animal

product. Individuals suffering from allergies, ulcers, or heartburn

should talk to their doctors before using betaine hydrochloride.

Betaine hydrochloride may be used as a lipotropic. Lipotropics aid in

preventing the accumulation of fat in the liver, and usually help in

the detoxification of metabolic wastes and toxins. They may be used to

help with weight loss.

Benefits of lipotropics

 

* Detoxification of the waste byproducts of protein synthesis.

* Increasing resistance to disease by stimulating the thymus gland.

* Stepping up production of lecithin in the liver, which can lower

cholesterol levels.

* Preventing plaque deposits in arteries.

* Preventing gallstone formation.

* Protecting against diabetic neuropathy, a condition in which the

cranial and spinal nerves, as well as the nerves in the bladder and

bowel, may be affected.

 

Betaine hydrochloride has been used as a source of hydrochloric acid

in the treatment of hypochlorhydria, a condition in which an

abnormally low amount of hydrochloric acid is in the stomach. It has

been used in preparations for the treatment of liver disorders,

hypokalaemia (abnormally low levels of potassium in the blood), CO2

production in double contrast radiography, and high homocysteine.

Betaine hydrochloride has also been used to treat tic douloreux (a

condition which involves spasmodic pain along the course of a facial

nerve), cystinuria (a hereditary defect that results in recurrent

kidney stone formation), and vitiligo (a condition that is

characterized by milky-white patches on otherwise normal skin).

Preparations

Betaine hydrochloride (also called betaine HCl) is typically taken in

tablets or capsules of 5-10 grains (325-650 mg) each with a meal that

contains protein. Naturopathic or nutritionally oriented physicians

may make recommendations of such tablets based on their diagnoses.

Precautions

People with a history of ulcers, heartburn, or other gastrointestinal

symptoms should see a nutritionally oriented doctor before taking

betaine hydrochloride, and no one should take more than 10 grains (650

mg) without a physician's recommendation. Large amounts of betaine

hydrochloride can burn the lining of the stomach. If a burning

sensation is experienced, betaine hydrochloride should be immediately

discontinued.

Side effects

Side effects are seldom seen, but betaine hydrochloride has not been

through rigorous safety studies. Its safety, especially for young

children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or

kidney disease, is not known.

Interactions

People taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),

cortisone-like drugs, or other medications that could cause peptic

ulcers should not take betaine hydrochloride.

http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/betaine-hydrochloride

 

 

 

, " Vanessa "

<vandalsem wrote:

>

> Everyone in the family is concerned about grandma. She is 90 and

> lives in an assisted care facility. She has suffered from acid reflux

> for many years and was traditionally treated by a regular MD. He had

> her on previcid, and various other proton uptake inhibitors, which

> took away her heartburn but left her with terrible constipation.