Natural Alternative to PPI's Anyone?

[LAN2k 18]

I know I may be pushing this issue but I happen to be very sensitive to prescription drugs. I am already taking anti-anxiety and anti-depression (non SSRI) medication. I confronted my surgeon yesterday on the necessity of taking daily PPI med because he originally told me I could take OTC Pepsid AC every day or as needed. I encountered a short bout of acid reflux early out from surgery (about week 2) and he gave me scripts for prevacid, prilosec, nexium, and protonix-(all in generic form). I tried the prilosec for about 2 weeks and could not stand the rock dry mouth and tongue, and some other weird things I felt were associated with it. After belabouring the issue with him yesterday and explaining that most of the people on the VST forum are instructed to take a PPI for at least a month up to 6 months due to the stomach's overproduction of acid, since the brain doesn't realize that most of the stomach is been removed...he then told me to pick a PPI and take it daily for 5 months! I don't want to...I've read so much about the side effects etc. I'm not having any acid reflux problems. But just to be safe I'd certainly take a natural remedy for the over production of stomach acid. If there be anyone at all who knows of natural substitutes for these pharmaceuticals, do tell. Thanks.

[kcici924 0]

Any info on this subject would be helpful. I have lupus erythematosus and the spec sheets for the PPI med specifically stated that it can make this type of lupus worse. My fear is that my lupus erythematosus will turn into systemic lupus if I take any PPI's.

Thanks!

[borg 6]

Read up on meltonin and psyllium husk , i have been reading up on same subject as i want to get off PPI’s , only started today....

[CrankyMagpie 509]

I am not a doctor. I have taken the equivalent of a single college class on herbalism (which is more than most people on here, but not enough that you should do anything I say without first doing some research on reliable sources (so, trusted herbalists--I can get you a list--and medical journals, not the Happy Hippie Housewife Homesteader Blog, OK?) and also not without a discussion with your doctor), but when an herbalist wants to help someone with reflux, they start by improving the strength of the esophageal sphincter. Meadowsweet and Solomon's seal are good herbs for that.

Um... there really isn't exactly such a thing as bariatric herbalism, though, and a lot of what you find online is going to be way off base. Herbalists who are told you have reflux issues may assume that you have too little stomach acid (for good reason; that's often what's happening with other populations and why food hangs out in the stomach long enough to come back up the esophagus), and they will tell you the wrong things. I am not convinced, for instance, that bitters (which stimulate digestive secretions) would help us, but every herbalist will tell you to try them.

I am convinced that fiber's going to be good and helpful, in general, but maybe not especially so for stomach acid.

You could try chamomile, which is a very gentle digestive herb for anyone who isn't allergic to it. Ginger and its cousin turmeric are both used for chronic digestive issues, but they are less gentle and could end up exacerbating your problem; I'd start slow and use them with caution.

The main thing, if you want to go off PPIs, is that you'll have to avoid any foods you know are problematic for you (real heavy foods, fried foods, spices that don't agree with you, stuff like that). And you cannot have any peppermint. None. It's great for nausea, sure, but it causes reflux for a lot of people.

I hope this all helps with your decision, even if the only thing I've conveyed is "this is going to be a lot harder than just finding a couple of herbs."

[Frustr8 7,886]

I can second the no peppermint, one of the first things my gastroenterologist told me when he diagnosed gastritis and Hector,my mini- ulcer in December 2017.

[kcici924 0]

Thanks for the info. I will look into this, especially the chamomile. I expressed my concerns with my doctor and they suggested Zantac as an alternative. I am going look into this as well.

I am not having any issues so far with reflux but I am only a week post op. I do often have a sharp discomfort after swallowing anything though, with a little burp at the end which relieves the pain. It feels more like pressure build up than GERD but I could be wrong as I didn't have any issues before the surgery.

[MIZ60 1,291]

I had to take omeprazole for 3 months after surgery and I personally was fine with it but stopped it after my 3 month post op appointment. Since then I have had a few episodes of mild reflux symptoms which responded just fine to a couple of chewable Tums. A couple of times I felt like there was an air bubble in my sleeve and took a couple of Gas-X which seems to help. I am with you, the less drugs the better...

Good luck!!

[GreenTealael 25,500]

chewable papaya enzymes worked for me when I had the GERD of a lifetime while pregnant. I ran it past my Team/ NUT and they thought it was fine to try these days as well.

On 11/26/2018 at 1:40 PM, kcici924 said:

Thanks for the info. I will look into this, especially the chamomile. I expressed my concerns with my doctor and they suggested Zantac as an alternative. I am going look into this as well.

I am not having any issues so far with reflux but I am only a week post op. I do often have a sharp discomfort after swallowing anything though, with a little burp at the end which relieves the pain. It feels more like pressure build up than GERD but I could be wrong as I didn't have any issues before the surgery.

Edited November 30, 2018 by GreenTealael