# High levels of stomach acid



## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi, I was just wondering if people had any ideas for cutting down stomach acid? My doctor said most of my symptoms (pain in the stomach, vomiting etc) is linked to high stomach acid and prescribed antacids, but, although Im taking them now, I'd prefer not to rely on them forever.
So any dietary/lifestyle things that might help would be great!


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## lisabrown (Jun 12, 2016)

Hello...cutting down stomach acid is simple.you have to follow few things on a daily purpose.
1) Drink water especially after waking up.
2) Take small 5-6 meals daily that helps in giving a food supply to the acid.
3) Add yoghurt to your meals.
These will definitely bring down the acid in stomach..

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

@Tad Cooper
Do you mean you have gastroesophageal reflux disease? (GERD)
Are you eating a lot of protein and fats? They need a lot of acid to be broken down and could be making the situation worse. Try to eat a healthy amount, but on the lower end (protein: 0.8g/kg of bodyweight) and definitely don't have large meals as they also make your stomach produce more. Also don't lay down with a full stomach as it might cause reflux. 
If you are overweight, it's very important that you lose weight. GERD can completely go away by losing weight, as the extra creates pressure on the stomach and the acid escapes to the esophagus, causing pain and the other symptoms.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

lisabrown said:


> Hello...cutting down stomach acid is simple.you have to follow few things on a daily purpose.
> 1) Drink water especially after waking up.
> 2) Take small 5-6 meals daily that helps in giving a food supply to the acid.
> 3) Add yoghurt to your meals.
> ...


Thanks! I'll try that! I generally dont eat much yoghurt and eat meals very randomly (depending on what's going on in the day). I do drink water, but find eating/drinking hard in the morning because the acid is so bad then...




Red Panda said:


> @*Tad Cooper*
> Do you mean you have gastroesophageal reflux disease? (GERD)
> Are you eating a lot of protein and fats? They need a lot of acid to be broken down and could be making the situation worse. Try to eat a healthy amount, but on the lower end (protein: 0.8g/kg of bodyweight) and definitely don't have large meals as they also make your stomach produce more. Also don't lay down with a full stomach as it might cause reflux.
> If you are overweight, it's very important that you lose weight. GERD can completely go away by losing weight, as the extra creates pressure on the stomach and the acid escapes to the esophagus, causing pain and the other symptoms.


Thank you!
Yeah the doctor is worried about it (got blood tests for anything else coming back Monday).
I actually don't eat enough protein or fat (I don't really like most of it, only fish and some dairy) and eat a LOT of vegetables and some fruit, moderate carbs....
I'm just okay on the BMI scale, on the low end though (I used to be underweight for a long time but tried to eat better and lift weights to get muscle mass) so I don't think that would be an issue? Can being on the lower weight side affect acid?


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Tad Cooper said:


> Thanks! I'll try that! I generally dont eat much yoghurt and eat meals very randomly (depending on what's going on in the day). I do drink water, but find eating/drinking hard in the morning because the acid is so bad then...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Acidic fruits like citrus can exacerbate symptoms as well. If you eat low fat and protein diet then you should be covered from a dietary point. Other than that, google for a list of foods for GERD (some teas are also bad for it etc). I haven't heard of low weight relating to GERD so I can't tell you for sure. It's mostly mechanical reasons that cause GERD in obese people anyway, so I don't think the reverse can happen. I suppose you'll have to wait for the results. If i remember correctly, H.Pylori infection can also cause symptoms like GERD. 
My boyfriend had pretty bad GERD some years ago, probably due to stress, and now he only takes antacids every now and then instead of daily like he used to back then. So maybe you won't have to take them regularly anyway, after a while (they can also cause some deficiencies so it's better not to anyway).


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## IDontThinkSo (Aug 24, 2011)

How much do you chew? How much are you stressed?


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## Scarlet Eyes (May 15, 2015)

@Tad Cooper

I've had similar problems in the past, but I don't have GERD. However, I find that drinking a little water in the morning after waking up really relieves my stomach. Also, drinking chamomile and ginger tea can help. Or you can try chewing sugar-free gum to increase salivation, which can neutralize the stomach acid.

If you do in fact have GERD, then you should probably avoid foods that make the symptoms worse. Fried and fatty foods, fruits high in acid, and onions, garlic or very spicy foods can aggravate the symptoms.


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## Rascal01 (May 22, 2016)

1. Stop drinking coffee. If you are a tea drinker, don't brew it quite so strong. Avoid acids soft drinks.

2. Do not drink orange juice or other citrus drinks.

3. Enjoy ice cream. It helps coat the stomach.

4. Reduce stress in your life. If something is bothering you, fix it.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

antacids cause rebound.

When it is worst? Don't eat a few hours before bed. Elevate yourself when you sleep. With pillows or wedges. Body position is important. Basically don't put yourself in a position where acid leak into the esophagus. Bending over too. Lying on your stomach. 

There is debate on this subject. Too little acid or too much acid. Apple cider vinegar has helped me. And hurt me. PPI have helped. Many things. 

You may have a hiatal hernia. Suppressing stomach acid over the long term is bad but PPIs generally work the best.

Ok, I saw you say it is worst in the morning in a following post. There you go. Elevate yourself for starters. Don't eat at least an hour before bed. Probably closer to 3 hours.

When I used to party a lot I would sometimes wake up with my chest and throat on fire. Especially from drinking sugary and citrus drinks. Baking soda and water kills that immediately. (which is what most antacids are) Not a long term solution tho. Baking soda can also be used as a kind of acid test.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

Red Panda said:


> Acidic fruits like citrus can exacerbate symptoms as well. If you eat low fat and protein diet then you should be covered from a dietary point. Other than that, google for a list of foods for GERD (some teas are also bad for it etc). I haven't heard of low weight relating to GERD so I can't tell you for sure. It's mostly mechanical reasons that cause GERD in obese people anyway, so I don't think the reverse can happen. I suppose you'll have to wait for the results. If i remember correctly, H.Pylori infection can also cause symptoms like GERD.
> My boyfriend had pretty bad GERD some years ago, probably due to stress, and now he only takes antacids every now and then instead of daily like he used to back then. So maybe you won't have to take them regularly anyway, after a while (they can also cause some deficiencies so it's better not to anyway).


Ahh cool thanks!! I'm glad your friend is better now! 
I had a look on the list of things not to have and I do tend to drink a cup of coffee a day (but was cutting down anyway because caffeine makes my anxiety worse and I have sleeping problems) and don't eat many of the carbs they recommend, so I think trying a dietary thing may be good. Sadly the stress side wont be something I can do much about in the immediate future (I might try meditation again or running maybe...does exercise help?)



IDontThinkSo said:


> How much do you chew? How much are you stressed?


Thanks!
I chew very well (to the point Im the last person eating no matter who I'm eating with xD) 
I'm very stressed generally and have GAD/SAD so I dont think it helps much....Im not really sure what to do with it though...



Scarlet Eyes said:


> @*Tad Cooper*
> 
> I've had similar problems in the past, but I don't have GERD. However, I find that drinking a little water in the morning after waking up really relieves my stomach. Also, drinking chamomile and ginger tea can help. Or you can try chewing sugar-free gum to increase salivation, which can neutralize the stomach acid.
> 
> If you do in fact have GERD, then you should probably avoid foods that make the symptoms worse. Fried and fatty foods, fruits high in acid, and onions, garlic or very spicy foods can aggravate the symptoms.


Thanks, I'll try out the gum thing maybe today (I thought gum was bad for stomach acid so avoided it). I do tend to try and make myself drink tea/water in the morning but my stomach hates it.
Ahh I do cook with onions and garlic quite often, so I guess remove those?



Rascal01 said:


> 1. Stop drinking coffee. If you are a tea drinker, don't brew it quite so strong. Avoid acids soft drinks.
> 
> 2. Do not drink orange juice or other citrus drinks.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I will cut out coffee and try having just green or camomile tea (I like those, but also like mint tea and thats not good). I dont really drink juice at all. How would you recommend reducing stress?



FearAndTrembling said:


> antacids cause rebound.
> 
> When it is worst? Don't eat a few hours before bed. Elevate yourself when you sleep. With pillows or wedges. Body position is important. Basically don't put yourself in a position where acid leak into the esophagus. Bending over too. Lying on your stomach.
> 
> ...


Thanks, yeah, I was worried about using antacids a bunch, because they have a lot of bad stuff associated with them! Oh so acid can help? That's interesting! I'll have a go and see what happens! What PPI do you use?
Apparently my dad had GERD and used the baking soda thing (I mentioned it to my mum) so thats interesting! How would you use it as an acid test?


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Tad Cooper said:


> Ahh cool thanks!! I'm glad your friend is better now!
> I had a look on the list of things not to have and I do tend to drink a cup of coffee a day (but was cutting down anyway because caffeine makes my anxiety worse and I have sleeping problems) and don't eat many of the carbs they recommend, so I think trying a dietary thing may be good. Sadly the stress side wont be something I can do much about in the immediate future (I might try meditation again or running maybe...does exercise help?)


Yeah coffee is also to be avoided. Generally try to cut back on the irritant foods, at least for the time being. If you have anxiety it definitely contributes, you can even develop ulcers due to stress, so ultimately you will have to address that as much as possible. Meditation definitely helps with stress, there are studies about it, and so does exercise. No need to overdo it, just do something you can maintain for daily/almost daily activity and makes you feel you have exerted a moderate amount of effort.

Baking soda has been used as a home test to see if you have enough acid in your stomach. You basically mix it with water and then wait up to 5 minutes to belch. But scientifically it's not an approved method of checking your stomach acid levels. Baking soda neutralizes the stomach acid producing gas and supposedly you can judge if you have enough acid by how long it takes to belch. But by itself, it's too vague though to draw safe conclusions. The doctor tests your acid levels by combining baking soda with an electronic device that you swallow which measures the acidity during and after the baking soda effect, and if the pH of your stomach doesn't return to normal after, you have low stomach acid. By itself, the baking soda is not enough.

If you have high stomach acid and drink acidic stuff like apple cider vinegar or even orange juice you will feel worse.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

Tad Cooper said:


> Hi, I was just wondering if people had any ideas for cutting down stomach acid? My doctor said most of my symptoms (pain in the stomach, vomiting etc) is linked to high stomach acid and prescribed antacids, but, although Im taking them now, I'd prefer not to rely on them forever.
> So any dietary/lifestyle things that might help would be great!


i hear baking soda is supposed to work
try reducing acidic foods like coffee, pasta sauces, chocolate etc


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## Rascal01 (May 22, 2016)

How to reduce your stress? Reduce your stressors. What is in your life that you dislike or burdens you? What adds to your personal load, causes you anxiety or grief? Are you forced to march to a drummer that is not your own? Figure out what pleases you or makes you happy, then go for it. What makes you unhappy or is unsettling? Remove it or reduce it.

In an electrical circuit there is a circuit breaker or fuse that overheats and pops when the loads gets too heavy. Then you have to reduce the electrical load and re-set the breaker or replace the fuse. The body is similar. The human body will rebel against overload when stress becomes too high. Excessive stomach acidity can be one symptom of too much personal stress.

Your condition may/may not be stress related. Only you know your stress levels. Work with a medical professional to correct your health issues.


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## Scarlet Eyes (May 15, 2015)

Tad Cooper said:


> Thanks, I'll try out the gum thing maybe today (I thought gum was bad for stomach acid so avoided it). I do tend to try and make myself drink tea/water in the morning but my stomach hates it.
> Ahh I do cook with onions and garlic quite often, so I guess remove those?


OK, just make sure the gum you buy is sugar-less because sugary gum does upset the stomach. And hm, maybe instead of trying to down a glass of tea or water, just try to sip small doses of it at a time. That way, your stomach might get used to it.

Perhaps you could reduce the amount of garlic and onions you cook with. But if you are planning on removing them, here are some plausible alternatives:

https://www.verywell.com/cooking-without-onions-or-garlic-1324033


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

Tad Cooper said:


> Hi, I was just wondering if people had any ideas for cutting down stomach acid? My doctor said most of my symptoms (pain in the stomach, vomiting etc) is linked to high stomach acid and prescribed antacids, but, although Im taking them now, I'd prefer not to rely on them forever.
> So any dietary/lifestyle things that might help would be great!


i don't know how it works, but melatonin seems to work for heartburn and stuff. the recommended dose for "nightly heartburn" or acid reflux is 6 mg per evening. it's still taking something for it, but i wonder what too much calcium does and i know tums doesn't recommend taking them for more than a couple of weeks if i remember correctly. i've been taking the 6mg of melatonin for nightly heartburn caused by some meds i'm taking and it helps loads. plus it helps me sleep through the night.


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## Fleetfoot (May 9, 2011)

You need to become more alkaline. As someone who generally craves proteins and fats, I know said diet will cause my stomach to become more acidic and irritable. 

Some easy things that may help:
1. What everyone else basically said (drink lots of water, eat yogurt etc.)
2. If you have an extra cash dollar to spend and you do your research to see if it'll work for you, try probiotics. 
3. Eat vegetables/fruits before eating meals that have carbs/proteins/fats. I find it easiest to have a small salad before lunch and dinner, and some fruit/yogurt in the morning. 
4. Try ginger tea, add honey if you're not a huge fan of the taste.


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## Kallista (Jun 27, 2016)

Drinking raw apple cider vinegar can help too. It tastes gross but a tablespoon before bed can help with stomach acid a lot. I take it before bed if I ate something for dinner that will trigger heartburn in the night. I prefer it over antacids.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

Sorry for my slow reply, my new password didn't come through so had to sort that out...



Red Panda said:


> Yeah coffee is also to be avoided. Generally try to cut back on the irritant foods, at least for the time being. If you have anxiety it definitely contributes, you can even develop ulcers due to stress, so ultimately you will have to address that as much as possible. Meditation definitely helps with stress, there are studies about it, and so does exercise. No need to overdo it, just do something you can maintain for daily/almost daily activity and makes you feel you have exerted a moderate amount of effort.
> 
> Baking soda has been used as a home test to see if you have enough acid in your stomach. You basically mix it with water and then wait up to 5 minutes to belch. But scientifically it's not an approved method of checking your stomach acid levels. Baking soda neutralizes the stomach acid producing gas and supposedly you can judge if you have enough acid by how long it takes to belch. But by itself, it's too vague though to draw safe conclusions. The doctor tests your acid levels by combining baking soda with an electronic device that you swallow which measures the acidity during and after the baking soda effect, and if the pH of your stomach doesn't return to normal after, you have low stomach acid. By itself, the baking soda is not enough.
> 
> If you have high stomach acid and drink acidic stuff like apple cider vinegar or even orange juice you will feel worse.


Thanks! Yeah I'm trying to work out what upsets my stomach by monitoring stuff. I actually got told I'm pretty anaemic on Friday, so need to eat different stuff and avoid antacids because of the high calcium being bad for absorbing iron....makes it very frustrating!
I do know some of the stressors in my life, but theyre ones I cant get away from at the moment (I think by September it'll be a bit better...maybe...). Do you know any relaxation techniques that work well? I do a lot of breathing stuff, but my heart still goes crazy.
I'll avoid acids then! I do find I feel terrible when I have citrus (although the doctor wants me have that to help absorb iron, so the stomach issues and anaemia are really annoying to have at the same time).



Vinniebob said:


> i hear baking soda is supposed to work
> try reducing acidic foods like coffee, pasta sauces, chocolate etc


Thanks! I generally dont eat much chocolate or pasta/sauce, but did drink a lot of coffee....



Rascal01 said:


> How to reduce your stress? Reduce your stressors. What is in your life that you dislike or burdens you? What adds to your personal load, causes you anxiety or grief? Are you forced to march to a drummer that is not your own? Figure out what pleases you or makes you happy, then go for it. What makes you unhappy or is unsettling? Remove it or reduce it.
> 
> In an electrical circuit there is a circuit breaker or fuse that overheats and pops when the loads gets too heavy. Then you have to reduce the electrical load and re-set the breaker or replace the fuse. The body is similar. The human body will rebel against overload when stress becomes too high. Excessive stomach acidity can be one symptom of too much personal stress.
> 
> Your condition may/may not be stress related. Only you know your stress levels. Work with a medical professional to correct your health issues.


Thanks! How do you reduce the stressors when theyre things you live in direct contact with? I know I get forced to do a lot I dont want to do and doesnt fit with my ideals, but it's how the world works as far as I can see (I'm 24 and have never felt like I have enough freedom, so I have no idea how to deal with it.) I am taking a holiday soon. I have had two weeks off in a year at my new job, and went straight from university to field work to the job, so had no holiday in between either....so I guess two weeks off in about 16 months....
If you have any ideas on how to deal with it that would be great!



Scarlet Eyes said:


> OK, just make sure the gum you buy is sugar-less because sugary gum does upset the stomach. And hm, maybe instead of trying to down a glass of tea or water, just try to sip small doses of it at a time. That way, your stomach might get used to it.
> 
> Perhaps you could reduce the amount of garlic and onions you cook with. But if you are planning on removing them, here are some plausible alternatives:
> 
> https://www.verywell.com/cooking-without-onions-or-garlic-1324033


Thanks!
No worries with no sugar gum. I dont eat much sugar because I'm hypoglycemic (not diabetic though)
Oh neat! Alternatives are very useful!!



starrykitty said:


> i don't know how it works, but melatonin seems to work for heartburn and stuff. the recommended dose for "nightly heartburn" or acid reflux is 6 mg per evening. it's still taking something for it, but i wonder what too much calcium does and i know tums doesn't recommend taking them for more than a couple of weeks if i remember correctly. i've been taking the 6mg of melatonin for nightly heartburn caused by some meds i'm taking and it helps loads. plus it helps me sleep through the night.


Thanks! Id never heard of that! I was told by people to take melatonin to help with my insomnia, but never got round to it (been an insomniac since I was 16, so am kind of used to it almost). Too much calcium is really bad and can lead to kidney stones/gall stones etc.



Fleetfoot said:


> You need to become more alkaline. As someone who generally craves proteins and fats, I know said diet will cause my stomach to become more acidic and irritable.
> 
> Some easy things that may help:
> 1. What everyone else basically said (drink lots of water, eat yogurt etc.)
> ...


Thanks! I actually have a fairly low fat, low protein diet and eat a ton of fruit and veg. I dont really eat meat at all, so most meals are based around vegetables. I found ginger tea makes me be sick, though I have no idea why...



Kallista said:


> Drinking raw apple cider vinegar can help too. It tastes gross but a tablespoon before bed can help with stomach acid a lot. I take it before bed if I ate something for dinner that will trigger heartburn in the night. I prefer it over antacids.


Thanks! Does that help reflux at all?


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

I mentioned Apple Cider Vinegar. It is hit and miss with people. Sometimes it takes it away, sometimes it makes it worse than ever. 

You basically have to experiment and figure out what's right for you. But apple cider vinegar should be diluted in water before drunk and rinse your mouth out good afterwards. It is corrosive on your teeth. And I would NOT recommend taking it before bed. Could wake up with the worst reflux of your life. Take a small amount before you eat. Or during the day.

I personally have had vinegar make me feel a lot better and other times where the same stuff gave me the worst burn you can imagine. Be careful.

There is also the theory that one has too little stomach acid and food is basically rotting in your stomach. Which is the reasoning behind vinegar.

Somewhat scientific home test:

*Here's the Quick, at Home Way to See if You Have Low Stomach Acid*


Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 4-6 ounces of cold water first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.
Drink the baking soda solution.
Time how long it takes you to belch. Time up to five minutes.
If you have not belched within five minutes stop timing.
In theory, if your stomach is producing adequate amounts of stomach acid you’ll likely belch within two to three minutes. Early and repeated belching may be due to excessive stomach acid (but don’t confuse these burps with small little burps from swallowing air when drinking the solution). Any belching after 3 minutes indicates a low acid level.
Because the time frames can vary person-to-person, as well as how they drink the solution, this test is only a good indicator that you might want to do more testing to determine your stomach acid.


Do you have anxiety? You also may be swallowing air and have breathing issues in general. lol. So many different thing can cause it. Maybe Gas-X too. Or digestive issues. Maybe loperamide. It can relax the stomach. 

Basically try stuff till you get better. I initially went to the doctor with tight throat and chest. Thought it was a breathing issue. There was no burn really. He put me on a PPI and god damn it felt good. Could tell that was the problem immediately. 

The medications cause rebound too. The Tums you chew. Rebound. PPI. Rebound. As soon as you stop the acid comes roaring back worse than before. Feedback loop is all messed up. You're actually supposed to taper off PPI because of this. Hard to quit cold turkey. 

You could have allergies too.


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## Rascal01 (May 22, 2016)

If you wish to reduce your stressors, reduce or eliminate those things that trouble you. Consider these aspects of your life:

Home

Work

Relationships

Finances

There are more, of course, but the point of the exercise is to examine areas of your life for things that stress you. The body responds to stress in various ways. Excessive stomach acidity is a common symptom.

It is not enough to locate stressors, you must reduce them when and where possible. If you must work, select work that appeals to you, or is at least tolerable. If you hate your job, get another. Isolate or reduce the number of troublesome people who influence your life. The bottom line is you need to control your life, not let life control you.


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