Would like to stop taking Zantac page

[MarissaLinnea]

I read Practical Paleo this weekend and found it quite interesting that heartburn is caused by a lack of acid in the stomach, and that taking things like Zantac can actually keep nutrients from being digested in our bodies.

That being said, I would really like to stop taking Zantac. I have been taking it for years, I have struggled with reflux and heartburn since I can remember. Has anyone out there used the suggestion of drinking lemon juice or vinegar before a meal in order to bring up HCl levels in the stomach and avoid heartburn? I would love to hear anyone's experience with it. It seems like it would have the opposite affect, but after thinking about it for awhile, it makes a lot of sense why it would work.

[meeshar]

I got a roll of papaya enzyme tablets at the health food store when I quit my PPI after going Primal, they helped a great deal. It was rough for the first couple of weeks, but I felt great afterward. I also found Axia3 at the drugstore when I was having a vicious rebound (brought on by cheating and eating grain), I think it's better than traditional antacids when you're in a pinch because it also contains digestive enzymes and probiotics.

Chris Kresser has a great series of articles on the subject: Get rid of heartburn and GERD forever in three simple step

[janie]

DH has found that he hasn't been able to completely do w/o his Prilosec, but he now takes it every other day and hopes to gradually cut back more. He is taking some digestive enzymes and hopes to move to taking them only over time.

[noodletoy]

eliminating grains and krap industrial oils generally help heal issues like this. your husband may also want to add a good probiotic and fermented foods to his day. it won't work overnight but he will get there.

[meeshar]

I definitely second the probiotics, forgot to mention that.

[MarissaLinnea]

I am taking those already, but only for the last couple days.

[janie]

In DH's case, he's been off grains for over 2 years and also takes a probiotic. Maybe I can convince him on the fermented foods.

[2ndChance]

I'm sure you've tried a lot of things if you ended up taking medication... but I'll put out my suggestions just in case they're new to you.

Have you ever read into the acid/alkaline diet? Before I found primal, it was my go-to dietary guideline... they advise a 60/40 alkaline to acid food ratio in the diet to prevent disease, an 80/20 ratio if you're already sick... Some Googling will show you lists of which foods are which...it's not always what you think, citrus fruits are very alkaline, for example, iirc. Cutting sneaky things like peanut butter really helped me beat my issues with heartburn.

Another thing (probably common sense) is too much sodium. This is the #1 thing that triggers heartburn for me. It's hard because I like a sprinkle of salt on everything.. but it adds up quickly.

And if your heartburn bothers you while you're laying down, try lying on your left side, it's proven to ease symptoms.

As far as I see it (and I'm young and without any serious health issues, so take my advice with a grain of salt) there is no reason someone should need to be on meds for something like this. Eat more salad, less salt and less acid-forming food. This worked for me--I used to eat less carefully and I thought heartburn was just a fact of life! It's great to be finally in control of it and I hope my advice helps you at least a little!

[MarissaLinnea]

Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into it!!

Honestly, I haven't tried much else to help with the heartburn. I mean, this is something that started for me well over ten years ago, and back then I ate SAD, partied way too hard, etc. It's only fairly recently that I found Primal, and even more recently that I have decided that I would like to not have to take any medications if I can possibly help it. So I was pretty interested when I read about heartburn in Practical Paleo and it would be great if I could manage it without the use of meds.

[ajb0203]

Have you actually tried to stop taking it yet?

I only ask because after I read bad things about Zyrtec (for allergies), I quit taking it in July. After taking that or Claritin year-round for over 10 years, I surprisingly didn't have many allergy symptoms when I stopped. My eye flared up last week, but I took 2 benedryl over two days and was fine. (Obviously not the same condition as heartburn, but thought I'd share/compare. . .)