Has anyone had success treating upper digestive issues with alternative treatments??

[BubblingBobbling]

I have been suffering daily with upper digestive issues for a number of years now. Daily nausea, burping hours after meals, pain, bloating and acid. All rather unpleasant and it's really getting me down if I am honest.

I have had so many tests over the years including gall bladder scans, a SeCHAT scan, colonoscopies and several gastroscopes. The latest gastroscope earlier this year found nothing other than a 1cm sliding hiatus hernia but they told me this is very small and wouldn't be causing the issues and have left me to it.

I have tried all the standard treatments and remedies such as the acid watchers diet, I watch what I eat and drink in general, I am very careful with my diet. I have tried various PPIs and H2 blockers but I have the added issue of also suffering from IBS and those medications give me awful diarrhoea (and headaches too).

So I live off Gaviscon and Pepto Bismol but they have stopped working well and now I am considering trying alternatives.

Google will showcase a lot of 'alternative' products such as Slippery Elm, Marshmallow root, DGL and even adding in something such as Acid Cider Vinegar as, apparently many naturopaths believe these issues are created by low stomach acid and not high although I am loathe to add in extra acid tbh in case it causes me more harm than good.

I am loathe in general to go spending a fortune on alternatives as money is a bit tight but would happily do so if I thought they could help but I am also mindful of my IBS and don't want to go upsetting that via anything I take to treat the upper issues. It can be quite the vicious cycle.

I do make my own fresh ginger tea which does help a little with the nausea but perhaps I need to try the tablets.

I know many of the IBS sufferers on the groups I am on swear by Silicol gel and Enterosgel but sadly neither have ever helped for my IBS or upper gut issues which is a shame. I even did the month long Enterosgel course which cost me a fortune and did nothing unfortunately. Shame as I do love to try anything more natural.

Have you had you b12 checked recently? And do you take b12 supplements? The reason I ask is that I have had gastro issues for over a decade and recently been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis and pernicious anaemia. Ask to be check for intrinsic factor antibodies. It's just a blood test but gp's often want proof of low b12 first. That could be low serum b12 or low active b12. Also high MCV can indicate b12 deficiency. B12 supplements will skew any b12 bloods though unfortunately.

Yes I take the bisglycinate version of magnesium before bed. The ginger and artichoke is a natural prokinetic, I opted for that rather than prescription. It helps with reducing upper stomach bloating so reduces nausea and pressure on the LES, it helps with gastric emptying, and it helps with acid reflux

Funny you should ask because I have had a battle with my GP over B12 issues for a long time. My Serum B12 came back in the grey area and folate was low, GP isn't concerned but those on the SIBO support groups state that B12 deficiency and SIBO are linked (and I do wonder if I have this too) so I recently paid for a private Active B12 blood test which has come back as out of range. I went back to the GP who repeated the test but she simply retested Serum B12 and says that's all she can offer on the NHS.

I did mention this on the Health board here several recommended Dr Andrew Klein in Cambridge so I contacted him last week and he believes that I may possibly have a B12 issue and suggested a MMA test which I have done this morning and will pop in the post in a short while.

I take no supplements and eat meat so no idea why I would be deficient but I do have a lot of the symptoms.

Are you having B12 injections now?

Sorry one more I don’t think I’ve seen suggested.. a high dose (30) daily Lansoprazole? It’s currently short supply but a few weeks dose might help? 😩 (not sure it’s very natural though)

I've tried all of the PPIs available but sadly they all greatly exacerbate my IBS.

Ah sorry OP, I really hope something does the trick for you 😥❤️

I had SIBO and treated it with a combination of Betaine HCl and oregano oil. I think it was mostly the Betaine which did the trick, but I have low rather than high stomach acid, so maybe not for you.

I did have a fair bit of diarrhea when I was taking the oregano oil but I stuck with it for a while and when I dropped it it all went. Taking only the Betaine now, and it's been good for a while.

Do you know what type of SIBO you had (hydrogen or methane) and how did you know you had low acid? I had the antibiotics but my test came back high- it’s much better but not eradicated. I wonder if HCI or oregano would be better than a second round

This is what concerns me though because I have emetophobia and whatever the diarrhoea equivalent is?! I have a hard time coping with a very upset stomach and as I care for my mum it's not something I actively want to induce.

How long was your stomach upset for on that regime?

You could try a whole system reset, definitely helped me. I went to Sura Detox for a week and am sure it was beneficial.
Also recommend reading Dr Fuhrman Eat for Life.

I had both, but more hydrogen. My doctor said it was low acid, and it fits, as I have never other than once during pregnancy felt any acid in my reflux. Also my trigger foods are the foods that dh, who has really high acid (as demonstrated by enormous acid erosion on his teeth) eats almost compulsively.

Interestingly since I'm taking the Betaine I can actually eat those foods, things like cashews, pistachios, and legumes which would have previously had me writhing in pain.

Hard to say because previously I had diarrhea around twice a week for years. It was a bit worse with the oregano, maybe 4 or 5 times a week?

If I were doing it again I probably wouldn't bother with the oregano, I'd just take the betaine and accept it would take a bit longer for the gut bacteria to find their balance. My doctor cycled me through at least 10 supplements which didn't work for me before we found I could actually tolerate the oregano (which I took in a really low dose and only gradually built up), so by then I'd been taking the betaine for a while, so maybe that's also why it was more tolerable for me.

I'm a shocker for getting adverse effects from the mildest of supplements. I suspect I may have an intolerance for one of the standard excipients.

The way I understand it btw, the HCl is to fix your stomach which will stop so much undigested food from reaching the small intestine, so discouraging the overgrowth of bacteria.

The oregano is an antimicrobial, so kills them off.

My theory is that if I starve them off by not giving them excess undigested food they gradually die down to a sustainable level. Oregano (or another antimicrobial) should accelerate it, but it will come back if it keeps getting too undigested food.

Don't know if that's actually scientifically accurate, but as a gardener it makes sense to me. Create the conditions for what you want to grow there, and there will be less room for weeds.

Oh maybe I’ll try the betaine on its own and see how it goes. Was it betaine hcl with pepsin that you took?

Have u had a stool sample tested? I had similar issues to u. It was getting me down. It transpired that I had an infection. Was given antibiotics and most of the issues disappeared. I can't remember what the test was for, I just know i had to stop taking the omeprazole 2 weeks before I gave the stool sample. Hope you get some answers OP

I have. I believe I've had most tests available on the NHS (colonoscopies, gastroscopes, a pill camera endoscopy, BAM scan, Stool tests, blood tests....). I got so desperate a few years ago that I shelled out £500 for a fully comprehensive stool test (my 50th birthday present to myself lol). No infections, viruses or parasites although it did flag up a high dysbiosis index and the possibility of a bacterial overgrowth.

Tbh, although I obviously don't want my symptoms to be a result of anything very serious I was hoping it was something I could take antibiotics or some kind of med for and feel better but that doesn't seem to be the case sadly.

Acid watcher diet

I've done that, purchased the book, did the 28 day programme and then worked with a dietitian, it helped for a short while but it came back even though I still keep very low acid and I am low fodmap too.

Yes, the lamberts one.