How To Improve Your Posture to Improve Your GERD
Introduction
More than half of the population experience heartburn regularly. Twenty to thirty percent will experience it weekly. The most common advice is to change your eating habits and take medication such as OTC antacid tablets, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), or H2 Blockers. However, this may not be the best way to deal with this issue. Check your posture. This article will explain how to improve your posture and GERD symptoms.
Surprisingly your posture has a huge impact on whether you will have GERD symptoms or not. Maintaining a good posture while eating and for a few hours after eating can reduce symptoms drastically. For example, I've found that if I start feeling heartburn, I can relieve it within a few minutes just by straightening my posture.What You Will Learn
- Poor posture can change the orientation of your LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and the opening to your stomach, making it easy for stomach acid to flow back into your esophagus, causing heartburn symptoms
- Ensuring that you maintain good posture while eating (and after eating) can drastically reduce the chances that you will get heartburn.
I Have “iHunch.” Do you?
In our advanced society, where many people work at a computer daily, and almost everyone has a smartphone or tablet, the incidence of forward head posture is on the rise. Bad posture changes the normal positions of our body and can disrupt the normal function of our vital organs.
This hunched-over posture changes the position and orientation of our organs, especially the esophagus, and its relationship to the stomach. This postural change can put the opening of the stomach either at the same level or slightly higher than the lower esophageal sphincter making it difficult to stop stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus.
I’m a researcher, and as part of my job, I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk slouched in front of a computer. Then I go home after work and spend a few more hours slouched in front of my home computer. Then I slouch on the couch for another few hours watching TV.
As a result, I have very bad posture and what is called forward head posture (FHP). Other not so nice names for this are "Scholar's Neck," "Wearsie Neck," "iHunch" or "Reading Neck.
I have been doing this for over 25 years. As a direct result, my posture while using a computer is horrid. Even though I work out at the gym for an hour, 5 days a week, it does not counteract this problem.
I Had Acid Reflux For Over 40 Years
I also suffer from acid reflux; I have full-on GERD. But I’m not so sure I can say this anymore. Over the past few years, I have been learning more and more about how to "fix" acid reflux and GERD. Instead, I can now say that I have not had anything more than mild heartburn maybe three times in the past six years. Believe it or not, I have returned to my former eating and drinking habits. I can drink alcohol, eat spicy foods, pizza, fried foods, greasy hamburgers, whatever I want.
My biggest breakthrough was coming to terms with the fact that Acid Reflux is not caused by too much stomach acid. It is caused by not having enough!
Once I finally believed this and then did something about it, my symptoms disappeared. As a result, I have not taken any acid reflux medication whatsoever since August 2015.
Fixing my posture was the final piece of the puzzle.
What Lifestyle Changes have I made?
I did these three things to cure my Acid Reflux:
- I started taking Betaine HCl after meals that contained a lot of protein.
- I sleep as much as possible on my left side – never on my back.
- I am conscious of my posture while eating and after I eat
That’s it.
After having Acid Reflux/GERD most of my life, I rarely experience any symptoms.
Final Piece Of The Puzzle – Quit Slouching!!!
A slouched posture can restrict the passage between the stomach and the esophagus, causing the esophagus muscles to go into a spasm, causing the LES to gape open enough to escape stomach contents into the esophagus causing acid reflux symptoms. Poor posture can simulate a hiatal hernia.
Over the past 8 months, I’ve tried to be more conscious of my posture, especially while eating and after eating. I make sure my shoulders are back and down and that my head is as aligned as possible directly over my shoulder, not out in front of them (FHP). If that is too much to think about, you may find it easier to just keep your solar plexus at a right angle to the floor. If I feel heartburn coming on I immediately correct my posture and the feeling goes away almost immediately
It would be fantastic if I could maintain a proper, upright posture all the time, but I’ve been like this for years, and it would probably take years to correct it. So it probably will never happen. But I can maintain it at least while eating and for a period after. So I feel it is vital to avoid GERD symptoms.
An upright position allows gas to pass up through the esophagus and release the pressure exerted by the stomach on the LES. Therefore, it’s essential to have a body position that minimizes the pressure a bloated stomach places on the LES and puts the esophagus at the correct angle to allow easy passage of food into the stomach and easy passage of gas on the way out. In addition, a “straight” position allows gravity to more efficiently aid the LES and keep stomach acid where it belongs. In addition, a “straight” position allows gravity to more easily aid the LES and keep stomach acid where it belongs.
Best Standing Posture If You Have GERD
The image on the left shows poor posture while standing. In this position, the esophagus is in a disadvantaged position in comparison to the opening of the stomach. The esophagus is twisted in this position causing the LES to be forced partially open. This causes stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus as pressure builds up in the stomach.
The image on the right shows the correct standing posture in which the esophagus will be at right angles to the ground, allowing the LES to do its job of keeping the stomach contents where they belong.
To maintain proper standing posture:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your weight mostly on the balls of the feet.
- Pull your shoulders back and down
- Keep your solar plexus perpendicular to the floor
- As much as possible, keep your head directly above your spine, not pushed out forward or pulled backed behind
Best Sitting Posture If You Have GERD
The image on the left shows poor sitting posture. The forward lean of the chest, shoulders, and head puts the esophagus in a disadvantaged position, twisting the esophagus and causing the LES to be forced partially open, increasing the chances that stomach contents will be more easily forced back up into the esophagus.
The image on the right shows the correct posture while in a sitting position. This position minimizes pressure on the LES and keeps the esophagus perpendicular to the ground.
To maintain proper sitting posture:
- Sit with your shoulders back and down. Keep your scapula's pinched together.
- Keep your solar plexus perpendicular to the floor.
- Consciously correct yourself when you begin slouching or leaning forward.
- Do not twist to one side in your chair.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Try This Posture Test At Your Next Meal
At your next meal, try to sit for the entire meal without resting you’re back against the back of the chair. Instead, sit up straight, arch your back slightly, with your shoulders back and down, without leaning against the back of the chair. If you cannot do this for 30 minutes, your posture is likely affecting your digestive process and causing acid reflux symptoms (heartburn).
Best Sleeping Position If You Have GERD
The best sleeping position is on your left side. In this position, the LES is naturally higher than the opening to the stomach, allowing gravity to help the LES contain stomach acids while lying. In addition, sleeping on your left side puts the LES in an advantaged position, making it easier for the LES and gravity to keep the contents of the stomach from refluxing into the esophagus.
Sleeping on your right side puts the opening to the stomach above the LES so that it is constantly fighting to stay closed. Eventually, the muscles of the LES will tire and allow the stomach contents to flow into the esophagus.Sleeping on your right side puts the opening to the stomach above the LES so that it is constantly fighting to stay closed. Eventually, the muscles of the LES will tire and allow the stomach contents to flow into the esophagus.
Sleeping on your back puts the LES and opening to the stomach on the same level. The slightest bit of stomach pressure from bloating will easily push stomach contents into the esophagus.
Raising the head of the bed by 10 to 15 degrees will allow you to sleep on either side and your back. Just place some blocks under the head of the bed to raise it to the proper level. Be careful, though, as this may damage your bed.
If this is not possible, bed wedges are a simple, cost-effective solution to raise the body to an advantageous position for sleeping correctly.
Never sleep on your stomach.
One thing to be aware of: If you sleep on your left side all the time, you will get tight hip flexors (psoas muscle). Tight hip flexors cause the release of cortisol. Excess cortisol affects your sleep - you may fall asleep easily but awaken every few hours. This is from the excess cortisol. Here is a YouTube video you may find helpful: 7 Best Hip Flexor Stretches to Decrease Pain & For People Who Sit All Day
How to Correct Your Posture
There are several ways to correct your posture. It will take a great deal of time and effort, but it can be done. You will not be able to do this by conscious effort because as soon as your mind starts thinking about something else, you will go back to old habits.
It is beyond the scope of this article to go into enough detail to instruct you on how to do this successfully and improve your posture. I recommend seeing a good physiotherapist who can tailor the exercises to your needs.
Other Ways To Correct Your Posture
Some devices on the market can help, but I feel that visiting a good physiotherapist is the best choice. If you would like to see some of the devices for improving posture, here are a few that I have tried with limited success:
Adrenalease
This is a Toronto-based company. The shirts have crisscrossing supports across the back and then around the shoulders to hold them properly. You can wear them to the gym or under your regular clothing.
A University of Toronto Kinesiology graduate created the shirts. I have no affiliation with this company. They are fairly expensive at $120 for a t-shirt and $100 for a tank top. They have the same prices for ladies and a Posture Bra for $70.POZE – The Ultimate Posture Coach
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/poze-the-ultimate-posture-coach-health--2#/
I bought this from Indiegogo. It is fairly cheap at $49. Honestly, I have never given this a reasonable amount of time, only wearing it a few times. You are supposed to wear it daily, starting at 20 minutes and gradually increasing to a few hours per day.
It is a small round contraption that you tape to your upper chest by your collarbone. It vibrates if you slouch for more than 1 minute, reminding you to straighten up. The literature says that your muscles will naturally maintain good posture standing and sitting after just three weeks.
Summary
I have found that just correcting your posture when you feel heartburn symptoms coming on will most times fix the problem almost immediately.
If you have bad posture, this may also have a dramatic effect on you. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.
DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this article does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease. Please contact your doctor. The information provided is for informational purposes only and are solely the views of the author.
Here are two short videos from Dr. Mandell on proper posture:
(Please visit Dr. Mandell's YouTube channel.)
Pulling your shoulders back is such a common mistake in trying to correct posture. Forward shoulders are a SYMPTOM of bad posture, not the cause. It is the back of your neck that should go up and back. If you do it correctly, shoulders will naturally move into the correct position. If you force shoulders back and down, you will most certainly still have forward head posture in relation to shoulders.
Hi Cajko, I completely agree.
Hi David, I recently went through/still going through a very severe case of GERD and LPR. My own fault really, as I didnt know what was going on and self medicated with aspirin, antibiotics and nyquil. This went on for 2 weeks until recently were it was so bad I thought i was dying. The doctor I saw thought it might be because a few weeks before i had covid so she gave me an albuterol inhaler which i think i had an allergic reaction to because i felt my lungs were on fire and was shaking all over the place that night with severe breathing issues to boot. Ever since that day my symptons got way worse. I had severe breathing problems and my whole body felt like it was on fire. I even considered suicide. Luckily i tried taking a pepcid because of the burping and acid taste in mouth and almost immediately I felt my breathing improve.
I have been trying to control my symptoms these last few days by raising my bed, sleeping on my left side, taking omeprazole and pepcid, drinking lots of water etc… I came across this article and everything you said does ring true, i do slouch a lot and everytime I use my computer i start feeling sick. Now im trying to stand straight, but sitting straight causes me so much back pain/ache, i dont know if its normal or if i just have a weak lower back muscles. I will keep working on it, because the pain is nothing to the hell i was going through but I was wondering if leaning back into the chair with a pillow placed at the lower back so that the torso is at a 45 degree angle might be a possible alternative to rest my back muscles. I work driving a forklift, so I am sitting all day.
Hi David,
Wanted your thoughts, once I start to wean off PPIs how soon should I introduce HCL? I am currently taking 30mg of Dexilant every other day, reduced from 60mg daily. I am convinced you are spot on with the posture. I went away to a cottage for a week and hardly used my phone and was not sitting in front of a computer at all and I felt relatively fine. Day 1 back on the job in front on my PC and boom it all came back, I noticed it comes on after eating lunch or dinner then going back to my PC immediately afterwards.
Thanks for this web site.
Darren
Hi Darren, apologies for the slow response.
If you are not experiencing any rebound symptoms when taking 30 mg of Dexilant, every other day, I would suggest reducing it to 30mg every third day. If you still do not experience any rebound symptoms at this dosage I think you are safe to stop taking the Dexilant. Keep some OTC antacid tablets handy in case of severe acid reflux. And avoid all of your trigger foods during this time.
After two days off the Dexilant, you can start taking the HCl. Start with one or two caps immediately after eating dinner on the first and second day. This was a real challenge for me mentally because I was expecting severe heartburn. Fortunately, it never happened. You probably will not feel anything from taking two capsules.
On the third and fourth days increase to three capsules immediately after dinner. Continue increasing every other day, by one additional capsule, until you feel the slight burning sensation in your stomach. Reduce by one capsule the next day. For me, I got the burning sensation when I took eight capsules, so my max dose was one less, seven capsules.
Continue this dosage until you experience the slight burning sensation again. Reduce the HCl dosage by one more capsule the following day. Continue this until you are down to two capsules per day. Once you are down to two capsules per day you can start taking the two capsules every other day. If you experience no symptoms at this dosage you can stop taking the HCl. At this time you can gradually introduce your trigger foods back into your diet. During this time watch for bloating. If you experience bloating take one or two HCl capsules and this should relieve the bloating.
I hope this helps you. If you can, please let me know how you progress.
Thanks
Dave
Thank you David for your blog, it’s full with a lot of helpful information! For a while now, I was suspecting that certain postures can trigger acid reflux. Mine gets triggered by leaning forward and especially when driving. At first, I thought it was odd, but every time I drive, my reflux and cough get worse..any advice?
Hi Amy, thanks for your kind words. I do have something to add and I just discovered this last week although it is not new. Eldoa was created by a French physiotherapist that is comprised of a series of stretches, unlike any other stretches, I’d ever seen, that can definitely improve posture. He says anyone can do these by themself without having to go to a PT. Search YouTube for Eldoa. There is also a book by a guy named Ming Chew called “The Permanent Pain Cure” that explains how to do the stretches (called Eloa’s). With these stretches, you can actually focus on certain vertebrae to correct any issues specific to them. I’ve just started doing this and have noticed benefits already. Hope this helps.
Wow that’s awesome, thank you for letting me know about this book and the Eldoa Method. You are the best!
Thank you for the information. I started to have bad acid reflux since Christmas and the doctor prescribed 20mg Omeprazole daily. 4 weeks in, I didn’t feel any better so they did a endoscopy and found the esophagus is normal, just a few very minor inflammations on the stomach. They did biopsies of the inflammation and confirmed I didn’t have H. Poly. They asked me to take 40mg of Omeprazole for another 4 weeks. I am 3 weeks in and don’t feel any better. This morning, instead of taking the pill for heart burn, I tried 1/2 teaspoon of ACV, and it helped. I keep taking ACV throughout the day and I didn’t have to take PPI med at all. Any recommendation on how to taper off the PPI and start the ACV? Thank you in advance!
Hi Tim,
Fortunately, you haven’t been taking the Omeprazole for very long and it shouldn’t be too difficult to taper down. I would suggest reducing to the 20mg you were initially taking for about two weeks and then try taking 20mg every other day. If all goes well for another two weeks. Then take 20mg every third day. While doing this it is okay to take an OTC mild antacid like Tums. Only use this if you experience heartburn.
I never had much success taking ACV; I’m glad it’s helping you. I got great results from taking Betaine HCl – after nine weeks I was symptom-free and have had no symptoms for over five years. I hope this helps.
Dave
“How To Improve Your Posture to Improve Your GERD”
“It is beyond the scope of this article to go into enough detail to instruct you how to do this successfully improve your posture.”
Hi Monica, thanks for your comment. Do you have a question?
Hi David-I have developed acid reflux during the pandemic. I never had it before. It’s quite painful and persistent. I have tried to figure out what I have done differently over the last year that would cause this. My conclusion is my posture. I have spent a year quarantined on my couch. I read, eat and watch tv on my couch. I believe your article has confirmed my suspicions and I’m so grateful to have read it. I am curious to know how many minutes after eating should I stay in an upright position.
Thank you! Deborah
Hi Deborah, Posture was the last piece of the puzzle for me. Eight to ten hours per day for 20 years, my posture was horrible. Regarding your question, there is no time limit, you should always try to maintain good posture, but the least amount of time would be until your symptoms subside. Sometimes this is almost immediately but may take longer. Thanks for your kind comment and question.
Dave
Hey David – I’ve only just read your article and it has made me seriously think about my symptoms. I’m 46, male, 6ft1, in UK, I’ve had on-and-off symptoms of acid reflux since 2013, but they’re sporadic and manageable without any medication. However, since November I have started suffering with more regular symptoms of ‘Silent’ reflux – no heartburn, no chest pain, no issues sleeping, but during the day, when I’m sat down or upright I get a sickly-sweet feeling at the back of my throat, a need to clear my throat, a lot of post-nasal mucus (which I swallow) and the occasional feeling of a lump (which comes and goes) and sometimes, post-eating, I wretch and can burp up a lot of air. I’d convinced myself that it might be caused by low-level anxiety – contacted my GP and was (obviously) put on Lanzoprazole for a month, which did absolutely nothing (but temporarily worsen my condition when I came off it), my doctor now wants to test me for heliobacter pylori – however, during the Christmas break my symptoms improved and almost vanished despite me eating the richest food I’m likely to eat all year -CLUE? I wasn’t working. Now, I’ve started working again today and immediately I can sense the symptoms returning. The only thing I can link it to is posture – being sat at my makeshift dining table/desk that I’ve been working at since March 2020. Could this be the case for silent reflux too? I’m definitely going to start to follow your recommendations if so!
Thanks
Marco
Hi Marco, before I got to the end of your comment I was thinking that watching your posture could be one of the main issues causing your symptoms. I work on a computer for at least 10 hours per day. I found that when I felt symptoms coming on, just by being conscious of my posture I was able to make them go away within minutes.
If your doctor diagnoses you with H-pylori this is usually treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics will kill all of your good bacteria at the same time it is killing the H-pylori so you may want to take pre- and pro-biotics after you finish the antibiotics.
I know it’s very cliche, but meditation may help with work-related stress. I’ve used Headspace and Calm with good results – 15 min per day. I would also recommend taking the baking soda test for a few days and see how your levels are. If they are in the low range I recommend taking Betaine HCL without Pepsin. Read my article on this site explaining how to do this.
In some people, Pepsin can trigger LPR. Pepsin can reflux into the throat causing LPR.
I hope this helps. Please don’t feel discouraged – I suffered from acid reflux and LPR for almost 30 years before I figured out how to fix myself. I’m not saying it will take you that long. Once I started researching this problem rather than relying on my doctor it only took a few months to relieve all of my issues. I can eat or drink anything I want now with no symptoms. Thanks for the questions and wish you all the best, Dave
What you are suffering from is called LPR. The acid/pepsin is going all the way up to your throat which is much weaker than your esophagus and causing burning damage and irritation which in turn makes your body secretes mucus to try and protect it self. I am suffering a severe case of this where it entered my lungs and caused sever breathing problems.
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
I have read this at least over 10 times over a period of 3 months or so, not because I didn’t understand it once, only because nothing else works and I keep coming back to it.
I must tell you that Posture is the only thing which is helping me a lot.
I am still not sure if my stomach acid is low or high. I tried ACV and lemon juice a few weeks back and it certainly made me throw up and choked with reflux.
I was never like this before I started PPIs so I know for a fact that PPIs have caused it in the first place.
Anything which jumps out to you, any advice ?
Hello Anubhav,
Thank you for your question.
Are you still taking the PPIs? You should get off of these as soon as you safely can. By safely, I mean DO NOT STOP taking them all at once. You must gradually reduce your daily dose until you can go a couple of weeks without taking them – not experiencing any symptoms. Once you are off of the PPIs, start finding your optimal dosage of Betaine HCl for you. Do this gradually as well. Follow the instructions in my Betaine article to safely find your optimal dosage. This will take a couple of weeks to determine. Once the dosage is determined, over time the required dosage will gradually reduce over time as your stomach starts producing more stomach acid. It is time to reduce the dosage if you start feeling a warm or a slight burning sensation in your stomach. Reduce your dosage by one pill when this happens. Eventually, you will only need to take Betaine occasionally.
I wouldn’t expect much from taking ACV or lemon juice. These are transient fixes and will not cause your stomach to produce more stomach acid on its own. From my experience, only Betaine HCl can cause your stomach to produce more stomach acid on its own.
Have you tried the baking soda test? While it is not 100% accurate it will give you a really good idea if your stomach acid is low. If you do this test while on PPIs it will definitely show low stomach acid. I would suggest testing again once you are off the PPIs.
I hope this helps
Dave
Thanks Dave, appreciate those insights and advice.
I did stop PPIs (cold turkey, my GI asked me to do stop those immediately. What a crime!) back in July, and my stomach is messed up since then.
I tried betaine HCL a couple of time but I always get weird throat choking sensation on those, even on 1 tablet ~650mg. Tried ACV/ lemon, same experience. Feels like no matter what I try to stimulate the acid production in my stomach, I always end up having a choking sensation in my throat with reflux. Strangle! that I have never ever felt heartburn.
Whenever I try to recline, even a little bit, with my head down, I get the reflux. I guess, its the gastritis which is causing the reflux.
Hello Anubhav,
I’m not sure I can help you, but I’ll make a few suggestions. Track foods that seem to cause reflux. Avoid these foods for now. No water with meals, especially cold water, as it inhibits the production of stomach acid, but drinking some warm water half an hour before a meal improves acid levels, especially with lemon squeezed in it if you can tolerate it. Drink ginger tea to increase the production of HCL. Drink 4 ounces of freshly juiced cabbage juice at any time of day. Juice celery and drink it every morning. Soak meats in acidic mediums such as lemon or lime juice, tomato juice, apple cider vinegar, etc. Marinating meats is a good way to make them easier to digest. Always eat good fats when you eat proteins. Protein stimulates stomach acid production, and protein and fats stimulate the gall bladder to dump bile, which keeps your gallbladder healthy.
I have a question – why did your doctor put you on PPIs in the first place? What is he suggesting you do now that you are not taking them?
I hope this helps
David
Thanks Dave. Appreciate you putting in the effort to help. I had done cabbage and celery juice in the past for about over a month but not sure if it ever helped. May be it was, and I wasn’t patient enough to keep going. I guess I will try it again.
Back in feb, this year, my throat got irritated for no reason. I thought it was COVID, and called my PCP. He diagnosed me with GERD (I didn’t have any stomach issues at all) and asked my to do PPIs, which I did and obviously I didn’t get better. I then saw a GI after a month or so, he asked me to do PPIs for 2 months and I did the same. Later on he did an endoscopy and didn’t find any issues, so he asked me to stop PPIs cold turkey, which I did (what an idiot I was back then, I had no clue that PPIs could mess up my system).
My stomach didn’t like it and that’s about when it all (stomach issues) started for me. I went to a different GI, he asked me to do H2 blockers, which I did for about a month. Then the new GI did another endoscopy and Bravo test, and diagnosed me with significant acid reflux and gastiritis. His treatment option was to be on PPIs for at least 3 months. I never did that and started to take the things in my own hands. Stopped H2 blockers and learned to manage my acid reflux symptoms, tried different foods, removed some foods from my diet, did tons of different supplements- digestive enzymes, probiotics, mastic gum, Zinc Carnosine, HCL Betaine, ACV, D-Limonene….Nothing really worked over these 4 months.
Now I am seeing an alternate medicine doctor, got some tests (Gut microbiome, food sensitivity, and a bunch others) done last week and awaiting results now.
I hope your alternate medicine doctor can get you some relief.
All the best to you,
Dave
Thank you so much for this great information! I can’t swallow pills, so HCL is out. I’m having to throw everything else at my low stomach acid: enzymes, acv, zinc, ginger, sole (real salt saturated water), bitters, etc. I am also trying celery juice and powder. Have you heard of that for healing stomach acid? I saw it on a video and am desperate. I will definitely do these other things such as watch my posture to help myself since my process is going to be longer without the HCL. Thanks, again!
Hi Debbie,
I’m sorry that you are unable to use Betaine capsules. Is it the size of the capsule? It seems that most companies make monster sized Betaines capsules. I found a company that makes 250 gm capsules that may be small enough for you. Here is a link (I am not an Amazon Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Betaine-HCL-Tablets-Count/dp/B0025PVWWI
Otherwise, from the list of items above ACV is the only one that will help. I never had any benefit from ACV. I hated the taste and dreaded taking it. And still got heartburn. But how do you find your proper dosage and who wants to drink that much of it anyway? Not to mention what it does to your teeth. One item to add to your list is Mastic Gum. I’ve never tried this myself but I’ve read reviews on Amazon where people swear by it. Don’t ask how much take chew or what brand is best because I have no idea. I don’t think it’s readily available everywhere so if you decide to try it I hope you can get some easily.
Sorry, I don’t think this has been much help, all the best to you Debbie.
David
Thank you for the informative article! Currently i’m facing gerd and face hard time to sleep at night. Looking forward to read more from this page.
Thank Zean, wish you well.
thank you for your very helpful articles, I found a lot of helpful information here
Thanks for your kind words. I hope it helped. Dave
thank you for your very helpful articles
David, I read your convincing article. I was diagnosed with mild/moderate GERD months back. I followed a strict diet and lost about 20 lbs. The bad part of it is that I lost some iron in me; however my blood pressure has been consistently good ever since. My main problem then was my hoarse voice here and then, without the other symptoms like heartburn, sore throat, pain …etc.My Doctor prescribed Famotidine
which is helping me a lot but still continue to be in strict diet. Your posture suggestion has helped me after 2 days. My question to you is how to be weaned from strict diet and maintain a normal voice. please give me your thoughts. I am 85 yrs old and on fixed income and barely afford anything from medication to equipment. Thank you! Hope to hear your response soon.
Hello Adelina,
I am not a medical doctor. I think you would get better advice from your doctor on this specific problem.
Best Regards
Dave
Hi, I too wondered if posture was causing my only recently onset symptoms, which is the question that I typed into Google which led me to find your article, which was very interesting to have read, along with others’ comments. I was encouraged to slouch a little by physiotherapists because of my very straight spine, which did assist me to use my core better and to sit at a desk and on a bus with greater shock absorption in the spine, but it did bring a couple of major negative issues with it, not just the recent reflux with associated nausea. Now to find the happy medium of posture & released thorax versus too much straightness! I too experienced my first day of major reflux after a long gardening day. Then nothing for a while, then after eating and working at my desk. You had another contact wondering about GORD /GERD after slouching over gardening so that has assisted me to realise why the nausea came that day (my issue is only just being recently diagnosed). Thank you.
I agree. I probably caused my LPD Reflux by lying down on the coach after a meal and not sitting upright.
I eat an alkaline diet that helps but correct posture is the biggest help of all.
I’ve just had a hot chocolate drink for the first time in 6 months and have maintained perfect posture and I have not had any symptoms.
Great advise! Just a shame Doctors do not seem to know about the relationship of reflux with posture.
Hi Suzanne, I am glad this is working for you. Regarding doctors, I think they are too quick to prescribe medication without determining the underlying cause. They treat symptoms instead of the cause.
Dave
Thanks for a very interesting article. I have suspected for some time that my slouchy posture has something to do with my reflux. I also sit for 10-12 hours a day at work as a 911 dispatcher (yeah, that can’t be good, I know). And like you mentioned, I come home tired and slouch on the couch for a few more hours watching TV and using my computer. I also crouch a lot while gardening and wonder if that might be messing something up. I’ve had my esophagus “stretched out” a couple of times, but after the last one it seems like the problem got worse. PPI’s don’t seem to help much. So I’m going to try to be more aware of my posture and see if I get better. Your article gives me hope!
Hi David – WOW, I am so glad I happened upon this article. As you started to incorporate the 4 remedies (enzymes, HCI, posture, sleeping, etc.), how long until you started to feel relief from acid reflux symptoms? Also, even coffee or water brings on burning symptoms for me. Was that the case for you as well or did you only have symptoms when you ate? Thank you for writing!!
Hi Jenn,
Yes, I often got heartburn from drinking water and coffee.
The most difficult transition is to stop taking any kind of medication, whether it’s H2 blockers, PPI’s or even antacid tablets. It took about 6 weeks to gradually reduce this down to nothing. During that time I avoided foods that caused bloating. I still had symptoms, sometimes severe. Don’t suffer during this time. If you experience symptoms take meds to get relief. Eventually you will be able to get through a day with no symptoms.
The next big challenge is adding HCl to your diet. I would wait about a week after being symptom free to start taking them. At first I was anxious about taking these, expecting to get severe symptoms, but I never had an issue. I started with taking 1 HCl cap before large protein meals. I gradually increased this to two or three before a large meal. Now I rarely use them. My stomach is producing sufficient stomach acid on it’s own. I find just keeping good posture will relieve most symptoms within a few minutes. I don’t restrict anything from my diet anymore and consume whatever I want.
All the best in your journey to good health
David
Hi there,
Thanks for the article, really insightful. May I ask which brand of enzymes and Betaine HCl with Pepsin you are actually taking? There are so many different types so just want to be sure.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
Alex
Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. I have tried a number of different brands of Betaine HCL. The brand that I think is the best is called Enzymatik Control by a company called ATP(Athletic Therapeutic Pharma). ATP is a Canadian company and all of their supplements are top notch. The only problem I find with them is the names of their products. I doubt Enzymatik Control would ever come back in a search for Bataine. I found it just by chance – I was on their website and was reviewing all of there product. They all have counter-intuitive names. This product is fantastic. Besides having 400g of Betaine HCL it has these enzymes: Cellulase, Amylase, Hemicellulase, Lactase, Pectinase, Protease, Invertase, and Alpha-Galactosidase. I highly recommend this brand. Also, beware of the price – they aren’t cheap. I have no affiliation with this company.