GERD Remedy: Raw Potato Juice - My Current Treatment

So after my HCL supplementation did not work, I was at a loss.  I needed something that would work.  Since I reacted so badly to the HCL supplements, I decided that it cannot be low stomach acid but perhaps the opposite.

I heard from a family friend a while ago that the juice from raw potato can help.  I had tried it a while ago but we messed up the recipe and I got worse so I put that away.  However, he recently reminded me of this remedy so I went researching on the internet again.  I found several articles about potato juice being used as a natural home remedy for GERD and ulcers.  The starchy part of the potato is no good, but the juice itself - fresh juice - is very good for GERD because it acts like an alkaline.

I was already supplementing with DGL Licorice - to help rebuild the mucous lining of my stomach.  I'm also taking Similase to help replenish the enzymes in my stomach.  But this was not enough, so I thought I'd try the potato juice:

Raw potato juice

This is another natural remedy that can help on you acid reflux.
Get two medium sized potatoes, wash clean and leave the skin intact. Remove the buds and cut into pieces. Make sure that you remove all those sprouting and greenish parts, as these are poisonous if consumed. Then use a juicer to extract about 200cc of juices. Set it one side and allow to stand for three minutes, filter the residue and only take the liquid on top.
If you do not like the taste of raw potato juice, add in an apple will make it taste better. 

Do not consume the white sediments at the bottom as the starch will only worsen your condition. You can consume this for twice a day and remember that it must be consume with an empty stomach, for example, you can take it in between your meals. 

Since the sedimentation of starch is still edible, you can keep it and use it to thicken food.

I generally just drink the juice, making sure to keep away from the starch part.  I've consumed the starch part and I almost ended up in the hospital.

Progress:

I'm at the end of day 3 and so far my GERD symptoms have almost disappeared completely.  I'm still not at 100% but I'm definitely better.  I've stopped losing weight and overall feel like maybe this will be it.  I'm hoping.

I'll keep you updated on my potato juice progress.

My GERD Cause: My Ibuprofen Addiction Gave me GERD

So during my stints at the hospital, the doctors thought had an ulcer and so they kept asking me about my use of pain killers and the like.  I thought about it and just nodded, this made sense.  I use ibuprofen a lot.

I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.  Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole (bottom surface) of the foot. The doctor had me change shoes and other things, but also told me to just take pain killers, such as Ibuprofen.  I went to the store and bought the biggest bottle of Ibuprofen and started popping a couple several times a day.  Anything to get rid of my PF.  At the same time, I ignored the warning on the bottle that said that such medications can cause ulcer.  Why ignore it? Because of course that wouldn't happen to me.

Unfortunately, my Ibuprofen habit went further.  I discovered that I could take Midol for my PMS.  Just so you know, Midol and the like have 500mg of Ibuprofen and the like.  This was great, I'd take two. and felt great for all 5 days.

Finally, I decided to get laser to remove the hair on my legs for good.  They recommend people take one or 2 pain killers before the treatment, about an hour.  Well, since I knew Ibuprofen was so good, I was popping 5.  I was obviously out of control and never stopped to think about how these drugs were affecting my stomach.

This pain killer reliance, since I don't think it was exactly an addiction, went on for about 2 years, until my GERD came on.

After my GERD episodes started, I realized how much pain killers harm your stomach:

Certain medications and dietary supplements can irritate the lining of your esophagus, causing heartburn pain, and others can increase the severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
 Medications and dietary supplements that can irritate your esophagus and cause heartburn pain include:

• Antibiotics such as tetracycline

• Bisphosphonates, such as alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva) and risedronate (Actonel)

• Iron supplements

• Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and aspirin

• Potassium supplements

Medications and dietary supplements that can increase acid reflux and worsen GERD include:

• Anticholinergics such as oxybutynin (Ditropan) prescribed for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome

• Calcium channel blockers and nitrates used for high blood pressure and heart disease

• Narcotics (opioids) such as codeine and those containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Lortab, Norco, Vicodin)

• Progesterone

• Quinidine

• Sedatives or tranquilizers, including benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and temazepam (Restoril)

• Theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theochron)

I'm now convinced that pain killers contributed greatly to me getting GERD, along with my diet, and my way of eating.