Say goodbye to GERD for GOOD! In this blog, I share how I managed reflux pain and how I discovered the underlying cause of my chronic acid reflux. Plus, learn how I balanced my gut microbiome, overcame my trigger foods, and have been living restriction-free & reflux-free for years!
Written by: Lauren Hayden B.S. Dietetics and B.S. Human Nutrition - Health & Nutrition
After years of chronic reflux, I finally said goodbye to Tums and Prilosec! Learn more about my personal experience with acid reflux, GERD, and more! We are diving further into detail on what acid reflux and GERD is, risk factors, symptom management, and a potential root cause. Read more below...
"Burn, Baby, Burn"
If you’ve had to cope with unrelenting heartburn, then you’re all too familiar with the unforgettable sensation I’m about to describe. You know the dreadful symptoms… That sour taste in your mouth and then the burning sensation that begins in the pit of your stomach and then somehow defies the laws of gravity by traveling up into your chest and throat; It feels less like a ring of fire, but more like a blazing trail of fire… Yeah. That feeling. I felt like a fire breathing dragon throughout my early 20s.
If you’ve suffered through reflux symptoms, I truly have sympathy for you, because I’ve been there. For years I dealt with on and off acid reflux and I popped a smoothie flavored Tums and ignored it. Because I didn’t address my symptoms appropriately, the acid reflux turned into chronic and daily/nightly symptoms, otherwise known as, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). The acid reflux was becoming so severe that the persistent burning and back flow of acid made my throat sore and kept me up at all hours of the night. I had to sleep sitting upright to experience an ounce of relief. Some nights, the reflux was so severe that I was jolted out of my bed to make it to the toilet fast enough to vomit. When the reflux was bad enough to the point I vomited, that’s when my mom convinced me it was time to take a Prilosec for relief. Boy, I’m glad she did because the Prilosec was an immediate relief for me, however, we both knew I didn’t want to take proton-pump inhibitors regularly. So I only took it when the pain was unbearable to the point I felt like I might vomit. If chronic use of tums, antacids, and Prilosec sounds like you… Keep reading. There is hope for your recovery too when you decide to take the necessary steps to assess the root cause.
Be Careful Who You Take Advice From
Before my education in dietetics and medical nutrition therapy, I knew nothing about the gastrointestinal tract or just how intricate differing GI conditions are and how they require very specific treatment approaches. Prior to this formal education, I knew nothing about “gut health”. All I knew was the trendy information that circled the web from unqualified influencers who did not have my best interest in mind. In an attempt to find relief throughout the years, I tried the influencer’s viral apple cider vinegar, the green and red juice powders, chia seed water, lemon & cucumber water, alkaline water, low quality gummy probiotics, plant-based, gluten free, dairy free… the list goes on. I. tried. it. all. And sometimes, the advice I took from the wellness gurus made my symptoms worse. But it didn’t end there, when I visited my doctor to discuss how severe my acid reflux had gotten, he didn’t provide me with any real nutrition management education for acid reflux and GERD or what the potential root causes are. All my doctor did was tell me to cut out caffeine from my diet along with chocolate and acidic foods. Restrict. Restrict. Restrict.
Restrict. Restrict. Restrict... Said the Doctor
Don't get me wrong though, I was so grateful and satisfied that my doctor was able to identify what was going on. But at the same time so many years ago, I wish he would have referred me to a registered dietitian or a qualified nutritionist for appropriate nutrition support so I didn’t leave his office feeling more confused and discouraged than when I came in. I left that office feeling frustrated because I was still unsure how to identify & correct the root cause and was sent home with a laundry list of foods I couldn’t eat anymore. And the worst part is my doctor didn’t even educate me on the risk factors for esophageal injury and potential malignancy if the GERD was left untreated.
My Breaking Point
At this point, I was long-term cutting so many food groups out of my diet that I wasn’t even allergic to. This chronic restricting behavior was creating huge nutritional gaps that were affecting my energy, mental health, and overall quality of life. I became afraid of my trigger foods and experienced food fears for the first time. I was the girl scraping red sauce off my pizza at the dinner table… Influencers and doctors made me feel like these foods were the root cause of my acid reflux problems. Yes, caffeine and acidic foods exacerbated my symptoms… but those specific foods triggered the symptom, they were not the root cause. Some of my favorite foods like my morning coffee, citrus fruits, pizza and pasta were now associated with negative feelings. Somehow those trigger foods felt like the enemy and had all my attention, when I should have been addressing the status of my gut health and other relevant contributing lifestyle factors.
So I finally got fed up crying over the excruciating burning pain almost nightly. My quality of sleep was awful. I felt like a fire breathing dragon all day and all night. I was tired of being the girl who carried around Tums in her purse and popped one after every meal... Most of all, I was tired of vomiting. Fast forward a few years when I decided to begin my journey to become a dietitian, my world was opened to an entire new field of health, clinical nutrition, and treatment approaches. Today, as a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics graduate, I can confidently say I have healed my gut and live my life without dietary restrictions. I tossed the antacids in the trash long ago and haven’t lost sleep over acid reflux in many, many years. So now, we learn how I did it! Keep reading.
Acid Reflux and GERD 101
WHAT IS ACID REFLUX?
Acid reflux is when stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining (the Esophagus) and causes a mild-severe burning sensation. Acid reflux or heartburn (the radiating burning sensation), is a symptom. The prolonged symptom of acid reflux becomes a disease state (GERD) when reflux becomes frequent/chronic, causes severe symptoms, or injury. Acid reflux and heartburn can be symptoms of an underlying condition. Chronic acid reflux can lead to GERD.
WHAT IS GERD?
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux disease) is the back flow of stomach acid/bile and/or Duodenal contents into the Esophagus. It is the incompetence of the lower esophageal sphincter that allows reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, causing burning pain.
In those with GERD, the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) becomes weakened/relaxed and allows some of the stomach's contents and acid to pool back into the esophagus. Potential lifestyle factors that weaken the LES include: smoking, smooth muscle relaxants, pregnancy, progesterone-containing oral contraceptives, aging, and certain medications such as: benzodiazepines, calcium channel blockers, nitrates, xanthines, and b2 agonist drugs.
This reflux and back flow of acid can create a burning sensation after meals that result in heartburn, belching, or radiating pain. It can also cause foul odor breath, cough, sore throat, dental erosions, and even difficulty swallowing. It’s not uncommon for these symptoms to intensify in the evening as night-time GERD is associated with more severe and prolonged symptoms.
WHAT IF GERD IS LEFT UNTREATED?
GERD can lead to Erosive Esophagitis, Pulmonary Disease, Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, Barrett’s Esophagus (BE), and Peptic Stricture.
Those with GERD are at higher risk for Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). BE is when the cells of the esophageal lining can change after being exposed to chronic acid and can become abnormal, and/or premalignant.
Those with GERD are at a higher risk for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma if they are also obese, smoke, and are consuming a Western Diet that can promote progression whereas antioxidant-rich foods have protective benefits.
Acid seeping outside of the stomach can injure the surrounding tissues. Although malignancy of the Esophagus is rare, it's important to note that GERD should be treated seriously because it is a risk factor.
Common Medical Treatments for GERD:
1. Antacids to reduce acid production (H-2 Receptor Blockers, Like Pepcid) NOTE: Do not get these drugs confused with Tums. Tums neutralize acid, they don’t block acid production like H-2 Receptor Blockers will.
2. Proton Pump Inhibitors that decrease acid production by the gastric parietal cells (this will be medications like Prilosec or Nexium)
For me, these above medications were short-term solutions while I healed my gut. They definitely worked! I certainly did use these medications when the pain was unbearable and I do not regret it. Long-term, I personally did not want to rely on these medications for relief or view them as a "cure". So I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and assess deeper into what my root cause was.
MY PHASE 1 TREATMENT APPROACH FOR GERD: A Short Term 4-Week Elimination Diet Protocol
Getting the excruciating pain under control was the first and most important step for not only my short-term success, but my long-term success too. Once the pain was managed, then I could focus on the more long-term approach to healing.
I worked to increase the strength of my Lower Esophageal Sphincter (I consumed smaller & more frequent meals throughout the day, moderate and quality fat intake, and temporarily eliminated my trigger foods such as: coffee, chocolate, acid or citrus based foods, mint, spicy food, and garlic).
I worked to decrease gastric acidity and stopped eating 3-4 hours before going to bed and eliminated alcohol intake.
I facilitated better clearance of contents (food/acid) from the esophagus. This meant: sitting upright during and after meals and not laying down or partaking in physical activity shortly after eating.
Gut Dysbiosis Connected to GERD
Persistent acid reflux, heartburn, “leaky gut”, or GERD can be caused by an imbalance of gut bacteria, called Gut Dysbiosis. Gut Dysbiosis is when there is an imbalance of microorganisms in the GI tract or intestines. Gut Dysbiosis can present itself in several ways: a decrease in the diversity of the microbiota, a loss of beneficial microbiota, or an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. After researching the connection between GERD and the poor status of my gut health… I couldn’t help but connect the dots regarding the other symptoms that coincided with Gut Dysbiosis and my chronic acid reflux. I was also experiencing: chronic fatigue, chronic bloating, digestive issues, inability to tolerate certain foods that I wasn’t allergic to, mismanaged stress, anxiety, sporadic diarrhea & constipation, acid reflux, and heartburn.
With the help of the short-term elimination diet and lifestyle changes that mitigated the pain from reflux, it was time to dive deeper into the root cause of my poor gut health… Addressing Gut Dysbiosis.
MY PHASE 2 TREATMENT APPROACH FOR GERD: Balancing my Gut Microbiome for Long-Term Management and Relief
In my experience, an imbalanced gut microbiome was the root cause for chronic acid reflux and balancing my gut microbiome was the trick to healing my gut and healing GERD for GOOD.
This is how I did it:
I began taking a high quality, sustainable, and science-backed strand probiotic supplement with 90 billion live cultures. Taking a probiotic daily can help facilitate the removal of excess harmful gut bacteria and create an environment that is more ideal for beneficial gut bacteria to flourish. I personally take this probiotic: https://truegracehealth.com/laurenhayden (the One Daily or Women’s probiotic from this brand are both great options!)
I actively started managing my stress and anxiety. My symptoms always seemed to be exacerbated by anxiety. So managing my stress was key to helping heal my gut. The brain and gut connection is real thanks to the Gut-Brain Axis and the Vagus Nerve allowing our brain and digestive system to communicate. This communication is done by the Parasympathetic Nervous System and the Enteric Nervous System. Our mental health status and GI health status have a profound affect on each other. For me, managing my stress meant: quitting a job that wasn’t for me and chasing my dreams, doing exercises I enjoy, getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night, and self-care like Epsom salt baths, sauna, walks, massage therapy, etc.
I continued to reduce my alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption can cause the liver to produce too much Acetate that can lead to Gut Dysbiosis and alcohol stimulates gastric acid secretion.
I reduced my added sugar intake and have increased fiber naturally by eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Having high amounts of added sugar in our everyday diet can reduce the amount of beneficial gut bacteria present. A low fiber diet has been associated with decreased stomach and gut motility that delay gastric emptying, increasing risk for reflux.
I slowly started to incorporate back in my “trigger foods”. I was nervous, but felt so relieved that I was finally able to have my morning coffee without heartburn and eat pizza again with no issues! However, it wasn’t just about ending the restrictions when it was time; this also meant consuming an overall healthier diet for life that includes all food groups for optimal gut health support.
Are You Struggling With Gut Health?
Now, what worked for me, may not work for some. As grateful as I am to share my success story, the approach that was successful for me, won’t always be optimal or sustainable for others.
The best nutrition plan for you, is the nutrition plan that is sustainable for you.
If you’re going through similar GI dysfunction or have experienced chronic acid reflux, I know how you feel and I’ve been there. I know how debilitating the symptoms are, but I hope in reading this blog that my story can inspire other pathways to healing for you. I spent many nights crying and feeling hopeless that the severe GI pain and reflux was just part of my life and identity, but it doesn’t have to be. The first step to appropriate treatment and long-term relief is getting a diagnosis, identifying your triggers, and then creating an action plan with a qualified nutritionist that works for YOU.
Finding balance in your life to achieve and sustain your gut health goals is possible with the right support from a qualified nutritionist.Contact me today for your free discovery nutrition consultation!
Gut healthy wishes,
Lauren
This blog was not written and published nor intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition or symptom. Please seek medical attention from a licensed physician if you are experiencing any abnormal symptom(s).
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8954387/#:~:text=Dysbiosis%20can%20be%20caused%20by,food%20additives)%2C%20and%20hygiene.
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