Which supplements, foods or diet and lifestyle changes help relieve acid reflux (heartburn), and which worsen it?

I have occasional nausea and migraine headache overnight around mid 4-5am from eating tuna the night before .

Usually drink Evamor alkaline water and recently bought Kirkland alkaline water from Costco which is supposed to be 9.5 ph. Anyone have experience (and hopefully success) with this water?

73 years old with a long history of GERD. I now keep it under control by taking 20mg of Pepcid AC before dinner, along with the Digestive Enzymes product from Swanson. When occasional heartburn attacks occur, I take one or two sage capsules. If available, I pick a few leaves of fresh sage and eat those instead. I also sleep on my back in an inclined position with my ergonomic neck support pillow on top of a large wedge of memory foam purchased online. I have no financial stake in any of the products just mentioned.

It may not simply be enough to raise the head (with added pillows) in an effort to minimize acid reflux. Instead, when resting or sleeping it may be effective to raise more of the upper portion of the body by using inclined bolsters, which are commercially available (with fitted covers). However adjusting to them may be difficult, and I personally never find them to be wide enough. Presumably an expensive alternative might be a mechanically inclined bed that can be adjusted to one’s preferences. Do any readers find that to be useful for minimizing GERD?

My husband doesnt have gerd, he has an over abundance of acid in his stomach naturally, and can't find anything to help. I keep searching for helpful hints.

With regard to the use of alginate to help prevent GERD (by creating a “floating gel barrier" that floats to the top of the stomach and its border with the esophagus), it would seem logical that it would only work when sitting or standing.

DGL can significantly raise blood pressure in some people. Be careful with this one.

I love pure unsweetened cocoa powder added liberally to my smoothies, along with stevia. I use the non-alkalized versions but being non-alkalized they seem to cause more digestive issues. I sip diluted cider vinegar in small amounts to counteract that - and it seems to work for me

THANK YOU so much for this comprehensive review of the issue. Where else would we find all this useful information in one convenient place - except at Consumer Lab? Personally I take many of the supplements that may worsen GERD, while at the same time avoiding lifestyle and dietary factors that may worsen it. However I do find that diluted Apple Cider vinegar taken in small sips during the day does appreciably reducing the feeling of fullness, bloating and incipient acid reflux for me, even upon sleeping.

Tums always works for me when I occasionally have acid indigestion.

I noticed after eating greek yogurt, that I had heartburn so I will start a food journal and test these things out on myself a little more.

My Gerd and mild sleep apnea were conquered by the loss of 60 lbs. I bought a smart scales to stay in control and informed about my health, too.

Seltzer water seems to help me. Unflavored.

FWIW, my reflux was due to Histamine Intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). The recommended low acid diet (which included bananas, avocado, spinach) only gave me terrible, terrible GERD. It turns out they're high in histamines. A low histamine diet brought me relief in a matter of days. Good luck - I literally felt your pain.

I suffered for decades from horrible heartburn and acid reflux. I started eating a keto diet and all my symptoms were gone within 2 weeks. 8 years later I eat more of a low carb diet, but if I go back to a normal American diet for a month or more, the heartburn and acid reflux start to return.

I am a gut health dietitian and have found that some of these supplements like DGL and nutrition and lifestyle changes can be really helpful in managing reflux/GERD symptoms as we are trying to heal a patient, but long-term, it's best to find the reason reflux is happening in the first place so that you can stop it from happening rather than managing symptoms.

My acid reflex turned out to be celiac disease. 3 days gluten free and my problem was solved. How I miss a loaf of good, crusty French bread

Coffee is my biggest culprit. I’ve switched to low-acid coffee and it has helped reduce my use of omeprazole.

I have found that an alkaline (no acidic fruits or sauces) diet works really well to stem heartburn. White flour and fatty foods can also cause heartburn, so staying away from white breads and pastas can help. On the occasion when the symptoms surface the sure way for me to stop it is a glass of skim milk (fat can also cause heartburn) which works within seconds.

I found alkaline water extremely helpful but stopped it only because of the alarms about plastic water bottles and the chemicals that transferred into the water.

I had to stop taking Metformin which helped a lot. Also, peppermint and spearmint gum.

Gaviscon Advance (Sodium Alginate, Potassium Carbonate) manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare in the UK. This product is amazing effective for reflux. It's different than the Gaviscon you mention elsewhere on your site. It's inexpensive -- at the current time it can be purchased online for $53.54, which will get you 6 containers of 60 each, so less than 15 cents per tablet. I only have to use these occasionally and have found it much better to dissolve these in your mouth as they can be a bit gummy if chewed. After using this product, I tossed out everything else, only keeping a generic bottle of Gax-X on hand for the very occasional onset of heartburn. I will never go back to prescription reflux meds.

After a really bad bout of GERD 3 years ago, two different Gastroenterologists recommended to me that I try alkaline water. I've been drinking it exclusively for 3 years and YES, it does help. I was already careful about the foods I eat - No onions, garlic, vinegar, coffee, tea, acidic foods, heavy oily foods, chocolate, etc. (all triggers for me). Also, I take over-the-counter digestive enzymes with every meal, as well as DGL with every meal. I do not ever take PPI's (proton pump inhibitors), which gave me all kinds of side effects. On occasion, if I really need it, I'll take a Pepcid AC. All of the above made a big difference. And the ALKALINE WATER DEFINITELY HELPS - I will continue drinking it forever.

Life Extension Esophageal Guardian worked great for me, until I realized I am allergic to something in it. The company has promised to send me details about the vague ingredients, particularly "mixed berry flavors." I am going to try Nature's Sunshine and see if I get the same good results without the rash.

On another note, I read somewhere (but did not see here) that eating alkaline foods can be helpful. I love cantaloupe, which has a pH of 9 according to the strip test I used. I keep a bowl of it cut up all the time now. It really helps.

After trying so many products, Thank GOD Apple cider vinegar worked for me.

Was diagnosed with GERD in my 40s; also Barretts esophogus in my 50s (I think); Weaning myself off PPIs, finally and slowly, has been marvelous. What has worked for me is a mixture of things: zinc carnosine; losing 40 pounds; eschewing many carbs and all added sugars (including an artificial ones); lots of kimchi, kefir, etc.; d-limone water. If I eat bad oils in a restaurant the dreadful GERD comes roaring back. Otherwise, I would no longer know I had ever has it. Am 85 now.

When I was dx’d with Barrett’s years ago, to control the reflux , I stopped eating tomato products, citrus, and onions. Dark chocolate and cold brew coffee, thankfully, was tolerated. However, I only drank alkaline water, green tea as opposed to black and used PH drops in any liquids that I wasn’t sure of their PH. After 7 years on PPI’s, I was able to get off them and still follow that diet . I just had my endoscopy and for the second procedure in 4 years there was “no sign of Barrett’s.”

Try a glass of cold unsweetened almond milk. It stops acid reflux for me immediately!

When I was experiencing GERD, I eliminated coffee. But once my symptoms were under control (diet and lifestyle changes worked along with 2 weeks of Prilosec), I resumed coffee, but limited it to Dark Roast. I read somewhere that the dark roast coffee has less acid. Now I am tolerating 3 cups of dark roast every morning, and it's been several years since I've had any GERD symptoms. I have no financial interest in any product mentioned here (Prilosec, dark roast coffee).

GERD has improved significantly over the last few weeks. 3 changes: added ginger (chews); discontinued yogurt and limited coffee.

I use mastic gum. It's amazing! It was the only product that was able to help me through getting off Prilosec.

dLimonine works very well for me for the occasional "heartburn". Relief is not instantaneous. If it is more severe a half or quarter of a Pepsid Complete tablet works right away. Plain water works almost always but is not as effective as the above.

Everyone seems to have a cure that "works for them" when it comes to reflux.

Sodium alginate in substantial quantities (Gaviscon Advanced, Reflux Gourmet, Esophageal Guardian, etc.) is always my go-to.

I have occasionally suffered from acid reflux in the past. It happened mostly during the night. I would awaken and drink some water and return to sleep. But I told my doctor back in 2004 and he prescribed a tablet to reduce my stomach acid. I took it for awhile but wanted something different.
Many years later I was searching on the Internet for acid reflux and discovered an article by a man whose father had suffered reflux during sleep for years. One night he ate an apple before going to bed and that night he did not suffer reflux. He continued eating an apple before bed and remained reflux free.
When needed, I have been eating an apple or ½ half of one, they are rather large now, for years and feel that doing so has really worked for me.

I don't have much GERD but get irritated stomach from things that are acidic, INCLUDING Ester-C, NAC, and many other supplements and foods. Does anyone know of a more natural antacid product that contains calcium/mg than Rolaids and Tums? I don't need the flavorings and other stuff in those.

When a GERD attack begins I have had good luck with instant relief from taking Prince of Peace ginger chews or Papaya enzyme chewable tablets from GNC.

dLimonne, a distillate of lemon peel has always worked wonders for any GERD that I experience. It takes 2 - 10 minutes to work but is long lasting or completely eliminates it.

Has anyone tried DGL CHEWABLES? They’re these chewable licorice pills that help sooth acidity in the stomachs! Works wonders for me.

Low carb eating has helped my reflux greatly. I noticed a big difference after only 5 days.

Both studies evaluating a low carbohydrate diet or ketogenic diet for improving GERD are very short for the intervention proposed. Metabolic adaptation, also known as keto or fat adaptation, occurs over about six weeks of maintaining a low enough carbohydrate intake. Over that time period it is a common experience for my patients to have substantial improvement in their GERD symptoms accompanied by a reduction in medication need. -Mark McColl, MD

I only get acid reflux if what I eat has been seasoned even with a trace of onions and/or garlic. No medication over-the-counter or prescribed helps. The answer is to exclude onion and garlic seasoning. I can't stand the smell of them. Maybe my body is telling me something.

I've found that a forkful of live-probiotic sauerkraut--or couple of tablespoons of sauerkraut juice--nips indigestion right in the bud.

PepZin GI by Doctor’s Best has helped me enormously. I was able to discontinue Nexium and no longer need to take anything with very rare occurrences of reflux.

Have been drinking alkaline water ( any # over 7.0 for over 10 years when told I had Barrett’s. After 3 “clean” endoscopies, I was able to wean myself off PPI’s and still follow low acid diet.

Aloe Vera juice 2 oz. 1- min before meal. (get the inner filet type) organic. Works for me if taken every day.

I have heartburn, only use water, it always works.

I had terrible heartburn for decades. Even a few sips of water would trigger it. It was extremely painful. About 5 years ago I started to eat a ketogenic diet. Within 2 weeks my heartburn and acid reflux were completely gone. Now, even though I have re-introduced more carbs into my diet, I still do not have any heartburn or reflux. What a life changer.

I have had gastritis and acid reflux attacks for years - usually brought about by Advil/Aleve, which I have now completely stopped taking. If I get a flare from food, I take Gaviscon or Tums, which usually helps and use a heating pad.

Trunature Advanced Digestive Probiotic has significantly reduced my GERD symptoms. I take one capsule in the morning and one at night, and one when I feel indigestion coming on. I had started taking this probiotic just for general health, and realized after a few weeks that I had not needed any antacids since starting the probiotic.

(I have no financial stake in Trunature products.)

I or2 DGL tablets chewed is my soothing remedy.

I have a history of acid reflux and mild chronic gastritis. I did my own research some two years ago, and found that taking a zinc carnosine capsule twice daily ie morning and night really works for me. I now hardly consume any PPI nowadays. Hope that also works for some of you.

Alkaline water has 99% cured my GERD, which was quite severe. I did also quit carbonated beverages (not a soda drinker but did drink a lot of sparkling water). My diet is (and always has been) pretty healthy. Have been doing this as my only modality of treatment for over 5 years. I use an alkalinizing filter on my countertop RO filter plus a few drops of these drops: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B077VYBMPC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm. I check the pH and aim for 7.5-8.

Have been drinking Kagen water 4 many years mainly cause we like the taste and drink more water in our 80's. Have found the Alkaline water 9.5 ph helpful w GERD symptoms at nite. Often avoiding proton pump use that is hard on the microbiome. Am retired gut md.

Lotta
I am 52 years old, and have suffered a lot from acid reflux since 15 years, and was prescribed ppi for a few years, but the medicin stopped working, and the dose had to be increased, and finally my liver started to protest. I got very high blood pressure and systemic edema, and the blood tests showed that the liver was affected badly, a knewn side-effect of ppi. I stopped the medication, and after 6 weeks was the liver recovered and blood tests normal. I finally got surgery since I could not continue with medication, which was very successful, but, I still got problems with acid reflux, almost nearly as bad at times, despite following a strict diet (refraining from alcohol, coffee, fried foods, citrus, milk and other acidic or acidic causing food) and being very thin, ibm is 19. I then realized that I got the problems, as soon as my stomach got bloated.
I have IBS, and my surgeon suggested that my hernia to some degree was caused by the severe bloating I had had during years. I have now learned that the number one most important thing for me is to make sure my stomach is happy and not bloated. When bloated the pressure causes acid reflux. My bloated stomach was finally resolved by learning about FODMAPs in the food. Thanks to that, I can nowadays even eat acidic food at times without problems, as long as the stomach remains flat. I have tried every supplement or treatment on the list above, some have worked to some degree, but none as good as the insight into FODMAPs. If you have reflux, and you also have issues with bloated stomach, I would encourage you to try to find ways to get rid of the bloated stomach, it makes a world of difference, or has at least to me!
Good luck to all of you sufferers to find a way to feel well!

I am 71 years old. In my 40's I started suffering from acid reflux. I started taking a multi-enzyme and have not suffered for 30 years. Except, I must add, when I failed to take them. As enzymes recycle until used up I would think the reflux was over. After finally figuring it out, DUH, I do not fail to take them now.
Hope this works for you.
Chewable papaya tablets can be a treat after eating if you find the good tasting ones.

The worst reflux from supplements I take is from Sam-e.