Wheening off the stomach meds!

[TheBigpicture]

My first panic attack was about10 yrs ago. i was driving down the hwy with my head out the window in my old ford mustang and im not talking about a pretty one im talking old and run down but anyways i was starring up at the stars and all of a sudden i felt like i couldn't breath or take a deep breath and i went into panic mode. thought i had some kind of exhaust fume poisoning or something. I know stupid right? from that day on i suffered with this monster. I was put on xanax for years and wound up on some zoloft which the pills did numb it for a time. then after nearly ten years of this i started putting things together because of what a friend told me. He said, his doctor told him 20 yrs ago that stomach problems can cause anxiety and after he treated his stomach problems his anxiety went away. That got me to thinking about it and  my mind went back in time to the very first episode that i had. right before i hopped in that old mustang i ate a tuna fish sandwich and i douced it down with hot sauce becaus ei didn't have any mayo. Gross, i know but i never was a picky eater. then i started thinking about all my episode that followed. All the hot wings and beer. the crawlfish and etc. my anxiety was tied to my stomach yelling for help. I now eat very well and treat my newly diagnosed Gerd. i don't have anxiety anymore and have been working on wheening off of the stomach meds. any advise on some natural stomch helpers?

[Paxiled]

Hey, sorry guys, just realized I confused in my mind betaine-hydrochloride with hydrogen peroxide, a much more difficult supplement to use.  Betaine supplements can in fact be useful for some, if it's what you need.  Sorry.

[Paxiled]

Skip on the hydrochloric acid.  Much easier ways.  Stress causes stomach problems, stomach problems cause stress.  Works both ways.  Problem with medications for GERD is that it suppresses acid, which forces the stomach to produce more because the stomach needs stomach acid to digest protein.  You're already eating well, you say, but eating well is very individual.  So you've got that down, apparently, but if you really had it down, theoretically, you wouldn't have GERD anymore.  So maybe a bit more work to do.  Decent palliatives that coat the stomach safely are aloe vera juice a few ounces a day, DGL, a form of licorice that doesn't have the possibility of raising blood pressure, believe it or not cayenne (hot herbs don't cause problems in cultures that are used to them, and cayenne actually helps repair the mucosal lining of the stomach, but most of us find it too hot to take), slippery elm, digestive enzymes (not just the ones that digest protein, but a good complex that also digest carbs).  There are a lot of good books on this, and how to maintain the proper acid/alkaline balance in the digestive tract.  Good luck to you.

[TheBigpicture]

thanks, i'll get it.

[gymdandee]

google the following book titled "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD"  Jonathan Wright (Author)

[TheBigpicture]

Plus the whole danger level does not sit well with me. i'm looking for natural solutions that requires less to no side effects.

[TheBigpicture]

I have high levels of acid. i did the test strip and it was orange. army green is normal. I dont think this treatment is for me. can u suggest a treatment for the high acid levels?

[gymdandee]

The first step is to have your stomach function tested. If the test results indicate low levels of stomach acid, supplementing with either betaine hydrochloride-pepsin or glutamic-acid hydrochloridepepsin before meals is advisable. I suggest taking one capsule (5, 7 1/2, or 10 grains). After two or three days, if there are no problems, use two capsules in the early part of the meal, then three capsules several days later. The dose is gradually increased in this steplike fashion until it equals 40 to 70 grains per meal.
Applied judiciously at the appropriate times and accompanied by certain dietary and lifestyle modifications, these treatments can help return digestion to normal, restore the GI environment to near normal conditions, eliminating indigestion, heartburn, and even
GERD for good.
however, that treatment with hydrochloric acid can be dangerous and should only be used when testing indicates a need. If this is the case, the process should be carefully monitored by a physician. Though problems occur rarely, they can be bad ones.
Hydrochloric acid should never be used at the same time as aspirin, Butazolidin, Inodicin, Motrin, or any other anti-inflammatory medications. These medications themselves can cause stomach bleeding and ulcers, so using hydrochloric acid with them
increases the risk.
Keep in mind that this particular benign, natural solution involves replacing something the body is missing. It avoids using synthetic chemicals the body is ill-equipped to handle.
For a referral to a knowledgeable physician contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine.