stuart james beall

As a young man, I rarely had digestive problems. I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with little consequence. In my twenties, I once had an astounding case of flatulence after eating dried fruits. The fix? Stop eating dried fruits. In my thirties, I began having heartburn after eating KFC. The fix? Stop eating KFC. In my forties, the heartburn happened after I ate almost any fried food. The fix? Stop eating fried foods. In my fifties, the heartburn came more frequently, triggered by a multitude of things, including oatmeal, whole wheat bread, caffeine beverages, donuts, citrus juices, and multi-grain snacks. It happened even when I was fasting. It was maddening.

A colonoscopy revealed polyps, slight esophageal “erosions” and a surprise out-of-pocket bill. Another physician suggested omeprazole, which was now available over-the-counter, without a prescription. I heard bad things about proton-pump-inhibitor (PPI) drugs in general, and I flip-flopped between PPIs and Tums. I started looking at natural supplements, to avoid pharmaceuticals, because taking PPIs the rest of my life was NOT a satisfactory solution. I had hopes there was a magic bullet, to heal my GERD quickly.

After browsing the internet for suggestions on treating acid reflux, I got loads of confusing information. I even got scammed. AI (artificial Intelligence) is not my friend. Let me make a terse warning here. Avoid any infomercials enticing you with a weird trick, a simple morning ritual, a few simple changes to your diet, a proprietary supplement endorsed by all six judges on Shark Tank, or a secret recipe from the bushmen of Australia.

I read that people over 50 nearly always have a deficiency of stomach acid, and apple cider vinegar could be that magic bullet I was hoping for. It wasn’t. It probably helped my digestion immensely, but that had nothing to do with my main problem. It actually made my reflux worse, because as I would later learn, I had a hiatal hernia. Increasing stomach acid does not fix a hiatal hernia.

After browsing Amazon product reviews, I tried DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice root extract. A serving of 400 mg before eating a meal was very effective at reducing heartburn, and was comparable to Tums in that regard. Beano, likewise reduced my heartburn, when taken before meals. I also tried Ranitidine. That seemed to work better, but Ranitidine was pulled off the market. I was eventually given a new prescription for Famotidine.

My heartburn was complicated by nasty sinus infections, that tormented me every year. I resorted to antibiotics, to deal with it. I knew it wasn’t helping my gut flora, so I tried supplementing with probiotics. While that was probably helping my digestion, it did NOT reduce my heartburn.

One positive development came from an obscure YouTube video, describing how to cure a sinus infection with fresh lime juice — I’ve used that method to cure my own sinus infections ever since. It works as well as any antibiotic I’ve ever had.

While my digestion was improving, my heartburn was not. This was a dilemma. When my physician warned me of the risk of esophageal cancer, I took it seriously enough to resort to the dreaded acid-reducing medications. It worked better than Tums, in the short term. Yet, in my deep conscience, I knew it wasn’t a real fix. Another physician I’ve known throughout my marriage seemed to confirm this, when he said…

Reflux or GERD is like driving on a very bumpy road, which is damaged with potholes. The meds are like a speed limit, to help reduce the jolts from driving on the bumpy road, but they don’t fix the road.

My anxiety ramped up recently, when a close relative, much younger than me (as of this post I’m 61 years old), had surgery for a hiatal hernia. His acid reflux became so bad that medications weren’t working anymore. And the surgery didn’t work well either. I’d heard of hiatal hernias, but never really understood it.

I purchased a book by Martie Whittekin, CCN to learn some of her wisdom on this topic. I suggest anyone with heartburn read it. It became my bible of digestive health. Martie states that many cases of heartburn are caused by a hiatal hernia, which requires a medical diagnosis. Or not? She urged people to try manual therapies before resorting to surgery. Some chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists have experience working with this condition.

On YouTube there are testimonials of people successfully treating their own hiatal hernia without surgery or pharmaceuticals. Certain stretching routines could be helpful; in my case, it was extremely helpful. I could feel a gentle pop in the center of my chest while doing a certain stretch. Being a licensed massage therapist, I know that this pop was not a typical joint mobilization, nor a spinal adjustment. I believe it was the herniated portion of my stomach being pulled down below my diaphragm, where it belongs. I also believe I have a type 1 sliding herniation (the most common). I do the stretches every day, and 3 times on holidays.

How did I even develop this condition? I believe it’s overeating. Martie mentions other possible contributing factors; improper posture, improper breathing, insufficient stomach acid, drinking while eating, reclining too soon after eating dinner.

With my self-stretching treatment, the heartburn diminished at least 70%. I knew I could improve even more, by working on other things Martie suggested in her book. The next big thing for me was increasing stomach acid, with Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I take a tablespoon or two shortly before each meal. Now I can handle it, without any heartburn flare-up. People who habitually take NSAIDs, like my wife, may not be able to handle this. What does help my wife is a turmeric and ginger gummy supplement, from Costco.

I did NOT cut out my Famotidine completely, or go cold turkey. But with only 2 episodes of heartburn this past week, and two doses of the med, I’m weaning off of it. Another important piece of this transition is taking certain supplements, including magnesium and zinc. This is essential for proper nutrient absorption, healing erosions, and reducing constipation.

I eat kimchi and sauerkraut, for gut health.

Perhaps my biggest challenge now, is reducing meal portions. I have to confess, it’s not as simple as it sounds. In theory, it’s really simple. I know I can eat a pint of chili or soup at the truck stop, but I choose a half pint instead. I know I can eat a 16-ounce smoothie, but I measure just enough for 8 ounces. I know I can eat four slices of Dave’s Killer multigrain bread (dipped in an olive oil that passes muster with Steven Gundry, MD), but I stop at 2. I know I can eat a footlong Subway sandwich, but I choose a 6-inch version instead. This approach gets convoluted when I add chips, cookies, sodas, and chocolates. It happens almost every day. The main course is fine, but then I indulge in the snacks. And that is where I’m likely to trigger heartburn.