Hi everyone, has anyone else suffered with acid reflux since starting the diet? I’ve had a feeling of something stuck in my throat on and off since starting, my Dr had suggested it could be reflux.

My acid reflux has completely gone as a result of being on this programme. Did you have it before you started and could you pin it down to any particular foods? Do you notice now if it happens after any particular foods? It doesn’t have to be what you would call ‘usual suspects’, you can have a sensitivity to any food at all. Also, bear in mind that the problem could actually be too little stomach acid and not too much. When I had the worst bout ever, the thing that cured it for me was a drop of lemon juice in a tall glass of water. You’d think it would make it worse but it cured me, that’s when I started investigating too little stomach acid not too much. If your doctor has offered you anti-acid tablets, consider carefully if you want to take them. Along with statins and diabetic meds, they are massively over prescribed without recourse to the real causes of the problem or more natural holistic solutions.

My acid reflux disappeared the very day I started the diet. Mine is caused by eating crap – pure and simple.

Thanks for the replies, interesting that it could be too little acid, I’ll try your lemon water. It’s not something I’ve been bothered with before but it could be a coincidence, my diet didn’t change too drastically. I’m not convinced myself but the Dr has said she’ll refer me to ENT if it doesn’t clear up.

hi, I was interested to read your post
I have not done this diet yet – but spent the last 3 months on the ‘fast diet’ – and found that I have had a HUGE increase in my reflux symptoms
lump in throat, dry mouth, problems with food repeating etc etc
I have just seen an ENT specialist and he couldn’t find anything wrong except the results of irritation from reflux
he said that the change in my eating could well have made things worse
I have asked on the fd forum and no one seems to be experiencing the same issues

I would be very interested to hear if you find a way through this because I am at a loss to know what to do

the fasting diet was working incredibly well re. weight loss, but I am reluctant to try anything at the moment

Hi keeptrying, after returning to the Dr after trying various antacids she suggested I had globus sensation, I’ve attached a link.

http://patient.info/doctor/globus-sensation-pro

thanks for the link
that is also one of the things my gp suggested
although I have some additional symptoms

I am left with the advice from the consultant which is to take gaviscon after each meal and at night, for the next month, to allow my oesophagus to heal (from the reflux damage or something)
and to sleep with raised bed
will give it a month and hope it improves
he seemed adamant that all my symptoms were caused by stomach acids/fluids into throat although since I have been taking a ppi for over a year, I am confused – but he said that there are other stomach fluids that irritate, not just the ones the ppi stops

oh these things get so confusing

Hi keep trying,

I have had the exact same issue. Sounds like you have LPR like me. I found the 5:2 diet was the only diet that worked for me too but it also played havoc with my reflux. I think when you have reflux eating smaller and more frequently will help. I am about to start this diet but I am puting in extra effort to research the right meals I will stick too and ones that don’t exacerbate the reflux like tomatoes, citrus, eggs, peppers etc.

I think the more weight lost, the better the reflux in the end.

oh how nice it is to find other people experiencing similar issues – everyone over on the 5:2 forum just keeps saying it isn’t happening, which clearly it is or I wouldn’t be experiencing it!!

I think my symptoms are similar to lpr, although my gp said that he would have expected doubling my ppi to have helped if that had been the case, and it didn’t

but since the ENT dr said I needed to do the things I mentioned above to allow throat to heal – it does indicate that there is damage to the throat, so much higher up than normal GERD

what I find totally perplexing is that all this should start when I STOPPED eating lots of wheat/sugar/chocolate
when I STOPPED bingeing, and ate smaller meals

oh well, thank you for your support because it really is helpful knowing I am not alone in all this

There is a brilliant book called Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure by Drs (ENTs) Jamie Koufman and Jordan Stern. The science behind acid reflux states that its not the stomach acid that’s the main problem but the digestive enzyme pepsin that causes most of the problems. However, pepsin needs acid to activate it, so they both work together to cause reflux. None of the anti-reflux medications turn off acid completely therefore human tissue needs a period of recovery. Critical not to eat late at night ie two to three hours before bed and eat low acid foods. Some foods are also idiosyncratic ie reflux causing for you. I can’t tolerate eggs at the moment as I am going through a bad reflux stage. Maybe looking at a list of low acid foods (contained in the book also) may help you incorporate them in this diet and give you some relief.

There is this herbal medicine called Iberogast sold through pharmacies that has had clinical studies done to say it is as effective as Nexium (PPI). You need to take it in tincture form – drops in warm water.

Good luck and let me know how you go. We should compare notes and buddy up.

hi rubyswallow
that book looks very interesting, I may get it
I will see how the next few days of gaviscon etc pan out

what I just don’t understand is how all this flared up just 5 days after I began the 5:2 diet and how it just got progressively worse over the weeks with just a few days here and there of respite

unfortunately stress/mh issues exacerbate all these sort of things and cant be avoided
and once my throat/swallowing feels odd I seem to need to swallow more and more and round and round we go!

am more than happy to buddy up – have lots of weight to lose and although I am not prediabetic, things could easily change!!
I want to lose the weight and not continue my cycle of carbs/sugar/binges

Hi Rubyswallow
Thanks for the book info. Reflux runs three generations in our family! Mum & dad both suffered & type 2!! I’m ok now but my son not. I’ll tell him about this.

Hi Eureka, its a great book. Acid reflux is no fun at all. Let me know if I can help with any info from it.

Hi Rubyswallow
That’s much appreciated, thanks. It’s too much of a coincidence that so many of us have suffered from this condition & when we eliminate the simple carbs it improves or disappears completely.

well actually, eureka, the simple carbs don’t seem to bother me – indeed my reflux got better the last 2 weeks when I was back to bingeing and eating rubbish

I got the reflux book today – but it has just added to my already stressed and addled brain
loads of the recipes include bread or wheats and bananas so I don’t want to eat them
and then on their ‘DONT’ eat list is half the stuff I eat – berries/yog/
oh
and then they start all the stuff about throat cancers which I realise but REALLY don’t need to read about
so now I am in a totally mess as to what I should do

I was doing nicely with berries and yog, even if my throat does feel a bit odd – but not after that

its things like this which make me spin out of control and back into carbo land

Hi Rubyswallow
Just to let you know my son diagnosed today with Helicobacter Pylori! Explains everything. Starts antibiotics tomorrow.
Thanks for your concern & book details. Will look at it next week after christening
Eureka

Google Norman Robillard PhD. Fast Tract Digestion – Hearburn. He discusses starchy fibrous carbs which wreak havoc, causing gases & fermentation to occur. In turn causes acid reflux & LPR. Definitely worth a try. It helped with my LPR.