anyone tried betaine HCl?

Saw this mentioned in another forum...looks like its definitely worth a shot at some point. Anyone tried it?

http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html

YES! It has worked great for me! You definitely should give it a try. My GERD is completely under control and I quit all PPI's. I pretty much eat normally now (though I do cut back on really spicy foods, though I'm not sure I need to). Where as before water could trigger my GERD! Not only do I no longer have GERD but my vitamins and minerals are being digested, which has led to a whole lot of other symptoms and conditions improving. Even my skin tone is noticeably better. Betaine HCL with enzymes is also very inexpensive (I take the NOW brand Super Enzymes. Search Amazon for it).

I will say this though, if you have any stomach or duodenum inflammation (I did), you need to fix that first. For me years of poor digestion had caused a bacterial dysbiosis and candida, those were causing the inflammation and ate at my stomach lining. One week on a anti-candida formula (I used Candida Clear and Grapefruit Seed Extract, both are pretty inexpensive. Along with no carbs for one week) and that took care of that issue. I could then take Betaine HCL without pain (I tried it a couple of years before and I thought the pain was going to kill me!) btw: I quit the PPI's when I started the anti-candida program, the GERD gets better on just this program but is still there, so be very careful about what you eat, when you eat, etc., until you start the HCL.

I've been on Betaine HCL (with enzymes) for 3 months now and I haven't felt this good in 30 years. I also continue to get better and minor ways that I barely knew were issues before. I also had very bad IBS and that is also now gone. Take the HCL at the beginning of meals, take your vitamins and meds either during your meal or immediately after (for maximum absorption). Most likely within 2 weeks your GERD issues will be gone and you'll continue to see health improvements.

Please report back if you try this. Enough people have suffered long enough.

Post Edited (GERD_Free) : 10/20/2011 9:55:54 AM (GMT-6)

thanks for the response. did you ever try apple cider vinegar, and have any good results?

I had good results from ACV and since its the same concept I think what helped you may help me as well. I am in a good period these days so I'll have to try it a bit later, but it will definitely be a future option. Thanks!

How did you take it? Before meals?

I didn't try ACV, but you are correct that its the same concept. However, ACV doesn't contain all of the enzymes, the Now Super Enzymes has 11 active ingredients other than Betaine HCl.

I just take a Betaine HCl before every meal (two pills if its a very high protein meal). I sometimes skip it for a small meal or snack. Because my system became so messed up from the poor absorption, severe IBS/diarrhea, etc., I take several nutrients, so I'm careful to take those with my biggest meal (along with a Super Enzymes HCl pill). This has worked extremely well for me (even my fibromyalgia and IBS are nearly gone!) and I have more energy than I've had in years. Over time your stomach repairs its ability to manufacture HCl and enzymes and you won't need to take it with every meal; I'm already at the point where if I miss a meal its not a big deal (and it use to be!, my IBS would return immediately).

I would encourage anyone that wants more information to read the book "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD" by Jonathan V. Wright. It explains everything in great detail (while remaining very readable), it is also very well referenced.

Hi Gerd Free -

I believe I have candida too. I checked my tongue, it has a coat of white on top with a few red spots. Do you have to take this Candida Clear with a special diet? Or can you do it with eating moderatly healthy and just cutting out certain things like breads cheeses etc?

Oh sorry,

And are there any other symptoms for the Candida?
And, are there other tests I can try for determining whether or not I have low stomch acid?

Darryl

I would say that if you suspect you have Candida then you should try Candida Clear and Grapefruit Seed Extract (I take the Nutribiotic - Gse Liquid Concentrate liquid); even if you don't have Candida they work against bacteria, other fungal infections, and parasites as well. Take any anti-bacterial / yeast formula at least 2 hours before / after taking probiotics. Keep taking them for 30-45 days, when you quite taking the anti-candida treatments keep taking the probiotics. I take a good bacterial based probiotic "Vitacost Probiotic 10-20 - 20 Billion CFU" (made by NSI, sold by Vitacost), its cheap and concentrated, there is a 15-35 version but it costs more than twice as much. I also take a yeast based probiotic called "Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS" which I order from Amazon.

None of this hurts. I think the best way to determine if you need it is to try it, you can try all of this for under $68. You'll find the symptoms all over doing a google search (e.g. http://www.thecandidadiet.com/candidasymptoms.htm ). I had most of these, brain fog is the one I'm most grateful for getting rid of, along with the ability to bend over without screaming in pain. It really helps if you give up all sugar and most refined carbs for 4 weeks, I added back the those carbs after 4 weeks but I restrict sugar to special occasions.

All of these are available on Amazon, just search for them:
$10.50 Vitacost Probiotic 10-20 - 20 Billion CFU
$14 Jarrow Saccharomyces
$14 Nutribiotic - Gse Liquid Concentrate, 4 fl oz liquid
$17 Now Foods Candida Clear Formula, Veg-capsules, 180-Count
$12 Super Enzymes 180 Tablets

All of this helps GERD as well. Bad bacteria in the lower intestine prevents digestion, this causes fermentation of food both there and in the stomach, as well as causing food to stay in the stomach far longer than it should. With too much food in the stomach and fermentation you get stomach acid bubbling up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) under pressure. We all know what happens after that. Digest the food properly with the HCL/Enzymes, kill the bad bacteria / yeast that slows food transport and causes fermentation gas, replace the bad bacteria with the good stuff (probioitcs) so that the lower intestine moves food properly (and addresses IBS) as well as fights bad bacteria / yeast. It all makes sense, you GI won't disagree, he/she just won't prescribe it, ask them (I've asked 3 of them).

All of this worked for me and other people I've passed this on to. None of its new, this is what Doctors use to prescribe before "modern medicine" took over. Modern medicine might be good for some things but I certainly haven't seen it work well for GERD, IBS, Crohn's disease, etc. (well, I guess it works very well for the drug companies). If you're like me you'll see a tremendous difference within a week. If it helps please pass this on, enough people are suffering for many years and then ending up getting surgeries that could have been prevented.

Post Edited (GERD_Free) : 10/22/2011 2:41:30 PM (GMT-6)

Thanks man -

I started Betaine HCL today and will post on my progress.

Ahoy....

i took one but realized that i also take glutamine and am a bit worried about a potential interaction. i might hold off for a few weeks til I see my doc and can ask.

@ GERD_Free. I get an odd right side abdominal pain from different medications, and have been through a number of tests (more than once), all of which have come back normal. Doctors think it is visceral somatization or whatever and nothing serious.

So I took Betaine HCL this morning and boom, got the right side pain about 6 hours later. Since you seem very knowledgeable on this, and mention pain w/ Betain can be candida, would you think the pain may be that? It isn't burning, it is more of a cramping pain that I have had on and off for over a year now. H2blockers and PPI's both generally cause it for me, as did enzymes at one point and now HCL.

I always get freaked out that its my liver or something serious but after many tests and everything doctors just told me to relax and that it is nothing.

@theacidrefluxman - the standard disclaimers apply.... I'm no doctor. But since your doctors have had already told you to "relax"... I would get severe pain and often colon spasms from many food, vitamins, and medications. This would often result in diarrhea and IBS. Before I figured out what the root cause was I was eliminating several of these from my diet. Now I've added them all back. My GI was just sensitive to everything, also I think many of these weren't getting digested correctly, often what would cause the stomach no problem at all can be very discomforting (or painful) further down the GI.

Regarding your issue with the Betaine HCL I would say it is possible that you have SIBO and/or candida. The duodenum is suppose to neutralize HCL, if its inflamed it isn't doing its job and going to get irritated by any HCL, whether its produced by your stomach or taken in a pill. I would stick to the original plan, try to kill off any bad organisms first, then take the HCL. Taking PPI's can actually lead to SIBO (and other bacterial / yeast imbalances), so this is likely to help. Taking HCL with glutamine is no problem, one of HCL's jobs is to help break down proteins in to amino acids (which is what l-glutamine is). I too take l-glutamine, previously to help heal my stomach, and now as part of my workout.

@Darryl - do not split tabs. If you want to take a lower dose use capsules and pour out part of it. Your stomach is designed for very high acid levels, your mouth and esophagus is not. As long as you don't have stomach or duodenum inflammation or ulcers, or a badly damaged LES, you'll be fine. Your stomach is designed for HCL, the problem is most people with GERD are not making enough HCL.

Hi GERD_free

how long did it take for you to notice the effects of Betain HCL? I started taking digestive enzyme tablets with Betain HCL added a week ago in the hope that it would help me with my LPR but they don't really seem to have had much of an effect yet. Should I notice a difference by now if it's going to work? I'm sicking of trying everything but nothing seems to make a big difference to me. My LPR got so much worse whilst I was on PPIs and so I'm a little worried that they were the things that caused it for me and am trying anything I can before I try some other PPIS.

Thanks,

Billy

@thefluxbadger - I first started taking the anti-candida formulas (mentioned above) for one week, these also take care of any SIBO and other micro-organisms; while also taking 40-50 billion active cultures of probiotics. This alone greatly helped my GERD (I would suffer LPR as well, causing short term laryngitis on a few occassions) and some with my IBS, however it did not help much with my food transport and nutrient absorption. After a 7-10 days I added the Betaine HCL, one with every meal. This had effects with 24 hours; my food was now digesting. Within 3 days I felt like my stomach and GI was operating properly. I continued to have intermittent IBS for 3 weeks as it gradually improved (the GI was probably fine, but IBS is more of an over reactive process). Because nutrients were now being absorbed I saw many secondary improvements and was feeling stronger and better every day. The only lingering problems I had were due to a long term magnesium deficiency (which I didn't even know was the cause of several symptoms everything else cleared up. Those symptoms included severe neck pain, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, fatigue, memory issues, and high blood pressure (which is a lot better now)).

If you are not having any pain with the HCL then I would keep taking them. Just add the anti-candida formulas mentioned above and probiotics. I wouldn't overlook the Grapefruit Seed Extract as I have noticed a lot of benefits from it. Also continue to take the l-glutamine as it helps heal the stomach.

This program may not work for everyone; however I have to stress that it worked extremely well for me. I feel better now than I've felt in 20 years! After a lot of research (including the book "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD" by Jonathan V. Wright) I don't think my situation was unique. I agree with the book's author that most GERD is caused by not enough stomach acid, not too much. However I've also found (in myself and through research) that long term low stomach acid can lead to SIBO, bacteria dysbiosis, and candida (and even parasites!). These issues only make the GERD worse (by damaging the cells that make HCL and causing the fermentation of food in the stomach and GI) and lead to a lot of other issues. It doesn't hurt to assume you have those issues, knock out any bad bacteria / yeast, and repopulate your GI with good bacteria (and good yeast).

Whether this fixes your particular problem remains to be seen, this method is, never the less, good for you.

Thanks GERD_Free. I think I'll give the Candida clear a shot - it doesn't sound like it would do any harm. I don't believe I have Candida, but to be honest I'm willing to try anything! It's nice to hear of the occasional success story in dealing with this frustrating illness!

can anyone update me how they feel since this post where about a year ago. I have been having stomach prob. for years and im young (23). i have tried nearly everything i am not on the candida diet and order the grape extract and now candida clear? Anyone try this and it work?