Answer for Nal

Diseases & Conditions GERD & Acid Reflux
1
Nal,
I am a bit baffled about your last post and now I see your second post with your question is "closed". I hope you get this reply.
 
You asked how I went "carb free". Just to clarify, I have always included healty carbs in my diet (occisionally less healthy ones as well). I do try to be sure in eat many green veggies as I get rid of most starch and sugary carbs. On your question of PPIs, I stopped taking these shortly after realizing that I did not need them on my diet plan. I literally do not suffer from any GERD symptoms unless I majorly cheat. Even then, the symptoms are mild and I know how to deal with them now that I understand what is going on with excess carbs and intestinal gas from the little guys (microbes) down there.
 
I hope this helps. How are you feeling these days. Are you watching your net carb levels?
 
all the best,
Norm Robillard
2
Thanks Norm.
 
I think eating healthy carbs is good for anyone-doesn't matter if you are sick with GERD or not.
 
Im through with PPI's.  I think they are terrible.  My GI dr knows I am not doing well on them as well.  He also knows I am quitting them but he isn't happy about it.  However, he hasn't been able to offer me anything else so there!  I am actually going to fire him and seek out another GI.
 
In the meantime, I am trying other ways to help get rid of the GERD.  Tonight, I have it really, really bad.
 
Nancy
3
Nancy,
I feel for you. What are you doing in place of the PPIs? If PPIs were plan A, what is plan B? Are you cutting carbs? If not, I worry that you may be in for trouble. At least the PPIs block the acid. If you are refluxing, your esophagus will not be happy with so much acid. The reason my approach works so well is that without the reflux, your stomach can make as much acid as it wants.

Wishing you well,
Norm Robillard
4

Im sending you a message via email.

 

Nancy

5
Hi Everybody.Please check with your Dr. before going on any diet. This type of diet is unhealthy for many illnesses. I've ran into many problems with these so called "fix all" diets. PLEASE use with care & eat sensibly. some diets can even cause NASH a liver disease with many causes, malnutrition being one of them if we don't get the well balanced diet we need. Also your Dr. can send you to a nutritionalist for a diet that's right for you. My thoughts & prayers are with you all. later....

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie

6
I don't believe this is a "fad" diet. It was introduced quite awhile back, and lots of people have discovered that they feel so much better (GERD or not), by reducing their carbs. Norm.....I asked this question of you on the thread that got locked, but I'm curious....when you say that microbes get out of control when eating high carbs, do you mean yeast or are there others?
I just hope people understand that eating lower carbs is becoming a very common, well-accepted way of dealing with a number of health problems. If someone feels awful on a lower carb diet, then they should try a different style of eating......but I think our society has gotten into eating way too many carbs.
I know lots of people with fibromyalgia who begin feeling much better on lower carbs. I know I do. It's just very hard to do if you've grown up eating too many of them.
And it's not a matter of carbs or no carbs. It is a continuum and you can choose any amount of carbs along that continuum, and figure out where you feel best.
7

Well said, Cathy. I've been eating less carbs for the past two weeks and I'm going by how I feel. Since I haven't felt so well in a long time, I'm going to stick with it. If it stops working, I'll try something else. I've been to my doctors and unfortunately, they haven't been able to help me. It's all about eating a varied diet and moderation. I've been vegetarian for the past 10 years and I'm used to eating all kinds of things other people haven't heard of.   :-)

 

~Niki 

8

My dr is no help at all!  He's under the impression that you just "eat bland" and that may help.  Pop more pills!!  Hey, then eat anything you want!  Yeah, what an approach! mad

 

I thinkgood (not bad!!)carbs are a good thing anyway.  We do have way too many bad carbs in our American diet.  If you look at other countries, especially Asia who's diets consist of good carbs only (for the most part) and they have the lowest rates of cancer and most health ailments than any other countries around them!

Thanks Dr Norm for the help!  Im gonna give it a try and see if it works.

 

Nancy

9
Hi everybody, Initially you may feel Ok but 6 months down the road is when you see the effects & that's when it can be too late, dammage done. I still stand by the fact seek the opinion of your physician or get a qualified nutritionist for what you really need. I've tried low carb & for ME I suffered physical symptoms triggered by malnutrition from protiens, niacin & some vitamins. PLEASE be careful. If you are not satisfied with the care you recieve from your Dr. then find one who does care Nal. Bland may be the proper diet for your problems.But a new Dr. is always an alternative. My thoughts & prayers are with you all.
 
Ps Dr. Norm I'm assuming your not really a Dr. or you would know how dangerous it is to fit everyone into one diet. People who have health problems need proper nutrition according to their specific needs. If you are a real Dr. & I was your patient I would run fast! And find a Dr, whom took better assessment of my personal dietary needs!

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie

Post Edited (lerie) : 2/21/2006 10:17:59 AM (GMT-7)

10
Hi Nal, good carbs are the complex carbs that come from starches. like noodles potatoes, rice & whole wheat bread. etc.These foods contain important nutritional values like fibre. high in pottasium etc.Plus they give us energy. But always seek a qualified Physicians or nutritionalists advice for you particular needs.I can't stress the importance of this enough. Moderation is the real key. In everything.later....

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie

Post Edited (lerie) : 2/21/2006 11:30:44 AM (GMT-7)

11

Thank you lerie.

I do have a dr that I am working with on nutrition.  She also always tells me how very important it is to eat the right carbs.  For me, pasta and bread are huge no-no's.  I can have wheat free, gluten free and yeast free pastas and bread, and I do eat those!!  I need to increase my veggies a whole lot more anyway.

I think Dr Norm is just on here giving help and advice anyway.  After all, I thought thats what this forum was for??  To share ideas and what has worked for some and what doesn't work for others?

I have chronic Lyme disease.  I have litteraly been to at least 20 plus dr's.  Until I found a Lyme dr here in town.  My faith in medical drs??  Slim to absolute none.  They do not aproach medicine from a nutritional standpoint.  There solution most of the time is "take this pill and you will feel better".  Hog wash.  There are other more sensible solutions out there.  Pills do help and are often times necessary.  In my case, the PPI's are causing damage.  They are not meant to be used long term-for years at a time!  Even the producers of these meds will state that PPI therapy is still uncertain for long term use. 

That said, I wont stay on them for the rest of my life-I refuse.  I know others who have had their digestive system completely destroyed thanks to these guys.  However I know others who can take them for years and have no problems.  I clearly am not one of them.

If they are working for others for years and years, thats great.  Its not a solution for me so the next logical step to me is my diet.

 

Nancy

12
Hi Nal I hear what your saying. remember there are also some really good Drs. out there too. Yes the forum is for support & understanding & sharing. I fully agree but sometimes this advice can have serious consequencses. this is my concern. the way Norm suggests one diet which sounds to me like he has an invested interest of some sort. in greatly concerns me tho & his deceptive title " DR " I see you are still getting some carbs suited for YOUR nutritional needs. Colon disease is often another common problem without grains etc as well. I'm glad you do see a nutritionalist. The opinion of one person does not tailor suit all. I never said this was a fad diet I said "fix all " which is what seems to be applied." fix All " diets are diets that certain individuals who make false claims these diets are the magic cure & only way to go. this is not true & I merely wanted to point out this is simply not true. I mean really think about it!I'm glad your catious with your meds. As long as you are not cutting meds that are absolutly essential for life. Take care My thoughts & Prayers are with you.

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie

13
I get the feeling that these types of discussions are getting divided into 2 different groups of people.......the ones who want to try something different than traditional meds, and those who might not ever question their doctors. It just doesn't have to be that way. There are alot of crack-pot "alternative medicine" doctors, and there are alot of unenlightened, closed-minded conventional doctors.
Perhaps I'm lucky, in that I'm an R.N., and have been exposed to alot of information and can sift through what makes sense and what might be dangerous, etc. But some of us have been going to conventional doctors for years and years, and we're still sick, fatigued, incapacitated, etc. We'd be fools to just keep doing anything we're told to do by the doctors.......or by anyone else.
People used to get really angry at people who thought the earth was round.
And more recently......people thought others were nuts for believing that maybe some ulcers were caused by an organism....... We have to always have an open mind to every possibility. I have been sick with fibromyalgia for many years, and have seen alot of doctors, and not many of them have had much to offer......so I look elsewhere at times. I learned a long time ago that doctors don't always know what's best, and don't really care what happens to me.
I realize that sites like this have to be very careful of liability, and when you see someone suggesting "alternative" treatments, you have to caution them. But places like this are soooooooooo important to people like myself, who haven't found help the usual way. So I really hope that the people who run this forum, appreciate that new ideas about how to control GERD are extremely important.
And I agree with Nancy about Dr. Norm. I think his intentions are good. Perhaps his worst offense is using the "Dr." part of his username.....but maybe that was his nick-name in his profession. I look forward to hearing about his ideas.
14
Hi Cathy, I assure I am not closed minded. I have personally tried these alternatives treatments & frequently with dire consequences so believe me I do speak from experience. If you are a RN then you should know these diets etc. are not healthy for everyone! If any one is disatisfied with thier physician then they should seek a new one. I work very closely with my specialists & other Drs & a nutritionalist & has paid off as I was told 10 years ago I had 2 weeks to live but I'm still here so I must be doing something right! I didn't do it by running after diets etc without seeking medical advice for my conditions. I could say nothing in this matter but I care too much about people & if I can help them be spared of diverse effects by these "cure Alls including diets" I will do so. It is my intention to try show you the seriousness of all this, NOT to cause division. Do you know if Norm has any real qualifications to support his basis for this diet for everyone? My thoughts & prayers are with you all. later.

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie

Post Edited (lerie) : 2/21/2006 3:16:24 PM (GMT-7)

15
I was just reading another post by Norm, I was right he does have an invested interest in this diet, he says he wrote a book that means he wants to push this diet to sell it I guess. I don't know. Anyway I see what is happening here now. I still say one diet does not fit all people or conditions. This is dangerous without seeking medical advice. Beating all the odds for 10 years must be worth something in the line of experience. for those who do follow this diet without medical guidence I wish you all the best & I will pray you don't cause further harm to yourselves. later....
 

"There is at least one good thing in each and every day we just have to find it and if we look hard enough we will.Somedays we just have to look a little harder than others,but its alway's there.
 
Valerie