I had been suffering from acid reflux for over 10 years. Throughout this time I had been prescribed several medicines that would give me temporary relief. For many years I was taking Prevacid. July 7th, 2006, I had another severe acid reflux attack and went to the emergency room, then the doctors office. They told me the usual foods to avoid and doubled my Prevacid prescription. As time went on with little change I went back to the doctor, an upper GI and Endoscopy were scheduled, then performed. In November my physician read the results, I have Acid Reflux and will be on Prevacid for the rest of my life.
This was not acceptable to me. I avoid taking medicines of any kind and only took Prevacid because it seemed to help. I long ago gave up alcoholic beverages and spicy food, for the past several months I had also given up coffee, caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages, chocolate, mint, fried foods, fast foods and tomato based products, I sleep with my bed elevated at the head and on my side, MVP was balking at paying for the doubled up dose of Prevacid and the medicine was no longer working!
I started doing research of my own on the internet, some believe that Americans eat too much processed food and do not have enough enzymes in their stomach to digest properly. I made a decision to become a Vegetarian before Thanksgiving 2006 and a Vegan shortly after Christmas.
The results were almost instantaneous! I was down to one Prevacid a day a week after Thanksgiving and completely off Prevacid three weeks after. I was still dealing with bouts of heartburn occasionally and with more research made the decision to eat a vegan diet.
I scheduled an appointment with a Naturopathic Physician for January 13, 2007 because I did not want to make all these changes unsupervised. The successes that I have had without her help convinced me that I was on the right path. With her help and supervision I expect to be cured of this horrible problem by years end, I feel so much better. Her knowledge, diet suggestions and supplements will ensure that my body gets what it needs to be successful. I feel like my acid reflux is gone, but still have occasional discomfort which the naturopathic physician considers a digestion issue, we are working on that. I intend to schedule an appointment with my regular physician for a physical this month.
Update - 05/18/2007
I have adhered to a Vegan menu (which means no meat, no eggs, no dairy) and continue to have great success! Trying to eat mostly organic, all natural, living (uncooked) foods when possible and drink spring water or herbal teas, I do have an occasional Root Beer or Kombucha. Avoiding caffeinated beverages, alcohol, chocolate and mint is challenging, but I have added tomatoes and salsa back into my diet and substituted carob for chocolate, it's not the same, but keeps me satisfied.
I feel like the acid reflux is completely gone and after sleeping on an angle for 10 years I have removed the blocks that elevated the head of my bed.
When I visited the Naturopathic Physician in April she suggested that I continue taking a Digestive Enzyme and DGL (deglycerized licorice). I have not been taking the Digestive Enzyme, but try to take the DGL at least once a day. I am supposed to take it twice a day, 20 minutes before I eat, it helps to coat and protect the stomach lining.
I also think the exercise and weight loss have played a key part in my recovery. I have put over 350 miles on my bicycle since the middle of March and have lost 12 pounds since Christmas.
Update - 07/18/2007
Still eating a Vegan, mostly organic, all natural menu. Life is painless and carefree. Friends have been trying to tempt me with soft serve ice cream and the endless barbecue treats, but I am content with feeling good. I have found alternatives to ice cream with coconut sorbet and rice cream. As far as barbecues go ... I eat vegan burgers, corn on the cob, roast potatoes, shish - kabob veggies. I have been addicted to this Leafy Green Power Salad from
Vegetarian Organic Life (scroll to the bottom of the page) and have been eating it weekly. I have only made the dressing once though.
I have not taken any medicine since December 2006, not even an aspirin, tylenol or tums. The bed is still off it's blocks. I have put over 1000 miles on my bicycle and have added dark chocolate, salsa and
Glee Gum (all natural) back into my diet.
Update - 02/08/2008
Well, I had a physical in November and passed with flying colors!! My cholestrol and psa levels were excellent. I have declared myself officially a vegan and still try to eat all organic & natural foods. I have not taken any medicine since December of 2006, but did have a cold recently. I drank herbal teas and did supress the cough with all natural cough drops and vinegar & honey. I have had few stomach issues, but have noticed occasional heartburn or reflux. It could be because I am eating a more diverse diet and a lot more dark chocolate. I also have not been exercising routinely, that should be resolved soon with the purchase of an elliptical machine.
Update - 05/19/2008
I have decided that there is a direct relation between eating habits, exercise and diet. Since I bought the elliptical machine and began riding my bicycle on a regular basis I have been able to eat just about anything I want. I am still a vegan and eat as much organic, all natural food as I can, but I have added a lot of junk food back into my diet. Foods like dark chocolate, cookies, blue corn chips with salsa, coconut sorbet and popcorn are weekly treats. Most of these I thought I would be unable to eat again, but I have been and I feel great! The exercise helps the digestion tract work the way it is supposed to.
Another Big Change! 08/23/2008
My stomach is a none issue. I no longer have pains or a problem with acid reflux. I enjoy the vegan lifestyle but went to my naturopathic physician for a check up and she had some concerns about my protein intake. I went home and did the math and had some concerns myself, according to data that I found online a 180 pound person should have a daily intake of around 70mg of protein. I weigh 223 pounds so I estimate that I need around 92mg of protein daily, which I am not getting. I have also been reading articles about soy and have been trying to exclude all but fermented soy from my diet. Studies have shown that unfermented soy products have toxins and other things that block your body's ability to absorb nutrients. I do believe that you can live a vegan lifestyle, but I think that you need to spend a lot of time cooking foods or buying prepared foods that are high in protein and keeping track of your daily intakes. I added a hemp protein powder shake to my daily diet and that still adds only 9 grams of protein. So I have made a decision to become a pescetarian, that means that I am going to add fish and seafood back into my diet. I will still live on mostly grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes, but I will be eating fish several times a week. I will keep you posted on my results.
Update - 02/13/2009
Well, I am back to living a mostly vegan lifestyle, I've stopped sweating about the label. I live and eat a vegan way of life, but if I go to a restaurant (which is rarely) and I cannot find anything on the menu I will order fish. I also discovered that protein calculations are based on your recommended or nominal weight for your height and age. I have been drinking a hemp protein shake everyday with a protein value of 20 grams. My stomach continues to be a none issue as I explore indian and asian cuisine. I added tofu back into my diet because I like it, but limit the amount that I eat. Currently, I am using weight watcher points applied to a vegan diet. My goal is to lose 34 pounds. I have lost 12 all ready.
Update - 06/17/2010
I consider myself a full vegan. I cannot remember when I last deviated from a vegan diet. I have also incorporated the vegan philosophy into my life. When I purchase clothing, shoes or personal care products I look for the vegan label. I drink a hemp protein smoothie almost daily and use a lot of THRIVE recipes and Vega products. Heartburn or Reflux is a none issue. I cannot recall the last time this was an issue. I continue to hike, backpack, snowshoe and bicycle ride. I do believe these are all important to keeping the digestive system healthy.