Case Study: Relieving Reflux

Helen is a lovely 62 year old lady who came to see me for help with reflux. She had been suffering with reflux for a very long time and has been taking the prescription drug Nexium for 5 years. Nexium is a drug that blocks the production of stomach acid. It does work well for Helen, but she still experiences other digestive problems including abdominal bloating, gas and burping.

Helen is uncomfortable taking Nexium for this length of time. She is aware of the fact that it reduces nutrient absorption and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Helen’s mother suffered with osteoporosis and Helen has osteopenia, which is a forerunner to the condition.

Helen is also prediabetic. Her blood sugar level has been hovering close to diabetes for the last 10 years. She would like to avoid becoming a full blown type 2 diabetic. As with most type 2 diabetics, the condition promotes abdominal weight gain and makes it extremely difficult to lose weight.

Helen is retired but she keeps herself busy with looking after her grandchildren and activities with her local church. She also loves to cook. Helen loves bread and rice. She already knew they aren’t great for her blood sugar or the reflux. If she stays away from them she is able to lose a few pounds in a week. Helen explained to me that eating bread helps to calm her down. Whenever she feels anxious, she eats some bread and it settles her nerves and helps her relax. It’s true that carbohydrate can be sedating and calming because it promotes the production of serotonin. Unfortunately the way she was managing her anxiety was creating health problems.

My recommendations for my patient

• It was necessary for Helen to remove grains and dairy products from her diet for the time being. I told her that grain free bread recipes are easy to find on the internet. She could make bread from things like almond meal and coconut flour. Grains can be very difficult to digest and their carbohydrate content fuels the growth of harmful gut bugs that create bloating, gas and reflux.
• I gave Helen Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules to help reduce the levels of harmful bacteria, Candida and parasites in her intestines. These capsules are wonderful for easing bloating.
• Glutamine is healing and soothing to the lining of the entire digestive tract. I asked her to remain taking Nexium for the time being, but glutamine will be especially helpful for reducing reflux symptoms when she slowly comes off it in the future. Glutamine supplementation can be found in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder.
• People who experience reflux are almost always deficient in digestive enzymes. Taking a Digestive Enzymes supplement helps you to digest your food more thoroughly, thereby leaving less waste behind that feeds harmful gut bugs that cause bloating. I asked Helen to take 1 capsule with each meal.
• It was important for Helen to find healthy ways to unwind and reduce stress. Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system and the 5 hydroxytryptophan in Blues Free capsules helps to promote serotonin production in the brain. This is great because it reduces the feeling that you need to eat carbohydrate to feel calm and content.

I plan to see Helen again in another 4 weeks. Depending on the degree of improvement she experiences, I will slowly wean her off the Nexium. Please do not discontinue taking Nexium if your doctor has prescribed it, unless you have the supervision of a healthcare practitioner. Long term reflux can be very harmful to the delicate lining of the esophagus. It is important to first fix the digestive problems that are present, so that you no longer require a stomach acid blocking drug.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.