A friend and I were eating at an Italian restaurant. We had several dishes that were acidic, plus a few glasses of wine. After the meal my friend took out a long stalk of celery from her purse, and began eating it. She told me that she had been living on Tums since she was young, but had just recently tried celery. By the time she had finished the stalk of celery, the severe burning sensation in her throat and chest were gone.
She told me to eat the whole stalk of celery when you first experience heartburn, and then just a few small pieces during the day will continue the relief. I tried it myself, and it really does work. By the time you've finished the celery, your throat and chest feel clear and normal again.
The alkaline in the celery cuts the acid in your acid reflux, and gives relief without the tums or pills. Try it and let me know.
By Jen Rivet from Kent, WA
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I need a remedy for instant relief from heartburn. My husband has been suffering from chest spasms all evening?
By Jeanette Jacobs from south of San Antonio, TX
I have a book here that has a tea recipe for heart burn. Never tried it but here you go.
Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1 tsp grated licorice root, 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger, 1 tsp dried chamomile
1 - In a small pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the licorice and the ginger. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add chamomile. Cover and steep for 10 minutes.
2- Strain into a teacup and drink.
Are you sure it is just heartburn, and not his heart? (God forbid)
When you said "spasm". It threw up a red flag for me
That man needs to be checked out by a physician immediately. Don't wait please. This could be very serious and life threatening. You at least will feel relieved if they find out it is just heart burn and probably put him on previcid.
This is one of the signs of heart attack. I knew a man who was taken to the emergency room for indigestion and he died. It was a heart attack.
This isn't exactly natural but it has worked for me for years. Once you are sure it is not his heart, have him slowly sip a Pepsi. Coke won't work. The Pepsi should not be guzzeled.
I hope you have him see his doctor. Did you know not all heart attacks have "warning" signs? This is very true for women. When in doubt, check it out! My step father had a "little" heartburn, and would drink milk to make him feel better. He had a heart attack and died while on a cross country vacation with my mother. Not a happy ending to their dream trip!
I drink buttermilk, yup. Just plain milk causes heartburn or reflux, but a small buttermilk just before bed helps me.
Check into hydrochloric acid (HCl). Heartburn comes from too much gastrin & not enough HCl. Gastrin & histamine gets over produced to get the stomach to produce enough HCl. When there is something slowing down production of HCl, the stomach keeps producing gastrin & or histamine in the attempt to get more HCl made. Age is one reason for less production, there are others.
Do not confuse betaine hydrochloride & HCl, they are not the same thing, no matter what info is out there. When I have upset, nausea, heartburn, anything to do with the stomach, HCl stops it right now. After I swallow it, it takes about 5-20 minutes to stop whatever is going on.
Please let us know of his outcome. My husband came home from work back in August, not feeling good, sour stomach, chest pains, although one of his symptoms was pains down his arms. We went to the ER and he indeed had a heart attack. He is fine! The Lord is good! However, this being said. I hope it was just heartburn.
My quick fix is a slice of honeydew melon. Works immediately, but I have not suffered with it since I have eased off of fats oils & sugar, hope this helps.
Thank you all for your responses. In the peak of the heartburn, my husband tried the antacids, then a 7-Up, and he felt somewhat better before bed. He has had heart surgery / bypass about 5 years ago, so naturally, this was my concern, too. However, he describes the heartburn / spasms as a different hurt. Coming from his esophagus, if that makes sense. Anyway, we scheduled a scope with his Gastro Dr. asap. The dr. confirmed that his hiatal hernia was somewhat inflamed, but that most likely he was suffering from what is commonly called "Nutcracker" spasms.
What home remedy can I use to help heart burn?
By Aurora
I am trying to get off the drug Protonix, for GERD and heartburn. I have been on it for 6 to 7 years now and it is bothering some of my other systems. My doctor says forget it, but I can't believe that they would give a drug that you would be unable to get off of.
Thank you.
By Judy K
I am no expert on health care, but I am an advocate for being proactive w/ your own health and recovery. Doctors mean well, many are bound by rules that restrict them from using a common sense approach to GERD and heartburn. Esp. when science and pharmaceutical companies who develop these new medications are so hit-and-miss.
I seriously urge you to see that you have more to lose than they do. That being said, I would do extensive homework online from those whose expertise is healing naturally with diet and/or making healthy food choices, instead of pills that often make matters worse.
I know from personal experience that I have not had the best diet to begin with, and so called acid blockers and such have only covered up the damage done. GERD and heartburn are your body's way of saying something's not right.
It's up to you to find what that is. Because your doctor may not know everything unless he's a miracle worker. For instance, I took medication like candy and the discomfort grew worse. Had an endoscopy done and found I had a small hiatus hernia. That was my wake up call to learn to eat right and try to stay as far away as I can from having to take pills for everything. (esp. when it's in my power to do so).
I felt fortunate that the test was done, but I had to ask for it. I don't even want to think what would have happen if I'd brushed it off and just kept drinking the vinegar juices and popping stomach acid blocker pills.
BTW, vinegars had worked for me also for a time, but you could develop problems with your esophagus, if used for a long term or too often or not diluted properly. And from everything I've read mints, esp. peppermint only aggravate the stomach's acid. As do drinking from straws, carbonated drinks, etc. Which is why it's so important to know what you can and cannot eat..and of course, you will find a lot of other things factor in, as well.
I do best eating like a vegan, and only shopping natural foods stores, esp. when it comes to animal products. I figure, years ago when my mother grandmother ate fruits, vegetables, and animal products they weren't pumped up with hormones, antibodies, etc or full of preservatives and chemicals you can't name. Hardly any of the food we eat today even comes close to being naturally what it should be. And GERD and other digestive diseases weren't the normal health problem they are today.
That's just my two cents. Good luck!
Maybe you've been treating it for the wrong problem. Have you ever been tested for allergies? When my allergies act up I instantly get heart burn because the mucous enters my stomach and bang - heart burn. I take 1-2 Benadryl and a Tums tablet - end of problem.
I don't have heartburn often but when I do I eat peanut butter. Just a small amount does the job. I have done this for years but I don't know if it will help anyone else. I keep a pack of peanut butter crackers with me when I go somewhere important just in case it flares up. Good luck.
My own heartburn problems went away when I started getting chiropractic adjustments. I had a spinal misalignment that was compressing the nerves controlling the stomach, so my stomach was overproducing acid. I started getting treatments and within a few weeks, I was having no heartburn. No medication. It's worth a few minutes of your time to call a chiropractor in your area and just talk to them about how they can help.
I am not an advocate of drinking soda pop. However I keep a few bottles of Pepsi in the house in case I get heartburn. One or two swallows does the trick. Not the whole bottle. Just a few swallows of Pepsi. Unfortunately the rest of the bottle is wasted but it doesn't happen that often for me. If you get it frenquently you can save the Pepsi in the fridge but when the fizz is gone it won't help.
I don't get heartburn very often, but when I do I swallow a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and follow it up with a few sips of water. Most people are put off with the taste of vinegar, but it disappears within a minute or quicker when you follow it up with the water chaser. This always works (for me) and I hope it may help you too.
ACV. Apple cider vinegar. I take ACV capsules so i don't pucker. It is true our stomach burns because of not enough acid, hence the acv. Elevate the head of your bed by 4 inches. Don't eat for several hours before bedtime. I got off the acifex and others when i heard long term use can give you osteoporosis. I really dislike pharmaceuticals in that they almost always have bad side effects. Some are needed at times but you are wise to find natural ways to cure.
I too used to take Protonix. Then someone introduced me to kangen water. Kangen water is an alkaline water that hydrates your body in a manner that allows your body to heal itself as God intended. Doctors Poo poo it because as we all know, there is no money in the cure.
Vinegar is also alkaline as well and that is why it helps. Do yourself a favor and google Kangen water and acid reflux. Then find someone in your community with a machine and get the water from them to try for free. If you find it helps you, and it will, buy a machine and discover the meaning of feeling great! Hope this helps=)
