Breathing problems and GERD

Both and they did not help. But we are all different so your best option if to try it all.;-(

Is there any kind of home test to check if your stomach acid has a high or low pH?

From the Down With Acid book: "It is claimed you can test your stomach acidity by ingesting baking soda and determining how long it is before you belch. Whereas the science behind this has some credibility (baking soda + stomach acid = carbon dioxide = burp), there are so many variables as to make results calculated this way too unreliable for accurate diagnosis." The only accurate measuring requires insrtio of a probe - i.e. 24 hr pH manometry or Bravo 48 hr ambulatory pH monitoring.

Their is a few tests- The one Barrett mentioned is one of them, then you have the one you order a kit online and for 2 days you take a sample of your saliva and send it to their labs.  The kit includes everything you need including posting.  This one cost like $120-$150 but it gives you all the results if is high or low with documentation and online access. And then their is the saliva/urine PH test you can do yourself at home which I guess is available online or at the pharmacy.   .

But pH of saliva or urine is independent of pH of stomach acid.

Correct, but stomach acid suppose to be high, right?   Right now my Gi continue to say that I have mild acid on my stomach so how is this test  going to tell you if is just acid like it should be or to much stomach acid? In my case they always told me mild acid which is the reason why they said that is my gastritis the problem.  But then when they saw the barium swallow results which showed mild reflux on my esophagus they said I have to much acid. Even when they did my PH Bravo test they said I had mild acid, but I had some acid.  Isn't that obvious? Honestly, I have lost faight in this medical profession.  Even now when I do a search on the internet how to deal with my Gastritis, in some sites they say 5-6 small meals, but is some sites they are saying that new medical evidence shows that is 3 large meals a day, that eating 5-6 meals a day will cause more acid.  In a way I have to agree, because is like you are not giving your digestive system time to digest.   We are all different, but in order to eat 6 meals a day you need to eat every 2 hours because you can't eat the last 3 hours.

Forgot to mention, in my personal opinion the problem is not how much acid we have in the stomach, is how much is affecting our esophagus and throat ( or any othere place) . Well, at least in my case. ;-)  So I saliva test should give me an idea.

I tried the baking soda test, should have read it first, I used 1-tsp instead of 1/4 tsp in 8oz of h2O. It was awful, but I burped within 1-2 min., but then continued after a couple of mins.  So really I didn't get much out of that test. But my stomach feels better. We will see how long that lasts. 

Dinner is getting earlier and earlier every day, I can just sleep until 4pm have breakfast, and dinner two hours later then go back to bed in three hours. Success story! Fun times!! 

Oh, I forgot the most important part, I would need an hour for all of the burping so guess I will only sleep until 3pm. Ha ha

Did you try it on an empty stomach (better in the morning)  Don't forget to do it for a few days for a better estimate.

I did do it on an empty (before eating anything) stomach. I will try it a few days to see if any differences. I was all excited to burp right away which I did, and then after a few mins., I kept on burping. But I can burp for hours just drinking water so... Have you tried this? 

I bought some aloe, and was afraid to try it if my stomach acid was too low. I wanted to try vinegar, but they were out at the store. But just the thought of drinking that at this point makes me gag, and I love vinegar especially Balsamic white, I could live on it. I put it on everything along with Cayenne pepper. My food has become dull! What do you eat, it seems like everything is bad for some reason? Every site I read contradicts the next one.

Today I am reading the online book, Down With Acid. That is a lot to take in when this is all so new to me. Lots to learn.

Yes, you did good on your first try. I have tried both, aloe and ACV and have no problem with it but dd not see much improvement.  Sure, I only took it a few days. My diet is pretty much boring, chicken breast, salmon, cereals low in sugar including whole grains, eggs twice weekly, peanut butter creamy, brown rice, baked potato or mash , berries like blueberries and strawberries, gluten free whole Grain bread, almonds, lots of water,coco-water and carrot juice. I been reading that whole grain is not good if you have gastritis. ;-(  I eat 1 pancake and 2 pizza slices once every 2-3 weeks.  No candy, donuts or added sugar at all.  As you  can my diet is very limited.   The online book Down with Acid is pretty good, helped me understand a couple of things I did not know. Right now I'm still trying to deal with this and I'm not even 100% sure my problem is related to the reflux I have, but once I'm 100% sure and symptoms don;t improve I will have no option but to request the surgery hoping they will approve it.  I understand that now is a pretty simple surgery. ;-)

From what I read so far, I agree with Jo45172, I seem to fall into the category of LPR, with many of the symptoms of dry eyes, tinnitus, catarrhal, etc., the one I positively don't have is the lack of smell, I have a sense of smell like a basset hound. In my next life, I am going to come back as a Lagotto Ramognolo ( a dog I looked it up) and search for truffles. for the rich. But in this life, I will stay retired and work on getting healthier. I just retired this past year (62) and was really going to get healthy and in shape so far I have only gotten sicker, but in pushing things I have also found out what the heck is going on with my health. So I will take that as a positive thing and hopefully, there will be an answer someday soon, for all of us suffering.  

Your diet is way more exciting than mine at the moment. I felt lucky to keep water down for the first few days of this ordeal. I pretty much eat the things you eat minus the pancake and pizza. I still have dairy in mine but that may change next week after seeing the allergist. If you (we) could just add some spice to the foods we are eating it would be pretty good. Never thought I would think of salt as a great spice! I was just getting into cooking and making all of the ethnic dishes that I just love, curries, enchiladas, and much more. Now, like you, I am eating brown rice, chicken, fish, which I like, but I like it spiced up with some taste. 

jejejeje, I believe is automatic.  You are healthy and once you retire you get sick. ;-)  I believe I fall into the same category of LPR, with many of the symptoms of dry eyes and catarrhal.  Have you tried Almond Milk?  It's great, I use the 40 calorie one with low sugar, no daity, no fats and it taste great.   The pizza and pancake is just once every 2-3 weeks.  As for salt, I just changed from table salt or sea salt to pink Himalayan salt.  Based on my allergist I can eat anything, but he did not take in consideration my gastritis and reflux. ;-(

 

I just tried almond milk recently and it is good but no nutritional value, such as protein or calcium. I had a bit of high cholesterol a total of 216 and got it down to 189. My LDL went from 151 down to 126, and HDL 43 back up to 45 which is not good. I had a very easy time giving up fat, which was fine but then I wanted my HDL to go up so I was eating a lot of good fats like avocados and olive oil. I went through a liter+ of olive oil in the past month and a half. Now I have to give up good fats and exercise so I won't be doing so well in the cholesterol dept. and I do not want to take another drug, especially a statin. My sister was prescribed these and she just can't take them as she gets very sore muscles, and she really needs them as her cholesterol is quite high. Mine isn't bad but I was so sure through nutrition and exercise I could make those numbers better. Now I have bigger fish to fry, figuring out reflux issues that are controlling my body in every aspect, but I am also very hopeful that this can be fixed. You must have retired early also? You look young in your picture.Something in that Down With Acid book I read was on fungal problems and reflux, I don't read on here anything about that, it must not be a common problem.  

I have found from experience drinking coconut water raises the HDL good cholesterol .

I need to read more about coconut oil because I didn't think there were many benefits from this oil. I am learning a lot on here. I read the book Down With Acid today, and I'm pretty sure you are right about the LPR. For the first time in over 20 years, it is so nice to finally find other people that have the same thing as I have. Validation is a good thing.How are you feeling?