I have been diagnosed with AReflux. Actually I did it myself and my Dr confirmed. I've had symptoms for 3 yers but thought it was a rib misalignment. My Dr is a homeopath/MD: Her list of guidelines: Avoid carbonated beverages and foods made of soy Meal time liquids: no ice, limit to 1/2 c for a full hour around meals After meals be upright, walk, even chew gum if possible (keeps saliva flowing) Focus on and savor your meals, chew thoroughly. Turn off the computer, TV and phone. Keep meals small or mid-sized, finish eating 3 hours before bed Slant your whole bed: head of bed 1-4" higher than foot. Minimize sweets, non beyond mid-afternoon Filter your water to avoid chlorine ingestion. Non-drug treatment: First Aid: DGL (deglycerized licorice) gum: chew and swallow OR baking soda in water or liquid antacids (1-2 T at a time (Mylanta) Lots of Water 2. Prevention: Priobiotics: In a word "LOTS". 3 different kinds, several times daily, between meals. After one week, if no improvement, add: Digestive enzymes (Multizyme) after meals. After one week add: Zypan (1-2 before meals) Priobiotics include things like yogurt (good quality stuff w/0 sugar fruit); acidolphilus, kefir (you can make your own very easily) BTW: The ACV works for some people due to the type of acid in the vinegar (Malic acid). Lastly: stay away from processed foods; eat close to the ground (fresh dark greens, fresh fruits and vegies - raw if possible and chew); Local foods, Organic; Grow your own if possible. Meats - rabbit is the best due to the low fat content, high protein and many people can raise rabbits themselves. AReflux can also be triggered by food allergies such as milk, wheat, sugar so leaving these things out of your diet might be a way to cure yourself as well. If you are into mind-body connections: Louise Hay is a wonderful source in her book "You can Heal your life" She mentions that Heartburn is a result of "Fear": clutching fear: REmedy: Put Joy back into your life. Fill your life with Joy and happiness, let go of past limitations from parents, etc, Let joy flow thru your body with ease. Good luck on your personal quest for healing.

Bon, I haven't had anything to add to this thread since I have no experience with GERD, but just wanted to say that I hope you are successful in getting the right medical diagnosis and then are successful in doing all the right things to correct the issue as well as you can in the most natural manner possible. My older brother suffered from ulcerative colitis for years without ever getting the right diagnosis until he was in either the later high school years or the early college years. (Granted, we didn't have the internet back then, so it was really hard to dig and research and find answers on your own way back then in the Dark Ages.) It is amazing how well most digestive issues can be managed nowadays with diet, some sophisticated medicines, etc. I am confident y'all will have success overcoming this health issue. Re: Pickles. Cucumbers are just that way. Tiny one day, gigantic Godzillas the next. I have to pick twice daily to catch them all while they are at the appropriate size for pickling, even though I normally do not make pickles daily. Well, I pickled cucumbers yesterday and I pickled peppers today, but I do not routinely pickle something every single day. Amy, I do find it interesting that the saltiness of brined and fermented foods often is not mentioned. I wonder why that is? I don't know if it is just because the people who eat those kinds of foods are so used to the salt that they don't think to mention it to others or if there is some other reason. We don't use a lot of salt in cooking, so when I ferment something, I do notice the higher salt levels when I eat it. Dawn

I used to suffer greatly. When my symptoms were at their worst I lost all my hunger response. I never got hungry no matter how long between meals. I decided to use this to my advantage and lose some weight. I kept having these episodes where I felt my blood pressure drop and I became dizzy and light headed - a major pain while driving to work. When I went back to the doctor she added up all the calories I consumed in a day and yelled at me for not eating enough!!! A large sized man cannot function on less than 1000 calories in a day. oops. I used to think it was the sausage or pepporoni on the pizza that caused the problem because that is what the aftereffects tasted like. Wrong! it was the tomato sauce. To this day I rarely eat tomatoes or rich foods. Surprisingly things like jalapeno peppers and onions do not cause a problem for me - but something intense like a jelly bean candy will give me three days of heartburn (and I mean ONE candy!). I was not much of a candy eater before so my problems came and went randomly, which made pinning down the problem causers that much harder. Sugar is my number one enemy - overly sweet foods cause most of my problems. I've said it before and I'll say it again - read about apple cider vinegar. It has been a godsend to me! If I end eating too much food or something I ate makes me uncomfortable all I do is slurp/sip a capfull of vinegar. It burns like heck going down and for a few moments you'll be convinced you have just poisoned yourself but soon thereafter you will notice ALL of your symptoms gone and gone for hours. Now I take a dose of vinegar every evening before going to bed and not only is my stomach doing better but all sorts of health problems are gone. It truly has been a wonder cure for me. Just remember that it is a strong harsh chemical and you only want to take tiny doses of it - and to wait ten minutes before you attempt to sue me for this advice. Everyone I know that can get over the taste raves about its curing powers. Also, pay attention to how you position your head when you sleep. I used to prop myself up on many pillows, and I raised up the head of my bed by 4 inches. After the vinegar cure entered my life I starting sleeping on a single very flat pillow and it has greatly helped me at night. Its almost as if you sleep with any bend in your throat it signals your stomach to produce too much acid. Well, in my experience at least.

I would avoid anyone who wants to put a camera down your throat, when a simple test for bacterial, viral, or strep can be done. I once had a useless bronchoscopy that cost $5,000 .... it didn't do anything good, it was just a simple case of pneumonia (from inhaling peatmoss) which went away on its own. I was coughing up blood for 1 month, it was the antibiotics that helped .. and the bronchoscopy (putting a tube down my throat) was a waste of time & money. One answer from Yahoo on constant red throat, see below: Best Answer: Consult an ENT specialist. The following diagnostic tests may be performed: * Complete blood count * Monospot test (to rule out mononucleosis) * Throat culture and rapid strep test Source(s): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sore_throat http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sore-th... http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch089/ch089e.html gangadharan nair · 7 years ago The huffpost has an article: 11 things you need to know about strep throat, see the this link: Sore throat info. Below link is a discussion on long-term sore throat: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18394 Medhelp also has a discussion which someone asked the same question as you did many years ago. My best wishes to you. See below link: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Ear--Nose--Throat/sore-throat-for-a-long-time--can-it-be-due-to-STD/show/7233 Red & sore throat: here's an excerpt from the below : http://medicalcontent.hubpages.com/hub/Persistent-Sore-Throat Some inflammatory processes are also involved in the development of a persistent sore throat. Conditions such these are highly influential to sore throat: GERD – Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a disorder involving the digestive system that makes the undigested contents from the stomach to go back up the esophagus. The regurgitation of the contents can make the throat inflamed thus causing a sore throat. Allergies – Allergens that cause an inflammatory reaction can cause sore throat. Complicated cases of postnasal drip can also affect the throat making it irritable and inflamed. Cancer – The presence of tumor in the throat simply results to a sore one. Once the sore throat persists in a long period of time, the possibility is that cancer progression is at hand. Croup – Laryngotracheobronchitis is a respiratory condition that is characterized by barking cough. As a person struggles with this condition will most likely have a sensitive throat. Pertussis – characterized by a whooping cough, this bacterial infection involves the respiratory system. Diphtheria – another respiratory problem that involves a pseudomembrane formation on the tonsil, pharynx or nasal cavity. Once this is not treated, its progression may lead to even serious problems. HIV infection – In acute infection of HIV, sore throat is one of its manifestations. Eating disorders – Bulimia can be a root for sore throat. Forcing oneself to vomit the food taken can be harsh to the membranes of the upper digestive system, which includes the throat.