| Author |
Herbal Wisdom:  Acid Reflux help for a 7 year old  |
|
|
CascadeFootHillsFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
133 Posts
Stephanie
Granite Falls
Wa.
USA
133 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 02 2011 : 09:29:25 AM
|
My son had GERD as a baby, till about 13 months old.
At age 6 it came back. We tried natural things like changing foods, raising the head of the bed (even though he's never had pains at night) no tight belts, eating earlier at night, drinking a cup of luke warm water before a meal. Then one day it got so bad that I took him in to the doctor and they did an upper GI on him and a chest xray to make sure it was not his heart. It cleary showed reflux and they gave us a RX for Prevacid. I put that off for over a month and we tried DGL (licorice root extract). The pain got worse and worse. It happens right when he is eating.
I tried switching out more foods and eventually got the prevacid. It seemed to help a little bit but now it is back even more often and very severe.
I want to try apple cider vin. (with the mother). I have it already for the chickens. I tried it with honey and water and he would not drink it. Any other suggestions?
I see papaya mentioned a few places, how about slippery elm? The problem is he is not able to swallow yet. I can work on it with him. I think that would give us some more options for supplements that may help.
Thanks for any information or kind words. It hurts my heart to see him hurting. I hate having him on prevacid at 7. I have even tried warming up the foods that are normally served cold....almond milk, his cereal milk, applesauses, water is served luke warm.
Thanks! Stephanie
"A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle." Irish Quote |
|
|
FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2011 : 10:19:29 AM
|
Stephanie,
I have heard they make ACV in pill form, though I've never needed to look for it. I would also see a nutrionist. I have a friend who had some health issues but ate healthy. She finally went to the nutrionist (a holistic/natural one) and found out she had some vitamin deficiencies because her body was unable to absorb some vitamins in the traditional way. She started taking some whole food vitamins and was soon feeling much better.
Maybe your son eats very healthy but it's still not the right diet for him? I also don't like a lot of western medicine since it treats mostly symptoms and not the cause. Good Luck in your journey.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
 |
|
|
Tn.Earthmama
True Blue Farmgirl
451 Posts
Phyllis
Englewood
Tennessee
451 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2011 : 4:30:30 PM
|
| Hi Stephanie, I take apple cider vinegar capsules before meals(couldn't drink the ACV, burned really badly all the way down), it has helped my reflux and improved my digestion a lot. I have slow stomach emptying and get heartburn as much as 6 hrs after a meal. the ACV and helped immensely. the only time I took one of the acid meds(Prevacid) I had severe stomach pain that took close to a month to recover from. Hope this helps. blessings Phyllis |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2011 : 05:22:46 AM
|
Try candied ginger thurout the day...I have had this problem for years now & I found if I eat a few pieces of it the sugar ect helps keep the stomach acids in my stomach inside of in my throat....also I keep on hand animal crackers cause I can suck on those to soften when my throat is raw & they help settle the tummy also....I very seldom have to take anything else for it thank goodness....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
|
|
|
Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2011 : 07:05:38 AM
|
Doctors are way to quick now a days to just prescribe medicine and not find out what the problem truley is. You need to have them find out why a child this young is having this problem. I admit as a child I did get heartburn, but that is a common problem on my dad's side of the family. As an adult when I really starting having problem that were really affecting my quality of life, I sought the help of my doctor and the first thing they did was prescribe pepcid. I demanded to see a specialist stating my father has had esophagus cancer and my brother is following those same lines. To make a long story short my flappy thing between my esophagus and stomach has worn out it doesn't "seal" anymore. I can elect to have surgery but would rather wait until it is vital.
Since I refuse to live on medications I have made many changes that have helped me immensly. Hope these can help your son. First off try not drinking before eating and drinking very little during the meal, it fills your stomach up and leaves less room for food and so it pushes up the esophgus. Do keep the bed elevated. Make a list of the foods that are giving him heartburn and avoid them, this is a long process to figure this but it eventually helps. Belive it or not I have found things that you wouldn't think would bother me. I can't have liquors or any kind of extracts, like almond extract or sometimes you will find chocolate liquor in those expensive chocolates and I will pay the price. Bananas are also an issue, you just neeed to find the things that bother him.
I also find eating more smaller meals or snacks helps keep my stomach in tact. Also alot of raw items like broccoli bother me.
I am not saying these will cure your son but I think you really need to push the Dr.s to find the reason behind the problem because cronic heartburn can lead to much greater problems. Good Luck
Lillian |
|
|
|
RaspberryBee
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
Karen
Montrose
Michigan
USA
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2011 : 09:02:20 AM
|
I have asthma and in learning the ins and out of living with it I found out I have acid reflux when things are bad. I also have arthritis pretty bad. I am not a big medicine taker so in looking for a more natural path I learned about apple cider vinegar. Between that and raspberry leaves (female issuse) I am a new person. I found a local organic orchard that makes their own acv with mother and orchard honey - so much better than store stuff and easier to take than Braggs. I put in a dab of cinnamon then a spoonfull of honey and stir that up really well then add 2 tblsp of acv and a bit of warm water. While it does not taste super great it is pretty okay. Long story short here...as long as I take the acv mix twice a day every day I no longer have reflux episodes. I did not know this going into the use of avc but what a help it has been. Not everything we take to make us feel better tastes great but for a few seconds of yuck and hours of ahhhhh I think it is worth it. I mean my mother made me take things that tasted a whole lot worse than acv! Good luck :-)
Farmgirl Sister #918
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
-Henry David Thoreau- |
|
|
|
highlandviewpantry
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
WV
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2011 : 5:15:35 PM
|
I wonder if the apple cider vinegar was incorporated fresh into a recipe right before he ate it if it would have the same benefits. I make green beans with a splash of vinegar and brown sugar and boil them down until tender. Maybe you could make it and add in the vinegar in the end. Also try vinegar over other veggies like cooked spinach. Go to the Braggs web-site they have a lot of recipes including a very good salad dressing.
www.thehighlandviewpantry.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
SolasFarmGirl
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Lindsay
Brush Prairie
WA
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2011 : 10:56:20 AM
|
Slippery elm is also great for reliving acid reflux. The bark of the slippery elm tree contains a heavy concentration of mucilage that soothes and coats the stomach lining and can bring almost instant relief from acid reflux. You can find it as a tea form in most health food stores.
Farmgirl Sister #3101
www.verdantapothecary.com
You were wild here once, dont let them tame you.
-Isadora Duncan |
|
|
|
countrymommy85
True Blue Farmgirl
898 Posts
Krystle
MT
USA
898 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2011 : 08:27:36 AM
|
I know as an adult it is a lot different than for a little one but I use ACV with the mother for mine. Ginger sometimes helps too but I got quicker relief from the ACV. I get horrible reflux during pregnancy. I haven't tried the ACV pills, not sure if they would have the same effect but I'd like to get some for when I'm traveling!
Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown
http://countryrenaissance.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
|
|
|
marthajane
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
Anna
Orlando
FL
USA
196 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2011 : 10:00:55 AM
|
I am sorry that the little one is having so much trouble, it sounds really painful. Hope they feel better soon.
I would try homeopathy, for MINERALS...
1800HOMEOPAthy has good minerals little white tabs that dissolve on the tongue...they are minerals in a milk base
They have a book cost 4 dollars called the Biochemic Tissue Salts and this is a little reference book for many ailments that can be relieved with the addition of minerals.
The book very easily describes the chemistry of how the minerals work and what the body does with them...its one of my favorite books.
Of course they supply the minerals too, which I think is probably an underestimated nutritional need for all of our Bodies.Best wishes I do wish you all the best of luck...
oh yes the papaya is the most gentle of all foods. You should check it out!
Happiness IS being a MoM |
|
|
| |
Herbal Wisdom: Acid Reflux help for a 7 year old |
|
Acid Reflux help for a 7 year old
