Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had any luck with natural remedies for kids and reflux. My 11 yr. old daughter is having daily nausea and reflux. She is seeing a G.I. and has tried Previcid and Nexium and has had side effects with both of them. Zantac didn't work and now the doctor has her trying over the counter Pepcid. She's eating. It hasn't affected her appetite, but it bothersome to her. She feels like she has to throw up. She had an endoscopy in 2012 and another one this past January. We were told that everything looked fine and there was no evidence that reflux is causing any damage, etc. at this point. But she's still suffering every day. She saw a therapist a couple of years ago to rule out anxiety.
I'd like to try any natural remedy. I've recently heard that Coconut Oil helps . . . plus there are some people that swear by Chiropractors. I have a local chiropractor I may try. She sees children and pregnant women and is also a nutritionist. She and her husband have a practice together . . . he treats people who suffer from allergies with natural remedies.
I just wanted to get some feedback from people who have tried both natural remedies and chiropractors for reflux issues. I don't want to keep trying new medications if we can treat it another way.
Thank you.
Thank you to each and everyone of you for responding to my post. A few of you mentioned Apple Cider Vinegar. The one food I know for a fact she's actually allergic to is apples . . . so I don't think she'd be able to try the ACV. We've tried probiotics in the past, and may end up trying it again. We tried eliminating certain foods from her diet a few years ago . . . but didn't really help at the time. Her symptoms are different now than they were back then. The low-residue food plan sounded interesting. We've seen several pediatricians and three different G.I. doctors . . . so I'm at the point now where I'm going to take her to a naturopath. This doctor will do blood tests to figure out food sensitivities and will look at her diet, etc. I figured since the other doctors haven't been able to help her . . . what have I got to lose by taking her to the naturopath who will guide us with her diet, nutrition, etc. - Then if this doesn't work . . . I may go the chiropractor route too. The naturopath came highly recommended by other moms. I just thought other than the ACV . . . there might be something else she can take that lessens the symptoms in the meantime . . . so I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens with the natural route . . . thanks again for all your suggestions. :)
My doctors first recommendation when I was diagnosed with reflex was significant diet changes. Did you try that and did it help?
My daughter was told by her GI specialist and nutritionist to try a low-residue food plan. It has helped a great deal.
Residue is different from fiber. Fiber is useful to the body, which is pretty common knowledge. Residue is not useful, and is discarded as waste. Not to go all TMI, but residue is the skin of the corn kernels (you know, what's excreted by our bodies after eating a couple of ears of corn on the cob at a BBQ), and tomato seeds, and some fats (from a big meaty prime rib, for example). Those are examples of residue that are more visible. Residue foods are more difficult for some people to digest, cause the stomach to do extra work, sometimes hang around in the stomach too long (fermenting a bit, causing a sour stomach sensation and burping). The nutritionist explained it this way: after someone has had a glass of milk, and the glass is empty, you can still tell that the glass contained milk because some milk still clings to the side of the glass. That's residue. The same thing happens with our digestive system (that was a very basic and simple explanation but it helped).
So a low residue diet or food plan (you can look it up online) basically involves: limiting or avoiding nuts and seeds, limiting or avoiding steak and brisket (brisket is one of the big no-no's), peeling all vegetables and avoiding raw veggies like carrot sticks (peel all vegetables and cook them well by steaming or roasting), avoiding potato skins, avoiding celery (those strings!), limiting or avoiding whole grain breads and brown rice and whole grain anything. Yes, the nutritionist and GI specialist (she saw several including ones at the Mayo Clinic) said that we'll get those dirty looks in the supermarket when we're buying white rice and white bread with no fiber, and not serving raw vegetables, but for some kids, it's really important and it gives their digestive system a break. My daughter has learned what foods trouble her the most, and now she can tolerate plain brown rice. Raw vegetables still upset her system, and so does steak and baked potato skins and unpeeled vegetables.
Some people just need a low-residue food plan for a short term, but my daughter needs it long term due to her complicated medical situation. But eating low-residue foods has helped her go from 3 or 4 anti-nausea prescription pills (Zofran) per day, and days of vomiting and stomach upset, to just one pill per day and no days filled with vomiting and nausea and painful burping.
It's a fairly easy thing to try, although it requires peeling vegetables and seeking breads that don't contain fiber, and cooking vegetables until they're soft, and not eating steaks and briskets. And it doesn't involve any weird or expensive drugs or supplements, so there's not much harm in trying it for a week or so. But if it helps, that's great.
Definitely try the chiro!
Elevate the head of her bed. Try a folded sleeping bag under her mattress.
No mint. No chocolate. No nuts. These loosen up the stomach sphincter muscle. When I am at my worst I don't use minty toothpaste. Try a kids fruity flavor, especially at bedtime!
Small meals.
Lots of fiber and fluids so she empties her bowels and can digest faster.
Sleeping on the left side of the body feels better than the right.
NO carbonation. That is a killer.
No fried foods.
Added:does she have nasal allergies? Those are tough on the stomach and reflux, as well?
Good luck!!
We didn't try a chiropractor. But one of my kids had it quite badly.
In our case, it wasn't daily. In fact, I haven't heard of that - that must be worrisome. I'd say it was probably twice a week in a case at it's worst. My daughter didn't put on weight. For about a year. It just halted. She wasn't hungry. And she actually vomited. She had a smell to her breath.
We were told to keep a food log. That was the first thing we did. Mine couldn't eat a lot in one go. Or she'd need to vomit. So smaller meals, with healthy snacks in between.
We have a history of it on my husband's side. My husband gets it badly if he eats certain foods.
Medications helped my child. Elevating the head of their bed too when bad. But eliminating foods was the big one. Good luck :)
**I have heard from teachers that kids are often misdiagnosed with reflux when it's actually anxiety. One of my kids gets nauseous from feeling anxious. Because I've seen both I can tell the difference. One is definitely more related to having a big meal. And will actually be sick. The other gets the burning feeling and nauseous, but then can go on to eat. Not sure if that helps or not. If she hasn't been evaluated for anxiety in a couple of years and nothing else helps, you might want to consider that again if you have to reason she could be stressed.
ETA - Michelle made some excellent points. Pop and fried foods are a problem here too. And we were advised to cut juice out.
Have you talked to anyone about her diet? it will be much easier to treat her symptoms if you can get to the root of the problem. Sounds like your chiropractor might be great place to start. You can also ask her about acupuncture. Good luck!
A great chiropractor can help with so many things, but I would also look at what your child is eating.
Try a probiotic/acidophilus for at least a month and see if that gives some relief. You could try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help balance the stomach acid, but be sure to mix it with something, like honey and water or cranberry juice and water (then its not so strong to taste). I keep organic raw apple cider vinegar in the house, Dr Bragg brand.
http://healthwyze.org/reports/221-why-you-should-use-appl...
Reflux can also be caused by having low stomach acid. The apple cider vinegar daily that someone recommended is an easy thing to try. I have tried to take it daily but just can't stomach it. I have seen ACV pills so I would try that.
A food journal is a great idea too but sometimes it's really hard to tease out the culprit. I didn't find mine until I did a good elimination diet.
Regarding the nausea, I used to have that and it turns out that I just needed more water. I don't stay hydrated unless I drink slightly salty water (1/4 tsp pink salt to 1q of water plus lemon juice). I get cracked lips if I drink plain water.
Good luck!
Hi,
I have stomach problems and have been using probiotics. They seem to help, and they children's also. Just a thought. Hope you find a helpful solution. Poor kid it must suck, I know I hate belly pains. Good luck.
