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Regular intake of Sodium Bicarbonate for hearburn; any potential risks?

doppelganga196

doppelganga196

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Jun 30, 2009
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So I take a teaspoon of sodium bicarb with water about twice daily. I've been on omeprazole before but was fed up with the whole issue of nutrients not getting absorbed. Same thing goes for milk of magnesia.

Sodium bicarb is cheap & very effective at treating heartburn, perhaps more than omeprazole & milk of magnesia, but are there any nasty side effects that could arise from chronic consumption? Thanks.
 
Well, using any antacid for the long term can have damaging effects. You're essentially destroying your body's ability to digest food. The acid is important, it is there for a reason. Why do you think you have heartburn on a daily basis? By taking the baking soda you're just treating the symptom, but what is causing the symptom? Diet? Stress? You need to find the trigger and remove it vs just treating it.
 
^^
If his body is producing HCl when there is no food to digest in his gut, then there is no harm in treating that symptom with an alkalizing agent. Twice daily is an awful lot, though. I'd also ask, in addition to stress and diet, whether chronic heartburn runs in your family.

Interestingly, I know someone who is vegetarian and who never experienced heartburn until recently-- he freaked out and didn't know what was happening. Eating a diet with less protein (the only reason the HCl is there in the first place, really) might help you. I don't think I've ever had heartburn after a nice big salad.
 
For some people all that extra sodium could be a problem.

The box warns against using the product over a certain amount of time because you could start to get alkalosis problems from daily use of bicarbonate. Alkalosis is a lot more likely if one has kidney dysfunction or is older. Daily use probably isn't a good idea for anyone though.

In looking up a reference for this I discovered sodium bicarbonate slows elimination of amphetamines which I didn't know before. So an amp user might experience prolonged effects by being a bicarbonate user.

http://www.drugs.com/pro/sodium-bicarbonate.html
drugs.com said:
Prolonged sodium bicarbonate therapy is not recommended because of the high risk of causing metabolic alkalosis or sodium overload
Click to expand...
 
Pander Bear said:
^^
If his body is producing HCl when there is no food to digest in his gut, then there is no harm in treating that symptom with an alkalizing agent. Twice daily is an awful lot, though. I'd also ask, in addition to stress and diet, whether chronic heartburn runs in your family.

Interestingly, I know someone who is vegetarian and who never experienced heartburn until recently-- he freaked out and didn't know what was happening. Eating a diet with less protein (the only reason the HCl is there in the first place, really) might help you. I don't think I've ever had heartburn after a nice big salad.
Click to expand...

Yeah. If there was no food in his gut.... I was assuming he was taking it after meals, when most people get the bad heartburn and indigestion. It's for sure something he is eating that his body doesn't like.
 
Lifestyle change would be better

coffee- gone
red wine- gone
fried food- gone

sleep with your bed lifted about 3 to 5 inches at the headboard, so the acid doesnt get you in the night.
 
Pander Bear said:
^^
If his body is producing HCl when there is no food to digest in his gut, then there is no harm in treating that symptom with an alkalizing agent.
Click to expand...

Yes i get the heartburn if my stomach is empty & when it isn't. I only drink alcohol every other weekend & only drink a small coffee occasionally.

I'm thinking i should really see my doctor as i've been having VERY little appetite. I'm not sure if it's all down to a highly acidic stomach without food but it certainly doesn't help. I have a lot of trouble eating without smoking marijuana. If i've had a smoke i can eat quite well, still get indigestion but at least i eat more than one meal a day which is where i'm at now: a piece of fruit during the day & then dinner- that's it. I was over 11 stone last year (160 lbs) now i'm down to about 9 1/2 ( 137 lbs)
 
Lots of raw greens in your diet is always good for many reasons. :)

I'd knock off the drinking all together, and I don't just say that as someone who's very against drinking (although I am). I think at least until this particular issue heals up for you, you are doing yourself a great disservice.
 
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