Re: a question about Betaine HCL

[Guest guest]

Hi Judith,

Sorry to hear about your gut woes --

Snip

> And recently

> when I was dramaticallyll gi-wise (maybe a gi virus, maybe food

> poisoning,maybe my diet,maybe ME) what came up was extremely

acidic--

> it burned my throat.

>

> I know the upper and lower tract can be different re acidic or

base.

> But I don't know where the betaine hcl supps dissolve or why

they're recommended.

I'm not an expert or anything but I understand Betaine HCL is

Hydrochloric Acid, or stomach acid. Presumably it's intended to

dissolve in the stomach, though if you hold it in your mouth too

long it will dissolve there :-)

Some ppl with ME/CFIDS have too little stomach acid (hypochlorhydria

[sp]), which has been verified by CT brain scans BTW --

hypoperfusion to part of the brain controlling HCL secretion -- so

this can lead to indigestion and malnutrition, including a form of

B12 deficiency. PWME often complain their stomachs are still

full/indigesting hours after eating.

Long term vegans/vegetarians produce less stomach acid, IIRC, so if

you are just starting to eat animal protein it may be helpful there.

Also too alkaline a stomach can encourage growth of infections like

the bug that sometimes causes ulcers. An acidic stomach is usually

good and what nature intended. Ironically though helpful in short

term antacids may prolong a problem in the long term by keeping the

environment too alkaline.

If you subscribe to food intolerance theory, then the absorption of

compound food particles is also something that might be avoided,

especially proteins.

Of course there may be another kind of stomach prob you have, and if

you have reflux that's always going to be acidic and not much can be

done about that other than find and treat the cause of the reflux,

if possible.

I only know this cos I did some research when I started taking

betaine HCL myself. I used t have a lot of really bad stomach pain

and was on proton pump inhibitors; whether the betaine HCL (and

enzymes) did it or it was a coicidental recovery (orsome other drug

I was taking at the time caused stomach probs) I can't be 100% sure,

but I'm happy wt the result. :-p

> > I'd really appreciate getting some better understanding before I

> introduce it. It will be two months till I get to see an ME-wise

doc

> and who knows how long to have him get to know me well enough to

> cover all the things one must. Hence my asking for the help of

anyone

> who knows more about ME and digestion, of which I know this list

has

> several people. In the meantime I'll start the dig aids sans the

> HCL. I'm also adding an additional probiotic (s.boulardi)to those

I

> now take (nutricology's lactoblend and metagenics df ultra flora

> plus). I also have reordered dgl choc mint to take before meals.

You've lost me... DGL choc mint?? Sounds like the name of a DJ or

something...

> Many thanks. I hope soon to be able to read the list and respond

> where I can help others,though I've fallen badly behind.

Yeah I can't keep up with it and most of the RX stuff is sadly

irrelevent (if interesting) if your doctors only subscribe

to " evidence based " health, or don't have a cash lifeline as is all

too common in the UK and some other benighted lands.

> Best,

>

> Judith

TC

Mike

(not a doc/not med advice etc)