Enzymes and heartburn

[Guest guest]

I was reading everyone's posts on enzymes and wanted to ask if anyone who

apparently has digestive problems gets heartburn easily. I always carry extra

strength Tums because when I do get it, it's horrible! Feels like it's

penetrating straight through to my back. It's mainly triggered by liquor drinks

with sweet and sour mixer (like Margaritas) and cola drinks on an empty or near

empty tummy (like Coke, Sprite) so I've learned to avoid those things. But

overall, I've had a sensitive tummy for years now, as well as a touch of spastic

colon. Maybe enzymes would help me, because heartburn is the release of too

much stomach acid, it's some kind of dysfunction. If the enzymes are already

present through supplements however, it stands to reason that the body wouldn't

overreact by flooding the stomach with too much acid. Just a thought.

Kristi

[Guest guest]

Hi Kristi--

I've had intermittent battles w/GI problems, too--

since I was 16 (interestingly enough, that's also when

I experienced my first rosacea outbreak). I've always

found that my skin gets worse when my stomach gets

worse, but I always figured they were both triggered

by the same things (like stress). When I was a

teenager and into my early 20s, I would get chronic

acid reflux (that acid taste in your mouth and throat)

accompanied by horrible belching. No one could believe

those noises came from my 5ft. frame! I have to say,

once I got a little older, began keeping a more normal

schedule, and eating properly (not skipping meals or

eating big meals late, eating healthier foods, and

taking acidophilus daily), these symptoms subsided

quite a bit. I'd still get them occasionally, but not

as often or as severe. Since I started the minocycline

for rosacea, I haven't had any problems w/my gut. I

don't know if it cuts down on inflammation in the

stomach lining, or is killing off some bad bugs, or if

it's coincidence, or what.

Heartburn, or acid reflux, is the result of a

dysfunctional spincter at the end of your esophogus

near your stomach--when you start digesting food and

your stomach releases acids and enzymes, the sphincter

is supposed to close. When it doesn't close off

properly, the stomach acids actually leak up into your

esophogus. I don't know if the stomach also creates

more or less acid as a result. But if the lining of

your stomach is compromised in any way (for instance,

my grandmother took aspirin everyday for years for

arthritis and ended up w/a gastric ulcer), you might

be secreting less acid, since those are the cells

responsible for releasing acid and pepsin, etc. into

the gastric lumen (your stomach). But you're right, if

you're secreting too much acid and you add

supplements, I would think it would shut down the

signal for those cells to release more acid and then

you'd find some equilibrium.

OK, when I started this message I thought I knew what

I was talking about, but now I'm confused. Can anyone

help?

--- " Kristi A. "

wrote:

> I was reading everyone's posts on enzymes and wanted

> to ask if anyone who apparently has digestive

> problems gets heartburn easily. I always carry

> extra strength Tums because when I do get it, it's

> horrible! Feels like it's penetrating straight

> through to my back. It's mainly triggered by liquor

> drinks with sweet and sour mixer (like Margaritas)

> and cola drinks on an empty or near empty tummy

> (like Coke, Sprite) so I've learned to avoid those

> things. But overall, I've had a sensitive tummy for

> years now, as well as a touch of spastic colon.

> Maybe enzymes would help me, because heartburn is

> the release of too much stomach acid, it's some kind

> of dysfunction. If the enzymes are already present

> through supplements however, it stands to reason

> that the body wouldn't overreact by flooding the

> stomach with too much acid. Just a thought.

>

> Kristi

>

>

>

>

>

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