Hava, 55, came to us for help from acid reflux after decades of suffering from digestive symptoms she began to believe were “the price of eating”. Like many others, she had become discouraged with her doctor’s treatment suggestions, but she refused to give up hope and started researching alternative solutions. Hava began Terra Health Essentials Heartburn Relief Kit, is now off PPIs, and her symptoms have significantly improved as a result. This is her story.
The Beginning
“ It was my twin sister, who happens to be a SLP who suggested I might have Acid Reflux”
Before getting diagnosed with acid reflux, Hava saw an ENT who performed a uvulectomy (uvula removal) that she believes was “a completely unnecessary and expensive and painful procedure that didn’t fix anything.” Moving forward to March 2020 her symptoms escalated. At this point, Hava was suffering from a scalding sensation in her mouth, a severe dry mouth, and a bitter/acidic taste in the back of her throat. This led her back to the doctor’s door again, and she was diagnosed by an ENT with a condition called “Burning Mouth Syndrome”. This is a condition that has no known cause or treatment, so things were looking pretty bleak.
That was when her twin sister suggested that acid reflux might be the problem and she decided to try a PPI (Prilosec) and TUMs antacids to see if she could get any relief. The Prilosec did seem to be helping, but as soon as she came off it her symptoms returned. This is very common in PPI usage and it’s why so many people unfortunately become reliant on them for life. If you’ve been following our posts for a while, you’ll know that this happened because PPIs simply mask the acid reflux rather than treating the root cause, which is often due to low stomach acid rather than excessive stomach acid.
“My main symptom is that feeling like there is something in my throat and I am trying to swallow ..especially at night.”
Although the PPI helped to a point (when she stayed on it), it wasn’t resolving Hava’s acid reflux completely, and her persistent symptoms meant that she suffered from insomnia for 20+ years. It’s been proven that a lack of sleep can lead to significant changes to the gut microbiome causing bloating, inflammation, pain, and sensitivity to certain foods, so Hava became trapped in a cycle of symptoms that were feeding into each other 24/7.
The Turning Point
“After reading the literature and understanding what PPI treatments get wrong, I knew that it was a process… I really wanted to stop relying on a drug that suppresses a natural process.”
After researching our treatment plan with the Heartburn Relief Kit, Hava decided it was time to break that cycle and make a change. She tells me that being a part of our client Facebook group and hearing about other people’s journeys helped her to stay positive and trust in the healing process, especially when reading through the success stories of those who had come out the other side. In just 4 weeks on the Heartburn Relief Kit, Hava started to see improvements.
“On week 4, so 3 weeks into taking the RI I noticed that there were longer stretches of time during the day when I felt “ok” and by week 8 I went from mostly suffering with occasional relief, to mostly feeling OK with occasional flare ups.”
Although Hava still has occasional acid reflux symptoms, they don’t last long and are easily alleviated by “sitting up and drinking some water”. The original “burning mouth syndrome” symptoms are something she’s managing by “learning which one causes the other to flare up” but believes her acid reflux is primarily resolved. She has begun to introduce small amounts of trigger foods back into her diet after originally eliminating a LOT of acidic foods which was tough on a vegan diet!
Breaking The Cycle
“I am SO GRATEFUL to not be on Prilosec anymore!!”
Hava shared all of her success with her doctor who advised they were familiar with Terra Health Essentials and had recommended our supplements to previous patients. After looking through all of the ingredients in the Heartburn Relief Kit, she was very optimistic, and this gave Hava an extra boost of encouragement to continue.
Now that she is coming out the other side, Hava has also kindly offered some veteran tips for anyone who’s starting out on the Heartburn Relief Kit:
- Make sure you understand the instructions and dosage and what to expect in the first 3 weeks!!
- I got a high supportive pillow to raise my head while sleeping (I tried the wedge pillow and it helped but was super uncomfortable).
- I try to eat smaller portions, and I try to stop eating after 6-7pm so there are several hours before my last meal and sleep.
- I start my day with a glass of water before my coffee, and try to drink a lot of water.
- Don’t give up. Join the FB group and use that resource!!
- KNOW that it’s not an instant fix..and that it’s going to maybe be a journey for the rest of your life.. don’t expect a silver bullet.
- Pay attention to your eating habits and other habits and try to detect a pattern of what hurts and what helps.
- Stay positive, especially on tough days.
“I feel like I am much more attuned to how certain foods and habits affect my health, which has made me an even more mindful eater.”
By following the program and adjusting her lifestyle, Hava has taken back control of her health and kept her acid reflux at bay. She has now moved on to a maintenance phase and takes the pH balancer daily with some Acid Relief on an as-needed basis if she gets caught out with a trigger food. We’re so proud of how hard Hava has worked at improving her gut health – as we are with all of our amazing clients who really commit to the process!
Start Your Personal Gut Health Journey Today!
Try the Heartburn Relief Kit out for yourself right now with our special reader discount using the code: HavasJourney to get 30% off.
You can also learn more about the kit and how to get started in our post: The Heartburn Relief Kit: What To Expect And How Long Before The Supplements Work?