sore throat and acid reflux only during Whole 30

[aezj]

Last summer, I did a Whole 30. During that time I developed a chronic sore throat and acid reflux (which I don't normally have)  I ended up at the ENT who gave me Prilosec but said he didn't see any signs of acid reflux (he scoped me and was just treating symptoms).  Over the course of the year my eating went back to junk and these symptoms went away.  Fast forward to today, same thing is beginning again.  Just last night did I connect these symptoms to a Whole 30.  Other than this I'm feeling great.  I'm not eating anything new, just avoiding alot (like my gum addiction).  Anyone else experience this or can you give me ideas to make it stop?!?!

 

 

[Tom Denham]

Many people report less acid reflux or a cessation of symptoms when they do a Whole30. Getting them is going against the tide.

 

It might be useful if you posted a few days of what you are eating. Maybe we will notice something that might help.

[aezj]

Tom,

 

 

Typical eating:

 

pork,, chix, ground beef, steak, eggs, salmon
sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, squash, red and green peppers, onions, tomatoes, 

strawberries, grapes, blueberries, banana, cantaloupe

guac, olive oil, coconut oil, canned coconut milk

 

I used to chew gum all day everyday, but have since gone cold turkey.  Maybe a stupid ?, but does not chewing gum lessen my stomach acid?  

 

*I have to avoid certain green veggies (spinach, okra, etc) b/c I have Medullary Sponge Kidney disease and tend to get alot of Ca Oxalate kidney stones.  My CaOx level has been very high and I've been put on a reduced CaOx diet

[pjena]

Hi - Do you eat more fruit on the W30?  Or a lot more tomatoes?  Fish and eggs are common allergens.  My son's "reflux" is actually caused by food allergies, which is why none of the reflux meds worked for him.  He's allergic to a lot of non W30 foods, but also fish, eggs, pork, cantaloupe.  A lot of people have some reactions to coconut, too.  I'd start by thinking about which foods you might be eating a lot more of during the W30 and try cutting them out, too, to see if they make a difference.  Good luck!

[Bet]

I used to suffer from GERD before I changed my diet. But I do find that too much raw fruit can trigger it. Also, I'd avoid peppers of any kind, they have capascium in them and any nightshades can be an irritant, so tomatoes should be avoided too as they are very acidic

 

Since you were previously on Prilosec, you may have low stomach acid. I know it sound contradictory, but a lot of GERD symptoms are caused by low stomach acid, not too much. If you don't have the proper levels of stomach acid, you can't digest food properly, it sits too long in your stomach, ferments and the gas buildup causes an eruption of stomach contents into your esophagus (in my case, up and out of my nose, YUCK!). While medications like Prilosec make you feel better, it changes the ph of your stomach to be more alkiline, increasing the problem. And it suppresses your natural stomach acid. Not good. Try taking some HCL tables and Digestive enzymes. They should help you digest your food quicker and better and it should help with the GERD. Since I have been taking it, I haven't had any GERD symptoms.

 

Whatever you do, do NOT go back on the Prilosec.

[alissafoo]

I'm experiencing something similar. I have symptoms of "silent reflux" (sore throat, throat clearning, water brash, etc. but no heartburn) and it just got way worse on day 9 (was getting better before).  I'm wondering if it was because I had low acid before, but all the protein and fats I'm eating are prompting my body to actually produce acid and now I'm just trying to even out?  I'm keeping a VERY careful food diary to see if it's something I'm eating, since there's so much contradictory info out there for reflux.

[Bet]

Try adding some HCL and digestive enzymes. That can help.

[alissafoo]

Thanks I just bought some. Is it recommended to take both, at the same time, or is it preferable to just take one over the other, or at different times?

[Bet]

I take both, with meals.

[Veggie Girl]

I started to get terrible, burning sore throat pain on Day 6, along with disgustingly bad breath.  It got worse on Day 7 and 8, and I was considering stopping the Whole 30 even though I found lots of other benefits.  After some internet research, I hypothesized that it was acid reflux due to the significantly increased amount of protein and fat that I was eating.  A number of sites suggested Bragg's organic unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar as a cure for reflux.  (Apparently ordinary cider vinegar won't do the trick).  You take 2 tsp of the vinegar and dilute it in 8 oz of water, and drink after meals.  I know it doesn't make sense that vinegar would cure reflux, but google it and see what you think.  Let me warn you it tastes disgusting.  Also, several of the sites caution that you must immediately rinse your mouth, brush, and floss after you drink it because the vinegar can hurt your tooth enamel over time.  So for the past two days I've been drinking the glass of water with 2 tsp of vinegar after breakfast and again after dinner.  I'm really surprised but it seems to be improving things.  Throat still hurts but it's better, and my husband is thrilled that my breath is getting better as well.

 

Also, I don't think the sore throat/ worsening of acid reflux after starting whole 30 is that unusual.  If you search the forums there are some questions about it, and I think I recall seeing an older blog post on the Whole 9 blog about stomach acid with a couple of comments/questions about throat pain.

[Bet]

Hi Veggie, the ACV will work, but if you take HCL tablets they work better (they are the actual acid that is produced in the stomach) and they have no taste or teeth issues.

[lacybowbow]

It's probably the fat we eat at each meal....even good fat is bad for acid reflux

[Elledee]

I started getting horrible acid reflux during Whole 30.  I have never had it before, even when I ate lots of grains and sugar!  It makes no sense that I would develop it about a week or so into this diet.  I am on day 23, and its getting worse.  Anything I eat causes it immediately.  Can't sleep at night.  I haven't taken in any grains or sugars or things not allowed, but when I ate them for 47 years and through 3 pregnancies I never had this.  I don't get it.  Everyone says it cures reflux if they do have it.  I have cut out most fat and meat now, too, but it doesn't seem to matter.  I'm hungry but can't eat much, and anything I do eat makes me miserable.  I was within my normal weight range when I started and have lost 9 lbs. (which is great)  Most of it in the last week, since the reflux has gotten so bad.  I've tried all the natural remedies I can (Raw ACV included), and nothing is touching it.  I've taken probiotics for years.  Trying digestive enzymes.  Anyone else get this and have it go away after whole 30?  I don't know what to do!  There are diets for reflux that recommend rice and other things not on whole 30. I don't want to quit when I am this close, but this constant acid all the way up into my sinuses, burping, gas, coughing, etc..  I can't take it.  Today I had one hard boiled egg, and threw spinach, a banana and some berries in the blender. That's it.  Even those things cause it. I suppose the extra meat and fats could have started it, but cutting them out doesn't make it better.  Is there hope?

[ladyshanny]

I started getting horrible acid reflux during Whole 30.  I have never had it before, even when I ate lots of grains and sugar!  It makes no sense that I would develop it about a week or so into this diet.  I am on day 23, and its getting worse.  Anything I eat causes it immediately.  Can't sleep at night.  I haven't taken in any grains or sugars or things not allowed, but when I ate them for 47 years and through 3 pregnancies I never had this.  I don't get it.  Everyone says it cures reflux if they do have it.  I have cut out most fat and meat now, too, but it doesn't seem to matter.  I'm hungry but can't eat much, and anything I do eat makes me miserable.  I was within my normal weight range when I started and have lost 9 lbs. (which is great)  Most of it in the last week, since the reflux has gotten so bad.  I've tried all the natural remedies I can (Raw ACV included), and nothing is touching it.  I've taken probiotics for years.  Trying digestive enzymes.  Anyone else get this and have it go away after whole 30?  I don't know what to do!  There are diets for reflux that recommend rice and other things not on whole 30. I don't want to quit when I am this close, but this constant acid all the way up into my sinuses, burping, gas, coughing, etc..  I can't take it.  Today I had one hard boiled egg, and threw spinach, a banana and some berries in the blender. That's it.  Even those things cause it. I suppose the extra meat and fats could have started it, but cutting them out doesn't make it better.  Is there hope?

Oh, Elledee, that sounds dreadful, so sorry!

 

Can you please post a few days worth of your standard intake (before this morning when you barely ate) so we can take a peek?  Eating protein, vegetables and some fat should not cause this sort of excessive heartburn, you may need to see a doctor.

[Elledee]

Thanks, Ladyshanny.  I am getting concerned, too.  I had read the recommendations in the book on portions how to eat, so I was following that.  White meat chicken and venison being my meats, with fats and veggies and fruits.  Mainly bananas and berries, and a few apples here and there.  I made ghee to use with organic butter, made mayo, used approved almond butter and olive oil.  The only thing new to me was the almond butter and I did first realize I had symptoms after eating it with a banana, which I did do most days for about a week and a half. I did that fairly often with natural peanut butter before whole 30 and never had a problem. I cut that out, but still have problems with all food, now.  I know I did increase my fats and meats once I started whole 30, and fruits and veggies, too, overall.  I did try HCI today and it seemed to help, but you have to take it with protein.  I had just an egg with it.  Just now I tried a little honeydew melon after a grocery shopping trip which made me hungry, and am feeling reflux, but can't take the HCI till my chicken is done cooking.  I know how I am eating right now isn't how I am supposed to portion wise, but it started before this.  I'm just trying to stick to the mildest of whole30 foods in small amounts until the next 5 1/2 days are done.  It's going to be rough.  I just wondered if anyone else ever got relief when they got bad reflux.  I see a lot of people have gotten it.  I don't want to have to go on Meds, now!  Most meds don't agree with me, including the Zantac I tried last night out of desperation.  I just got another natural thing called Heartburn Ease and will continue to try the HCI.  Also...I had my gallbladder out years ago, so maybe people with no gallbladders need a modified version.  Also wondering how many with stomach issues have no gallbladder, either.

[Carlaccini]

Yes definitely people who have no gallbladder will have issues with digesting fats properly.  So unfortunately you should be going on the light side for fats.

[Elledee]

I have always eaten as much good fats as I wanted since my gallbladder removal, and they have never bothered me.  Sadly I didn't know the truth about good and bad fats before I had it removed.  I do think I upped it some with this diet just making sure I didn't get hungry, having some with each meal, etc., same with meats, although they have been a big part of my diet before as well as the fruits and veggies.  I guess the increase in all of them together to make up for the lack of grains, just doesn't work for me. I can't eat any fats now, or meats, which isn't good, so I hope it gets better.  Almost done. 5 more days if I can make it with so little food!

[moegreen]

Oh, I am so glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue!  I did a whole60 over the summer and was fine at first, then bam! major GERD.  Couldn't eat anything without major pain, so after the whole 60 was finished I gave up and went back to my sugar eating ways   

Started a Jan. 1 whole 30 and was feeling GERD pain by day 4.  I think my body was not used to eating so much (albeit great) food and fat, especially later in the evening.  It takes time to cook a real meal instead of slamming pizza or leftovers.   So I try to eat earlier in the evening and I started daily fermented foods and digestive enzymes.  Also, I limit coconut and avocado, which I almost never ate in my previous life.  A short walk after meals is really helpful too, but all this snow makes that tricky.  Still have GERD symptoms, but not as intense.  I am hoping it will eventually go away with continued clean eating!

ps - chiropractic adjustment helps a bit too