Do You Suffer from Heartburn, Indigestion or Acid Reflux?

Have you ever experienced a burning pain in and around your heart? Do you commonly start burping soon after eating or wake at night with heartburn?

My son (David) recently had a burning pain in the stomach area for a couple of days that would sometimes go up into his heart area. I had him take the homeopathic remedy Lycopodium, which helped, but it kept returning. He went to the ER to make sure it wasn’t a heart attack.

The doctor thoroughly checked out David and said his heart and all of his blood work is excellent. The Doctor said he was experiencing heart burn from the spicy sausage he ate in the beginning of the week. I told him it was worth going to the emergency room, when the symptoms persisted to make sure it wasn’t a heart attack. Often, heart attacks can be disguised as heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux. Note that David has stopped eating the spicy sausage too.

Indigestion, Heartburn and Acid Reflux

It is common for people to confuse indigestion with heartburn and acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease – GERD). As all 3 of these health conditions have similar symptoms and triggers. Yet, they are separate conditions.

Similar Symptoms Indigestion, Heartburn and Acid Reflux All Have

• Abdominal pain or discomfort,
• Bloating,
• Upset stomach,
• Burping,
• Nausea, vomiting,
• Regurgitation of acid into the throat or mouth,
• Bitter taste in the mouth,
• Symptoms get worse after lying down or bending over,
• Eating too quickly,
• Eating a big or heavy meal, especially before bedtime,
• Eating fatty, spicy, fried foods, acidic foods and chocolate,
• Drinking caffeinated, carbonated, juices and or alcohol,
• Medications (i.e., antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, muscle relaxers, or blood pressure),
• Smoking,
• Hiatal hernia,
• Pregnancy,
• Overweight

With a list of similar symptoms for indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux, it’s easy to see how you can be confused as to what health condition you really have. One of the great things about using Homeopathy, is you do not need labels to address a health condition. You just need to know what symptoms you are experiencing, along with what makes the symptoms better or worse (modalities) in order to select a homeopathic remedy.

The other good news is there are a couple of homeopathic remedies that will address the common symptoms you are experiencing, whether it is heart burn, indigestion or acid reflux. A 30c or 200c homeopathic remedy will start addressing these conditions within 30 minutes or less.

Homeopathic Remedies Commonly Used for Heartburn, Indigestion and Acid Reflux

If your ailment is heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux, there are several homeopathic remedies that can be taken to address your symptoms. And it can be as easy as selecting a homeopathic remedy according to the time your heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion symptoms start.

Carbo Vegetabilis Is the homeopathic remedy you would select when your heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux begins one half hour after a meal.

Other Carbo Vegetabilis Symptoms you may have is a rancid, sour putrid burping up from food. The burping temporary reliefs the heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux. Nausea and cramping gas pains that cause you to double over, and are worse lying down.

Nux Vomica, you would be selecting this remedy if you are having heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux several hours after eating. The food just lies in the stomach like heavy knot from overeating.  

Other Symptoms of the Nux Vomica are a difficulty in belching, especially after drinking strong coffee. Sour, bitter belching, excessive gas in the stomach and intestines, causing the stomach to be very sensitive to pressure.

Arsenicum Album is the homeopathic remedy you need when you wake up during the middle of the night with heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion.

Other Arsenicum Album Symptoms you can have is burping up acidic-bitter substance that burns your throat.

Lycopodium is the homeopathic remedy to use for indigestion, acid reflux or heartburn, when your symptoms come on from overindulgence has resulted in gas and bloating, accompanied with gurgling in the lower abdomen. These symptoms come from eating foods that do not agree with you (dairy, wheat, etc.) or from overeating.

Other Symptoms of Lycopodium, I have found many of my client’s experience, burping along with their heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion. Lycopodium is the homeopathic remedy to use if you have a combination of the above symptoms, which usually happens not too long after eating.

How to Administer the Homeopathic Remedy

Whichever homeopathic remedy you choose for your symptoms, use a 30c or 200c potency. Place 1-3 pellets on the tongue every 15-30 minutes until you start to see improvement, then back off the selected homeopathic remedy. Repeat the remedy, if the symptoms start to return again. In most cases, you will only need 1 or 2 doses to get results and feel better.

Example: Take 1-3 pellets of Lycopodium 30c and repeat every 15 minutes, until your gas and bloating start to diminish. Repeat Lycopodium 30c if your gas and bloating start to return; approximately 1-3 hours later.

What Is Indigestion (Dyspepsia)?

You may have an upset stomach, a stomachache, or even a bellyache. No matter what you called it, you are experiencing an uncomfortable, painful burning in your stomach, usually during or after eating. The painful discomfort is in the upper abdomen and chest area.

Indigestion often has a full bloated feeling in the stomach or is gassy. And may often be accompanied with burping, nausea after eating and or an acidic taste in the mouth. Occasionally, you may be vomiting and even have diarrhea. The symptoms usually get worse when you’re stressed, then go away in a few hours.

Indigestion also is a general term for a wide range of digestive issues. And can be linked to chronic health conditions such as ulcers (i.e., duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer), pancreas abnormalities, cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), or acid reflux disease (GERD).

Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum Case Scenario: You have indigestion with burning that rises up into the throat, along with a burning in stomach. The abdomen has trapped rumbling gas, which is difficult passing gas, especially in the morning.

Other Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Indigestion (Dyspepsia)

Alumina has a sour acrid burping with the indigestion. The stomach feels constricted. The symptoms last 3 hours after meals. The symptoms are worse from eating potatoes.

Chelidonium Majus has distention in the stomach and abdominal area with nausea and vomiting. The symptoms are better very hot water.

Hydrastis Canadensis has loud rumbling in abdomen, that is better with movement. And a cutting pain that is better after passing gas.

Natrum Carbonicum has indigestion symptoms after eating fats. You are burping up a sour taste, that is better from eating crackers (soda crackers).

Heartburn Indications

Heartburn is a type of indigestion and a symptom of acid reflux. When you have heartburn or acid indigestion, you have a burning pain or feeling of discomfort from regurgitation of stomach acid that flows up into your esophagus to the chest (heart area) behind the breastbone. The pain can also move into your throat.

Because the burning sensation is around the area of the heart, you may think you are having a heart attack. If you suddenly start having these symptoms and especially if you never had heartburn before. See a doctor, to rule out you are not having a heart attack. And heartburn symptoms don’t affect your heart.

Heartburn can last from a few minutes to several hours, and often feels worse after you eat. You may wake up during the middle of the night with these symptoms.

Conium Maculatum Case Scenario: You will select this remedy when you have excessive heartburn with acidic burping, especially when pregnant. The acidic burning pain is located in one spot in sternum. The heartburn symptoms are better eating and are worse a few hours after meals. And continues on through the evening and during the night.

Other Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Heartburn Symptoms

Ammonium Carbonicum you have a pain in the pit of the stomach with the heartburn. You may also have acidic regurgitation with the nausea and excessive gas in the stomach and intestines. The heartburn symptoms are better lying on the painful side or on your stomach.

Bismuthum has burping after drinking. A burning sensation and in one spot in the stomach it feels like a load sitting there. With the heartburn symptoms are drinking cold drinks, until the stomach becomes full and causes you to vomit.

Magnesia Carbonica heartburn symptoms are after eating cabbage, potatoes, greasy foods or milk, causing you to have acidic and sour burping’s. You may also vomit up bitter tasting water or undigested milk.

Pulsatilla has burping, nausea with regurgitation of sour fluid. Leaving you with a foul and bitter taste of food, that remains a long time. Heartburn is better when out in cool fresh open air and worse from eating rich foods.

Acid Reflux and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux – GER) is a common health condition that can range from mild to severe symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, more severe form of acid reflux.

Acid reflux occurs when the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus irritating the tissue. Heartburn, (acid indigestion), is a symptom of acid reflux and GERD., because the esophagus lies just behind the heart, where the burning sensation is felt, hence heartburn.

Heartburn is a common symptom of GERD. Though, you can have GERD and not have heartburn and experience difficulty swallowing, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain, especially while lying down at night.

China Officinalis Case Scenario is when you have acid reflux with burping up a bitter fluid or regurgitation of food with no relief. The abdominal area is bloated with trapped gas, that can’t be passed up (burping) or down (passing gas).

The Top Homeopathic Remedies for Acid Reflux (GERD)

Are Lycopodium, Carbo Vegetabilis, Nux Vomica and Arsenicum Album.

How Can Homeopathy Help Address Your Heartburn, Indigestion or Acid Reflux?

The biggest cause of any of these symptoms is stress. You can take a homeopathic remedy acutely for when you have any of these symptoms and within minutes your symptoms will start to decrease; giving you relief whether it be an acidic burning feeling, burping, nausea, etc.

However, in order to completely address your indigestion, acid reflux or heartburn, you will need to address the stress that is causing you to have these symptoms.

There are several ways homeopathy can support someone experiencing acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn:

1).  Select a chronic fundamental homeopathic remedy for “who they are” and “how someone developed” heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux.

• This is best done by seeking out a trained and certified homeopath. They would proceed to take a complete health history getting a snapshot of how the person’s general health is from birth to the present time.
• However, the main focus would be on what was going on in their lives prior to them developing acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn. Looking back at the last 6-12 months of their life for stresses (i.e., relationship, work related, financial, or caring for a loved one).
• And consider other physical acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn symptoms they are having such as: burping, acidic sour taste, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, waking up at night with symptoms, other heath conditions (i.e., ulcers, Heliobacter pylori, (H. pylori), diabetes, gall bladder symptoms) and what their diet consists of. 
• Acute Symptoms – Select a homeopathic remedy for any Acute symptom(s) they may have (i.e., burping, sour taste, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, waking up at night with symptoms), and or any other heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux symptoms.

2).  Homeopathic remedy will be selected according to the acute symptom(s), along with what makes the symptom(s) better or worse.

Whether, your heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux are a daily occurrence or weekly event. Contact a Homeopath that is experience in chronic case taking, to help address why you are experiencing heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux (GERD) and start living your life symptom free.