Heartburn Remedy For Truck Drivers

As truckers we frequently eat a lot of greasy, starchy foods, and this can generate visits from the Heartburn Fairy.

There is a really cheap and extremely effective way to deal with heartburn caused by greasy, starchy foods.

Apple Cider Vinegar.

Yes, it's an acid, and that's why it works for food-induced heartburn.

The foods (greasy, starchy) that cause heartburn reduce the acid levels in your stomach. The little valve at the top of your stomach relaxes when your acid levels get too low. When that valve relaxes, it lets acid back up into your throat. Heartburn! Reflux! Apple cider vinegar increases the acidity in your stomach, which closes that valve again. White vinegar doesn't do it. Your body reacts differently to the chemical mix in apple cider vinegar. Other vinegars might. Feel free to try them. Ripe apples help, from what I've heard, but you can store vinegar for weeks. A tablespoon or sip of apple cider vinegar works in a minute or less, completely eliminating my heartburn.

How I learned about this:

Several years ago, my mother had acid reflux so bad she was going to apply for social security disability because she couldn't drive or sleep reliably. She spent thousands of dollars on all sorts of medical solutions, prescriptions, etc. None of it worked, and some of the stuff caused her other digestive issues. She had heard about using apple cider vinegar, but didn't trust that it would work. Using acid to treat acid reflux seems silly, eh?

After a nasty week where she had to take two sick days, she decided to try the apple cider vinegar. It worked for her immediately. One tablespoon, and her heartburn was gone in minutes. She did complain that it burned pretty harshly, but that was because her throat was raw from stomach acid exposure. These days the vinegar doesn't burn her throat.

She started keeping bottles in the house and car, and at work. Now, years later, not only is her reflux gone, she only has issues with heartburn occasionally, after the sort of meal that you would typically expect to give heartburn. She only needs the vinegar a few times a month.

So keep a little bottle of ACV in the truck, and take a sip when heartburn hits.

Clearly, if you are allergic to apples, this is a bad idea. Try other vinegars (white vinegar won't work). Maybe vinegar from another fruit will work for you.

Cool!! Thanks for that tip!

A quick fix is also a rounded teaspoon full of baking soda and about 6 Oz of water. Drink...burb...rinse...repeat. usually two doses will do the trick. I wouldn't try more than 3 or 4 though. Baking soda is also a natural laxative taken in larger doses. LOL!

JJ

A quick fix is also a rounded teaspoon full of baking soda and about 6 Oz of water. Drink...burb...rinse...repeat. usually two doses will do the trick. I wouldn't try more than 3 or 4 though. Baking soda is also a natural laxative taken in larger doses. LOL!

JJ

If you have grease/starch related reflux or heartburn, a baking soda fix will only help for a short while - you just depress the acid levels even more, so when they start to build back up again, you have reflux/heartburn again. That's why a lot of food-related reflux sufferers eat Tums like candy. That's also why they frequently have a hard time digesting food, because you need high levels of stomach acid to break down food.

If you have a different medical condition and get reflux / acid issues because of actually having too much acid instead of too little, then using baking soda or tums will work, and apple cider vinegar will not.

If you get acid reflux from pizza, cheeseburgers, and pasta, baking soda isn't fixing anything, even though it might make it hurt less.

I eat an apple most every night for the very same reason. Good post FB, helpful.

I eat an apple most every night for the very same reason. Good post FB, helpful.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Amazing how much truth there is in some old sayings, eh?

I eat an apple most every night for the very same reason. Good post FB, helpful.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Amazing how much truth there is in some old sayings, eh?

Yes, indeed.

Thanks Dr. Bob

Thanks farmerbob / Dr. Bob. this is quite timely as my daughter has been sufferring from heart burn, and was sick just before as well, to where she has missed the last couple days of work and we were up with her for a while last night. I knew about this kind of treatment for it and how most people think it is exactly the opposite of what you should do but I could not remember the specific reason and now thanks to you I do. May daughter has been downing the Pink stuff the last couple days trying to help.

I can now approach her with this added information that she will listen to. She was going to try and get in to the hospital to see someone about this problem and I hope I am able to get to her first.

Another quick fix if you are on the road and have it but don't have some place near by that sells the apple cider vinegar is a can of soda. Most are accidic but probably your colas are the worst. By the way I remember seeing on the news a couple years ago that they linked one soda per day with a 40% increase in prostate cancer. Keep that in mind gents!

What about calling larry the cable guy? He could slingshot a pillow full of prilotec otc right into your tractor!!!