# Can excess stomach acid ,cause IBS?



## Sequoia (Feb 28, 2001)

Is there an acceptable level of acid in the stomach, that is agreeable to the rest of the gastro tract? ............ Or is it changed to a different ph, as it empties from the stomach?Is it possible to have an excess amount of acid, that leaves the stomach that causes our IBS, and its variety of associated problems?Thanks you your info


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The stomach contents are neutralized when they get into the small intestine.K>------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Sequoia (Feb 28, 2001)

Thanks KMottus-I was wondering what happens from the stomach-


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2001)

Although, in my experience, if you are having problems with allergies which are causing you to swallow a lot of post nasal drip, you might experience D. And, the drip also seems to make the acid problem worse, too.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYI: stomach acid is not a factor really in IBS.------------------I work with Mike and the IBS Audio Program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2001)

Kmottus, Just curious on your take on this. Why do the natural folks believe that more acid is needed and then the mainstream medicine tells you the opposite and suggest that you need to limit or block the acid in the stomach?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Conventional medicine usually only wants to block the acid if and only if it is a problem. I'll see what I can find about the rationale is behind taking HCl tablets. Conventional medicine agrees that you need a certain amount of acid in the stomach for assorted things so it isn't an acid is bad get rid of it at all costs, but more of a get rid of acid that is creating symptoms. K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The only reference I could find that was you should take HCl if you have gastric problems was to one guy's book, and that often means (but not always) means the data wasn't good enough to be published in the peer review lit. And so far it looks like most of it is along the lines of the logic in the next paragraph. There was one site that listed taking HCl for alot of differnent ailments, but gastric problems is the only one that modern scientific medicine will have you take antacids/acid reducers for (well there is a few allergists who will have you take the H2-blocking acid reducers for allergies especially if your histamine receptors behave oddly and in some people for some things H2 blockers work better than H1 blockers)I think that the people need to take HCl is because of information like the abstract I will put at the bottom. See everyone agrees you need acid in the stomach for things and there are some people who demonstrably have low HCl problems (30% of the elderly) and well there are symptoms associated with low HCl as you don't absorb things correctly, so the logical fallacy occurs that anyone with any of those symptoms (which are often quite non-specific) must have low HCl and taking HCl will fix the problems.That sort of thing. Alot of what occures in non-scientific medicine or psuedoscientific medicine is that a few facts are taken and logical assumptions that shouldn't be made get made (and generally the assumptions are not tested really well so it'a hard sometimes to even sort through the assumptions to find the one that mucked the works up and sometimes the assumptions are not really well layed out, so sometimes it takes a lot of digging to figure out what they were assuming). And you end up with a nice sounding piece of logic that unless you know alot of stuff you can't untangle to find the falsehood in it. Most of the stuff in psuedoscience and alternative med does have some grain of truth in it. And some alternative practices actually do work. Probiotics for gas is an example. See if you had no stomach acid you wouldn't digest your food properly, you would get pernicious anemia and you would have problems aborbing various minerals and there are some people (like infants and 30% of the elderly population) that do not have enough stomach acid. There is the truth that underlies the take HCl and feel better. Here's the abstract.K.Title Low gastric hydrochloric acid secretion and mineral bioavailability. Author Champagne ET Source Adv Exp Med Biol, 249(-HD-):173-84 1989 Abstract Young infants and approximately 30% of the elderly have low secretion of hydrochloric acid by gastric parietal cells. It has been established that low hydrochloric acid secretion can lead to decreased absorption of ferric iron. Conflicting results have been obtained in clinical studies of the effects of intraluminal gastric pH values on calcium absorption. The results of an in vitro study suggest that the chemical form of the ingested calcium and the presence of protein may influence whether high intraluminal gastric pH values affect resultant calcium solubilities in the small intestine. The effects of low hydrochloric acid secretion on zinc absorption have not been ascertained. The results of an in vitro study indicate that high intraluminal gastric pH values would not affect resultant zinc solubilities in the small intestine following pancreatin digestion of soy protein isolate supplemented with calcium and/or zinc. Considering that the diets of many elderly contain primarily plant foods and that soy protein isolate formulas are commonly fed to infants, further research is especially needed to determine the effects of low hydrochloric acid secretion on mineral bioavailabilities from high fiber and phytate containing plant foods. K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2001)

Kmottus, thanks for looking into it. I wish there was more information available on the subject. ------------------ http://www.digestioninfo.com


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Unfortunately the alternative medicine side of things just isn't as well documented as the ye olde standard in the medical literature kind of things.A lot of times it's a good idea just taken too far. Like some of the megadosing of vitamins. Yep some is good, more can be better, but eventually you hit the too much is too much and problems arise.One example is vitamin A. You need it, but at high doses it is a dandy teratogen (causes birth defects). K------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2001)

I agree with you, excessive behavior in anything could be harmful. If you do most things in moderation you will be fine. As for excessive product amounts, I could even say that plain water is harmful. You would have to drinks gallons over a short period of time but in excess even something like water could be dangerous. Vitamin A as with all fat soluble vitamins stay in your system much longer than water soluble vitamins and yes you do need to be careful with the amounts of these.------------------ http://www.digestioninfo.com


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One of the important rules of toxicology is oft overlooked by some in the alt/pseudoscientific medical community is the first rule of toxiciology.The dose makes the poison.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Jleigh (Dec 8, 2000)

Odeal, if you're there,Tell me more about the allergy thing being related. I'm curious. I have allergies although they aren't bad, I do have PND all the time. I have IBS-D and reflux.Thanks------------------How long a minute is, depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on...


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

How does one take HCL? Never heard of those supplements. Actually, between the proton pump inhibitors or acid reducers and my low-acidity diet (for healing purposes), I think I actually may have gotten TOO LOW in stomach acidity - such that I did in fact have absorption problems. When I'd add a bit of acidity to my diet (at the possible risk of getting a reaction), I seemed to digest my foods slightly better. Nope, I don't want those supplements; just curious though.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

they come in tablets or capsules. http://www.auravita.com/secure_check.asp?p...Betaine_HCl.asp K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2001)

Jliegh: It's not something I can explain, actually. Just an observation about myself, and others, over time that PND seems to make us worse. When it is very heavy I'm actually sick to my stomach, have worse D and need to take 2 Pepcid (prescribed--40 mg.) a day instead of the one that I usually take on a regular basis.


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