Get Rid Of Acid Reflux In 4 Weeks

This is a guide to getting rid of your acid reflux naturally and for good in as little as four weeks!

I based this guide off of my own experience. After being on prescription antacids for over 5 years I was determined to find another solution. In my mind, I knew that my body could deal with it on its own, and I felt that the acid blockers just weren’t allowing my body to heal itself. So, like you, I did a ton of research online for natural remedies and committed myself for four weeks to a trying variety of remedies that I found. 

These are the exact steps I used to get off my antacids in four weeks. I wasn’t looking for a way to “manage” my acid reflux, I wanted to heal my body and obliterate my acid reflux.

After those four weeks, I did not need to rely on any medication (prescribed or natural) to get me through the day. I was back to eating whatever I wanted without worrying about heartburn. I’ve learned a lot about my body since then and acid reflux is not as common anymore. Getting off my prescription allowed me to help and acted as the first step in taking control of my own health.

Who Is This For?

This guide is intended for people who take daily antacids (prescription or over the counter) and can’t skip a day without a crazy amount of heartburn. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) or have persistent acid reflux more than twice a week this guide will help you find relief. 

If you only have heartburn occasionally there are tips in here that may help you much faster.

Obviously, everybody is different and you will need to adapt this guide to your body’s specific needs, but use this as a starting guide. As always, you should consult with your doctor before making health changes. 

Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.

How To Get Rid Of Acid Reflux

Quick Links To Each Week Of Your Transition Of Antacids

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4

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Week 1 Of Getting Rid Of Acid Reflux

What to do

Take Your Prescription Down By Half 

If you’re anything like I was, you’ve been taking a prescription or some sort of antacid every single day for quite a while (it was 5 years for me). And if you skip a day it’s an awful experience (I would miss work because of it!). My doctors kept increasing my dose year after year, even though the bottle literally said you shouldn’t take it for more than two weeks. So I had to ask myself – if most people only need this for 2 weeks why have I been on it for 5 years? I’m not a fan of taking mediation that simply puts a band aid on the problem instead of fixing the problem. So I turned to natural sources, which included ditching my prescriptions. 

I’m not going to ask you to stop taking your medication cold turkey. In fact, stopping quickly may cause more problems than it will help. What I did was take half my dose for a week. I was taking two pills so I cut it down to one. During my first week, I would feel heartburn during the day, but I used some of the next steps to work through those moments. By the end of the week, I felt like I was managing well one just that one pill. 

So, take your prescription down by half for this week and use the next steps to fight through any acid reflux or heartburn you may feel during this time. 

Understand if you have low or high acid

It may sound counter intuitive, but I have acid reflux because I have low stomach acid. My body can’t make enough stomach acid when it needs to so it overcompensates and leads to acid reflux. Having low vs high stomach acid may change the way you treat it.

A simple test to determine if you have high vs low stomach acid is to mix 1/4 tsp of baking soda in warm water and drink it on an empty stomach. You want to time how long it takes you to burp. If it takes 3-5 minutes or more then you likely have low stomach acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar Shots

If you also have low stomach acid taking apple cider vinegar can increase the amount of acid in your stomach making it easier to digest and avoiding acid reflux. If you have high acid reflux you can try this method but may find it most effective to skip it.

This week you’ll want to start taking Apple Cider Vinegar twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Apple Cider Vinegar, and maybe you’ve tried it. This is wonderful for acid reflux but needs time to make a difference. 

During my four-week cleanse from my prescription I mixed about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (you want to make sure to get one with “The Mother” like this bottle) in 8 oz of warm water with a bit of honey in it.

My doctor told me that the warm water will be more soothing and would make it feel like tea. 

Yup, it’s gross. But it works. The honey in the mix really helps cut the taste and can actually increase the healing aspect. 

If you can’t stomach drinking it, try these apple cider vinegar capsules. I use them every once and a while nowadays, mostly for their health benefits. They have a strong smell of apple cider vinegar, but if you swallow them quickly there’s no taste. This could be a more convenient option for you, however I don’t think they are as effective.

Take Slippery Elm When You Feel Heartburn

This was a GOD SENT to me. I thought it was a really weird supplement at first, but it’s actually a really great natural alternative to acid blockers.

They come in capsules and don’t have a taste. In my first week I would take one of these anytime I felt any heartburn or acid reflux. I just kept the bottle in my bag for whenever I needed it. It provides really quick relief. When I was doing this cleanse that relief only lasted half a day or so, and then I would take another one as needed. 

Nowadays I keep a bottle around for those times that I eat a ton of sugar or get really stressed and have a bit of heartburn. I take one or two capsules and it’s gone in a flash and doesn’t return quickly at all. 

Here’s the one I use and recommend. I also recently started using GI Revive supplements which have slippery elm plus a bunch of other gut healing ingredients for when I have acid reflux or other GI symptoms.

Digestive Enzymes and Bitters before meals

Another thing that really helped with my acid reflux and I still do regularly is taking digestive enzymes and digestive bitters before meals, especially meals that I know might be harder on my stomach.

Before you eat place a dropper full of digestive bitters in your mouth, preferably under your tongue, and hold it in your mouth for as long as you can. Then swish it around and swallow. It’s not the greatest tasting thing, but you get used to it. This works by stimulating your glands to trigger your body to start producing stomach acid before you eat. It makes a world of a difference for me. I have 4-5 bottles on hand at all times so I can have some at home and some in any bag I take out.

Also before you eat take one capsule of digestive enzymes which will aid your body in breaking down the food.

What to eat

During these four weeks, you’ll want to be eating a really simple – mostly bland diet. This will help your body heal faster, but don’t worry – it won’t last forever. 

As far as what not to eat, that will depend on you. If you know certain foods bother you, like dairy, sugar, or nightshades like peppers and tomatoes – avoid those. If you aren’t sure here’s a quick list of the common foods that trigger acid reflux. You may consider avoiding all of them or focus on the ones you know cause pain.

Foods To Avoid: 

• Dairy products
• Gluten products 
• Corn and corn products
• Coffee
• Soda
• Garlic 
• Onion
• Peppermint
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Fruit juices
• Chocolate
• Fatty foods
• Spicy Foods
• Raw veggies (these can be hard on your stomach lining)

If you’ve never done any sort of elimination diet that may seem like a lot – but there are plenty of yummy foods you can eat during the next four weeks. When I did this I was in college and mostly focused on cheap simple meals. I would pack everything in my backpack and take all my own food everywhere. Here’s an idea of what I ate: 

Breakfast: Oatmeal (overnight oats, low sugar), Chia seed pudding, Eggs (plain, no onions, peppers, or cheese), dairy free protein shakes, smoothies (with acid reflux happy fruits like berries)

Snacks: Bananas, cooked vegetables (no raw veggies)

Lunch/Dinner: Cooked Chicken with rice (or cauliflower rice), Fish, Potatoes (unless you have a nightshade sensitivity), broth-based soups like a chicken noodle (not tomato soup or anything tomato-based), rice ramen, miso soup, lunch meat and crackers

Now I’m a super boring eater and during this time was on a very limited budget and was desperate for relief, so eating chicken every day wasn’t a problem for me. However, if you need a little more variety here’s an idea of other foods you can eat. 

Foods To Eat: 

• Bone broth
• Cooked veggies 
• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Miso
• Avocado 
• Pumpkin and other squashes
• Chamomile Tea
• Tuna
• Eggs
• Lean meats
• Beans
• Nuts and seeds (if they don’t bother you)
• Gluten free pasta

Acid Reflux Friendly Recipes 

If you need some more ideas about what to eat during this transition, check out these links. You can also check out my Acid Reflux Meal Plan which has over 50 recipes and meal ideas to help you during your transition.

More Ideas for What To Eat To Heal Acid Reflux

Week 2 Of Getting Rid Of Acid Reflux

Adjust Your Antacid Dose Again

So at this point, you should have an idea of how well you’re doing with half your dose of antacid. If you’re still struggling, stick with what you’re doing. If you feel like you can manage it at this point, try taking it to every other day. So you’ll be doing half your original dose every other day (at this point I was taking one pill every other day). 

Again, everybody is different. Your body might be responding really well and you can get to this point much quicker. Or your body may need some extra love and you stick with week 1’s plan for another week. Listen, breathe, and do what’s best for you. 

Have Slippery Elm And Apple Cider Vinegar On Hand When You Need It 

At this point in my cleanse I was keeping the bottle of slippery elm with me and taking those as needed. But I found that they took a little to kick it as I decreased my antacid dose. So I started mixing apple cider vinegar in a water bottle and keeping it with me (a couple tablespoons to the bottle of water, as much as you can handle). When I would feel the “heat” rise, I would take a big sip (as much as I could stomach, like a vodka shot lol). This seemed to help me get relief right away as I waited for the slippery elm to take effect. In time my body started reacting more quickly to the slippery elm, but drinking apple cider vinegar throughout the day was really helpful. 

I continued to drink apple cider vinegar in the morning and evening as well, but it was helpful to sip on it throughout the day as well. If you’re taking the capsule, just take them during the day as needed just like the slippery elm.

Continue using digestive bitters and enzymes

This week continue to take digestive bitters and enzymes with your meals. If you feel it’s helping you can continue to use them with every meal or just a meal or two a day – that’s up to you and how you’re feeling.

Try Aloe Vera Drinks 

This week, I want you to try something new if you still need more relief. Aloe Vera Drinks. Yes, they’re pretty weird, but they don’t taste as bad as apple cider vinegar and can provide a cooling effect pretty quickly if you’re in desperate need of relief. You can find these at most grocery stores and I’ve even seen them at the gas station. If you can’t find them near you try a health food store like Whole Foods. 

This is the brand I tried.

I didn’t love it enough to keep trying it and found better success with the apple cider vinegar and slippery elm, but I want to give you another tool if you need it. 

Week 3 Of Getting Rid Of Acid Reflux

Try Cutting Your Antacid All Together

This is it! This is the week I stopped taking my antacid altogether. If you think you’re ready to take the leap – do it! I used more slippery elm this week in place of the antacid like I’ve talked about, so don’t feel like you just have to suffer through it. I definitely felt more acid reflux this week, but I felt I could manage it with my slippery elm and apple cider vinegar in my water bottle. 

Again, if you don’t feel ready to take the leap, wait. Listen to your body and go at your own pace. Just know at some point you will have to deal with the not-so-fun parts to finally kick it, so don’t wait too long. If you haven’t cut your dose to every other day maybe try that this week. 

Slippery Elm + Apple Cider Vinegar + Digestive Enzymes + Digestive Bitters

Just like last week, take the supplements that are helping you when you feel you most need it. Try doing morning and evening apple cider, digestive enzymes and bitters with meals, and slippery elm as needed.

Add Turmeric To Your Diet

This is another trick I want to introduce to you. It doesn’t have as much of an immediate effect as the other supplements, but over time it will help. 

Turmeric is an anti-inflammation super food. You can take it in supplement form or as a powder just be sure to pair it with black pepper so your body can better absorb it.

My favorite way to add turmeric into my diet is by drinking golden milk before bed. This drink also helps me wind down and improves my sleep. I like to drink it warm as a latte. Here’s the recipe:

8 oz of water milk (dairy free if you need)

1 tsp powdered turmeric

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon

1/2 tsp black pepper

honey to taste

You can also use the seasoning in dishes like stir fry or with baked chicken. Adding this a few times a week will really help with inflammation that tends to cause acid reflux. 

Week 4 Of Getting Rid Of Acid Reflux

Yay! You’re Off Your Antacid! 

By this point, you should be completely off your antacid. If you’re still easing up on it try and take the next step and keep those slippery elm pills and apple cider vinegar handy. Still having really bad heartburn? Take another look at your diet and make sure you’re not eating anything to trigger your acid reflux (especially coffee and soda). 

If your diet is good another trigger could be stress – that was the main trigger for me in addition to certain foods. If you think that may be the case try and take something off your plate – Delegate. I know, it’s a scary word, but it’s good for your health I promise. We’ll talk more about issues like this in a little bit too. Keep reading. 

Add In Probiotics

Now that you’re off your antacid and starting to feel better you’ll want to add a probiotic to help your body continue to heal. You can do this sooner – I just added them in later so I wanted to present it in the order I did it. A good probiotic will help heal and fortify your body to prevent inflammation from happening again which is most likely the root of your acid reflux. 

Here’s my favorite probiotic I recommend.

If you want a more budget friendly and food based probiotic you can also add sauerkraut into your diet daily. This is the brand I most enjoy.

Add In Omega Supplements

Another supplement I recommend for long-term relief is Omega. This is especially important if you don’t eat fish very often. I really like this omega supplement because it has zero fishy aftertastes. 

Future Weeks

Your Pace 

Well, you’ve made it through the four weeks! (at least you’ve read through it) At this point, you may find yourself still easing off your medication. That’s ok. Like I’ve said, listen to your body and go at your own pace. Everyone is different and is going through different things. I really hope these tricks work as well for you as they did for me. If you haven’t reached total relief yet I urge you to keep at it, be patient and keep trying. Your body was not designed to be dependent on an antacid, you got this! 

Establish A Supplement Routine

Adding supplements to your daily routine will help maintain inflammation and allow your body to balance your stomach acid better. You’ll want to specifically take a high-quality probiotic, a magnesium supplement to fight candida yeast which can be a major cause of acid reflux.

Add Foods Back In

At this point, you’ve hopefully been avoiding certain foods. Now is the time to slowly introduce them back in. You may find that you can eat dairy without any problems but nightshades still bother you. If it bothers you, take some slippery elm and continue avoiding it for now.

Other habits you may have to evaluate: 

My acid reflux was caused by celiac disease, which I wasn’t diagnosed with until 8 years after I got off my antacid! I was able to manage my symptoms well, but after going gluten free nearly all my symptoms went away. I still have some trigger foods that cause some acid reflux, but I can get on top of it by using these same strategies and clear it up within a day or so.

I recommend taking a deep look at your body and lifestyle to determine what’s causing your acid reflux. Once you’ve done that these four weeks won’t be in vain. If you can adjust what caused this problem in the first place it’ll never come back. It may not be celiac disease, but it could be caused by inflammation, which can be caused by a variety of things.

Here’s a list of things that commonly cause inflammation that you might take into consideration: 

• Chronic Stress
• Weight and overall health
• Poor Sleep Habit
• Habits such as smoking and drug use 
• Food allergies such as dairy and gluten
• Food sensitivities like nightshades and corn
• Leaky gut
• Candida Yeast Overgrowth
• Autoimmune diseases

If you still feel like you’re dealing with a lot of inflammation after getting off your antacids you may need to focus on these deeper issues while you allow your body to heal. I tried the AIP diet to reduce inflammation after my celiac diagnoses and it was really beneficial for me.

If this method works for you please come back and let me know in the comments! I’d love to know how this is helping others just like me. 

If you have any questions about this process please drop a comment or shoot me an email at simplynoelblog@gmail.com. 

Happy Healing!