Slippery Elm and acid reflux/heartburn

This topic contains 3 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by fastfairy1 10 years, 4 months ago.

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fastfairy

11:52 pm
17 Jan 14
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I just started 5:2 yesterday, and I was interested to see some posts about acid reflux, omeprazole etc. I had no gastric problems until I had chemotherapy in 2006 for breast cancer, and was prescribed omeprazole to counteract the effects of a steroid I had to take. I weaned myself off it as soon as I could after the treatment finished, as it felt unnatural to me to be altering my stomach acid balance – I couldn’t see how I could come off it in the long term. I did a bit of research and was advised about Slippery Elm by my local excellent health food shop. I found it helped me immediately. For those who don’t know what it is, I think it is an ancient native American remedy (?from the bark of the Slippery Elm tree?), and comes in powder or capsule/tablet form. I don’t think it alters your acid balance, but it is just extremely gentle and soothing for the whole gut system. I take the powder as soon as I feel that uncomfortable ‘acid’ sensation in my chest, mixed in a little milk or water. I don’t have to take it very often now, but I feel much happier using Slippery Elm to treat symptoms rather than start back on omeprazole.
It obviously might not be suitable for everyone, and of course if you have been prescribed medication it’s important to discuss it with your doctor. It can also be found at the chemist’s – I’ve seen it there in boxes and it’s sometimes in the ‘food for invalids’ area, as it’s apparently also useful for people with lowered appetite and sensitive digestion.
It’s important to say I’d never advise anyone to take it as I’m not qualified to do that, but I just wanted to share my own experience with taking Slippery Elm in case someone might find it useful.

Jeanette B

6:57 am
4 Jun 14
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Very useful and interesting, Thank you

MaggiePringlemeir

6:55 pm
8 Aug 14
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Yes, Slippery Elm IS very powerful. Yes, our American Indians used it for pain relief. A dear friend lives in Medical Lake, Washington. It was named by a US Calvaryman, who discovered that local Indians bathed in its waters for their restorative effects. Pharmaceutical companies analyzed the water and then synthecized the active ingredient in tablet form. You will find it much less expensive to purchase at any discount store. It is called “aspirin”. The bark and roots carry salicatic acid, which is the active ingredent in aspirin. My doctor told me that our Food & Drug Administration would never approve it today. I would suggest to you to be careful using this medication. Aspirin going down the esophogus can cause a LOT of further damage and even ulcers in the gut.

Warm hugs & Woofs,
Maggie & MacTaggart

fastfairy1

11:53 pm
8 Aug 14
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Hello Maggie & MacTaggart, I think you’ve confused two different trees – aspirin comes from the bark of the willow tree, while slippery elm comes from the mucilaginous bark of, well, the Slippery Elm! The two druga act in very different ways, of course, with aspirin (salicylic acid) being a painkiller and slippery elm being a demulcent which soothes the tissues of the digestive tract. According to Wikipedia, it’s approved by the US Food & Drug Administration as a nutritional supplement.
As I said in my posting, as usual with these things it’s important to discuss it with your doctor before taking it, but no, it isn’t aspirin.
(I’ve had to re-rgister under the name fastfairy1 for technical reasons by the way but I’m still really fastfairy!).