GERD manifests in multiple ways. While it's not a bad idea to get an endoscopy to rule out Barrett's esophagus (pre-cancerous state) it's hard to make a diagnosis of "GERD" from one. I've had it done twice, both times everything looked fine despite the ferocious pain. I had been taking a PPI since about 2002 but stopped about two months ago with only minor flareups, the latest after eating a nice but semi-carby meal at this fussy Italian place the other night. Losing 30lbs also helped as I have or had a hiatal hernia; fat loss reduces internal pressure of the stomach against the diaphragm. This hernia can mimic GERD symptoms.

Eating out esp. if you have reflux or Crohn's is always risky as you have NO idea what's in the food, how it was prepared, or how it was raised. It's super-easy to claim that meat is pastured when it's not, and charge a premium for it, and most people wouldn't know. Someone needs to start a chain of primal restaurants!

I had some issues with burping after being off the paleo diet during a trip through central Europe. I basically kicked it by going on a fast and then only eating raw unseasoned fish and raw grassfed ruminant meat, plus some raw berry and egg smoothies. After awhile I guess the inflammation subsided and I now am cooked medium-fat paleo again, but there are great support forums for raw paleos if you chose to try this.

I was also dairy-free during this period. I wasn't zero carb though, I ate as much raw fruits and vegetables as I wanted.

My theory is that for people with problems, any sauce, oil, cornfed meat, or crap formed by cooking can be inflammatory, but I only have my own anecdote to back that up. On the hunting class trip I took, we ate several low carb meals from normal restaurants with factory farmed meat (and probably glutened sauces) and they did upset my stomach.

Have you tried probiotics? I know most of the post of them I found were by people who had Crohns when i was researching, but usually GERD/IBS is from messed up gut flora.

Whats else are you supplementing/using? any micro nutrients you could be low in as well? Maybe too much o6's from the seed oils/grain fed meat? or maybe you really did get some other nasty bacteria/food poisoning that's exacerbated by your previous damage?

For mine I not only take probiotics, but also Kombucha (probiotic + bitters/ACV type effect), D3 and Mg + a whole foods multi.

The other things that are supposed to rock for repairing damage are actually covered here at paleohacks in another question I'll link.

healing your gut gi tract

I was diagnosed about a year ago after an endoscopy, but once I did some research on the meds I quit taking them. Once I went primal, I have had no problems at all-UNLESS I cheat and eat grains. I ate jalapenos this weekend with no problem, but a piece of toast did me in last night.

It seemed to take a short period of time for my body to adjust, but once it did I have had zero problems.

Google fundoplication. Someone I know was very happy with this procedure.

Well, the buffet place probably cooks with PUFA on the grill. And there may be trace gluten or CC (cross contamination) on the grill. Possible variables for consideration.

Have you seen the Cooling Inflammation blog, re: Crohns?

hi.i kept a keto diet for about 3 months and i didn't get relfux but after a season of hard study and some bodybuilding suplements i got a realy bad GERD without acid relfux more alkaline reflux,i never get the pain in my stomach or burnin sensation but i get low energy and weakness after protein meals like chiken breast eggwhites etc....

regarding melatonin if i take it i get really drowsy feeling in the morning....how are u feeling after melatonin???

I suffered from GERD for years, often waking at night with heart burn and the feeling of needing to vomit and somtimes choking on vomit. I found that if I didn't eat late at night or after 6:00 pm that I would be ok. What really fixed my esophageal sphincter muscle was the daily drinking of the herbal tea ginger. Ginger tones up the sphincter muscle. I drank 3 to 4 cups per day and over a period of several months my GERD problems disappeared. Don't drink peppermint tea as it has the opposite effect of loosing the sphincter muscle.

I got GERD in the course of one night, too. It was due to a medicine the emergency room gave me, called Lorazepam/Ativan. The next day, I could not eat a single morsel of food. The lorazepam permanently damaged my LES. I was eating lamb chops and chocolate the night before my visit. 1 year afterwards, I cannot eat chocolate at all and meat is still hard for me to digest.

I've posted on here elsewhere, but I've been Paleo for more than 2 years and started having throat pain (like something stuck in my throat). Eat lots of veggies, grassfed meats, eggs, yogurt and do use coconut oil and butter/ghee to cook with.

Saw an ENT who said I have silent reflux and she prescribed a PPI. My regular Dr suggested trying HCL, but after trying it for a few days my belly button started feeling sore. When I stopped the HCL most of that pain went away. Reluctant to take the meds I tried some Inner-Eco Water kefir pro-biotics and Kombucha. Neither of those has helped my throat constriction either (and haven't relieved the belly button soreness). So may try the meds, but may also visit a gastroenterologist as well.Bit confused why all of a sudden started having this problem. Never had any real health issues before going Paleo and was fine the first 2 years.

Two years ago, an Upper Gi revealed several ulcers and a hiatal hernia. I was put on a PPI and followed the regular advices for this conditions, raising the head of the bed, no eating or lying down for three hours before sleeping, etc... Through months of frustrating trials and errors, I am now eating like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch time and a pauper at dinner. I almost don' t eat red meat but lots of fish and chicken. My latest upper GI revealed still some irritations but no ulcers and the hiatal hernia disappeared (it can corrects itself as well as reappearing even after surgery as many of you may have read). PPI should not be used for more than two years but many testimonies I read were from people who were on them for 5 and more years and could not live without them. Getting off them is difficult since stopping abruptly can create a surge of acidity as the body returns to its normal function. My nutritionist recommended a book called "dropping acid" by Jamie Koufman, Jordan Stern and Marc Michel Bauer. I got it at Amazon for $17 and can be bought used for around $13. This book was very helpful. (you can read the customer reviews at the store website to have an idea about the book. I was getting so very discouraged but living with discomfort, having sleepless nights and dragging in the morning, being afraid to ingest anything, isn't the way to live. The low acidity diet (from that book) I am following is great once you accept you cannot eat like you used to. On the bright side, once your digestive system is cured, you can start reintroducing the foods you should stay away from and watch for reaction. If one, like say green peppers, is still giving you trouble after you ingest it in your meal, it is either too soon for you or it may have to be put on the list of banned foods. Yes it is not a quick solution but my quality of life is back. Next step is to taper off the PPI. I have great respect for doctors but no matter how competent in their field of expertise, they have little or no knowledge on nutrition. It is not part of the curriculum and even, finding a good dietitian can be a challenge. I don't reject medication either but this should not be a chronic condition that warrants taking medications for the rest of your life. The low acidity diet will be hard for people who are used to some mild discomforts but not the agony I experienced at some times in my journey. Giving up carbonated beverages, caffeinated drinks, or alcohol for any length of time will not be suggestions that people will accept readily. People will refuse even if that means going though all the misery of GERD, and other digestive symptoms. I am not better than they are, it is just that, eventually, I got so fed up that I finally resigned myself to try anything to get better. Wish me luck as I am continuing my journey and if you can relate to my story, give a chance to this book, even if you are frustrated and almost accepting a life of misery as part of getting old or as being normal. It is not! You, I, we, all deserve better.